Island Park, Idaho

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Island Park, Idaho
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settlement_type = City
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map_caption = Location in Fremont County and the state of Idaho


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Idaho
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Fremont
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area_total_km2 = 19.3
area_land_km2 = 16.1
area_water_km2 = 3.2
area_total_sq_mi = 7.4
area_land_sq_mi = 6.2
area_water_sq_mi = 1.2
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 215
population_density_km2 = 13.4
population_density_sq_mi = 34.6
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timezone = Mountain (MST)
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
latd = 44
latm = 29
lats = 59
latNS = N
longd = 111
longm = 20
longs = 19
longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 1918
elevation_ft = 6293
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 83429, 83433
area_code = 208
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 16-40600
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0396695
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footnotes = Island Park is a city in Fremont County, Idaho, United States. The city's population was 215 at the 2000 census. The city was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20 in 1947 to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits. It is only convert|500|ft|m wide in most locations and, at convert|33|mi|km, claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world. Island Park News is the community's newspaper. Henry's Fork Country is the recreation guide.

Island Park is part of the Rexburg, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

City geography

Island Park is located at coor dms|44|29|59|N|111|20|19|W|city (44.499607, -111.338709)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²), of which, 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (16.40%) is water.

Regional geography

The area was known as Island Park long before the convert|33|mi|km|sing=on-long town was incorporated. The area known as Island Park is mostly a large crater or caldera named the Island Park Caldera that was created by a lava outflow hotspot similar to what created the nearby Yellowstone Caldera. In addition to the Island Park Caldera, about a third of what is known as Island Park, is north of this caldera and extends across Henry's Lake Flat, north of Henry's Lake, to the Idaho/Montana border. Henry's Lake Flat is a flat bottomed valley between high mountain ranges with Henry's Lake at the northwest end of the flats. Mt. Jefferson, south of Henry's Lake, is at convert|10203|ft|m and Targhee Peak, north of Henry's Lake is at convert|10240|ft|m. The most famous of Island Park's peaks, however, is the convert|9886|ft|m|sing=on Sawtell Peak due to its beauty. Due to its strong resemblance to a Native American chief's profile while napping, it has also been called Chief Rains in the Face. You can drive to the top where there is an FAA radar dome. It is also south of Henry's Lake near Mt. Jefferson and is a landmark visible from nearly anywhere in Island Park.

The Island Park Caldera is one of the largest calderas in the world. It has a nearly level convert|20|mi|km|sing=on wide circular floor that slopes slightly towards the southeast. The caldera floor is at about convert|6000|ft|m of elevation with the rim generally being several hundred feet higher. The Henry's Lake Flat area, north of the caldera, is a little higher. Henry's Lake is at convert|6500|ft|m with the flats sloping slightly southward towards the caldera. The Island Park area is mostly forested with many meadows and grasslands. It is mostly level but is surrounded by forested hills and high mountains in the north. The Henry's Fork of the Snake River meanders through Island Park with its headwaters at Henry's Lake and at Big Springs. The Henry's Fork is impounded by Island Park Dam to form Island Park Reservoir at the rim of the caldera just north and just outside of the caldera. In fact, the entire south bank of Island Park Reservoir is formed by the northern slope of the caldera. The Henry's Fork crosses through the caldera and then cascades off from it at Upper and Lower Mesa Falls.

The geography of Island Park is actually unique and distinctive. It is largely flat and it has unusually high precipitation. Island Park is at the same convert|6000|ft|m of elevation as Teton Valley, Idaho, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or the Centennial Valley, Montana yet these nearby areas are semi-arid prairie or even desert receiving less than convert|12|in|mm of precipitation annually while Island Park is forested and green with many steams, ponds, lakes, and meadows. Island Park receives well over convert|30|in|mm of precipitation with parts receiving over convert|50|in|mm. That is, Island Park has three times the rainfall and snowfall as nearby areas of the same elevation. Island Park is different from almost anywhere in the world. The caldera eruption hotspot formed the Snake River Plain which is in line with the gap between the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges along the West Coast of the United States so that there is a moisture channel that extends from the distant Pacific Ocean, between the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, though the Rocky Mountains to Island Park. For more info, see, “Effects on Climate” in article, “Snake River Plain.”

This abundant precipitation in Island Park falls on the relatively level floor of the caldera where it forms numerous meandering streams, ponds, marshes, and meadows. It also falls on the on the higher areas to the east along the Yellowstone Park border where it percolates though the granular volcanic deposits to emerge as some of the largest springs in the world. Big Springs, Buffalo River Springs, and Warm River Springs all are 1st Magnitude springs and they form some of the crystal clear meandering streams that the area is famous for.

Island Park has a weekly newspaper with a daily website, [ http://www.IslandParkNews.net] and a recreation website [http://www.HenrysForkCountry.com]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 215 people, 90 households, and 57 families residing in the city. The population density was 34.6 people per square mile (13.3/km²). There were 425 housing units at an average density of 68.4/sq mi (26.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 0.93% Asian, 2.33% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.19% of the population.

There were 90 households out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.5% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had a median income of $22,292 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,617. About 21.0% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

References

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