Stanley is a town in the Sawtooth Valley in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 116 at the 2020 census; up from 63 in 2010. The center of population of Idaho in 2000 was located in Stanley.
History
Fur trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company discovered the Stanley Basin in the 1820s, but it was mostly avoided due to scarcity of beaver. Captain John Stanley, a Confederate Civil War veteran, led a party of twenty-three prospectors through the area in 1863 (or 1864), but they found little gold and moved on and discovered the Atlanta lode on the south end of the Sawtooths. The site was not considered a town until 1919 when its streets and lots were surveyed and recorded.
Stanley has long been a gathering place for the sparsely populated region.
In 2005, Hannah Stauts won the city's mayoral election at age 22 to become the state's youngest elected mayor.
The 2017 solar eclipse attracted a large number of visitors to Stanley and surrounding areas. The Milky Way is clearly visible in Stanley, and the town has sought the seal of approval from the International Dark-Sky Association.
Stanley is located in the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Stanley is surrounded by the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Major highways
- - Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway
- - Sawtooth Scenic Byway (southbound), Salmon River Scenic Byway (northbound)
2020 earthquake
On March 31, 2020 at 5:48 MST, a M 6.5 earthquake 20 miles northwest of Stanley shook the town. This was the second strongest earthquake recorded in Idaho, behind the 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake of 1983.