Idaho panhandle

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The Idaho panhandle—locally known as North Idaho, Northern Idaho, or simply the Panhandle—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone (though the southern part of the region is sometimes referred to as North Central Idaho). The panhandle is bordered by the state of Washington to the west, Montana to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. The Idaho panhandle, along with Eastern Washington, makes up the region known as the Inland Northwest, headed by its largest city, Spokane, Washington.

Coeur d'Alene is the largest city within the Idaho panhandle. Spokane is around Template:Convert west of Coeur d'Alene, and its Spokane International Airport is the region's main air hub. Other important cities in the region include Lewiston, Moscow, Post Falls, Hayden, Sandpoint, and the smaller towns of St. Maries and Bonners Ferry. East of Coeur d'Alene is the Silver Valley, which follows Interstate 90 to the Montana border at Lookout Pass.

The region has a land area of Template:Convert, around 25.4% of the state's total land area; there is also Template:Convert of water area. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the Idaho panhandle was 363,642, around 19.8% of the state's total population of 1,839,106.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The town of Bonners Ferry has two Canada–US border crossings: Porthill-Rykerts Border Crossing connects with Creston, British Columbia; Eastport–Kingsgate Border Crossing connects with Yahk, British Columbia.

History

Template:Expand section The eastern border of Idaho follows the Bitterroot Range, producing the narrow northern border.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Politics

No resident of North Idaho has been elected governor since the re-election of Cecil Andrus (D) in 1974. An Oregon native raised in Eugene, Andrus had lived at Orofino and was a resident of Lewiston when first elected in 1970. (Boise was his residence during his later campaigns of 1986 and 1990). The most recent member of the U.S. Congress from the panhandle is Compton I. White Jr. (D) of Clark Fork, last elected Template:Years or months ago in 1964.

North Idaho leans Republican, as does the state as a whole. Latah County, home of the University of Idaho in Moscow, is the only one of the region's 10 counties that does not. While Bonner County is also strongly Republican, the tourist town of Sandpoint located in the county is somewhat more centrist.

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2024	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|72.3% 145,376	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|25.3% 50,821	2.5% 4,990
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2020	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|68.0% 130,215	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|29.3% 56,221	2.7% 5,128
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2016	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|64.0% 96,440	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|26.7% 40,261	9.3% 14,018
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2012	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|61.6% 86,372	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|34.2% 47,910	4.2% 5,871
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2008	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|59.0% 86,309	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|37.8% 55,301	3.2% 4,621
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2004	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|63.3% 85,537	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|34.9% 47,132	1.8% 2,461
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2000	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|64.1% 74,113	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|30.1% 34,777	5.9% 6,783
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|1996	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|43.7% 49,515	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|38.9% 43,976	17.4% 19,721
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|1992	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|33.2% 36,383	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|36.9% 40,478	29.9% 32,861
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|1988	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|50.9% 45,778	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|47.4% 42,573	1.7% 1,516

The panhandle has traditionally been one of the strongest areas for Democrats in statewide elections, largely because of its unionized miners and a smaller Mormon population than Southern Idaho. However, it largely changed in the 1980s with the drop in silver prices, slump of metal markets, mine closures and passage of a right-to-work law. Additionally, the influx of conservatives from Southern California beginning in the 1970s, many of whom were retired LAPD officers who chose to move to Coeur d'Alene, also shifted the politics of the region. This intensified during the 2010s, with Democrats nationwide being perceived as too liberal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 1990 gubernatorial election, all counties were won by the incumbent Andrus, a popular moderate who easily won a fourth term. The Democratic nominee for Governor outperformed their statewide result in Northern Idaho in all elections from 1982 through 2006; Keith Allred received 30.9% in Northern Idaho vs. 32.9% statewide in 2010, A.J. Balukoff received 36.5% in Northern Idaho vs. 38.6% statewide in 2014, Paulette Jordan received 34.6% in Northern Idaho vs. 38.2% statewide in 2018, and Stephen Heidt received 16.8% in Northern Idaho vs. 20.3% statewide in 2022. Notably, anti-government activist Ammon Bundy came in second place with 20% of the vote in 2022.

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2022	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|61.5% 83,808	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|16.8% 22,852	21.8% 29,657
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2018	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|63.6% 82,474	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|34.6% 44,914	1.8% 2,272
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2014	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|54.1% 49,700	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|36.5% 33,517	9.4% 8,589
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2010	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|62.1% 63,563	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|30.9% 31,600	7.0% 7,127
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2006	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|50.1% 48,204	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|46.8% 45,065	3.1% 2,945
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2002	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|53.8% 47,722	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.1% 39,120	2.2% 1,909
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|1998	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|64.0% 54,829	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|32.7% 28,064	3.3% 2,830
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|1994	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|48.0% 43,397	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|46.6% 42,189	5.4% 4,872
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|1990	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|29.7% 20,616	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|70.3% 48,880	0.0% 0
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|1986	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|36.1% 29,365	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|62.4% 50,764	1.6% 1,287
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|1982	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|42.4% 30,423	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|57.6% 41,412	0.0% 0

Attractions

• Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center
• Clearwater River
• Idaho Panhandle National Forest
• Kootenai River
• Lake Coeur d'Alene
• Lake Pend Oreille
• Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area
• North Idaho College
• Priest Lake
• Schweitzer Mountain
• Snake River
• Silver Mountain
• Silverwood Theme Park
• University of Idaho

Geography and climate

The Idaho panhandle observes Pacific Time north of the western-flowing Salmon River in the southern part of Idaho County. The rest of the state to the south observes Mountain Time, which begins at Riggins. Though the Idaho panhandle is at the same longitude as southwestern Idaho, they have different time zones because (1) Spokane is the commercial and transportation center for the region, and (2) there are many cross-border towns and cities that are connected, including Spokane with Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls; Pullman (home of Washington State University) with Moscow (home of the University of Idaho); and Clarkston with Lewiston.

The panhandle is isolated from southern Idaho by distance and the east–west mountain ranges that divide the state. The passage by vehicle was arduous until significant highway improvements were made on U.S. Route 95 in North Central Idaho, specifically at Lapwai Canyon (1960), White Bird Hill (1975), the Lewiston grade (1977), and Lawyer's Canyon (1991).

File:Northern Idaho Köppen.png

Köppen climate types in northern Idaho

Regional agriculture

The North Idaho region is most noted for silvaculture, the growing of trees and the production of lumber through the region's 12 lumber mills.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The production of grass seeds and hops<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for beer production are also significant in the region. Nine microbreweries have operations in the area, making North Idaho highly characteristic of the Pacific Northwest. There are also many cattle ranches.

Notable crops from the Palouse region include wheat, lentils, peas, and canola.

Native American reservations

• Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation
• Kootenai Indian Reservation
• Nez Perce Indian Reservation

Major communities

• Bonners Ferry
• Coeur d'Alene
• Dalton Gardens
• Grangeville
• Hayden
• Kellogg
• Lewiston
• Lenore
• Moscow
• Orofino
• Post Falls
• Rathdrum
• Sandpoint
• St. Maries
• Wallace

External links

• Visit Idaho.org - official state site - North Idaho
• U.S. Forest Service - official site - Panhandle National Forests
• History of the Columbia Region Territories Template:Webarchive- Washington State Historical Society