Editing Idaho panhandle

{{Short description|Region of the U.S. state of Idaho}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Idaho panhandle
| image_skyline      = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Map of Idaho highlighting the Idaho Panhandle.png
| mapsize            = 200px
| map_caption        = Red: The ten counties of the Idaho panhandle
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Idaho|Counties]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name1  = [[Idaho]]
| subdivision_name2  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| population_as_of   = 2020
| seat_type          = Largest city
| seat               = [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]]
| population         = 390640
| area_total_sq_mi   = 21012.64
| area_footnotes     = 
}}
{{US Census population
| 1870 = 
| 1880 = 
| 1890 = 
| 1900 = 58486
| 1910 = 106360
| 1920 = 112504
| 1930 = 119940
| 1940 = 135776
| 1950 = 142059
| 1960 = 152613
| 1970 = 154843
| 1980 = 209986
| 1990 = 216792
| 2000 = 278866
| 2010 = 317751
| estimate = 390640
| 2020 = 363642
| estyear = 2023
| footnote = sources:<ref>[https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/id190090.txt census.gov Idaho population by county, 1900-90] - accessed 2011-12-07</ref>
}}

The '''Idaho panhandle'''—locally known as '''North Idaho''', '''Northern Idaho''', or simply '''the Panhandle'''—is a [[Salient (geography)|salient]] region of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Idaho]] encompassing the state's 10 northernmost [[List of counties in Idaho|counties]]: [[Benewah County, Idaho|Benewah]], [[Bonner County, Idaho|Bonner]], [[Boundary County, Idaho|Boundary]], [[Clearwater County, Idaho|Clearwater]], [[Idaho County, Idaho|Idaho]], [[Kootenai County, Idaho|Kootenai]], [[Latah County, Idaho|Latah]], [[Lewis County, Idaho|Lewis]], [[Nez Perce County, Idaho|Nez Perce]], and [[Shoshone County, Idaho|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 (state)|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, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]] is the largest city within the Idaho panhandle. Spokane is around {{convert|30|mi|-1|}} 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, Idaho|Lewiston]], [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]], [[Post Falls, Idaho|Post Falls]], [[Hayden, Idaho|Hayden]], [[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]], and the smaller towns of [[St. Maries, Idaho|St. Maries]] and [[Bonners Ferry, Idaho|Bonners Ferry]]. East of Coeur d'Alene is the [[Silver Valley, Idaho|Silver Valley]], which follows [[Interstate 90 in Idaho|Interstate 90]] to the Montana border at [[Lookout Pass]].

The region has a land area of {{convert|21012.64|sqmi|km2|0}}, around 25.4% of the state's total land area; there is also {{convert|323.95|sqmi|0}} of water area. As of the [[2020 United States census|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>{{cite web |url=http://data.spokesman.com/census/2010/idaho/ |title=Census 2010: Idaho - The Spokesman-Review |publisher=Data.spokesman.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210045106/http://data.spokesman.com/census/2010/idaho/ |archive-date=February 10, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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

==History==
{{Expand section|date=August 2022}}
The eastern border of Idaho follows the [[Bitterroot Range]], producing the narrow northern border.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rees|first=John E.|title=Idaho Chronology, Nomenclature, Bibliography|url=https://archive.org/details/idaho00chronologynreesrich|year=1918|publisher=W.B. Conkey Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/idaho00chronologynreesrich/page/100 100]}}</ref>

==Politics==
No resident of North Idaho has been elected [[List of Governors of Idaho|governor<!-- of the state-->]] since the re-election of [[Cecil Andrus]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]] in [[1974 Idaho gubernatorial election|1974]]. An [[Oregon]] native raised in [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], Andrus had lived at [[Orofino, Idaho|Orofino]] and was a resident of Lewiston when first elected in [[1970 Idaho gubernatorial election|1970]]. ([[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] was his residence during his later campaigns of [[1986 Idaho gubernatorial election|1986]] and [[1990 Idaho gubernatorial election|1990]]). The most recent member of the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] from the panhandle is [[Compton I. White Jr.]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]] of [[Clark Fork, Idaho| Clark Fork]], last elected {{Years or months ago|1964}} in [[1964 United States House of Representatives elections#Idaho|1964]].

North Idaho leans [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], as does the [[2024 United States presidential election in Idaho|state as a whole]]. [[Latah County, Idaho|Latah County]], home of the [[University of Idaho]] in [[Moscow, Idaho|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, Idaho|Sandpoint]] located in the county is somewhat more centrist.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|+ Recent presidential election results<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=2018-06-16}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2024 United States presidential election|2024]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''72.3%''' ''145,376''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|25.3% ''50,821''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% ''4,990''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''68.0%''' ''130,215''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.3% ''56,221''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% ''5,128''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.0%''' ''96,440''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.7% ''40,261''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.3% ''14,018''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.6%''' ''86,372''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.2% ''47,910''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.2% ''5,871''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.0%''' ''86,309''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.8% ''55,301''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% ''4,621''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.3%''' ''85,537''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.9% ''47,132''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% ''2,461''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.1%''' ''74,113''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.1% ''34,777''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.9% ''6,783''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''43.7%''' ''49,515''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.9% ''43,976''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.4% ''19,721''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|33.2% ''36,383''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''36.9%''' ''40,478''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|29.9% ''32,861''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.9%''' ''45,778''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|47.4% ''42,573''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|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 [[Mormons|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 [[Los Angeles Police Department|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>{{Cite web |last=Crane-Murdoch |first=Sierra |date=2013-05-20 |title=How right-wing emigrants conquered North Idaho |url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/45.8/how-right-wing-emigrants-conquered-north-idaho |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=www.hcn.org |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Many Ex-California Cops Retire To Idaho {{!}} The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jan/27/many-ex-california-cops-retire-to-idaho/ |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=www.spokesman.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Freed |first=David |date=1986-12-14 |title=Trouble in Paradise : White Supremacists in Idaho Mar LAPD Retirees' Tranquillity |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-14-me-3280-story.html |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> 

In the [[1990 Idaho gubernatorial election|1990 gubernatorial election]], all counties were won by the incumbent Andrus, a popular moderate who easily won a fourth term. The&nbsp;Democratic nominee for Governor outperformed their statewide result in Northern Idaho in all elections from [[1982 Idaho gubernatorial election|1982]] through [[2006 Idaho gubernatorial election|2006]]; Keith<!--G.--> Allred received 30.9% in Northern Idaho vs. 32.9% statewide in [[2010 Idaho gubernatorial election|2010]], A.J. Balukoff received 36.5% in Northern Idaho vs. 38.6% statewide in [[2014 Idaho gubernatorial election|2014]], [[Paulette Jordan]] received 34.6% in Northern Idaho vs. 38.2% statewide in [[2018 Idaho gubernatorial election|2018]], and Stephen Heidt received 16.8% in Northern Idaho vs. 20.3% statewide in [[2022 Idaho gubernatorial election|2022]]. Notably, anti-government activist [[Ammon Bundy]] came in second place with 20% of the vote in 2022.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|+ Recent gubernatorial election results<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/ContainerDetail.html?ContainerID=196|title=Our Campaigns - United States - Idaho - Governor|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2022 Idaho gubernatorial election|2022]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.5%''' ''83,808''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|16.8% ''22,852''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.8% ''29,657''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 2018|2018]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.6%''' ''82,474''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.6% ''44,914''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% ''2,272''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 2014|2014]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''54.1%''' ''49,700''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.5% ''33,517''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.4% ''8,589''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 2010|2010]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''62.1%''' ''63,563''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.9% ''31,600''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.0% ''7,127''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 2006|2006]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.1%''' ''48,204''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|46.8% ''45,065''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.1% ''2,945''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 2002|2002]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''53.8%''' ''47,722''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.1% ''39,120''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% ''1,909''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 1998|1998]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.0%''' ''54,829''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.7% ''28,064''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% ''2,830''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 1994|1994]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''48.0%''' ''43,397''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|46.6% ''42,189''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.4% ''4,872''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 1990|1990]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|29.7% ''20,616''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''70.3%''' ''48,880''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% ''0''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 1986|1986]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.1% ''29,365''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.4%''' ''50,764''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% ''1,287''
|- 
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[Idaho gubernatorial election, 1982|1982]]'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.4% ''30,423''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.6%''' ''41,412''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% ''0''
|}

==Attractions==
*[[Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center]]
*[[Clearwater River (Idaho)|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 (Idaho)|Silver Mountain]]
*[[Silverwood Theme Park]]
*[[University of Idaho]]

==Geography and climate==
The Idaho panhandle observes [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific Time]] north of the western-flowing [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]] in the southern part of [[Idaho County, Idaho|Idaho County]]. The rest of the state to the south observes [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain Time]], which begins at [[Riggins, Idaho|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, Washington|Pullman]] (home of [[Washington State University]]) with Moscow (home of the [[University of Idaho]]); and [[Clarkston, Washington|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 Idaho|U.S. Route 95]] in North Central Idaho, specifically at Lapwai Canyon (1960)<!--Winchester-Culdesac-->, [[White Bird Hill Summit|White Bird Hill]] (1975)<!--White Bird-Grangeville-->, the Lewiston grade (1977), and Lawyer's Canyon (1991)<!--Ferdinand-Craigmont-->.[[File:Northern Idaho Köppen.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|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>{{cite web |url=http://www.inlandforest.com/p18-sawmills.html |title=Inland Forest Management, Consulting Foresters |publisher=Inlandforest.com |access-date=May 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619104728/http://www.inlandforest.com/p18-sawmills.html |archive-date=June 19, 2013 }}</ref> The production of grass seeds and [[hops]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://idahohops.org/IDAHO_HOP_COMMISSION.html |title=Idaho Hop Commission |publisher=Idahohops.org |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002180549/http://idahohops.org/IDAHO_HOP_COMMISSION.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</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 oil|canola]].

==Native American reservations==
*[[Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation]]
*[[Kootenai Tribe of Idaho|Kootenai Indian Reservation]]
*[[Nez Perce Indian Reservation]]

==Major communities==
*[[Bonners Ferry, Idaho|Bonners Ferry]]
*[[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]]
*[[Dalton Gardens, Idaho|Dalton Gardens]]
*[[Grangeville, Idaho|Grangeville]]
*[[Hayden, Idaho|Hayden]]
*[[Kellogg, Idaho|Kellogg]]
*[[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]]
*[[Lenore, Idaho|Lenore]]
*[[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]]
*[[Orofino, Idaho|Orofino]]
*[[Post Falls, Idaho|Post Falls]]
*[[Rathdrum, Idaho|Rathdrum]]
*[[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]]
*[[St. Maries, Idaho|St. Maries]]
*[[Wallace, Idaho|Wallace]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070521203845/http://www.visitidaho.org/placestogo/northern.aspx Visit Idaho.org] - official state site - North Idaho
*[http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/ U.S. Forest Service] - official site - Panhandle National Forests
*[http://www.wshs.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0388-a1.htm History of the Columbia Region Territories] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722092810/http://www.wshs.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0388-a1.htm |date=2008-07-22 }}- Washington State Historical Society

{{Idaho}}
{{American panhandles}}

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[[Category:Regions of Idaho]]