Blackfoot, ID

Blackfoot sits in the heart of eastern Idaho's upper Snake River Plain, roughly halfway between Pocatello and Idaho Falls. It is a quiet, down-to-earth community anchored by a traditional downtown around Broadway and Bridge streets. If you take a drive down Shilling Avenue, you will find a charming historic district lined with well-kept early twentieth-century homes and mature shade trees. Outside the residential neighborhoods, the landscape opens up quickly into wide-open farmland bordered by distant mountain ranges, giving the town a spacious, relaxed Western feel.

ATTRUnknown author Unknown author / Public domain

Potatoes and farming are deep parts of daily life here, right down to the Idaho Potato Museum operating out of the historic train depot downtown. Major employers include Bingham Healthcare, State Hospital South, regional food processors, and the local school district, which keep the local economy steady. Every September around Labor Day, the town comes alive when it hosts the Eastern Idaho State Fair. The nine-day event draws visitors from all across the region for carnival rides, fair food, livestock shows, concerts, and fast-paced Indian Relay races.

ATTRTony Webster / CC BY 2.0

For outdoor recreation, Jensen Grove Park is the town's favorite gathering spot, featuring a lake for swimming and water skiing, playgrounds, a skate park, and disc golf. The paved Blackfoot Greenbelt connects the park to the Snake River and winds through town for over six miles of walking and biking. When you are house hunting, keep in mind that properties closer to the river or irrigation canals may require flood insurance or have specific ditch maintenance rules. It is also smart to check whether a home is hooked up to city utilities or on a private well and septic system, especially if you are looking at acreages on the edge of town.