Arco, ID

Tucked into the Lost River Valley at the crossroads of U.S. 20 and U.S. 26, Arco is a quiet high-desert town of fewer than 900 residents. As the Butte County seat, it serves as the everyday hub for the surrounding valley, housing the county offices as well as the local elementary, middle, and high schools. Life here moves at an unhurried pace with plenty of open space nearby, located just twenty miles north of Craters of the Moon National Monument and an easy drive west of the Idaho National Laboratory.

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Arco is best known as the first community in the world powered by atomic energy in 1955, a unique milestone celebrated every summer during the local Atomic Days festival. That community spirit is hard to miss, especially when looking up at Number Hill, where graduating high school classes have painted their years across the rocky slope for generations. With the Big Lost River nearby and Idaho Falls about an hour east for major shopping and healthcare, Arco offers classic small-town Idaho living with a strong sense of tradition.