Bannock

Formed March 6, 1893 (19^th county)

Bannock County (87,017), Pocatello (56,326)                

The tan brick 1954 courthouse replaced an 1893 classic structure.  The facility is on Center Street between 5^th and 6^th avenues.  United States Highway 91 is 5^th Avenue in the city.  Ray S. Hunter and Cedric M. Allen are the architects of this Modern style courthouse.  The county was created on March 6, 1893 from Bingham County as the 19^th county.  Pocatello has been the only county seat.  It is named for the Native American tribe.  Pocatello is named for a Native American chief.  The northwest tip of the county touches the Snake River. 

Bannock County government consists of a sheriff, a coroner, a prosecutor, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Circuit Court Judges and Five Magistrate Court Judges serve Bannock, Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power counties (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of Idaho with Idaho Falls, Idaho to its northeast and Salt Lake City, Utah to its south.  The county center is 33.1 miles Southeast of Pocatello nearer McCammon.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power counties. 

The area of the county is 1113 square miles.  It is 27 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 78.2 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 44 in the state.  Bannock County has 86.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 15 goes north to south in the county from Bingham County to Oneida County.  Interstate Highway 86 begins in the county and travels west into Power County.  United States Highway 30 enters the county from the east, Caribou County, and joins Interstate Highway 86 into Power County.  United States Highway 91 parallels Interstate Highway 15 in from Bingham County but splits away to go southeast into Franklin County.  The overall shape of the county is a capital letter L with many jagged edges.  Pocatello is in the top northwest quarter of the county and extends into Power County.  Pocatello is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 64.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BAN-OK.  The county seat is pronounced POE-KA-TELL-OE.  This county is in the Pocatello Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Pocatello