Jerome County is a county in Idaho, United States, in the Magic Valley region of the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 24,237 at the 2020 census and covers 602 square miles (1,560 km2) centred near 42°41′N 114°16′W.
Jerome is the county seat, and its postal code is 83338. The county has three incorporated cities — Jerome, Eden and Hazelton — plus several unincorporated communities. Idaho does not use civil townships, so county land is organized directly into these places. Jerome County sits in the Mountain Time Zone.
Towns & Villages in Jerome County
Jerome County has three incorporated cities and a scatter of unincorporated communities, many dating to the early-20th-century railroad and irrigation-canal era. Places marked Unincorp. have no city government; population figures are shown only where a reliable 2020 count exists.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome | City · seat | 12,349 | 83338 |
| Hazelton | City | 803 | 83335 |
| Eden | City | 393 | 83325 |
| Hunt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Falls City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tipperary Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Loaf | Unincorp. | — | — |
Hunt is the site of the former Minidoka War Relocation Center, where the U.S. government confined more than 9,000 Japanese Americans during the Second World War — see History below. Barrymore, Hydra, McHenry, Perrine and Schodde were early-1900s railroad sidings and canal-company stops along the North Side Irrigation Project; they never incorporated and have no verifiable population or address today, so they are omitted from the table above rather than listed with guessed figures.
ZIP Codes
- 83338 — Jerome (also serves the surrounding rural county seat area)
- 83335 — Hazelton
- 83325 — Eden
Smaller unincorporated places such as Hunt and Falls City use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Jerome County lies on the Snake River Plain, a flat-to-gently-rolling expanse of basalt and loess soil transformed into farmland by the North Side Irrigation Project after the completion of Milner Dam in 1905. The Snake River forms part of the county’s southern edge, and its canyon holds Shoshone Falls and Caldron Linn, a narrow, rapids-filled gorge upstream of Twin Falls. The county borders Lincoln County to the north, Gooding County to the west, Twin Falls County to the south, Cassia County to the southeast, and Minidoka County to the east.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 24,237 residents in Jerome County, making Jerome (12,349) and Hazelton (803) the two largest communities. Census Bureau figures put Jerome County’s median household income below the Idaho median of $74,942, reflecting the county’s heavily agricultural economy. Population density works out to roughly 40 people per square mile, concentrated around Jerome and along the irrigated canal belt.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Jerome County’s economy, built on irrigation water delivered by the North Side Canal Company since the early 1900s. Dairy farming is especially prominent — Jerome County is one of Idaho’s largest milk-producing counties, supporting several large dairy-processing plants near the city of Jerome. Sugar beets, potatoes, alfalfa and cattle feedlots round out the county’s farm output, and the Twin Falls, Idaho micropolitan area draws Jerome County into a wider regional labor market.
History
The Idaho Legislature created Jerome County on February 8, 1919, by splitting it off from Lincoln County. The county’s name honors Jerome Hill, a financier behind the North Side Irrigation Project, though some local accounts credit his son-in-law Jerome Kuhn or grandson Jerome Kuhn Jr. instead. During the Second World War, the federal government built the Minidoka War Relocation Center at Hunt, where more than 9,000 Japanese Americans, most from Washington and Oregon, were incarcerated between 1942 and 1945; the site is now the Minidoka National Historic Site.
Getting There
- Twin Falls — 12 miles south
- Twin Falls Regional Airport — about 15 miles south of Jerome
- Boise — roughly 100 miles northwest
- Pocatello — roughly 100 miles east
Interstate 84 crosses the northern part of the county, and U.S. Route 93 runs south from Jerome toward Twin Falls; Idaho State Highways 25 and 79 provide the main east-west and local connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jerome County, Idaho?
It is in south-central Idaho’s Magic Valley region, on the Snake River Plain northwest of Twin Falls.
What is the population of Jerome County?
24,237 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Jerome County?
602 square miles (1,560 km2), most of it irrigated farmland.
What is the county seat of Jerome County?
Jerome is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Jerome County?
Three incorporated cities — Jerome, Hazelton and Eden — plus several small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jerome County?
83338 (Jerome), 83335 (Hazelton) and 83325 (Eden) are the county’s main ZIP codes.
What historic site is located in Jerome County?
The Minidoka National Historic Site at Hunt preserves part of the WWII-era Minidoka War Relocation Center.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Idaho.