Island Park, Idaho
Encyclopedia
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, primarily to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits. It is only 500 feet (152.4 m) wide in most locations and, at 33 miles (53.1 km), claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world.
Island Park News is the community's newspaper, a weekly newspaper with a daily website and a recreation website. Henry's Fork Country is the recreation guide.
Island Park is part of the Rexburg, Idaho
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (16.40%) is water.
named the Henry's Fork Caldera
that was created by the same hotspot
that created the earlier Island Park Caldera
and the later Yellowstone Caldera
. In addition to the Henry's Fork Caldera
, about a third of what is known as Island Park, is north of this caldera and extends across Henry's Lake Flat, across Henry's Lake, and 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. Mount Jefferson, south of Henry's Lake, is at 10203 feet (3,109.9 m) and Targhee Peak, north of Henry's Lake is at 10240 feet (3,121.2 m). The most famous of Island Park's peaks, however, is the 9886 feet (3,013.3 m) Sawtell Peak south of Henry's Lake near Mount Jefferson. The peak is known for its beauty and is named for a perceived resemblance to a Native American
chief's profile while napping. The peak has also been called Chief Rains in the Face. Sawtell Peak is topped by a FAA radar dome and is a visible from nearly anywhere in Island Park.
Although much smaller than either the Island Park Caldera
or the Yellowstone Caldera
, the Henry's Fork Caldera is still one of the largest calderas in the world and is the only large caldera in the Yellowstone region that is plainly visible. It has a nearly level 20 miles (32.2 km) wide circular floor that slopes slightly towards the southeast. The caldera floor is at about 6000 feet (1,828.8 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 6500 feet (1,981.2 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 6000 feet (1,828.8 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 12 inches (304.8 mm) of precipitation annually while Island Park is forested and green with many steams, ponds, lakes, and meadows. Island Park receives well over 30 inches (762 mm) of precipitation with parts receiving over 50 inches (1,270 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 Snake River Plain
that was also formed by the Yellowstone hotspot
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 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.
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 per square mile (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.
Fremont County, Idaho
Fremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1893, and was named for the explorer John C. Frémont. As of the 2000 census the county had a population of 11,819 . The county seat and largest city is St. Anthony...
, 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....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The city's population was 215 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The city was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
in 1947, primarily to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits. It is only 500 feet (152.4 m) wide in most locations and, at 33 miles (53.1 km), claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world.
Island Park News is the community's newspaper, a weekly newspaper with a daily website and a recreation website. Henry's Fork Country is the recreation guide.
Island Park is part of the Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg, Idaho
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,257 people, 4,274 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4 per square mile...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Rexburg micropolitan area
The Rexburg Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in eastern Idaho, anchored by the city of Rexburg....
.
City geography
Island Park is located at 44°29′59"N 111°20′19"W (44.499607, -111.338709).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (16.40%) is water.
Regional geography
The area was known as Island Park long before the 33 miles (53.1 km)-long town was incorporated. The area known as Island Park is mostly a large crater or calderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
named the Henry's Fork Caldera
Henry's Fork Caldera
The Henry's Fork Caldera in Idaho is a caldera located an area known as Island Park west of Yellowstone National Park. The caldera was formed by one of the world's supervolcanos in an eruption of more than 280 cubic kilometers 1.3 million years BP, and is the source of the Mesa Falls Tuff.The...
that was created by the same hotspot
Yellowstone hotspot
The Yellowstone hotspot, also referred to as the Snake River Plain-Yellowstone hotspot, is a volcanic hotspot responsible for large scale volcanism in Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming, United States. It created the eastern Snake River Plain through a succession of caldera forming eruptions...
that created the earlier Island Park Caldera
Island Park Caldera
The volcanic feature commonly called the Island Park Caldera in the states of Idaho and Wyoming, U.S., is actually two calderas, one nested inside the other. The Island Park Caldera is the older and much larger caldera, with approximate dimensions of 58 miles by 40 miles...
and the later Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera
The Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic caldera located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, in which the vast majority of the park is contained. The major features of...
. In addition to the Henry's Fork Caldera
Henry's Fork Caldera
The Henry's Fork Caldera in Idaho is a caldera located an area known as Island Park west of Yellowstone National Park. The caldera was formed by one of the world's supervolcanos in an eruption of more than 280 cubic kilometers 1.3 million years BP, and is the source of the Mesa Falls Tuff.The...
, about a third of what is known as Island Park, is north of this caldera and extends across Henry's Lake Flat, across Henry's Lake, and 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. Mount Jefferson, south of Henry's Lake, is at 10203 feet (3,109.9 m) and Targhee Peak, north of Henry's Lake is at 10240 feet (3,121.2 m). The most famous of Island Park's peaks, however, is the 9886 feet (3,013.3 m) Sawtell Peak south of Henry's Lake near Mount Jefferson. The peak is known for its beauty and is named for a perceived resemblance to a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
chief's profile while napping. The peak has also been called Chief Rains in the Face. Sawtell Peak is topped by a FAA radar dome and is a visible from nearly anywhere in Island Park.
Although much smaller than either the Island Park Caldera
Island Park Caldera
The volcanic feature commonly called the Island Park Caldera in the states of Idaho and Wyoming, U.S., is actually two calderas, one nested inside the other. The Island Park Caldera is the older and much larger caldera, with approximate dimensions of 58 miles by 40 miles...
or the Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera
The Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic caldera located in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The caldera is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, in which the vast majority of the park is contained. The major features of...
, the Henry's Fork Caldera is still one of the largest calderas in the world and is the only large caldera in the Yellowstone region that is plainly visible. It has a nearly level 20 miles (32.2 km) wide circular floor that slopes slightly towards the southeast. The caldera floor is at about 6000 feet (1,828.8 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 6500 feet (1,981.2 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
Island Park Dam
Island Park Dam is operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Fremont County, Idaho. The dam lies in Targhee National Forest near Island Park...
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.
Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho...
that was also formed by the Yellowstone hotspot
Hotspot (geology)
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on, near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them...
is in line with the gap between the Sierra Nevada and Cascade
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
mountain ranges along the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
so that there is a moisture channel that extends from the distant Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, between the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, though the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
to Island Park. For more info, see, “Effects on Climate” in article, “Snake River Plain
Snake River Plain
The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho...
.”
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 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
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the world. Big Springs, Buffalo River Springs, and Warm River Springs all are 1st Magnitude springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and they form some of the crystal clear meandering streams that the area is famous for.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 215 people, 90 households, and 57 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 34.6 people per square mile (13.3/km2). There were 425 housing units at an average density of 68.4 per square mile (26.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 0.93% Asian, 2.33% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.