Mountain Home
Description
Mountain Home is the largest city in the county seat of Elmore County, Idaho, USA. The population was 14,206 in the 2010 census. Mountain Home is the principal city of the Mountain Home, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Elmore County.
Mountain Home was originally a post office at Rattlesnake Station, a stagecoach stop on the Overland Stage Line, about seven miles (11 km) east of the city, on present-day US-20 towards Fairfield. With the addition of the Oregon Short Line Railroad in 1883, the post office was moved downhill and west to the city's present site.
Mountain Home Air Force Base, an Air Combat Command installation, is located 12 miles (20 km) southwest of the city. Opened in 1943 during World War II, the base was originally a bomber training base and later an operational Strategic Air Command bomber and missile base (1953–65). It switched to Tactical Air Command and fighters in January 1966; TAC was succeeded by ACC in 1992.
Geography
Mountain Home is located at 43°8′13″N 115°41′40″W / 43.13694°N 115.69444°W / 43.13694; -115.69444 (43.136812, -115.694474), at an elevation of 3,146 feet (959 m) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.36 square miles (16.47 km2), of which 6.07 square miles (15.72 km2) is land and 0.29 square miles (0.75 km2) is water.
About 8 miles (13 km) to the northwest are the Crater Rings, a National Natural Landmark.
Mountain Home experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with short, cold winters and hot, dry summers.
Highways
- - Interstate 84 bypasses the city, running about a mile east; it links with Boise 45 miles (72 km) to the northwest and Twin Falls 86 miles (138 km) to the southeast
- - US 20 splits from I-84 at exit 95, and heads eastbound toward Fairfield and over to Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho
- - SH-51 heads south-southwest towards Bruneau and on to Elko, Nevada, changing to Nevada State Route 225 midway through the Duck Valley Indian Reservation
- - SH-67 heads west-southwest toward the air base and on to Grand View via SH-167