Jefferson

Formed February 18, 1913 (32^nd county)

Jefferson County (30,889), Rigby (5,041)

The Modern style courthouse for Jefferson County was built in 2007.  It is located on Clark Street at Fremont Street.  United States Highway 20 is two blocks east of the site.  Ormond Builders are the architects of this red and tan brick facility.  There was a 1940 courthouse earlier in Rigby.  The county was created on February 18, 1913 as the 32^nd county with Rigby as the only county seat.  It was named for President Thomas Jefferson.  The county seat is named for Mormon Church leader William Rigby. 

Jefferson 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 Jefferson, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton counties (judicial.) The county is in southeast Idaho directly north of Idaho Falls, Idaho.  The county center is 24.9 miles West-Northwest of Rigby nearer Roberts.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clark, Fremont, Madison, Bonneville, Bingham, and Butte counties.  

The area of the county is 1095 square miles.  It is 28 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 12 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.2 persons per square mile making it 14 out of 44 in the state.  Jefferson County has 24.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 15 goes north and south in the county from Clark County to Bonneville County.  United States Highway 20 enters the county from Madison County, northeast and exits into Bonneville County, south.  The county looks like a hand lying flat and pointing.  Rigby is located in the extreme southeast corner of the county.  Rigby is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 16.3% of the county population.  This county is in the Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Ririe