Payette County is a county in Idaho, United States, on the Oregon border along the Snake and Payette rivers. It had a population of 25,386 at the 2020 census and covers 410 square miles (1,100 km2), of which 407 square miles (1,050 km2) is land, centred near 44°01′N 116°46′W.
Payette is the county seat, and its postal code is 83661. The county has three incorporated cities, several unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and lies in the Mountain time zone. Its FIPS code is 16075.
Towns & Villages in Payette County
Payette County has three incorporated cities and a scatter of unincorporated communities and rural place names, several of them former post offices or railroad sidings rather than active settlements today. The table below marks incorporated cities as City and the rest as Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payette | City · seat | — | 83661 |
| Fruitland | City | — | 83619 |
| New Plymouth | City | — | 83655 |
| Hamilton Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sand Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Washoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ramey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ingard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eiffie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| French Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gayway Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Palisades Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Payette Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
Payette Heights is a residential area on the edge of Payette rather than a separate settlement, and several of the “Corner” names (French Corner, Gayway Corner, Hamilton Corner, Palisades Corner) mark old rural crossroads rather than towns with their own centers.
ZIP Codes
- 83661 — Payette (also serves Payette Heights and nearby Sand Hollow)
- 83619 — Fruitland (also serves Hamilton Corner)
- 83655 — New Plymouth
The remaining small communities have no ZIP code of their own and use one of these three post offices.
Geography
Payette County sits in southwestern Idaho where the Payette River meets the Snake River, which forms the Oregon state line. The terrain is a flat, irrigated valley floor giving way to low bench land, and at 410 square miles it is Idaho’s smallest county by land area. Washington County lies to the north, Gem County to the east, Canyon County to the south, and Malheur County, Oregon, across the Snake River to the west. The county’s part of the Idaho ground squirrel’s range gives it a small, but locally noted, endangered-species footprint on the surrounding rangeland.
Demographics
The county’s population was 25,386 at the 2020 census, with Payette and Fruitland the two largest communities. Hispanic or Latino residents made up 16.8% of the population in 2020, up from 14.9% in 2010. Idaho’s statewide median household income is $74,942; Payette County’s farm and food-processing economy runs below that figure.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and food processing anchor the local economy — row crops, orchard fruit, and onion and potato processing plants cluster around Fruitland and Payette. Irrigation from the Payette and Snake rivers supports the valley’s farmland, and the county’s small-town retail base leans on nearby Ontario, Oregon for larger shopping and medical services. The county falls within the Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan statistical area, and many residents commute across the Snake River for work as well as errands.
History
Payette County was created on February 28, 1917, when it was partitioned from Canyon County. It is named for François Payette, a French-Canadian fur trapper who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company at old Fort Boise in the early 1800s, and whose name also attached to the Payette River and the city of Payette. The county has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1936, one of Idaho’s most consistently Republican counties. Early settlement followed the arrival of irrigation canals and the railroad in the late 1800s, which turned the sagebrush valley floor into fruit and row-crop farmland.
Getting There
Interstate 84 crosses the southern part of the county, and US Routes 30 and 95 and State Highways 52 and 72 connect its towns.
- Boise, Idaho — about 50 miles southeast
- Ontario, Oregon — about 5 miles west
- Nampa, Idaho — about 30 miles southeast
- Weiser, Idaho — about 20 miles north
Boise Airport, the nearest commercial airport, is roughly an hour’s drive southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Payette County?
It is in southwestern Idaho, on the Oregon border along the Snake River.
What is the population of Payette County?
25,386 at the 2020 census.
How big is Payette County?
410 square miles (1,100 km2), making it Idaho’s smallest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Payette County?
Payette is the county seat.
How many towns are in Payette County?
Three incorporated cities — Payette, Fruitland, and New Plymouth — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Payette County?
83661 (Payette), 83619 (Fruitland), and 83655 (New Plymouth).
What is Payette County named after?
François Payette, a French-Canadian fur trapper and Hudson’s Bay Company trader.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Idaho.