Bonner County, Idaho

Bonner County is a county in Idaho, United States, centred on the northern arm of Lake Pend Oreille in the state’s Panhandle. It had a population of 47,110 at the 2020 census and covers 1,919 square miles (4,970 km2), of which 185 square miles (480 km2) is water — nearly a tenth of the county — centred near 48°17′N 116°36′W.

Sandpoint is the county seat, and its postal code is 83864. The county has nine incorporated cities, three census-designated places and a scatter of unincorporated communities, all in the Pacific time zone. Its FIPS code is 16017.

Towns & Villages in Bonner County

Bonner County has nine incorporated cities and towns, three census-designated places (CDPs, unincorporated but Census-recognised) and a number of smaller unincorporated communities and rural crossroads. Idaho has no civil townships, so places are listed without a township column.

East Hope and Hope are two small, separately incorporated cities sitting side by side on the north shore of Lake Pend Oreille — distinct municipalities despite the shared name.

ZIP Codes

• 83864 — Sandpoint (also serves Selle, Sunnyside and the Schweitzer Mountain area)
• 83852 — Ponderay
• 83856 — Priest River
• 83825 — Dover
• 83811 — Clark Fork (also serves Trestle Creek)
• 83840 — Kootenai
• 83822 — Oldtown
• 83836 — Hope and East Hope
• 83804 — Blanchard
• 83821 — Coolin (also serves the Priest Lake communities of Outlet Bay and Nordman’s neighbours)
• 83841 — Laclede
• 83848 — Nordman
• 83860 — Sagle
• 83809 — Careywood
• 83813 — Cocolalla

Smaller crossroads such as Colburn, Lamb Creek, Samuels, Talache, Vans Corner and Westmond share their nearest post-office town’s ZIP rather than having their own.

Geography

Bonner County lies in Idaho’s northern Panhandle, straddling the Selkirk and Cabinet mountain ranges on either side of a broad glacial valley. Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest lake at roughly 43 miles long and over 1,150 feet deep in places, dominates the county’s south-central geography; Priest Lake sits in the county’s northwest corner. The Pend Oreille River drains the lake westward toward Washington, and the Clark Fork River enters the county’s east end from Montana. Much of the county outside the lake valleys is forested public land managed by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

Bonner County borders Boundary County to the north, Kootenai County to the south, and Shoshone County to the southeast, all in Idaho; Sanders County and Lincoln County, Montana, to the east and southeast; and Pend Oreille County, Washington, to the northwest, with Spokane County, Washington, touching the southwest corner.

Demographics

Bonner County had a population of 47,110 at the 2020 census, up 15.2% from 2010. Sandpoint, the county seat, and Ponderay, its neighbor on U.S. Route 2, are the county’s two largest communities. Bonner County’s median household income runs below the Idaho median of $74,942, reflecting a rural, tourism- and timber-dependent economy rather than the Boise metro’s tech and government wages. Population density across the county’s 1,735 square miles of land is light, well under 30 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Tourism, recreation and second-home development drive much of Bonner County’s economy, anchored by Schweitzer Mountain Resort above Sandpoint and boating, fishing and camping on Lake Pend Oreille and Priest Lake. Timber and wood-products manufacturing remain significant, along with a growing base of remote workers and small manufacturers drawn by Sandpoint’s lakeside setting. The U.S. Navy operates an acoustic research detachment on Lake Pend Oreille, one of the few deep, quiet freshwater lakes suited to submarine sonar testing. Sandpoint hosts the Festival at Sandpoint, an outdoor summer concert series, each August.

History

Bonner County was organized on February 21, 1907, carved out of the northern portion of Kootenai County, and named for Edwin L. Bonner, who operated an early ferry across the Pend Oreille River. The Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads had already reached the area in the 1880s, and Sandpoint grew as a lumber and rail junction town. Farragut Naval Training Station operated on the southern shore of Lake Pend Oreille during World War II, training tens of thousands of sailors; the site is now Farragut State Park.

Getting There

U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 95 cross at Sandpoint, the county’s main highway junction; State Highway 200 runs east along Lake Pend Oreille’s north shore toward Montana.

• Coeur d’Alene — 45 miles south
• Spokane, Washington — 75 miles southwest
• Bonners Ferry — 30 miles north
• Kalispell, Montana — 90 miles east

The nearest commercial airport is Spokane International Airport in Washington; Sandpoint Airport handles general aviation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bonner County?
It is in the Idaho Panhandle, in the northern part of the state, centred on Lake Pend Oreille.

What is the population of Bonner County?
47,110 at the 2020 census.

How big is Bonner County?
1,919 square miles (4,970 km2), of which about a tenth is water.

What is the county seat of Bonner County?
Sandpoint is the county seat.

How many towns are in Bonner County?
Nine incorporated cities, three census-designated places, and a number of unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Bonner County?
Sandpoint’s ZIP is 83864; other towns each have their own code, listed above.

Why is there a U.S. Navy base on Lake Pend Oreille?
The lake’s depth and quiet water make it one of the few freshwater sites suited to submarine sonar testing, which the Navy has used since World War II.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Idaho.