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History
The name "Pocatello" comes from an Indian chief of the Shoshone tribe who granted the railroad a right-of-way through the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.
Shoshone and Bannock Indian tribes inhabited southeastern Idaho for hundreds of years before the epic trek by Lewis and Clark across Idaho in 1805. Their reports of the many riches of the region attracted fur trappers and traders to southeastern Idaho.
Hudson's Bay Company established one of the first permanent settlements at Fort Hall in 1834, which is only a few miles northeast of Pocatello. When over-trapping and a shift in fashion to silk hats put an end to the fur trade, Fort Hall became a supply point for immigrants traveling the Oregon trail.
Although thousands of immigrants passed through Idaho, it was not until the discovery of gold in 1860 that attracted settlers in large numbers to Idaho. The gold rush brought a need for goods and services to many towns, and the Portneuf Valley, home of Pocatello, was the corridor initially used by stage and freight lines. The coming of the railroad provided further development of Idaho's mineral resources and "Pocatello junction" became an important transportation crossroads as the Union Pacific Railroad expanded its service.
After the gold rush played out, the settlers who remained turned to agriculture. With the help of irrigation from the nearby Snake River, the region became a large supplier of potatoes, grain and other crops. Residential and commercial development gradually appeared by 1882. On July 3, 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state.
Location
Pocatello, the county seat of Bannock County in southeast Idaho, is located at the intersection of two interstate highways, I-15 and I-86 at 42° 54" N and 112° 30" W.
Climate
Nestled at 4,448 feet in the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Pocatello has an unusually desirable four-season climate where clear, sunny and dry is the norm. Less than 15 inches of precipitation falls annually. Summers are dry and warm with the July mean temperature at 72.4 degrees. The average daily temperature during the winter months is 35.4 degrees.
Population
The population of Pocatello is 50,544. Bannock County has an approximate population of about 71,000 in 1,112 square miles (64 persons per square mile). 93.5% of the population is Caucasian, 3.3% Hispanic, 1.7% Native American, 0.7% Black, and 0.7% Asian.
Education
Pocatello and Chubbuck accommodate their nearly 14,000 public and private students with 5 private schools, 15 elementary schools, 4 junior highs, an alternate school, and 3 high schools. School District #25 also operates a Teen Parent Program and an Evening High School for students with special needs.
The District has a solid reputation for providing quality education in grades k-12, as well as nationally recognized adult/community education classes. Both Highland and Pocatello High Schools have been accredited with 'merit' status by the Idaho Department of Education.
In 1999, Century High School opened its doors for the first time. Pocatello is proud to have this new addition in our community.
In 1989, Pocatello High School received the Presidential Excellence award; one of only 165 high schools in the nation to receive this honor.
Idaho State University (ISU) is among the fastest growing of the four academic institutions of higher education supported by the State of Idaho. About 12,000 students participate in 124 Baccalaureate, 50 Masters and nine Doctoral programs in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Pharmacy, Health-Related Professions, Education, Engineering and Business.
The October 15, 1990 issue of U.S. News & World Report ranked Idaho State University among the top 295 universities in the nation. The rankings were based on the university's reputation, selectivity, faculty resources, financial resources and student satisfaction.
Also in 1990, ISU was ranked first in the nation of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) examinations. ISU had a 69.6% pass rate, more than three times the national average of 21.9%. The statistics are based on students taking the exams for the first time.
ISU has an outstanding School of Applied Technology. It is the largest post-secondary technical institute in the state of Idaho providing technical and career-oriented educational opportunities for students and employers. Several programs expand into a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree or articulate directly into other units at ISU.
Transportation
The greater Pocatello-Chubbuck area is serviced by Union Pacific Railroad, two commercial airlines, Greyhound and several commercial truck lines. Pocatello Urban Transit provides public bus service in and around Pocatello. Bus schedules can be picked up from the City of Pocatello or the Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Pocatello is well below the national average for groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous goods and services.
A median-priced home in Pocatello is less than $71,000 (over $128,000 nationwide); a comparable home in Idaho Falls may cost $78,000, and in Boise, $85,000. Apartments rent from $250 to $550 per month.
Residential electric rates run approximately 4.7 cents per kWh. Residential natural gas, provided by Intermountain Gas, averages between 41 and 58 cents per therm (the price of natural gas averages 30% less than it did 10 years ago).
Taxes
Property taxes are limited to one percent of market value against which "percentage of value" levies are applied. Currently, a $70,000 home in Pocatello will pay approximately $1,054 per year in property taxes (with the homeowner's exemption).
The State of Idaho collects a 5% general retail sales tax, a personal income tax (2% - 8.5% of taxable income), and a 8% corporate income tax.
Major Industry
The chief sources of income of Pocatello and its surrounding trade area are manufacturing, mining, transportation, agriculture, medical products, processing of agricultural products, high-tech and nuclear research, recreation and tourism. Pocatello also serves as the retail hub for southeast Idaho.
Major employers in the Pocatello area include Idaho State University, Union Pacific Railroad, Ballard Medical Products, Lockheed Environmental Technologies, Weight Watchers, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cedar Rapids, Inc., Farm Bureau, AMI Semiconductors, Dial-Tile Company, Bannock Regional Medical Center, Pocatello Regional Medical Center, Idaho Power and Public School District #25. One of 18 regional offices for Farmers Insurance Group of Companies is located in Pocatello. FMC Corporation and J.R. Simplot Company, Minerals * Chemicals Group, large phosphate mining operations, are located just west of the city.
Agriculture, including farming and processing Idaho's famous potatoes, is an important part of the local economy.
Regional industry also includes the Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), located 60 miles northwest of Pocatello. INEEL was built in 1949 for the construction, testing and operating of new types of nuclear reactors and equipment. More than 50 nuclear reactors have been built at the facility. INEEL currently employs about 12,000 people.
With an active economic development team head-quartered at the ISU research and Business Park, Pocatello continues to enjoy a stable and diversified economic base.
Visitors and residents may attend religious services at any one of 105 churches, including five Catholic, 52 LDS Wards (Mormon), 15 Protestant, one synagogue, and 32 others including Greek Orthodox.
Health Care
Pocatello is well-equipped with modern health care facilities including two regional acute care facilities, Bannock Regional Medical & Geriatric Center and Pocatello Regional Medical Center. These two fully accredited hospitals have a full compliment of state-of-the-art diagnostic technology including MRI and CT scanners, 24-hour physician-staffed emergency care centers, and specialized women's centers. (recently they have combined into one facility called Portneuf Medical Center with two separate campuses.)
Pocatello Regional Medical Center offers 24-hour emergency care, specialized heart services, a dialysis center, a full service rehabilitation unit including transitional care, and the Women's Center For Health including obstetrics. Pocatello Regional Medical Center is a service of Intermountain Health Care, recipient of the 1991 Witt Award for Excellence in Health Care. Patients recently rate PRMC among the nation's top hospitals. PRMC is located at 777 Hospital Way.
Bannock Regional Medical Center offers the Intermountain Cancer Center, Women and Children Services (Ob/Gyn), a newborn intensive care unit, HealthLine, Life Flight (mobile intensive care), a regional pediatric unit, long term care, transitional care, home health care services, 24-hour emergency care at the hospital, an Urgent Care Center next to the pine Ridge Mall and a Sports/Industrial Rehabilitation Center. Bannock is located at 651 Memorial Drive.
The Idaho State Veterans Home provides skilled care to Idaho's war time veterans. Supplying them with a home-like atmosphere with many activities and services. The Veterans Home is located at 1957 Alvin Ricken Drive.
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