Pocatello, Idaho

Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the US state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock and Power counties. As of the 2010 census the population of Pocatello was 54,255.

Pocatello is the fifth largest city in the state, just behind Idaho Falls (population of 56,813). In 2007, Pocatello was ranked twentieth on Forbes list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers. Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University and the manufacturing facility of ON Semiconductor. The city is at an elevation of 4462 ft above sea level and is served by the Pocatello Regional Airport.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 32.38 sqmi, of which, 32.22 sqmi is land and 0.16 sqmi is water.

Climate
Pocatello experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with winters that are moderately long and cold, and hot, dry summers.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 54,255 people, 20,832 households, and 13,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 1683.9 PD/sqmi. There were 22,404 housing units at an average density of 695.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 90.5% White, 1.0% African American, 1.7% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population.

There were 20,832 households of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.

The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,466 people, 19,334 households, and 12,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,822.5 people per square mile (703.7/km²). There were 20,627 housing units at an average density of 730.4 per square mile (282.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.32% White, 0.72% African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population. The top 5 ethnic groups in Pocatello are: English – 21%, German – 16%, Irish – 9%, Danish – 4% and Swedish – 4%.

There were 19,334 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 16.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,326, and the median income for a family was $41,884. Males had a median income of $33,984 versus $22,962 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,425. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
The religious affiliation is as follows:
 * 75.4% Mormon
 * 9.1% Catholic
 * 16.5% Other (inc. Lutheran, Southern Baptist, United Methodist etc.)

History
Founded as an important stop on the first railroad in Idaho during the gold rush, the city later became an important center for agriculture. It is located along the Portneuf River where it emerges from the mountains onto the Snake River Plain, along the route of the Oregon Trail. The city is named after Chief Pocatello of the Shoshoni tribe, who granted the right-of-way for the railroad across the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Ironically, Chief Pocatello did not use the name but preferred to be called Tondzaosha, a Shoshoni word meaning buffalo robe. The chief's daughter, Jeanette Lewis, believed the name Pocatello had no meaning.

The section of the city along the Portneuf River was inhabited by the Shoshoni and Bannock peoples for several centuries before the arrival of Europeans in the early 19th century. In 1834, Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, a U.S. fur trader, established Fort Hall as a trading post north of the present location of the city. The post was later acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company and became an important stop on the Oregon Trail, a branch of which descended the Portneuf through the present-day location of the city. A replica of the Fort Hall trading post is now operated as a museum in southern Pocatello.

The discovery of gold in Idaho in 1860 brought the first large wave of U.S. settlers to the region. The Portneuf Valley became an important conduit for the transportation of goods and freight. In 1877, railroad magnate Jay Gould of the Union Pacific Railroad acquired and extended the Utah and Northern Railway, which had previously stopped at the Utah border, into Idaho through the Portneuf Canyon. "Pocatello Junction", as it was first called, was founded as a stop along this route during the gold rush. After the gold rush subsided, the region began to attract ranchers and farmers. By 1882, the first residences and commercial development appeared in Pocatello.

In 1948, the mayor of Pocatello, George Phillips, passed an ordinance making it illegal not to smile in Pocatello. The "Smile Ordinance" was passed tongue in cheek as a result of an exceptionally severe winter, which had dampened the spirit of city employees and citizens alike. Unintentionally, the ordinance was never repealed. On December 10, 1987, Pocatello was declared by the mayor the "U.S. Smile Capital." An event called Smile Days is held annually in Pocatello, including a smile contest, and "arrests" of non-smilers.

Pocatello absorbed nearby Alameda in 1962 and briefly became the largest city in the state, ahead of Boise. Pocatello was the second largest city in the state (behind Boise) until the late 1990s, when rapid growth in the Treasure Valley of southwestern Idaho placed Nampa and Meridian ahead of Idaho Falls and Pocatello, which are now the state's fourth and fifth largest cities, respectively.

Government and infrastructure
Idaho Department of Correction operates the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center (PWCC) in Pocatello.

The United States Postal Service operates the Pocatello, Bannock, and Gateway Station post offices.

Education


Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Originally an auxiliary campus of the University of Idaho and then a state college, it became the second university in the state in 1963. The ISU campus is in Pocatello, with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls. The university's crown jewel is the 123000 sqft L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center, which occupies a prominent location overlooking Pocatello and the lower Portneuf River Valley. The center's three venues provide state-of-the-art performance space, including the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall. Idaho State's athletics teams compete in the Big Sky Conference, the football and basketball teams play in Holt Arena. Pocatello is a part of the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District. The district has three public high schools: Pocatello High School, Highland High School, and Century High School.

Feeding the high schools are three public middle schools, thirteen public elementary schools, two public charter schools, and various alternative and church-based private schools and academies.

Top employers
According to Pocatello's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Sports
Pocatello is home to Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium which opened in 1970 on the ISU campus. Known as the "Minidome" until 1988, Holt Arena was the home of the Real Dairy Bowl, a junior college football Bowl game. Holt Arena also plays host to the Simplot Games, the nation's largest indoor high school track-and-field meet.

The Pocatello Marathon and Half Marathon are held annually. Times from the course may be used to qualify for the Boston and New York marathons.

Outdoor sports, both winter and summer, play an important role in the culture of Pocatello. Pebble Creek, Idaho is a ski resort located just south of Pocatello and offers world class skiing and snowboarding.

In popular culture
In terms of popular film, Pocatello gained attention in the 1954 musical film A Star is Born, in which Judy Garland sang the song "Born in a Trunk" about being born in the "Princess Theatre in Pocatello, Idaho". Pocatello is mentioned as the hometown of Aaron Davis, a character played by Steve Sandvoss in the motion picture Latter Days. Part of the 2006 film Bonneville occurs in Pocatello and, although it was not filmed in Idaho, actress Kathy Bates attended an LDS Church in Pocatello to research her character. Portions of the movie Napoleon Dynamite were filmed in Pocatello.

The Pocatello region is the setting for Ruth Ozeki's novel All Over Creation and for Tom Spanbauer's Now Is the Hour.

Pocatello is mentioned in John Fogerty's song "Somebody Help Me," from the REVIVAL album (2007).

Notable people

 * Comedienne and actress Billie Bird (1908–2002), known for films such as Home Alone and Sixteen Candles, was born in Pocatello, where she maintained family ties.
 * Danish-born photographer Benedicte Wrensted lived in Pocatello from 1895 to 1912 where she recorded the growth of the town and took many photographs of the native American inhabitants of the area.
 * Merril Hoge, currently an analyst for ESPN, was born in Pocatello and played football at Highland High School as well as Idaho State University. He spent eight seasons in the NFL as a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.
 * Gloria Dickson - actress
 * John P. Evans - Mayor of Pocatello, Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame
 * Charles Benjamin Ross - Mayor of Pocatello and 15th Governor of Idaho
 * Dirk Koetter - Offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Bryan Johnson - NFL football player for the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears from 2000-2006
 * Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho
 * Shay Carl Butler, AKA Shay Carl, American vlogger
 * Don Aslett, Entrepreneur and cleaning guru
 * Jack Williams, Boston News Anchor
 * Taysom Hill, BYU Quarterback

Sister cities

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