Idaho is far more than potatoes, though it does grow plenty of them. The Gem State is home to the deepest river gorge in North America, a NASA astronaut training ground, and the only place in the country where every one of the world's six precious gems has been found in the wild.
Here are 25 verified facts about Idaho's history, geography, and quirky small-town charm.
Idaho produces roughly 30% of the potatoes grown in the United States, and its license plates proudly read "Famous Potatoes."
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a stark landscape of lava flows and cinder cones so otherworldly that NASA used it in the 1960s to help train Apollo astronauts.
Idaho's World Center for Birds of Prey helped pioneer captive breeding of the peregrine falcon, contributing to the species' recovery and its removal from the U.S. endangered species list in 1999.
Heaven's Gate Lookout in the Seven Devils Mountains offers views into four states — Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana — and on a clear day, into Canada.
The world's first chairlift was installed at Idaho's Sun Valley resort in 1936, making it a birthplace of destination skiing in the United States.
Hells Canyon, carved by the Snake River along the Idaho-Oregon border, is the deepest river gorge in North America at up to 7,993 feet deep — deeper than the Grand Canyon.
Shoshone Falls on the Snake River drops 212 feet, taller than Niagara Falls, earning it the nickname "Niagara of the West."
The small mining town of Wallace, Idaho playfully claims to be the "Center of the Universe," marking the spot with a manhole cover downtown.
The Appaloosa, a spotted horse breed developed by the Nez Perce people in the Idaho region, is Idaho's official state horse.
Boise State University's Albertsons Stadium has had a blue artificial turf field, nicknamed "The Blue," since 1986 — it remains the only blue field in major college football.
Floating the Boise River on inner tubes and rafts is a popular summer tradition, with a dedicated float route running straight through downtown Boise.
The Bruneau Dunes in Bruneau Dunes State Park include the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America, rising about 470 feet.
Boise is home to the largest population of Basque Americans in the United States, with a historic Basque Block featuring a museum, restaurants, and cultural festivals.
The square dance became Idaho's official state dance in 1989.
The Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot displays a giant novelty Pringle made by Procter & Gamble in 1991 that measures about 25 inches long — recognized as the world's largest potato crisp.
The Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area hosts one of the largest concentrations of nesting raptors in North America, including eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons.
Idaho's Silver Valley, in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District, has produced well over a billion ounces of silver since large-scale mining began in the 1880s, making it one of the richest silver-mining districts in the world.
The Idaho State Capitol, built between 1905 and 1912 from local sandstone and granite, is the only U.S. state capitol heated by geothermal water.
On July 17, 1955, the nearby town of Arco, Idaho became the first community in the world lit entirely by nuclear-generated electricity, powered by the experimental BORAX-III reactor at what is now Idaho National Laboratory.
Idaho is nicknamed the "Gem State" because it's the only state where all six major precious gems — star garnet, diamond, opal, jade, topaz, and zircon — have been found; the star garnet, found almost nowhere else besides India, is Idaho's official gemstone.
The Salmon River, nicknamed the "River of No Return," is one of the longest free-flowing, undammed rivers in the lower 48 states.
Author Ernest Hemingway spent his final years in Ketchum, Idaho, where he wrote parts of "A Moveable Feast" and is buried in the town cemetery.
In 1951, Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) near Arco, Idaho became the first nuclear reactor in the world to generate usable electricity; it's now a National Historic Landmark open to visitors.
Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho's largest and deepest lake, was carved by glaciers during the last ice age and plunges to roughly 1,150 feet deep.
Balanced Rock, a 48-foot-tall sandstone formation in southern Idaho, rests on a pedestal only about 3 feet by 17 inches wide at its narrowest point.
The Hagerman horse, an extinct species discovered near Hagerman, Idaho in 1928 and dating back roughly 3.5 million years, is Idaho's official state fossil.
We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.
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