Bonner County Idaho
We are surrounded by beautiful lakes, mountains, woods, and dynamic communities in the northern panhandle of Idaho. The county's administrative center is at Sandpoint, although we provide services to citizens as far away as Priest River, Oldtown, and Clark Fork near our western border. Bonner County is a great area to live, work, conduct business, and visit because of its superb people resources, unique location, stunning terrain, and diverse economy.
Incorporated in February 21, 1907, Bonner County. Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator and travel businessman, was honored with the name. The counties of Lah-Toh and Kootenai were established by the Idaho Legislature in 1864. Initially, Kootenai County included all of the present-day counties of Bonner and Boundary as well as a section of Kootenai County. Additionally, it crossed a portion of the current Shoshone County border. The county seat was established at Sin-na-ac-qua-teen, a trading station located in modern-day Bonner County close to Laclede on the Pend Oreille River's southern bank.
Because there were few settlers inside the county line, the Kootenai government was unable to organize. The two counties were combined into one with the Kootenai name by the legislature in 1867 after the act that established them was repealed. When Kootenai County was established in 1881, Rathdrum was designated as the county seat. Due to their ignorance of the region's geography, the legislators who established Kootenai County in December 1864 did not completely include the non-county territory inside the Kootenai or Lah-Toh county boundaries. When Bonner County was established in 1907, the non-county region was entirely incorporated.
Bordering counties are as follows: North: Boundary County, Northeast: Lincoln County, Mont., Southeast: Sanders, County, Mont.; Shoshone County, South: Kootenai County, Southwest: Spokane County, Wash., Northwest: Pend Oreille County, Wash.