Valley

Formed February 26, 1917 (40^th county)

Valley County (11,744), Cascade (994), McCall (3,683)

A tan brick and concrete Modern Art Deco courthouse serves Valley County.  It is on Main Street between Spring and Pine streets.  Main Street is Idaho State Highway 55 in the town.  The courthouse was built in the 1920, remodeled in 1948 and enlarged in 2005.  V. H. Sheldrew is the architect.  Valley County was formed on February 26, 1917 as the 40^th county with Cascade as the only county seat.  It is named for the Long Valley of the North Fork of the Payette River.  Cascade Falls on the North Fork of the Payette River is the source for the county seat name. 

Valley 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 Valley, Ada, Boise, and Elmore counties (judicial.) The county is in western Idaho north of Boise, Idaho.  The Salmon River forms its eastern border.  The county center is 55.8 miles Northeast of Cascade nearer Grays Peak.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Idaho, Lemhi, Custer, Boise, Gem, and Adams counties. 

The area of the county is 3733 square miles.  It is 5 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 27 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.1 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 44 in the state.  Valley County has 41.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is shaped like the State of Oklahoma lying on its face.  Cascade is located in the western quarter of the county.  McCall is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Cascade is the county seat and McCall is the largest city.  Cascade is 8.5% of the county population while McCall is 31.4% of the county population.