Bear Lake County, Idaho
| Bear Lake County, Idaho | ||
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Bear Lake County Courthouse
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 Location in the U.S. state of Idaho |
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 Idaho's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | January 5, 1875 | |
| Named for | Bear Lake | |
| Seat | Paris | |
| Largest city | Montpelier | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,049 sq mi (2,717 km2) | |
| • Land | 975 sq mi (2,525 km2) | |
| • Water | 75 sq mi (194 km2), 7.1% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 5,986 | |
| • Density | 6.1/sq mi (2/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 2nd | |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 | |
| Website | bearlakecounty |
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Bear Lake County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 5,986. The county seat is Paris, and Montpelier is the largest city.
The county is named after Bear Lake, a large alpine lake at an elevation of 5,924 feet (1,806 m) above sea level. The northern half of the 20-mile-long (32 km) lake is in Idaho, the southern half in Utah. The county was established in 1875 in the Idaho Territory, fifteen years before statehood.
Peg-Leg Smith established and operated a trading post on the Oregon Trail from 1848-1850 near Dingle. The first settlement in the Bear Lake Valley was Paris, settled by Mormon pioneers led by Charles Rich on September 26, 1863. Thirty families comprised the original settlement. In the spring of 1864, Montpelier was settled on the other side of the valley on the Oregon Trail. Bear Lake County was established in 1875, and the railroad was extended through Montpelier in 1892.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,049 square miles (2,720 km2), of which 975 square miles (2,530 km2) is land and 75 square miles (190 km2) (6.1%) is water. The county is centered on Bear Lake Valley and includes the surrounding mountain ranges. The valley is high in the mountains, with its lowest elevation over 5,900 feet (1,800 m) above sea level. The highest point in the county is Meade Peak at 9,957 feet (3,035 m).
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