Idaho State Highway 38 is a 23.438 miles (37.72 km) east-west state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 located entirely within Oneida County

Oneida County, Idaho

Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 4,125 . The county seat and largest city is Malad City. The Oneida County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Most of the county's population lives in...

 in the southeast part of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

. SH-38 runs from Holbrook

Holbrook, Idaho

Holbrook is an unincorporated community in western Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Holbrook was settled in the late 1890s by residents of Mendon, Utah and surrounding areas who were drawn to the area due to the availability of land to homestead...

 east to Interstate 15 in Malad City

Malad City, Idaho

For the Mumbai, India Suburb, see Malad .Malad City is the only city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 2,158 at the 2000 census....

. The highway is maintained by the Idaho Transportation Department

Idaho Transportation Department

The Idaho Transportation Department is the State of Idaho governmental organization responsible for the current transportation infrastructure. This includes ongoing operations and maintenance; as well as planning for future needs of the state and its citizens...

.

Route description

SH-38 begins at an intersection with North Holbrook Road and Stone Road in Holbrook. The highway continues as an unsigned road northwest of the terminus, connecting to Idaho State Highway 37 in Power County

Power County, Idaho

Power County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,538 ....

; this section of road is closed in the winter. From its terminus, SH-38 heads east through a rural area within the Curlew National Grassland

Curlew National Grassland

Curlew National Grassland is a National Grassland located in Oneida and Power counties in the state of Idaho, USA. It has a land area of 47,790 acres . The land used to make the grassland was purchased between the years 1934 and 1942. The primary goal of the grassland was to improve soil and...

. It takes a more crooked route east outside of Holbrook, intersecting Arbon Valley Road. From here, the highway enters mountainous terrain, passing Holbrook Summit at an elevation of 6104 feet (1,860.5 m). After passing through the mountains, SH-38 enters a rural area and passes through the community of Pleasantview

Pleasantview, Idaho

Pleasantview is an unincorporated community in Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Pleasantview is located on Idaho State Highway 38 west-southwest of Malad City....

. The highway turns northeast toward Malad City, passing the Malad City Airport. After entering Malad City, the route turns eastward, passing through a mixed residential and business district. SH-38 leaves the Malad City limits before terminating at Exit 13 of Interstate 15.

History

The route which is now SH-38 was marked as part of SH-33 by 1927. Between 1927 and 1937, SH-33 was changed to SH-37, and SH-38 was first designated on a route between Roy

Roy, Idaho

Roy is an unincorporated community in Power County, Idaho, United States. Roy is located on Idaho State Highway 37 south of Rockland....

 and Portneuf. By 1956, the southern terminus of SH-38 had changed to SH-37 east of Holbrook; the route continued north to Arbon

Arbon, Idaho

Arbon is an unincorporated community in Power County, Idaho, United States. Arbon is northwest of Malad City. Arbon has a post office with ZIP code 83212....

 via Buist, where it resumed its original route.

Major intersections

The entire highway is located in Oneida County.

Location	Mile	Junction	Notes
Holbrook Holbrook, Idaho Holbrook is an unincorporated community in western Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Holbrook was settled in the late 1890s by residents of Mendon, Utah and surrounding areas who were drawn to the area due to the availability of land to homestead...	0.000	North Holbrook Road / Stone Road	Western terminus of SH-38
Malad City Malad City, Idaho For the Mumbai, India Suburb, see Malad .Malad City is the only city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 2,158 at the 2000 census....	23.438		Eastern terminus of SH-38