Have you ever dreamed of completely moving off the grid? Or maybe something less dramatic like simply moving to a quieter area? Luckily, for those of us living in Idaho, this dream isn’t too far-fetched. This shouldn’t surprise most individuals because 40 percent of our state is forest according to the United States Department of Agriculture.  And according to the Idaho Department of Labor in 2018, 88 percent of our land in Idaho counties classify as rural. So as you can see, we are pretty rural here.

Where are some of the quietest places in Idaho? Recently the 2020 Census was released which made it easy to determine where some of Idaho’s smallest counties are by population. Logically the fewer people there are the quieter it would be. Here is what we found.

5) Adams County, Idaho – Population 4,097

Establish on March 3, 1911, and named for America’s second president John Adams, Adams County is a little over 2 hrs north of Bosie (depending on which route you take and borders the State of Oregon.  

4) Lewis County, Idaho – Population 3,838

Located in North Central Idaho, Lewis county has only grown by 17 people in the last ten years. Although only 6%  of the county’s population is  Native Americans, most of the county is within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. 

3) Butte County – Population 2,581

Established in 1917, Butte has located in east Idaho. The land for the county combines pieces of Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson counties (It sounds a bit like the Frankenstein of Idaho counties). If you’ve ever been to Arco, you know the county seat. One of Idaho’s most popular tourist attractions, craters of the moon, is located near Arco.

2) Camas County – Population 1,048

This county was established in 1917, making it a little over 100 years old. The county is on the smaller side when it comes to square mileage. The county has only 1,474 square miles total.

1) Clark County – Population 913

Clark is located in East Idaho close to Butte and Jefferson Counties. It was carved off from a piece of Jefferson County in 1918. It seems Jefferson County had to part with a lot of lands during WWI. But that was before we were born, so no getting upset over it now. The county was named for Sam K. Clark, an early settler on Medicine Lodge Creek. Sam became the first Senator for Clark County.

Even if you decide you don’t want to move, it would still be fun to take an afternoon trip to visit the least populated counties in the state to say you did. Or even just to get the peace and quiet you need.