Clark County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Idaho; its county seat and largest city is Dubois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 790, making it the least populous county in the state.
History
Establishment of stage coach stops along the route between Salt Lake City and the Montana mining towns were established at Beaver Canyon (named after Beaver Creek (Camas Creek) ) and Dry Creek (now Dubois) in 1864. Originally part of Alturas County, both locations were transferred to Oneida County in 1877. They became part of Bingham County at its creation in 1885. Clark County was also the site of the Battle of Camas Creek during the Nez Perce War which occurred at Camas Meadows near Kilgore on August 20, 1872. The Utah and Northern Railway reached Beaver Canyon in 1879. By the 1890 Census, Beaver Canyon had a population of 216. The settlement relocated to Spencer in 1897.
The majority of Clark County was transferred to Fremont County when it was created in 1893 with the remaining territory being transferred in 1896. By the 1900 Census, 1,199 residents lived in the five precincts of Birch Creek, Dubois, Kilgore, Medicine Lodge, and Spencer. At the 1910 census, the precincts contained 1,095 residents.
Dry Creek was renamed Dubois in 1892 and incorporated prior to 1920, while Spencer was incorporated in 1947.
The county was established in 1919, partitioned from Fremont County by the state legislature; the county division bill was signed by Governor D. W. Davis on February 1. It was named for state senator Sam K. Clark, an early pioneer on Medicine Lodge Creek in the upper Snake River valley.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.1%) is water.
The northern border of the county is the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains, which forms the state line with Montana and is also the continental divide. It is crossed by Interstate 15 over Monida Pass at above sea level. Monida Pass also marks an east–west divide between Bitterroot subranges: the Beaverhead Mountains are to the west and the Centennial Mountains are to the east.
Adjacent counties
- Lemhi County – west
- Butte County – southwest
- Jefferson County – south
- Fremont County – east
- Beaverhead County, Montana – north
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 15 – Monida Pass
- 20px SH-22
National protected areas
- Caribou-Targhee National Forest (part)
- Nez Perce National Historical Park (part)
- Salmon-Challis National Forest (part)