Butte County, Idaho
| Butte County, Idaho | ||
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 Location in the U.S. state of Idaho |
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 Idaho's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | February 6, 1917 | |
| Named for | Big Southern Butte | |
| Seat | Arco | |
| Largest city | Arco | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,234 sq mi (5,786 km2) | |
| • Land | 2,232 sq mi (5,781 km2) | |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2), 0.1% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 2,891 | |
| • Density | 1.3/sq mi (1/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 2nd | |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 | |
Butte County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,891, making it the third-least populous county in Idaho. Its county seat and largest city is Arco. The county was established in 1917 from parts of Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson counties. The county gained territory in the Clyde area from Custer County in 1937 to reach its present boundary.
The first settlement in Butte County occurred about four miles south of the present town site of Arco in 1878. The settlement was then known by the names of Kennedy Crossing and Lower Crossing of the Lost River and was located in eastern Alturas County. Once the post office was established in 1879, the settlement became known as Arco.
The ghost town of Era was settled in 1885. Settlement of Antelope, Martin and Island (now Moore) also occurred prior to 1890. Alturas county established precincts for all five Butte County settlements existing at the 1890 census containing a combined population of 389. The settlements became part of Blaine County in 1895. Blaine County created precincts for all of the settlements except Martin and added a precinct for Clyde. At the 1900 census, the five precincts totaled 714 residents increasing to 1787 in 1910.Construction of a railroad from Blackfoot to Mackay resulted in relocation of the town of Arco to its present site in 1901.
Butte County is included in the Idaho Falls, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area. Much of the eastern part of the county is the vast Idaho National Laboratory, which extends eastward into neighboring counties.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,234 square miles (5,790 km2), of which 2,232 square miles (5,780 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.1%) is water.
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