Located in the Western Region, Idaho is considered part of the Pacific Northwest, as well as a Rocky Mountain State. With Canada to the north, Idaho is bordered by other U.S. states in three of four directions. Washington and Oregon are to the west of Idaho. Nevada and Utah border Idaho to the south at nearly equivalent lengths. In the east, Idaho is enclosed by Montana and Wyoming.
The coordinates of Idaho are 44.0682° N, 114.7420° W. The northernmost tip of Idaho is the U.S.-Canadian border, which also happens to lie along the 49th parallel. The southernmost part of Idaho is another parallel, this one being the 42nd parallel, located along Idaho’s border with Nevada and Utah. In the east, Idaho extends all the way until the border separating Idaho from Wyoming. To the west, Idaho borders Washington State and Oregon. The most extreme western point is part of the Snake River, a major river that continues flowing into Oregon.
Idaho’s mean elevation is one of the largest averages in the United States. With an average altitude of 5,000 feet above sea level, Idaho is predominately mountains. The Rockies are a mountain range that pass through all of Idaho, causing a heightened elevation level throughout the state. At its lowest point, Idaho is still relatively tall, with an elevation of 710 feet above sea level. The Snake River contains the lowest point of elevation. In the opposite direction, Idaho’s tallest point of elevation is the highest tip of Borah Peak, a mountain with an elevation of 12,662 feet above sea level.
The total area of Idaho is calculated as approximately 83,642 square miles. The Gem State is 479 miles long and 305 miles wide. The ratio of land to water is an estimated 99 to 1. Of the total area, roughly 1% is water, the rest being land. This is due to Idaho’s geographic location and distance from main water sources. Unlike the other states in the Pacific Northwest, Idaho does not exist along a coastline. The main natural water resources in Idaho are rivers and lakes, with the Pend Oreille as the largest lake in the state.
Idaho ranks as the 39th most populated state in the U.S. With a total population of 1,750,000 people, Idaho’s population density comes to about twenty people per square mile.