Idaho Counties

Quick Facts about Idaho

• Joined the Union on July 3, 1894 as the 43rd state 
• Second fastest growing state in the nation 2010-2020- up 17.3% from 2010 
• 13th largest state in the USA, with a total area of 83,569 square miles, about the same size as Guyana in South America 
• 63% of Idaho is public land
• Population: Idaho’s population in 2025 is estimated to be around 1,990,460
• Origin of Name: “Idaho” is not derived from a Native American language as was once widely believed. It was actually a made-up word, possibly by a lobbyist named George M. Willing. 
• Nickname: The Gem State 
• State Motto: Esto Perpetua (“Let it be perpetual,” or “It shall be perpetual,”)
• State Flower: Syringa
• State Food: The Potato