Bingham County is a county in Idaho, United States, straddling the Snake River in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 47,992 at the 2020 census and covers 2,120 square miles (5,490 km2) of land and water, centred near 43°13′N 112°24′W.
Blackfoot is the county seat, and its postal code is 83221. The county has five incorporated cities, five census-designated places and dozens of small unincorporated communities and former railroad stations. Bingham County observes Mountain Time.
Towns & Villages in Bingham County
Bingham County has five incorporated cities — Blackfoot, Shelley, Firth, Aberdeen and Basalt — plus five census-designated places (CDPs) and a long list of unincorporated communities and old railroad sidings scattered across the farmland east and west of the Snake River. Idaho has no civil townships, so the table below groups every place by type rather than by township.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackfoot | City · seat | — | 83221 |
| Shelley | City | — | 83274 |
| Aberdeen | City | — | 83210 |
| Firth | City | — | 83236 |
| Basalt | City | — | — |
| Fort Hall | CDP | — | 83203 |
| Groveland | CDP | — | — |
| Moreland | CDP | — | — |
| Riverside | CDP | — | — |
| Rockford | CDP | — | — |
| Aberdeen Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Aiken | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Atomic City | Unincorp. | — | 83215 |
| Cerro Grande | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clarkson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coffee Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Collins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cox | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fingal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fullmer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gibson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goshen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goshen Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grandview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Havens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kimball | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McDonaldville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mitchell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morgan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olsen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pingree | Unincorp. | — | 83262 |
| Rising River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rose | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rouse | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Springfield | Unincorp. | — | 83277 |
| Sterling | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taber | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thomas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wapello | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolverine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Fort Hall CDP sits mostly on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, home of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and its boundary crosses into neighboring Bannock and Power counties — only the Bingham County portion is counted here.
ZIP Codes
- 83221 — Blackfoot (also serves the surrounding unincorporated county)
- 83274 — Shelley
- 83210 — Aberdeen
- 83236 — Firth
- 83203 — Fort Hall
- 83262 — Pingree
- 83277 — Springfield
- 83215 — Atomic City
Most of the smaller unincorporated places on the list above use a nearby town’s ZIP code rather than one of their own.
Geography
Bingham County lies on the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho. The Snake River flows southwest through the middle of the county, and the county holds parts of American Falls Reservoir and Blackfoot Reservoir. The Fort Hall Indian Reservation covers a large share of the western county. It borders Jefferson County to the north, Bonneville County to the east, Caribou County to the southeast, Bannock County to the south, Power County to the southwest, Blaine County to the west and Butte County to the northwest.
Demographics
Bingham County had 47,992 residents at the 2020 census. Blackfoot and Shelley are its two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Idaho median of $74,942; farming, food processing and the Idaho National Laboratory workforce anchor the local economy. Population density is roughly 23 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Bingham County’s economy — it is one of the top potato-producing counties in the country, alongside sugar beets, wheat and barley. Food processing plants in and around Blackfoot and Shelley pack and process the harvest. Many residents also commute northwest to jobs at the Idaho National Laboratory in neighboring Butte County. Blackfoot hosts the Eastern Idaho State Fair each September, and the Idaho Potato Museum sits in the county seat.
History
Bingham County was organized on January 13, 1885, from part of Oneida County, and named for U.S. Representative Henry H. Bingham of Pennsylvania. Blackfoot became the county seat at organization and grew as a rail town on the Utah and Northern Railway. Bonneville, Butte, Power and other neighboring counties were later split off from Bingham’s original, much larger territory.
Getting There
Interstate 15 runs north–south through the county, with U.S. Route 26 crossing east–west through Blackfoot.
- Idaho Falls — 25 miles northeast
- Pocatello — 25 miles south
- American Falls — 20 miles southwest
- Rexburg — 45 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Idaho Falls Regional Airport, about 25 miles northeast of Blackfoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bingham County, Idaho?
It is in southeastern Idaho, on the Snake River Plain between Idaho Falls and Pocatello.
What is the population of Bingham County?
47,992 at the 2020 census.
How big is Bingham County?
2,120 square miles (5,490 km2), including 26 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Bingham County?
Blackfoot is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Bingham County?
Five incorporated cities — Blackfoot, Shelley, Aberdeen, Firth and Basalt — plus five census-designated places and many unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bingham County?
Blackfoot uses 83221; other towns include Shelley (83274), Aberdeen (83210), Firth (83236) and Fort Hall (83203).
What is Bingham County known for?
It is one of the nation’s leading potato-producing counties and is home to the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Idaho.