Nez Perce County, Idaho

Seal

Location in the U.S. state of Idaho

Idaho's location in the U.S.

Founded

February 4, 1864

Named for

Nez Percé tribe

Seat

Lewiston

Largest city

Lewiston

Area

• Total

856 sq mi (2,217 km²)

• Land

848 sq mi (2,196 km²)

• Water

8.2 sq mi (21 km²), 0.85%

Population (est.)

• (2015)

40,048

• Density

46/sq mi (18/km²)

Congressional district

1st

Time zone

Pacific: UTC-8/-7

Website

www.co.nezperce.id.us

Nez Perce County (pron. Nezz Purse) is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,265. The county seat is Lewiston. The county is named after the Nez Percé tribe.

Nez Perce County is part of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Nez Perce County was originally organized in 1861, when the area was part of Washington Territory. It was reorganized in 1864 by the Idaho Territorial Legislature and was later subdivided into new counties. Rapid migration to the Palouse in the 1880s led to the formation of Latah County in 1888. Isolated from its county seat of Wallace in the Silver Valley, the southern portion of Shoshone County was annexed by Nez Perce County in 1904, then became Clearwater County in 1911.Lewis County was also formed from Nez Perce County in 1911.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 856 square miles (2,220 km²), of which 848 square miles (2,200 km²) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km²) (1.0%) is water.

Nez Perce County has two rivers, the Clearwater and the Snake, which meet in Lewiston and then flow west. The Clearwater flows from the east and the Snake from the south, creating the state border with Washington (and further upstream, Oregon). The lowest point in the state of Idaho is located on the Snake River in Lewiston in Nez Perce County, where it flows out of Idaho and into Washington. North of Lewiston, Idaho's western border is a political line.

...
Wikipedia