Custer County is a county in Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state along the Salmon River and the Sawtooth Range. It had a population of 4,275 at the 2020 census and covers 4,937 square miles (12,790 km2) centred near 44°14′N 114°17′W.<\/p>\n
Challis is the county seat, and its postal code is 83226. The county has 5 incorporated cities and roughly 18 unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and sits in the Mountain time zone. Its FIPS county code is 16037.<\/p>\n
Custer County has 23 named places on record. Five are incorporated cities — Challis, Clayton, Lost River, Mackay, and Stanley — and the rest are unincorporated communities, several of them abandoned or near-abandoned 19th-century mining camps.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challis<\/td>\n | City · seat<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 83226<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mackay<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 83251<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Stanley<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 83278<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Clayton<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 83227<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lost River<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bayhorse<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bonanza<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Casto<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chilly<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Custer<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Dickey<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ellis<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Goldburg<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Grandjean<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Grouse<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Houston<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Leslie<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lower Stanley<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Obsidian<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Robinson Bar<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rothas<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sunbeam<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Torreys<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Custer and Bonanza sit a few miles apart on the East Fork of the Yankee Fork and are both largely abandoned; Lower Stanley is a distinct settlement from Stanley proper, a few miles downstream on the Salmon River.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nMost of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities have no post office of their own and are served by one of these four ZIP codes.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nCuster County is mountainous and sparsely settled, straddling the Salmon River, the Sawtooth Range, and the White Cloud and Lost River mountain ranges. Of its 4,937 square miles, 4,921 are land and 16 are water. The Salmon River runs through the northern half of the county past Challis, Clayton, and Stanley, while the Big Lost River drains the southern half near Mackay.<\/p>\n Custer County borders Lemhi County<\/a> to the north, Butte County to the east (no live page to link), Blaine County<\/a> to the south, Elmore County<\/a> and Boise County<\/a> to the southwest, and Valley County<\/a> to the west.<\/p>\n Custer County had 4,275 residents at the 2020 census. Challis, the county seat, and Mackay are its two largest communities. Household income in the county runs below the Idaho median of $74,942. With roughly 4,921 square miles of land, the county’s population density is well under one person per square mile, among the lowest of any Idaho county.<\/p>\n Ranching, mining, and tourism drive the local economy. Cattle ranches occupy the valley bottoms around Challis and Mackay, and the Thompson Creek molybdenum mine west of Clayton has been one of the county’s largest employers when active. Stanley, at the north end of the Sawtooth Valley, is a gateway to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and draws hikers, rafters, and anglers each summer for the Salmon River and the Sawtooth peaks.<\/p>\n Custer County was organized in 1881 and named for the General Custer Mine, where gold had been discovered five years earlier. The mining camps of Custer and Bonanza boomed in the 1880s on the strength of that gold strike and were largely abandoned by the early 20th century; both survive today as historic ghost-town sites rather than living communities.<\/p>\n US Highway 93 runs north–south through Challis and Mackay, State Highway 75 links Challis to Stanley along the Salmon River, and State Highway 21 connects Stanley westward toward Lowman and Boise.<\/p>\n Where is Custer County, Idaho?<\/strong> What is the population of Custer County?<\/strong> How big is Custer County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Custer County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Custer County?<\/strong> |