Cottonwood is a city in Idaho County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

. On the Camas Prairie in north central Idaho, the population was 822 at the 2020 census, down from 900 in 2010 and 944 in 2000. It is just west of U.S. Route 95, between Grangeville and Lewiston.

Origins

Cottonwood began in 1862 as a series of way station shelters for prospectors and mining suppliers on their way south to

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

and Warrens. It was named for the dense growth of trees that formerly lined Cottonwood Creek.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 900 people, 363 households, and 240 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 392 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1%

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

, 0.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population. There were 363 households, of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

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

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 43.2 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.6% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 944 people, 364 households, and 242 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 398 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.99%

, 0.64% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and 0.95% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population. There were 364 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were

living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,167, and the median income for a family was $39,625. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $20,833 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,003. About 5.8% of families and 10.7% 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 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Cottonwood is home to the Dog Bark Park Inn, a hotel in the shape of a beagle.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Cottonwood has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Cottonwood, Idaho
/ref>

Transportation

Highways

- US 95 - to Lewiston (north) and Grangeville (south) The city is just west of U.S. Route 95, the state's main north-south highway, which formerly went through central Cottonwood. It was re-routed in 1976 with the completion of the new bypass, east of the city.

Railroad

The city is the southern terminus of the BG&CM Railroad, a freight line with a northern terminus at Spalding. It runs on the former tracks of the Camas Prairie Railroad, whose second subdivision line continued to Fenn and Grangeville. The last run to Fenn and Grangeville was on November 29, 2000, and those tracks were removed by mid-2003.

Education

The Cottonwood Joint School District #242 operates the public schools, led by Prairie Junior/Senior High School in Cottonwood. St. John Bosco, a Catholic K-12 School, provides a classical Catholic Education.

Notable people

* Don Bies, former professional golfer * Teel Bruner, Division III

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

hall of fame inductee * Sheryl Nuxoll, state senator * Bobby Watkins, former NFL cornerback

References

External links

Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Idaho Cities in Idaho County, Idaho