| Caldwell, Idaho | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): The Treasure of the Valley | |
| Motto: More to Offer | |
| Location in Canyon County and the state of Idaho | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Canyon |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Garret Nancolas |
| Area | |
| • City | 11.4 sq mi (29.4 km2) |
| • Land | 11.3 sq mi (29.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,375 ft (724 m) |
| Population (2010 Census) | |
| • City | 46,237 |
| • Density | 2,289.3/sq mi (883.9/km2) |
| • Metro | 624,000 |
| Time zone | Mountain (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | Mountain (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes | 83605-83607 |
| Area code(s) | 208 |
| FIPS code | 16-12250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0397514 |
| Website | www.cityofcaldwell.com |
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States.[1] The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.
Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area.
Contents |
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,967 people, 8,963 households, and 6,354 families residing in the city.[2] The population density was 2,289.3/sq mi. There were 9,603 housing units at an average density of 846.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was
75.07% White
28.14% Hispanic or Latino
0.47% African American
0.94% Native American
0.83% Asian
0.10% Pacific Islander
2.91% two or more races
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 779 |
|
|
| 1900 | 997 | 28.0% | |
| 1910 | 3,543 | 255.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,106 | 44.1% | |
| 1930 | 4,974 | −2.6% | |
| 1940 | 7,272 | 46.2% | |
| 1950 | 10,487 | 44.2% | |
| 1960 | 12,230 | 16.6% | |
| 1970 | 14,219 | 16.3% | |
| 1980 | 17,669 | 24.3% | |
| 1990 | 18,400 | 4.1% | |
| 2000 | 25,967 | 41.1% | |
| Est. 2007 | 39,889 | 53.6% | |
| source:[3][4] | |||
There were 8,963 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18, 51.7% were married couples, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. In addition, 23.3% of all households were made up of a single individual and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79, and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 11% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,848, and the median income for a family was $35,158. Males had a median income of $27,017 versus $21,096 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,657. About 12.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.
In the 1870s and 1880s, Caldwell was home to hundreds of Chinese immigrants, but the town was central in Idaho's aggressive anti-Chinese backlash that culminated in an 1886 convention of the Anti-Chinese League in Boise. By 1890, however, every last immigrant had been driven from town by social pressures and outright violence. [1]
In March 1908, at the end of a series of trials relating to a Coeur d'Alene miners' uprising and the Colorado Labor Wars, Albert Horsley, better known by his pseudonym Harry Orchard, pleaded guilty in District Court in Caldwell to the assassination of former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg. Judge Fremont Wood sentenced Orchard to hang, but his sentence was commuted, and he lived out the rest of his life in an Idaho prison. This result flowed from Orchard's having turned state's evidence and having become the prosecution's star witness against Big Bill Haywood and two other leaders of the Western Federation of Miners whom the prosecution alleged had masterminded Steunenberg's assassination. Haywood and his colleagues, however, represented by Clarence Darrow, were acquitted.
Some 50 years ago, the City of Caldwell Idaho had a waterway, Indian Creek initially used for sewage from local industries. After consistent complaints, the tax payers covered up Indian Creek which once ran gently through Caldwell. Currently, the City of Caldwell has developed a plan to restore Indian Creek and help bring life to its struggling downtown scene. Since the enactment of the Clean Water Act, many cities as well as Caldwell's water quality has been improved making it possible to resurrect this once regarded 'eyesore.' This was completed in 2009. Other attractions include suspended bridges above Indian Creek, which is now available for fishing. Caldwell currently holds an annual Indian Creek Festival that was first held on September 25, 2003. Downtown Caldwell has suffered in recent years from the Great Recession of 2008 with numerous businesses unable to weather the economic downturn. The general feeling is Caldwell is well positioned to bounce back as the economy recovers.
Caldwell has excellent public schools as well as several Charter schools in the area. Of particular note is the quality of the city water system. Caldwell water remained untreated and met all federal guidelines but had to start cholorination when mandated by the federal government in the 1990s
Caldwell has a major hospital in the center of town, West Valley Medical Center,easy access to Interstate 84, Rail service, and a large number of public parks and a world class skate park in the city limits.
Caldwell experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with short, cold winters and hot, dry summers.
| Climate data for Caldwell, ID | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
70 (21) |
84 (29) |
94 (34) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
110 (43) |
112 (44) |
104 (40) |
94 (34) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
112 (44) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 37.1 (2.8) |
46.1 (7.8) |
57.4 (14.1) |
66.3 (19.1) |
75.1 (23.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
92.6 (33.7) |
91.7 (33.2) |
80.8 (27.1) |
67.0 (19.4) |
49.3 (9.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
65.46 (18.59) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.1 (−1.6) |
36.2 (2.3) |
45.0 (7.2) |
52.4 (11.3) |
60.7 (15.9) |
68.5 (20.3) |
75.4 (24.1) |
73.8 (23.2) |
63.3 (17.4) |
51.8 (11.0) |
38.9 (3.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
52.06 (11.14) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 21.1 (−6.1) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
32.6 (0.3) |
38.5 (3.6) |
46.2 (7.9) |
52.8 (11.6) |
58.1 (14.5) |
55.8 (13.2) |
45.8 (7.7) |
36.6 (2.6) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
38.62 (3.68) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −31 (−35) |
−21 (−29) |
−6 (−21) |
12 (−11) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
37 (3) |
31 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
15 (−9) |
−4 (−20) |
−34 (−37) |
−34 (−37) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.55 (39.4) |
1.11 (28.2) |
1.29 (32.8) |
1.13 (28.7) |
1.01 (25.7) |
0.67 (17) |
0.30 (7.6) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.59 (15) |
0.73 (18.5) |
1.28 (32.5) |
1.39 (35.3) |
11.4 (289.6) |
| Source no. 1: NOAA (normals, 1971-2000) [5] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: The Weather Channel (Records) [6] | |||||||||||||
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