Bingham

Formed January 13, 1885 (14^th county)

Bingham County (47,995), Blackfoot (12,355)

The tan brick courthouse was built in 1987 to replace an 1885 building.  This building is located on Maple Street at Washington Street.  United States Highway 91 is three blocks to the southeast of the structure.  Ken E. Douglas provided the designs for this Modern style building.  Blackfoot has been the county seat since Bingham County was formed on January 13, 1885 from Oneida County as the 14^th county.  The county was named for United States Congressman Henry H. Bingham.  The county seat is named for the Native American tribe.  The Snake River passes through the middle of the county. 

Bingham County government consists of a sheriff, a prosecuter, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges and a Magistrate Court Judge serve Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton counties (judicial.) Bingham County is located in southeast Idaho between Idaho Falls, Idaho and Pocatello, Idaho.  The county center is 2.4 miles Northwest of Blackfoot.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jefferson, Bonneville, Caribou, Bannock, Power, Blaine, and Butte counties. 

The area of the county is 2095 square miles.  It is 12 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 8 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 22.9 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 44 in the state.  Bingham County has 41.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 15 crosses the county north to south from Bonneville County to Bannock County.  United States Highway 20 crosses the northern tip of the county from Bonneville County, north, to Butte County, west.  United States Highway 26 enters joined with Interstate Highway 15 from Bonneville County, splits and goes west into Butte County.  United States Highway 91 parallels Interstate Highway 15 from Bonneville to Bannock counties.  The county has a lot of stair stepped borders but it appears to look like a flint style pistol.  Blackfoot is located near the center of the county.  Blackfoot is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 25.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BING-UM.  This county is in the Blackfoot Micropolitan Statistical Area.