BONNER COUNTY

County Offices
215 South First Avenue
Sandpoint 208-265-1438
www.bonnercountyid.gov

Chamber of Commerce
900 North Fifth Avenue
Sandpoint 208-263-0887
Toll free 800-800-2106
www.sandpointchamber.org

Magnificent natural beauty is the calling card of Bonner County, a pristine expanse of sparkling lakes, towering mountains, deep forests, lush valleys, and vibrant communities in Idaho’s northern panhandle. Sandpoint serves as the county seat of government as well as the healthcare, educational, commercial, and business center for Bonner County. Residents from Clark Fork on the county’s eastern border to those in Priest River and Oldtown on the western border also look to Sandpoint for expanded amenities.

The Selkirk Mountain range dominates the western side of the county, while the sharp-peaked Cabinet Mountains offer panoramic vistas along the eastern border. Bonner County stretches across the entire Idaho panhandle between the states of Montana and Washington, then south to the Kootenai County line and north to Boundary County—the most northern of Idaho’s counties. Water features prominently in Bonner County, home to the largest lake in Idaho, Lake Pend Oreille, which is centrally located in the county is complemented by the more distant waters of Priest Lake in the northwest corner. Three major rivers and a number of creeks, rivers, and smaller lakes also dot the picturesque landscape.

Services
While Bonner County may offer newcomers a breathtaking environment of unspoiled natural beauty, the healthcare services are highly developed. Serving northern Idaho, eastern Washington State, and western Montana, Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint provides a full-service, regional healthcare institution. Bonner General is dedicated to delivering the personalized care of a community hospital in an atmosphere of advanced technology for the best of all worlds. Comprehensive services include cardiac care, hospice, rehabilitation therapies, social services, surgical specialties, laboratory and state-of-the-art imaging, immediate care, home health, and family-centered maternity. In addition to diagnostics and treatment, the hospital takes a proactive approach to health and wellness through community educational programs, special events, and public health screenings.

Quality educational opportunities are available in and near Bonner County, underlined by excellent public school districts and options for select private schools. Students of all ages can access affordable higher education close to home at the NIC Bonner County Center in Sandpoint, an outreach center for the two-year Northern Idaho College with its main campus in Coeur d’Alene in neighboring Kootenai County. NIC offers a comprehensive community college with a wide array of academic, professional-technical, and workforce training programs. The main campus is ideally situated on the picturesque shores of scenic Lake Coeur d’Alene and serves a five-county population with outreach centers, Internet courses, and interactive video classrooms. NIC partners with the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and Idaho State University to enhance the higher education opportunities available throughout North Idaho. Lewis-Clark State College, with its main campus in Lewiston, also provides an outreach center in nearby Coeur d’Alene. Idaho is home to several other public and private colleges and universities, although several institutions of higher education are accessible within a reasonable commute in Washington State.

Lifestyle
Bonner County offers a growing area that is drawing many newcomers who are looking for an improved quality of life and easy access to world-class recreational opportunities in peerless natural environments. Breathtaking backdrops in mountain, valley, and lake settings encourage four-seasonal outdoor adventures that include a full array of water sports, golfing, tennis, road and tour cycling, snowboarding and skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, camping, backpacking, off-roading, world-class fishing and ice fishing, horseback riding, and nature study. The housing options in Bonner County are as attractive and diverse as the terrain, ranging from tidy homes in long-established neighborhoods to multi-acre properties that offer a spacious home site for custom builds or vibrant new subdivisions. Many of the homes and properties in Bonner County command spectacular views.

Bonner’s leading city of Sandpoint and even the county’s smaller towns provide a higher level of services, amenities, and entertainment opportunities that their size might indicate. The eclectic city of Sandpoint is ideally situated along Lake Pend Oreille, developing its residential neighborhoods as well as commercial and business sectors against a magnificent backdrop of natural beauty. Sandpoint is home to a community theatre and indoor shopping centers as well as wonderful shops, boutiques, galleries, and unique dining experiences. The city is recognized as one of the finest small art towns in the nation, offering visual and performing arts around the calendar year. The renowned resort community of Schweitzer is less than 10 miles from Sandpoint’s first-rate services that include a municipal airport, a regional hospital, and a well-stocked library. Schweitzer is a recreational jewel in its own right, providing acres of terrain that is ideal for skiing. With an annual snowfall that averages 300 inches, it is little wonder that this area attracts throngs of winter-sport enthusiasts. For a vacation lifestyle 365 days out of the year, Bonner County is unrivaled as the place to call home.

 

COMMUNITY PROFILES

Sandpoint, Schweitzer Mountain

Municipal Offices
208-263-3317
www.sandpointidaho.gov

Chamber of Commerce
208-263-0887
www.sandpointchamber.org

The city of Sandpoint serves as a multi-faceted community that is at once a vacation destination, the county seat, a hub of healthcare and education, and a comfortable hometown. Located on magnificent Lake Pend Oreille and surrounded by mountains, Sandpoint is minutes from the premier ski resort of Schweitzer Mountain, where permanent and seasonal homes enjoy exquisite vistas. A thriving arts community, the historic Panida Theater, a full calendar of special events, a number of fine restaurants and cozy cafes, a celebrated theme park, the Bonner County Library, a regional hospital, a college outreach center, and unique shopping opportunities are just a few of the highlights of this relatively small but amenity-laden city. The charm and appeal of Sandpoint has captured the hearts and imaginations of many travelers who cross the long bridge on US Highway 95 and never want to go back home. With railroad and timber origins that go back more than a century, Sandpoint has matured into one of the most diverse and desirable towns in the Pacific Northwest.

Priest River

Municipal Offices
208-448-2123
https://priestriver-id.gov/

Chamber of Commerce
208-263-0887
www.sandpointchamber.org

The small city of Priest River welcomes newcomers to pristine air and water quality as well as premier recreational opportunities. This close-knit community offers a family-friendly hometown atmosphere where grocery clerks know their customers by name and neighbors stop to visit while running errands and shopping. Greetings ring out as frequently as the smiles and waves in one of Idaho’s best-kept secrets. Centrally located in a recreation paradise that nestles in the Selkirk Mountain Range, the city is bordered by the Priest River on the east and the Pend Oreille River on the south. Residents enjoy glimpses of the past at the Priest River Museum or a drive through breathtaking beauty along the Panhandle Historic Rivers Passage Scenic Byway. The historic downtown district is lined with unique architecture that includes beautifully renovated structures, and shops range from local galleries to antique dealers. Complementing the magnificent Priest Lake State Park, West Bonner Park offers a public boat launch and picnic areas and City Park adds sports facilities and a children’s park.