Pocatello

Pocatello is the county seat of and largest city in Bannock County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the home of Idaho State University and the manufacturing facility of ON Semiconductor. As of the 2020 census the population of Pocatello was 56,320. The city is at an elevation of 4,462 feet (1,360 m) above sea level and is served by the Pocatelli Regional Airport. In 2007, Pocatella was ranked twentieth on Forbes list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers. The town was known as the "Gateway to the Northwest" after the discovery of gold in the region in 1860. It has a warm-summer humid climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps on the Kppöen "Db" climate system. It was considered by the North American Vexillological Association to be the worst city flag in North America from 2001 to 2017. In April 2016, the city's newly created flag design committee met for the first time. Attending the meeting was Roman Mars whose 2015 TED Talk made Pocatelle's flag infamous. On July 20, 2017, after a year and a half of work by the flag committee, the Pocatelliteo City Council approved the adoption of a new flag with the informal name of "Mountains Left" out of a total of 709 designs. In the 1960 census, Alameda had a population of 10,660 and PocatellO was at 28,534; the consolidation made Pocletto the state's largest city based on those numbers.

History

Pocatello is the primary city name, but also Chubbuck are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Pocatello. Pocatello was founded in 1889 as the "Gateway to the Northwest" The adjacent city of Alameda was consolidated into Pocatello in 1962. In April 2016, the city's newly created flag design committee met for the first time. On July 20, 2017, after a year and a half of work by the flag committee, the Pocatelli City Council approved the adoption of a new flag with the informal name of "Mountains Left" The city was considered by the North American Vexillological Association to be the worst city flag in North America to be used from 2001 to 2017. In the 1960 census, Alameda had a population of 10,660 and Pocatella was at 28,534; the consolidation made Pocatelle the state's largest city based on those numbers. The city is named after Chief Pocatellos, a 19th-century Shoshone leader who lived in southeastern Idaho in the 1800s. The town is located in the Portneuf Valley, home of Idaho's mineral resources and the Idaho Falls area of the Snake River. The Portneauf Valley was the corridor initially used by stage and freight lines, and the railroad soon followed, turning the community into a trade center and transportation junction.

Geography

The hottest temperature recorded in Pocatello was 104 °F (40 °C) on August 2, 1969, August 8, 1990, July 22, 2000, and July 31, 2020. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pocatelli has a warm-summer humid continental climate. The city has a total area of 32.38 square miles (83.86 km²) of which 32.22 square miles is land. The Portneuf River runs southeast to northwest on the western side of the city. Since 1992, the city has worked to create a system of trails that follow the river. Currently, 15+ miles of trails have been constructed with 27 planned total miles. The town has a population of 2,816 (2,715 in 2011). The city is located on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's Pacific Coast Highway, which runs from California to New Mexico. It is on the Pacific Coast highway that runs from New Mexico to California. The U.N. World Heritage Site is located in the town. The United States Geological Survey has designated the town as one of the World Heritage Sites, which are open to the public. It also has a National Park Service park that is open to public use. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. The American Civil War began in 1875 and was followed by the Civil War, which ended in 1881. The Battle was the first battle to be fought over control of the Colorado River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 54,255 people, 20,832 households, and 13,253 families living in the city. There were 22,404 housing units at an average density of 695.3 per square mile (268.5/km²) The top 5 ethnic groups in Pocatello are: English, German, Irish, Danish, and Swedish. The median income for a household in theCity 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 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 15 and 7.10% of people over 65. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10. The city's median age is 30.2 years, with 26.6% under the age of 18, and 27.4% between the ages of 18 and 24. The racial makeup of the city is 90.5% White, 0.72% African American, 1.35% Native American and 1.15% Asian. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city has a population of 51,466 people, with 20,627 housing units, and a population density of 1,683.9 inhabitants per squaremile (650.2/km 2).

Economy

Idaho Department of Correction operates the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center (PWCC) The United States Postal Service operates three post offices in the city. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is building a data center in Pocatelli as part of an initiative to consolidate operations into three enterprise data centers. The city's top employers in the 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report are: Idaho State University, Idaho National Guard, Idaho State Police, and Idaho State Air Force. The town has a population of 4,000. The population of the city was 5,000 in the year 2000, and is expected to grow to 6,000 by 2015. It has an unemployment rate of 3.7%. The city has a poverty rate of 2.8%. The unemployment rate for the city is 1.9%. It is the highest rate in the state of Idaho, and one of the highest in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The average household income in the town is about $30,000, and the city's unemployment rate is about 1.8 percent. It is estimated that the city will have a workforce of 6,500 by 2015, up from 6,200 in 2000. The unemployment rates for the town are currently at 2.7 percent. The state's poverty rate is currently at 1.7 per cent, down from 2.9 per cent in 2010. The rate of unemployment for the entire state is about 2.4 per cent. The top employers are the Idaho State Guard and the Idaho National Air Force, both of which are based in the City of Pocatella.

Sports

Pocatello is home to Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium that opened in 1970 on the ISU campus. 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. Pebble Creek, Idaho is a ski resort located just south of Pocatella and offers skiing and snowboarding. The Gate City Grays are a semi-pro baseball team who are a member of the Northern Utah League. The Grays play in Halliwell Park located at 1100 W. Alameda. They were NUL champions in both 2015 and 2016 and play in the Idaho Valley Baseball Association. The town is also home to the Idaho State University women's basketball team, who are known as the "Sons of Idaho" The town's high school football team, the "Islanders," is known as "The Mustangs" It is also the home of the Idaho Falls Highlanders, a junior college football team that was founded in the 1970s. The city is also known for its outdoor sports, both winter and summer, such as skiing, snowboarding, and baseball. It is the site of the Pocatelli Marathon, a half-marathon that is held every year. Times from the course may be used to qualify for the Boston and New York marathons, which are held in the fall and the spring. It also hosts the Idaho High School Track and Field Championships, which is held in October.

Education

Pocatello is served by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25. The district is home to three public high schools, four public middle schools and thirteen public elementary schools. There are two public charter schools, and various alternative and church-based private schools and academies. Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. The university's 123,000-square-foot (11,400 m2) L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center occupies a prominent location overlooking the lower Portneuf River Valley.Idaho State's athletics teams compete in the Big Sky Conference, the football and basketball teams play in Holt Arena. The ISU campus is in Pocatella, with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls. It became the second university in the state in 1963 and is located on a former state college campus. The school district's mascot is the Pomo, which means "pioneer" in Spanish. The town's nickname is "The Pomo" or "Pomoñe" which translates to "pomoño" in English and "pocatella" means "little town" in Italian. It is also known as "The Pocatellos" because of its large number of Pomoñes (pronounced "poo-tees") in the area. The city's name is derived from a Pomoño, a Spanish word for "pomegranate".

Infrastructure

Commercial air service is available via Pocatello Regional Airport. Pocatelli Regional Transit provides bus service on five hourly routes, Monday through Saturday. There is currently no evening or Sunday service. There are no plans to expand the airport in the near future. The airport is located near the town of Pocatello, Idaho. It is located on the Idaho-Oklahoma border and has a population of about 2,000. It was built in the 1950s and 1960s as a hub for air travel to the region. It has a commercial airport and a regional transit service. It also has a bus service, which operates on five hours a day, Monday through Saturday, and one evening route. It has no plans to expand this service in the foreseeable future. It will be possible to fly from the airport to other parts of the state in the future, but not at the present time.

In popular culture

The murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart took place in Pocatello. John Fogerty mentions Pocatelli in his song "Somebody Help Me" from his 2007 Revival album. The Great Food Truck Race Season 4, Episode 3, "Potatoes in Pocatelliteo" takes place in the city. The documentary Abducted in Plain Sight takes place at an eating establishment in the town. The city is featured in the film A Star is Born (1954), where Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) sings about being "born in a trunk at the Princess Theater in Pocletto, Idaho" The town is also the location of the episode 3 food truck race challenge of "The Great Food truck Race" season 4, episode 3 of the TV series "Pocatello", which took place on October 31, 2013. The town was also the site of the filming of the film "The Godfather: Part II" (1998) The town also appears in the documentary "Abducted In Plain Sight" (2000) The city was the setting for the film The Godfather Part III (2001), which was about the abduction and murder of John F. Kennedy. The film was shot in and around the town of Pocatella, Idaho, and featured many of the same people and places as the book "The godfather" (2001). The city also features in the movie "A Star Is Born" (1955), which features Judy Garland and her mother. The movie was based on a true story.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho = 62.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 20. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Pocatello = 4.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,014 individuals with a median age of 31.1 age the population grows by 6.54% in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,688.1 residents per square mile of area (651.78/km²). There are average 2.54 people per household in the 20,938 households with an average household income of $41,249 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.50% of the available work force and has dropped -6.19% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.12%. The number of physicians in Pocatello per 100,000 population = 201.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Pocatello = 12.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 49.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 95. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 207. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 72, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho which are owned by the occupant = 62.07%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 38 years with median home cost = $80,680 and home appreciation of -4.23%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.71 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $3,913 per student. There are 23.2 students for each teacher in the school, 521 students for each Librarian and 395 students for each Counselor. 7.36% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 18.29% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.61% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).