Bonner County was established in 1907 and is one of 44 counties in the great state of Idaho. About 36,000 peoplemake Bonner County their home. The population has grown at a stead pace averageing 7 to 8 percent growth per year from 2003 to 2008. Many of the people who relocate here are seeking a better quality of life and easier access to the recreational opportunities our area abundantly offers. Business owners, in particular, find it favorable to relocate or start up here because of the availability of commercial land, relatively low taxes and an available labor force.
The recreational opportunities are unlimited and include all water sports, four golf courses, bicycling, snowboarding and skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, world-class fishing, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing.
The landscape of Bonner County ranges from towering mountains that range up into the 7,000-foot level and lush river lined valleys. The beautiful Selkirk Mountain range covers the western side of the county, and the Cabinet Mountains border the County on the east. Bonner County reaches across the entire width of Idaho’s panhandle between Montana and Washington, South to the Kootenai County line and North to Boundary County, which is the most Northern county in the state.
The largest lake in Idaho, also the 5th largest lake in the United States, Lake Pend Oreille, lies in the center of Bonner County, and the more remote waters of Priest Lake lie in the Northwest corner just over Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort. Three major rivers run through Bonner County. Clark Fork drains into Lake Pend Oreille from the east, and the Pend Oreille River drains out of the lake on the west. This is the point that is crossed on the Long Bridge when entering Sandpoint from Highway 95 South. Priest River drains from Priest Lake and reaches the waters of the Pend Oreille River in the town or Priest River. A number of other creeks, rivers and smaller lakes are present all throughout Bonner County.
As for towns, they provide more services and entertainment than one would expect. Sandpoint, at about 6,000 people, is the largest city and serves as the County seat. This eclectic town, located right on Lake Pend Oreille, has a hospital, airport and a library, as well as a community theater and two indoor shopping malls. A renowned regional destination resort, Schweitzer, is just 9 miles from Sandpoint and features 2,350 acres of skiable terrain. The second largest town, Priest River, lies on the western edge of the County along the shores of the Pend Oreille and Priest rivers. Other communities include Sagle, Cocolalla, Ponderay, Hope, Clark Fork and Priest Lake.