Clearwater County, Idaho Information
Clearwater County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1911, the county was named after the Clearwater River. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 8,930 (2005 estimate: 8,373).[1] The county seat is Orofino[2].
The county is home to North Fork of the Clearwater River, and a small portion of the South Fork of the Clearwater and the Clearwater. Both the Clearwater, and the Lolo Pass, in the southeast corner of the county, were made famous by the exploration of Lewis and Clark in the early 19th century. The expedition camped with the Nez Perce tribe on the Weippe Prairie outside of present-day Weippe. Elias D. Pierce and Wilbur F. Bassett made the first discovery of gold in Idaho, on Orofino Creek (Canal Gulch) in 1860, 1 mile (2 km) north of present-day Pierce. Also in the county are the Dworshak Reservoir, Dworshak State Park, Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, and the Dworshak Dam, third highest dam in the U.S. The modest Bald Mountain ski area is located between Orofino and Pierce.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census, the county has a total area of 6,444 square kilometers (2,488 sq mi). 6,375 km2 (2,461 sq mi) of it is land and 69 km2 (27 sq mi) of it (1.07%) is water. It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling prairie-like region of the middle Columbia basin.
Adjacent counties
- Shoshone County, Idaho - (north)
- Latah County, Idaho - (west 1)
- Nez Perce County, Idaho - (west 2)
- Lewis County, Idaho - (southwest)
- Idaho County, Idaho - (south)
- Missoula County, Montana - (east)
- Mineral County, Montana - (east)
| Shoshone County | ||||
| Latah County and Nez Perce County | Missoula County, Montana and Mineral County, Montana | |||
| Clearwater County, Idaho | ||||
| Lewis County | Idaho County |
Cities and towns
National protected areas
- Caribou-Targhee National Forest (part)
- Nez Perce National Historical Park (part)
- St. Joe National Forest (part)
Highways
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 4,993 | — | |
| 1930 | 6,599 | 32.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,243 | 24.9% | |
| 1950 | 8,217 | −0.3% | |
| 1960 | 8,548 | 4.0% | |
| 1970 | 10,871 | 27.2% | |
| 1980 | 10,390 | −4.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,505 | −18.1% | |
| 2000 | 8,930 | 5.0% | |
| Est. 2008 | 8,176 | −8.4% | |
| sources:[3][4] | |||
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 8,930 people, 3,456 households, and 2,481 families residing in the county. The population density was 3.6 people per square mile (1.5/km²). There were 4,144 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.82% White, 0.15% Black or African American, 2.03% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 1.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.0% were of German, 14.0% English, 11.7% Irish and 10.5% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 3,456 households out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 29.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 113.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,071, and the median income for a family was $37,259. Males had a median income of $31,426 versus $21,694 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,463. About 9.70% of families and 13.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.90% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
References
- ^ United States Census Bureau - State and County Quick Facts - Clearwater County, Idaho. Retrieved on 13 April 2007.
- ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ quickfact.ensus.gov - Clearwater County, Idaho
- ^ census.gov Idaho population by county, 1900-90 - accessed 2010-02-13
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Clearwater County - official site
- Clearwater Museum - official site
- Idaho History.net - Pierce
- Idaho Mining.org - history
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Coordinates: 46°40′N 115°40′W / 46.67°N 115.66°W
Categories: Idaho counties | Clearwater County, Idaho
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