McCall, Idaho
McCall is a city of 3,946 people in Valley County, Idaho, founded in 1917.
Why visit McCall
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 26 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Little Ski Hill, Elo School, Gust Laituri Homestead and McCall Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 14°F.
Weather in McCall
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About McCall
McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest. The population was 3,686 as of the 2020 census, up from 2,991 in 2010.
From the Wikipedia article McCall, Idaho (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
Elo School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
School building in Valley County, United States of America
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Gust Laituri Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in Idaho, USA
Matt N. Hill Homestead Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
McCall, Idaho, listed on the NRHP in Valley County, Idaho
Nickolai Wargelin Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic property in Valley County, Idaho
Payette Lakes Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Clubhouse in Valley County, Idaho
Rice Meetinghouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Meeting house in Valley County, United States of America
Herman Ojala Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes26
Payette Dream Coffee House & Diner
Restaurant · Coffee Shop, Ice Cream · 0.7 mi
314 East Lake Street, McCall
Crusty's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.6 mi
Live music on Saturday @ 18:00
Th-Su 11:00-21:00
14 more on the map.
History
Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the McCall area. Three tribes, the Tukudika (a sub-band of the Shoshone known as the "Sheepeaters"), the Shoshone, and the Nez Perce, inhabited the land primarily in the summer and migrated during the harsh winter months.
In the early 19th century, mountain men including the nomadic French Canadian fur trapper François Payette, Jim Bridger, Peter Skene Ogden, and Jedediah Smith passed through the area.
During the 1860s, miners temporarily named the settlement "Lake City", but only alluvial gold was discovered, so the temporary establishment was abandoned as most mining activity moved north to the town of Warren.
The settlement of McCall was established by Thomas and Louisa McCall in 1889. For a cabin and assumed rights to the 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land, they traded a team of horses with Sam Dever, who held the squatter rights. Tom, his wife, four sons and a daughter lived in the cabin located on the shore of the lake, near present-day Hotel McCall. He established a school, hotel, saloon, and post office, and named himself postmaster. McCall purchased a sawmill from the Warren Dredging company and later sold it to the Hoff & Brown Lumber Company, which would become a major employer until its closure in 1977.
From the History section of McCall, Idaho on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
Churches and places of worship3
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.1 mi
400 Elo Road, McCall
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare3
Map of McCall
91 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 14°F | 2.5 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 15°F | 2.3 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 21°F | 2.7 in |
| Apr | 50°F | 28°F | 2.4 in |
| May | 61°F | 36°F | 2.3 in |
| Jun | 69°F | 42°F | 2.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 47°F | 0.6 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 45°F | 0.5 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 38°F | 1.0 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 29°F | 1.6 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 21°F | 2.3 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 14°F | 2.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mccall Ap (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Valley County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2022-08-19: Four Corners Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-12: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2017-05-18: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2010-08-26: Hurd Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
McCall Municipal Airport (MYL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- New Meadows 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Council 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Cascade 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Cambridge 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Midvale 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Halfway 49 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mccall, Karthikc123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McCall District Administrative Site2 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McCall District Administrative Site3 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McCall District Administrative Site 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McCall District Administrative Site4 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McCall District Administrative Site5 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McCall District Administrative Site6 91001892 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gust Laituri Homestead (1), Kelly Walters, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Elo School, PKOSKIE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cinnabar (46836616205), Pacific Museum of Earth from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ford 4-AT-E N9642 (5124033865), Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Travel Air 6000 (4861691709), Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS052-E-932 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-57156 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-57157 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-21122 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-21121 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Johnson Flying Service Hangar NRHP 100004675 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Johnson Flying Service Hangar2 NRHP 100004675 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Payette Lakes Club NRHP 100000905 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Payette Lakes Club2 NRHP 100000905 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Payette Lakes Club3 NRHP 100000905 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Payette Lakes Club4 NRHP 100000905 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Charles Koski- Lizzie Koski Maki, PKOSKIE, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Skier Payette NF Emily Simpson (50062343721), Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photography, Public domain
- Nickolai Wargelin Homestead, Bwikie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice Meetinghouse2 NRHP 80001337 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice Meetinghouse3 NRHP 80001337 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rice Meetinghouse NRHP 80001337 Valley County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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