Latah County, Idaho

Latah County, Idaho
Seal
Location in the state of Idaho
Idaho's location in the U.S.
Founded	May 14, 1888
Named for	Latah Creek
Seat	Moscow
Largest city	Moscow
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,076.89 sq mi (2,789 km²) 1,076.65 sq mi (2,789 km²) 0.24 sq mi (1 km²), .02%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	37,244 34.6/sq mi (14.0/km²)
Time zone	Pacific: UTC-8/-7
Website	latah.id.us

Latah County is a county located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 37,244 at the 2010 census.^[1] The county seat and largest city is Moscow,^[2] which is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's flagship and land-grant university. The county comprises the majority of the eastern portion of the Palouse, famous for its rolling hills and rich agriculture. Latah County is the only county in the U.S. established by an act of Congress.^[3]

Latah County (pron. /ˈleɪtə/ lay-tə) was created in 1888 and named for Latah Creek in its northwest corner. The name is Nez Perce and means "the place of pine trees and pestle", because the tribe found stones here suitable for pulverizing camas roots and shade under the white pine trees in which to work.^[4]

Latah County comprises the Moscow, ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,076.89 square miles (2,789.1 km²), of which 1,076.65 square miles (2,788.5 km²) (or 99.98%) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²) (or 0.02%) is water.^[5] It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling portion of the middle Columbia basin.

Adjacent counties

• Benewah County - north
• Shoshone County - northeast
• Clearwater County - east
• Nez Perce County - south
• Whitman County, Washington - west

National protected area

• St. Joe National Forest (part)

Highways

• - US 95
• - SH-3
• - SH-6
• - SH-8
• - SH-9
• - SH-99

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	13,451		—
1910	18,818		39.9%
1920	18,092		−3.9%
1930	17,798		−1.6%
1940	18,804		5.7%
1950	20,971		11.5%
1960	21,170		0.9%
1970	24,891		17.6%
1980	28,749		15.5%
1990	30,617		6.5%
2000	34,935		14.1%
2010	37,244		6.6%
sources:[1][6]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 34,935 people, 13,059 households, and 7,770 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 13,838 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.94% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 2.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.4% were of German, 13.5% English, 8.7% Irish, 7.8% American and 5.9% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 13,059 households out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.50% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.30% under the age of 18, 24.50% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 18.90% from 45 to 64, and 9.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 107.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,524, and the median income for a family was $46,303. Males had a median income of $34,734 versus $24,886 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,690. About 7.90% of families and 16.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.20% of those under age 18 and 5.40% of those age 65 or over. Forty percent of all workers in Latah County work for the University of Idaho or Washington State University in nearby Pullman.

Flora and fauna

There are numerous species of plants and animals within Latah County. There are a variety of tree species within the county including Western White Pine.^[8] Faunal species include the Clay-colored sparrow^[9] and Rough-Skinned Newt.^[10]

Government and politics

Latah County has long been one of the most politically competitive counties in Idaho, while the state as a whole is strongly Republican.

Latah County residents voted in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections for the Republican candidate at a lower rate than the rest of the state. In 2000, George W. Bush carried Latah County with 53.3% of the vote; in 2004, this fell to 49.5% of the vote as the Democratic vote share increased from 37.0% to 48.0%. Ralph Nader, who received 6.5% of the vote in 2000, was not on the ballot in 2004. In 2008, Barack Obama carried the county over John McCain 51.9%-45.1%. In 2006, Latah County voted 55.05% against HJR 2, which amended the Idaho Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage; the measure passed with 63.35% of the statewide vote. Blaine County, a very popular ski resort area and Idaho's one Democratic stronghold, was the one other county to reject HJR 2.^[11]

On the precinct level, Democrats generally carry the university city of Moscow by moderate margins,
and the rural remainder of the county is strongly Republican.^[12]

Communities

Cities

University of Idaho
Administration Building (1909)
in Moscow

Name	Population (2000)	Elevation	Zip Code	Coordinates	Notes
Bovill	305	2874 ft - (876 m)	83806	46°51′33″N 116°23′40″W / 46.85917°N 116.39444°W / 46.85917; -116.39444
Deary	552	2874 ft - (876 m)	83823	46°48′0″N 116°33′31″W / 46.8°N 116.55861°W / 46.8; -116.55861
Genesee	946	2680 ft - (817 m)	83832	46°33′4″N 116°55′39″W / 46.55111°N 116.9275°W / 46.55111; -116.9275
Juliaetta	609	1171 ft - (357 m)	83535	46°34′40″N 116°42′28″W / 46.57778°N 116.70778°W / 46.57778; -116.70778
Kendrick	369	1240 ft - (378 m)	83537	46°36′52″N 116°39′1″W / 46.61444°N 116.65028°W / 46.61444; -116.65028
Moscow	21,291	2579 ft - (786 m)	83843	46°43′54″N 116°59′50″W / 46.73167°N 116.99722°W / 46.73167; -116.99722	county seat
Onaway	230	2621 ft - (799 m)	83855	46°55′43″N 116°53′21″W / 46.92861°N 116.88917°W / 46.92861; -116.88917
Potlatch	791	2546 ft - (776 m)	83855	46°55′20″N 116°53′52″W / 46.92222°N 116.89778°W / 46.92222; -116.89778
Troy	798	2487 ft - (758 m)	83871	46°44′19″N 116°46′15″W / 46.73861°N 116.77083°W / 46.73861; -116.77083
TOTAL	25,891

Unincorporated community

• Viola

According to the 2000 census, the population in the unincorporated areas of Latah County was 9,044,
which was 25.9% of the county's population.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Latah County, Idaho

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Quickfacts.census.gov - Latah County - accessed 2011-10-08.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
3. ^ Latah County - history
4. ^ Idaho.gov - Latah County - accessed 2009-06-06
5. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
6. ^ census.gov Idaho population by county, 1900-90 - accessed 2009-06-06
7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
8. ^ Julie R. Monroe (2006) Latah County, Arcadia Publishing, 127 pages ISBN 0-7385-3133-2
9. ^ Shirley Shurts, 2006, A Comprehensive List of Review Species Reports in Idaho
10. ^ C. Michael Hogan (2008) Rough-skinned Newt ("Taricha granulosa"), GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg [1]
11. ^ Idaho HJR 2 Results by County
12. ^ "Idaho Election Results". Idaho Secretary Of State: Elections, Campaign Disclosure and Lobbyists. Idaho Secretary of State. http://www.idsos.state.id.us/ELECT/results.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-02. 

External links

• Latah County - official site
• Access Idaho - Latah County
• Latah County Historical Society
• Latah Trail Project
• National Register of Historic Places - Latah County