Formed February 4, 1864 (5th county)
Nez Perce County (42,089), Lewiston (34,204)
A masonry Neo-Classical governmental structure is the Nez Perce County courthouse. It was built in the 1890, enlarged in 1928, and enlarged again in 1972. It is sited on Main Street between 12th and 13th streets. United States Highway 12 is Main Street in the town. W. B. Cooper is the architect. A Native American statue sits out front. The county was established on February 4, 1864 as the 5th county with Lewiston as the only county seat. The county is named for the Native American tribe. It is also the source for the name of the county seat of Lewis County. Lewiston is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis. He is also the namesake of Lewis County.
Nez Perce County government consists of a sheriff, a prosecuter, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Six Circuit Court Judges and Three Magistrate Court Judges serve Nez Perce, Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, and Lewis counties (judicial.) The county is in northwest Idaho on the border with Washington. The Snake River forms most of its western border. Spokane, Washington is northwest and Missoula, Montana is east of the county. The county center is 23.9 miles East of Lewiston nearer Gifford. The county is surrounded clockwise by Latah, Clearwater, Lewis and Idaho counties and Oregon and Washington.
The area of the county is 849 square miles. It is 33 out of 44 in the state. It ranks 10 out of 44 in population in the state. It has a density of 49.6 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 44 in the state. Nez Perce County has 85.4% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 12 crosses the county east to west from Clearwater County to Washington. United States Highway 95 goes north to south from Latah County to Lewis County. United States Highway 195 enters the county from Washington and terminates. The county’s shape is a backward number 7. Lewiston is in the northwest quarter of the county on the border with Washington. Lewiston is the county seat and the largest city. It is 81.3% of the county population. The county is pronounced NEZ PEERC. This county is in the Lewiston Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Culdesac
Lapwai
Lewiston
Peck
