Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. At the 2020 census the city's population was 54,628. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is situated on the north shore of the 25-mile (40 km) long Lake Coeur D'Alenes. It has become known for having one of the largest holiday light shows in the U.S. and hosting a popular Ironman Triathlon event. It began as a fort town; General William Tecumseh Sherman sited what became known as Fort Sherman in 1878. After the Great Depression, tourism started to become a major source of development in the area. The City has become somewhat of a destination for golfers; there are five courses in the city, including the coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course and its unique 14th hole floating green. There are also several ski resorts and other recreation areas nearby. The largest theme park in the Northwestern United States, Silverwood Theme Park, is located approximately twenty miles (30 km) north of the city. In the 1980s, tourism became the major driver in the local economy, and, after decades of heavy reliance on logging, the city featured a more balanced economy with manufacturing, retail, and service sectors. The Coeur' d' alene people live along the rivers and lakes of the region, in a territory of 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) from eastern Washington to Montana.

History

The Coeur d'Alene people lived along the rivers and lakes of the region, in a territory of 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) extending from eastern Washington to Montana. The area was extensively explored by fur trader David Thompson of the North West Company starting in 1807 and in 1809 he established the Kullyspell House trading post on Lake Pend Oreille. Thompson ascribed the name of "Pointed Hearts" to one of the tribes he traded with and "pointed Heart Lake" for the lake they lived near. With the discovery of gold in the western United States and the establishment of Idaho Territory in 1863, there was an increase in settlers to the region. In 1859, with U.S. funding in place, Governor Stevens appointed John Mullan to survey the interior of the Northwestern United States for possible railroad routes and oversee the construction of the Mullan Road that bears his name. The tribe perceived the planned construction a military wagon road as a precursor to a land-grab by the United States. These talks and increasing settler encroachment sparked armed hostilities between the native Coeur. d' alene, Spokane and Palouse and the settler populations that resulted in an initial victory for the tribes at the Battle of Steptoe Butte but were followed up with George Wright's campaign that subdued the natives. The Coeur D'alene Reservation is located in Benewah and Kootenai counties in communities focused around Worley and Plummer.

Geography

Coeur d'Alene is 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown Spokane, Washington, and 259 miles (415 km)East of Seattle, the city is in the Inland Northwest region, consisting of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, and northeastern Oregon. The city has a total area of 16.08 square miles (41.65 km²), of which 15.57 sq miles (40.33 km²) is land and 0.51sq miles (1.32 sq km) is water. The average annual rainfall is 25 inches (64 cm) and the average annual snowfall is 46 inches (120 cm) The city is on the windward side of the Rocky Mountains because of the wind systems from the Pacific Ocean from the eastern side of Washington. It has a dry-summer continental climate (Köppen Dsb), characterized by a cold, moist climate in winter, and very warm, dry conditions in summer. The daily mean temperature ranges from 29.8 °F (1.2 °C) in December to 69.0 °F [20.6 °C] in July and August. Temperatures exceed 90°F (32°C) on 13 days per year, and there may be several nights below 10 °C (12 °F) The average freezes of the season are October 12 and May 3, respectively, and the first and last freezes are October 3 and May 7, respectively. The Coeur d'alene National Forest has been designated for protection and management by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

Demographics

Coeur d'Alene and its Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which consists of Kootenai County, have been combined by the Census Bureau. The population of the CSA was 745,213 in 2020. The City of Coeur d’Alene has opted not to voluntarily merge with the Spokane MSA and to remain a distinct metropolitan area. Idaho is part of a region called the Unchurched Belt, a region in the Northwestern United States that has historically low rates of religious participation. The evangelical Christian community has been growing with the overall population and there have been instances of whole congregations moving to the area from out of state. A great deal of the influx of new residents are retirees seeking lower cost of living and traffic; the number of residents aged 65 years and older doubled from 2001 to 2019 according to the Idaho Department of Labor. The city has a property crime rate of 12.88 per 1,000 people in the 2018 state summary, which is lower than the Idaho state average of 14.61. According to NeighborhoodScout's methodology, the city is 24 percent safer than 24 percent of US cities, meaning it is slightly above the state average but still below the national median in both median in crime categories. In 2011, 18 percent of residents commuted between Spokane and Kootanai counties for work. In 2010, there were 44,137 people, 18,395 households, and 10,813 families residing in the city. There were 20,219 housing units at an average density of 1,298.6 per square mile (501.4/km²).

Economy

Coeur d'Alene is the healthcare, educational, media, manufacturing, retail and recreation center for north Idaho. Tourism and hospitality related jobs employed over 10,000 people in north Idaho in 2010. Buck Knives is the most recognizable brand name in the area, where they relocated the head office and factory from San Diego to the Coeur d'alene suburb of Post Falls in 2005. The average commute to work is 18.5 minutes. A concern for the city is that the rising minimum wage and salary differential between Washington and Idaho will cause local personnel shortages. In 2011, the Idaho state median hourly wage was $14.51 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The city has a population of 80,000 and an unemployment rate of 6.8% (as of June 2020) The largest sectors for non-farm employment are trade, transportation, and utilities, government, and education and health services as well as leisure and hospitality. In 2017, the Coeur d’Alene metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of $5.93 billion. It is located at the heart of north Idaho's Lake Country where people partake in water sports and activities such as wake boarding, paddleboarding, sailing, parasailing, jet skiing, kayaking, fishing and other lake recreation. There are three major ski resorts within a short driving distance, Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area at Look out Pass near Mullan, and Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort in Sandpoint.

Arts and culture

Coeur d'Alene has a symphony and theater productions from professional and community groups. The city has several art galleries, almost all displaying art located in the walkable downtown area along Sherman Avenue. The Museum of North Idaho chronicles the history of the region. Annual events include the Fourth of July Festival and the Holiday Light Show that begins at the end of November. The Polar Bear Plunge every year on January 1 at noon is the event participants run into the cold waters of Lake Coeur d'alene at Sanders Beach. Other notable events include Brewfest and the North Idaho State Fair. The community has been known for hosting big Fourth ofJuly celebrations since its early days as a fort town. In the winter, the Holiday Lights Show festivities begin in November and the lights are on display until January 1. The event also begins with a parade down Sherman Avenue and ends with a fireworks show; the resort's light show features over 1.5 million bulbs and the resort offers "Journey to the North Pole" cruises. One of the most well-attended events in the region combines Art on the Green, the Street Fair, and Taste of CoeurDAlene, which are all held on the first weekend in August. The combined annual attendance is about 60,000 people; the event is held at City Park and the Schuler Performing Arts Center within Boswell Hall at North Idaho College and the Kroc Center. The museum does walking tours of the Fort Sherman grounds and also rents out the oldest building in the city as a wedding venue.

Sports

Coeur d'Alene is home to five golf courses and there are another eight more within 20 miles (32 km) of the city. Its 14th hole features the world's only movable floating green. The city hosts the Ironman Triathlon, which alternates between full- and half-distance events on a rotating basis from year to year. In amateur baseball, the CDA Lumbermen field a team in the American Legion Baseball league. There is an annual rivalry game between the Coeur d'alene High School Vikings and Lake City High School Timberwolves called the "Fight for the Fish" The city is also home to the North Idaho Centennial Trail, which is a trail that runs through the city's downtown area and through the Idaho National Forest. It is located on the U.S. Route 50, which runs from Idaho Springs to Idaho Springs and the Idaho Turnpike to Idaho Falls. The U.N. World Heritage Site is located in the city, which was declared a World Heritage site in 1998. It was the first World War II-era site to be designated as a World War I-era World War One Memorial Site. It has been named a National Historic Landmark Site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Museum of American History and Culture. The National Park Service has a park that is open to the public and has been designated a National Register of Historic Places. The town is also the site of the Idaho State University, which has been home to many sports teams, including the University of Idaho and Idaho State College of Medicine.

Parks and recreation

The natural environment is among the chief attractions in the Coeur d'Alene area. Tubbs Hill, City Park and Beach, and McEuen Park are all near downtown. Other recreation facilities include the Kroc Center, located near Ramsey Park just north of the Village at Riverstone, a multi-use venue with pool facilities and a fitness and recreation center. The North Idaho Centennial Trail passes through the city and is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Idaho-Idaho-Montana Highway System, which runs from north to south. The city is home to the Idaho State Museum, which is located on the outskirts of the city on the edge of Lake Coeur-d-Alene. It is the only museum in the state that is not open to the public, although it is open to paid members of the public. The museum is also home to a museum of Idaho history, which dates back to the 18th century. It was the first museum in Idaho, and is located near the city's downtown area. The Idaho State Capitol is also located in the city, and was built in the early 1800s. The state's oldest building, the Capitol Building, is located in downtown Coeur d Alene and dates to the early 19th century, when the city was founded. The U.N. World Heritage Site is also in the area, and has been there since the 1930s. It has been the site of the World Trade Center, which opened in 1939.

Government

Coeur d'Alene, like the state of Idaho as a whole, is known for its conservative politics. The city and Kootenai County vote reliably conservative, and races at the federal and state level are often noncompetitive. The changing demographics of the county and region have altered the political landscape of the community and can be viewed as part of a nationwide ideological polarization trend. Many of the new migrants to Idaho came from California, which accounted for over half the net in-migration between 1992 and 2000. Three of the top four counties that had out-migrants to Kootanai County were from the birthplace of modern American conservatism in southern CaliforniaSan Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange. Coeur d'alene is among a small group of cities in the United States that has elected a socialist mayor. They elected John T. Wood, a Socialist Party of America member, to office in 1911 on a campaign platform of clean water, better health and sanitation standards, and anti-corruption. Since the high-growth period beginning in the 1990s, continuing outmigration of conservatives from the west coast states has made elections in the two-party system less competitive over time as the newer residents see the city as a place that represents their social and political values. The current mayor, James Hammond took office on January 4, 2022. At the federal level, north Idaho is within Idaho's 1st congressional district and represented by Russ Fulcher in the U.S House of Representatives and theState of Idaho by Mike Crapo and James Risch in theUnited States Senate.

Education

The Coeur d'Alene School District serves around 11,000 students in 18 schools, including two traditional high schools, an alternative high school, three middle schools, eleven elementary schools, and a dropout retrieval school. The district is the sixth-largest in the state and second-largest employer in Kootenai County. Private and parochial schools augment the public school system, such as the Roman Catholic Holy Family Catholic School and the PK-8 grade Seventh-day Adventist Lake City Academy. North Idaho College, a public community college founded in 1933, is located in downtown. The University of Idaho has a co-op presence in the area and has a research park in the city. The city has two public libraries, one in downtown and one near Lake City High School. The Community Library Network maintains seven libraries in the wider communities of Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, Athol, and Harrison. The school district also has magnet schools that focus on specific curricula, including the Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities and the Fernan STEM Academy. Students who qualify are also eligible for dual enrollment with North Idaho college and the University ofIdaho, which has branches in Kellogg, Sandpoint, and Bonners Ferry, and has outreach branches in Post Falls and Athol. The town's first high school was completed in 1904 and a second public high school opened in 1994. Private schools that offer a full high school curriculum include the Classical Christian Academy and the 112 grade North Idaho Christian School.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho = 83. 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 48. 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 50. 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 Coeur d'Alene = 3.2 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 48,843 individuals with a median age of 36.5 age the population grows by 24.22% in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,392.4 residents per square mile of area (1,309.8/km²). There are average 2.37 people per household in the 17,550 households with an average household income of $40,126 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -2.84% 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 24.92%. The number of physicians in Coeur d'Alene per 100,000 population = 218.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Coeur d'Alene = 24.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 38.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 120. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 174. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 76, 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 Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho which are owned by the occupant = 58.94%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 22 years with median home cost = $171,470 and home appreciation of -14.64%. 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 $9.97 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 $4,229 per student. There are 18 students for each teacher in the school, 696 students for each Librarian and 390 students for each Counselor. 8.68% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.11% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.30% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).