Soda Springs is a city in Caribou County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

, United States. Its population was 3,058 at the time of the 2010 census. The city has been the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Caribou County since the county was organized in 1919. In the 1860s, Soda Springs served as the seat of Oneida County.

History

The city is named for the hundreds of natural springs of

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic ch ...

water that are located in and around the city. The springs were known to Native Americans, and were a landmark along the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...

in the middle 19th century. Today the city is also known as the location of the

Soda Springs Geyser The Soda Springs Geyser is an artesian well drilled into the carbonated aquifer that lies beneath Soda Springs, Idaho. Thousands of natural springs in the area were a landmark on the Oregon Trail. The Springs "Past volcanic activity has shaped ...

, which was unleashed in 1934 when town fathers were seeking hot water for a hot pool bathing attraction. They drilled into a chamber of highly pressurized

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is t ...

gas and cold water, and the

geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. As a fairly rare phenomenon, the formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only i ...

was released. After running for weeks and flooding the downtown area, it was capped and manually released upon request as a tourist attraction. Currently a timed release valve opens every hour on the hour. Its height and volume have not decreased after many years. Viewing platforms are located at either end of the travertine mound where the geyser erupts. Interpretive signs are located on the platforms explaining this phenomenon. Soda Springs is also the location of one of the

Ground Observer Corps The Ground Observer Corps (GOC), sometimes erroneously referred to as the Ground ''Observation'' Corps, was the name of two American civil defense organizations during the middle 20th century. World War II organization The first Ground Observer ...

sites.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Soda Springs experiences a

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing so ...

( Köppen ''Dfb'') with long, cold, snowy winters and cool summers.

Demographics

Hooper Spring, Hooper Springs Park - Soda Springs ID

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 3,058 people, 1,204 households, and 830 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 1,393 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino people of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 1,204 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,381 people, 1,210 households, and 905 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,505 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.63%

, 0.03%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.21%

, 1.18% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 2.90% of the population. There were 1,210 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,690, and the median income for a family was $46,152. Males had a median income of $41,979 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,729. About 7.0% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* David Archer, former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

quarterback *

Vic Baltzell Victor Leroy Baltzell Sr. (June 20, 1912 – April 1986), sometimes known as both "Dick" and "Vic", and by the nickname "Bullet" Baltzell, was an American football player. Baltzell was born in 1912 in Soda Springs, Idaho. He attended Hebron ...

, former National Football League fullback *

Reed Budge Reed William Budge (January 7, 1921 – August 7, 1987) was a politician and rancher in the U.S. state of Idaho. He resided in Soda Springs, Idaho. Early life and education Budge was born in 1921 in Logan, Utah to Dr. Thomas B. and Duella A. ...

, Idaho legislator

References

External links

Soda Springs Chamber of Commerce website

City of Soda Springs portal

{{authority control Cities in Caribou County, Idaho Cities in Idaho Oregon Trail County seats in Idaho