Challis, Idaho | |
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City | |
Main Street in Challis, May 2007
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Location of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. |
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Coordinates: 44°30′15″N 114°13′42″W / 44.50417°N 114.22833°WCoordinates: 44°30′15″N 114°13′42″W / 44.50417°N 114.22833°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Idaho |
County | Custer |
Area | |
• Total | 1.94 sq mi (5.04 km2) |
• Land | 1.92 sq mi (4.97 km2) |
• Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
Elevation | 5,253 ft (1,601 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 1,081 |
• Estimate (2016) | 1,041 |
• Density | 542.47/sq mi (209.42/km2) |
Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
• Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
ZIP code | 83226 |
Area code(s) | 208 |
FIPS code | 16-13780 |
GNIS feature ID | 0397543 |
Challis is the largest city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. It is the county seat and its population was 1,081 at the 2010 census, up from 909 in 2000.
Challis was founded in 1878 and named for A.P. Challis, who was a surveyor when the townsite was laid out. Challis post office was established in 1878.
Twin Peaks Sports, the I.O.O.F. Hall, and a number of other buildings in Challis are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, most as a result of an Idaho State Historical Society study of historical resources in the town.
The Salmon River Scenic Byway uses both highways, from Stanley to Salmon. The junction with Highway 75 is south of Challis.
On Friday, October 28, 1983, the Borah Peak earthquake occurred at 8:06 am MDT. The shock measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The Challis-Mackay region experienced rather thorough damage, with 11 commercial buildings and 39 homes with major damage; while another 200 houses were damaged, minor to moderately. Mackay in particular, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Challis, experienced the most severe damage. Most of the city's large buildings on its Main Street were damaged, to some extent; eight of these buildings were deemed condemned and closed down. Most of these buildings were built from materials such as brick, concrete block, and stone, each varying. The two fatalities of the earthquake were in Challis; a store front fell on two children walking to school.
Challis is located at 44°30′15″N 114°13′42″W / 44.50417°N 114.22833°W (44.504260, -114.228279), at an elevation of 5,253 feet (1,601 m) above sea level.