Glenns Ferry is a city in Elmore 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), ...

, United States. The population was 1,293 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to Interstate 84 and the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Begin ...

History

Glenns Ferry was one of the most famous and treacherous river crossings on the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in North America that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon Territory. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail crossed what ...

. Pioneers forded the Snake River at the Three Island Crossing until 1869, when Gustavus "Gus" Glenn constructed a ferry about two miles upstream, primarily to expedite freight but also for emigrants. His boat, which could hold two wagons, cut nearly twenty miles from the former route. In 1871 the city of Glenns Ferry was established. Construction of the

Oregon Short Line Railroad The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific int ...

through the town in 1883 gave the city its first major employer. Opened in 1971, Three Island Crossing State Park is home to The Oregon Trail History and Education Center, where visitors can learn about pioneer emigrants and Native American history. The Glenns Ferry community sponsors a crossing commemoration the second Saturday of each August. The Glenns Ferry townsite was platted in 1871, just downstream from the ferry site. It is one of just two incorporated cities in Elmore County, along with Mountain Home. Glenn has since passed and he took his ferry with him. RIP Gustavus "Gus" Glenn, and his ferry.

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 , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

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 1,319 people, 559 households, and 350 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 684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 82.2%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 2.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 11.8% from other races, and 3.4% 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 24.6% of the population. There were 559 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,611 people, 610 households, and 428 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 707 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.41%

, 1.18% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 9.75% from other races, and 3.35% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 26.44% of the population. There were 610 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.21. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.4% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,379, and the median income for a family was $32,019. Males had a median income of $27,321 versus $17,692 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 $12,869. About 20.5% of families and 24.5% 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 38.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Korey Hall, American football player * Kitty Wilkins, horse breeder * Richard Wills, Idaho State Representative

Gallery

File:Amstutz Apartments - Glenns Ferry Idaho.jpg, Amstutz Apartments File:Our Lady of Limerick Catholic Church - Glenns Ferry Idaho.jpg, Our Lady of Limerick Catholic Church File:Wildhorsesowyhee.jpg, Wild horses at Saylor Creek south of Glenns Ferry File:Idaho vineyard.jpg, Vineyard outside Glenns Ferry

References

External links

Glenns Ferry Chamber of Commerce

Glenns Ferry School District

Idaho Parks & Recreation
- Three Island Crossing State Park
Idaho Transportation Dept.
- roadside historical marker - Glenns Ferry
Unofficial Glenns Ferry
{{authority control Cities in Idaho Cities in Elmore County, Idaho