American Falls, Idaho

File:Idaho - American Falls - NARA - 23939361 (cropped).jpg

File:Idaho - American Falls - NARA - 23939363 (cropped).jpg

American Falls was a landmark waterfall on the Snake River, named after a party of American trappers whose boat went over the falls. The Wilson Price Hunt expedition in 1811 camped at the falls one night and the expedition of John C. Frémont was here in 1843. The Oregon Trail passed north of town, through the present-day reservoir. Power plants first sprang up at the falls in 1901. American Falls was the first town in the U.S. to be entirely relocated.{{Cite web|title=As American Falls|url=https://phmuseum.com/stevedavis/story/as-american-falls-46940a04fa|access-date=2021-02-05|website=phmuseum.com|language=en}} It was moved in 1925 to facilitate construction of the nearby American Falls Dam. The old townsite sits at the bottom of the reservoir, northwest of the present city. A larger dam was completed in 1978, downstream from the deteriorating 1927 structure, which was later demolished."Idaho for the Curious", by Cort Conley, ©1982, {{ISBN|0-9603566-3-0}}, p.261-263

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|1.69|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all of it land.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2012-12-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}

American Falls has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk).

{{Weather box

| single line = Y

| collapsed = yes

| location = American Falls, Idaho, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2008–present

|Jan record high F = 58

|Feb record high F = 63

|Mar record high F = 75

|Apr record high F = 88

|May record high F = 90

|Jun record high F = 101

|Jul record high F = 103

|Aug record high F = 103

|Sep record high F = 97

|Oct record high F = 89

|Nov record high F = 70

|Dec record high F = 59

| Jan high F =34.5

| Feb high F =39.1

| Mar high F =51.8

| Apr high F =60.0

| May high F =71.3

| Jun high F =79.1

| Jul high F =90.4

| Aug high F =87.7

| Sep high F =76.9

| Oct high F =61.4

| Nov high F =46.5

| Dec high F =34.5

| Jan mean F =26.6

| Feb mean F =30.0

| Mar mean F =40.5

| Apr mean F =47.5

| May mean F =56.9

| Jun mean F =64.4

| Jul mean F =73.4

| Aug mean F =71.2

| Sep mean F =61.5

| Oct mean F =48.8

| Nov mean F =36.6

| Dec mean F =27.2

| Jan low F =18.7

| Feb low F =21.0

| Mar low F =29.1

| Apr low F =35.0

| May low F =42.5

| Jun low F =49.6

| Jul low F =56.4

| Aug low F =54.8

| Sep low F =46.2

| Oct low F =36.2

| Nov low F =26.8

| Dec low F =20.0

|Jan record low F = -22

|Feb record low F = -10

|Mar record low F = 1

|Apr record low F = 16

|May record low F = 25

|Jun record low F = 32

|Jul record low F = 42

|Aug record low F = 38

|Sep record low F = 28

|Oct record low F = 3

|Nov record low F = -3

|Dec record low F = -14

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch =0.96

| Feb precipitation inch =0.68

| Mar precipitation inch =1.02

| Apr precipitation inch =1.30

| May precipitation inch =1.54

| Jun precipitation inch =1.15

| Jul precipitation inch =0.53

| Aug precipitation inch =0.49

| Sep precipitation inch =0.81

| Oct precipitation inch =0.92

| Nov precipitation inch =0.83

| Dec precipitation inch =0.87

|year precipitation inch = 11.10

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 7.6

|Feb precipitation days = 6.5

|Mar precipitation days = 9.1

|Apr precipitation days = 9.2

|May precipitation days = 8.4

|Jun precipitation days = 5.1

|Jul precipitation days = 2.5

|Aug precipitation days = 3.2

|Sep precipitation days = 4.5

|Oct precipitation days = 5.9

|Nov precipitation days = 6.4

|Dec precipitation days = 9.0

|Jan snow inch = 8.3

|Feb snow inch = 6.7

|Mar snow inch = 3.2

|Apr snow inch = 1.7

|May snow inch = 0.5

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.1

|Oct snow inch = 0.9

|Nov snow inch = 2.9

|Dec snow inch = 7.7

|year snow inch = 32.0

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 6.7

|Feb snow days = 4.4

|Mar snow days = 2.4

|Apr snow days = 1.1

|May snow days = 0.2

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.7

|Nov snow days = 2.9

|Dec snow days = 5.9

|source 1 = NOAA (snow/snow days 1981–2010)

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00100218&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: American Falls, ID (1991–2020)

|access-date = February 25, 2023

}}

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00100227&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: American Falls 3 NW, ID (1981–2010)

|access-date = February 25, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pih

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Pocatello

|access-date = February 25, 2023

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1910= 953

|1920= 1547

|1930= 1280

|1940= 1439

|1950= 1874

|1960= 2123

|1970= 2769

|1980= 3626

|1990= 3757

|2000= 4111

|2010= 4457

|2020= 4568

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-12-18}} of 2010, there were 4,457 people, 1,474 households, and 1,104 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2637.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,612 housing units at an average density of {{convert|953.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 70.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 25.1% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.0% of the population.

There were 1,474 households, of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.

The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 33.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 4,111 people, 1,429 households, and 1,063 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,674.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,557 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,012.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 81.56% White, 0.15% African American, 1.00% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 15.15% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.83% of the population.

There were 1,429 households, out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,955, and the median income for a family was $35,435. Males had a median income of $27,317 versus $21,209 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,891. About 12.7% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

American Falls High School is a secondary school in American Falls. In 2012, it was designated as a four star school.{{Cite web|last=O'Donnell|first=Michael H.|title=State releases school Five-Star Rankings|url=https://www.idahostatejournal.com/members/state-releases-school-five-star-rankings/article_69bf166e-f3da-11e1-8fd1-0019bb2963f4.html|access-date=2021-04-30|website=Idaho State Journal|language=en}}

In 2004, Randy Jensen, Principal of William Thomas Middle School in American Falls, was awarded the National Principal of Secondary Schools Award.

• Bob Barron, racing driver
• D. W. Davis, 12th governor of Idaho
• Boyd Grant, college basketball coach
• Steve Hayes, basketball player and coach
• María Sánchez, American-born Mexican footballer
• Marion Barton Skaggs, businessman
• Annalee Skarin, writer of Mormon literature

{{portal|Idaho}}

• List of cities in Idaho

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|American Falls, Idaho}}

• [http://americanfalls.pbworks.com/w/page/118456827/FrontPage American Falls information including photos]

{{Power County, Idaho}}

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Category:Cities in Idaho

Category:Cities in Power County, Idaho

Category:County seats in Idaho

Category:Pocatello, Idaho metropolitan area