Benewah

Formed January 23, 1915 (34^th county)

Benewah County (9,531), Saint Maries (2,360)

The tan and red brick and masonry courthouse was built in 1924.  It is located on College Avenue at 7^th Street.  Idaho State Highway 5 is one block north of the site.  The facility designers are Meyers, Telender, and Zittel in Classical Revival style.  The structure has columns and two falcons sit at the entrance.  The county was formed on January 23, 1915 from Kootenai County as the 34^th county with St. Maries as the only county seat.  The county’s name comes from a Native American chief.  The county seat was named for the river which was named for Saint Mary. 

Benewah County government consists of a sheriff, a prosecuter, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Nine Circuit Court Judges and a Magistrate Court Judge serve Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone counties (judicial.) The county is in the northern panhandle of the state on the border with Washington.  The Saint Joe’s and Saint Maries rivers both flow through the county.  Spokane, Washington is west of the county.  The county center is 12.1 miles Southwest of Saint Maries.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kootenai, Shoshone, and Latah counties and Washington. 

The area of the county is 776 square miles.  It is 34 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 30 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.3 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 44 in the state.  Benewah County has 36.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 95 crosses the county north to south from Kootenai County and goes to Latah County.  The county is a rectangle with a number of bumps added on the lines.  Saint Maries is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Saint Maries is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 24.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BEN-E-WA.  The county seat is pronounced SAENT MAER-EEZ.