Economy

Idaho's economy in the 19th century was based first on trapping and later on mining and farming. Mining began with the discovery of gold in 1860 and remained the leading economic activity until nearly the turn of the century. In the 1880's railway construction spurred the spread of ranching and farming. As in much of the West, farming was greatly aided by the development of irrigation, which in Idaho began on a large scale in the early 1900's. Commercial lumbering began to flourish about the same time. Only since World War II have manufacturing and tourism played significant roles in the economy.

The federal government strongly influences Idaho's economy through the leasing out of much public land for commercial mining, lumbering, and ranching.

By the number of jobs provided, the leading sectors of the economy are wholesale and retail trade, government, services, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction.

Idaho is one of the nation's least industrialized states and has very little heavy industry. Yet, by value, manufacturing is the state's leading economic activity. Idaho's leading manufactured products are computer and electronic equipment. Much of the manufacturing in Idaho involves the processing of farm, forest, and mine products. Forest products include lumber, mill-work, plywood, wood pulp, and paper. Smelting and the making of chemical fertilizers and industrial machinery are significant but limited to a few localities. Several major corporations have national headquarters in Idaho, mainly in the Boise area. Boise, the Nampa-Caldwell area, Pocatello, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Lewiston are the leading manufacturing centers.

Somewhat more than a fourth of the state is in farms and ranches, and agriculture continues to be economically important. Both irrigation and dry farming are widely practiced. In irrigated acreage Idaho usually ranks among the top five states in the nation. Most of the irrigated land is on the Snake River Plain, where a number of dams impound water for irrigation.

Livestock provides more than half of Idaho's farm income; crops provide the rest. Cattle and sheep are raised in many parts of the state. Cattle predominate; income from the sale of cattle and calves is usually greater than that of any single crop. Milk is also a leading farm product.

Potatoes, wheat, hay, and barley are the chief crops. The potato crop, coming mostly from the eastern part of the Snake River Plain, is the largest in the nation. Idaho is also a major producer of wheat, which is the principal crop of the Palouse region. Sugar beets are also significant crops. Orchards in numerous sheltered valleys, particularly in the Boise area, yield apples and other hardy fruit.

Idaho usually ranks fairly high among the states in lumber production. The chief lumbering areas are in the north, where large quantities of western white pine and ponderosa pine are produced. Lewiston is the leading pulp and paper center.

By value of production Idaho's principal minerals are phosphate rock, silver, and molybdenum. Phosphate rock comes from strip mines in the southeast. Silver is mined in northern Idaho. Molybdenum is mined in the central part of the state, and gold is produced mainly in the east-central region.

Idaho's natural beauty attracts a large number of vacationers and people interested in outdoor recreation. Tourism accounts for an important part of the state's economy.

Idaho is served by a modern highway and road system that includes four Interstate routes. Most of the roads are in the south, where some follow sections of the old Oregon and California trails, blazed by pioneers. There are relatively few roads in the high mountains. No roads are allowed in officially designated wilderness or primitive areas. Virtually all the railway trackage is on the Snake River Plain and in the Panhandle.

Several regional and trunk airlines provide service at the state's chief cities. Boise's airport is the largest and busiest. Lewiston, at the head of navigation on the Snake River, is the only river port.