Why visit Ponderay
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bonner Mall Cinema, Panida Theater, Sandpoint Historic District and Sandpoint station.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; December lows average 23°F, and about 62 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ponderay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ponderay
Ponderay is a city in Bonner County, Idaho. As of the 2020 census, Ponderay had a population of 1,289. Ponderay's city motto is "Little City with the Big Future". Its name is an English phonetic spelling of the French words “Pend d'Oreille”, the name of a local indigenous people that live in the region.
From the Wikipedia article Ponderay, Idaho (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Panida Theater
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
Community theater in Sandpoint, Idaho
Museums and landmarks4
Sandpoint Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in Idaho, USA
Sandpoint station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Railway station in Idaho
Amanda Nesbitt House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
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Sandpoint Federal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes16
Fiesta Bonita Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
700 Kootenai Cutoff Road, Ponderay
Tu-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-16:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 0.5 mi
476930 US 95;US 2, Ponderay
Su-Th 07:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-01:00
4 more on the map.
History
Ponderay's original plat was filed in Kootenai County on May 5, 1904. It was incorporated as the Village of Ponderay on May 27, 1947, and became the City of Ponderay on November 26, 1968. Ponderay was built on the site of the company town of the Panhandle Smelting and Refining Company.
From the History section of Ponderay, Idaho on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
477326 US 95;US 2, Ponderay
Churches and places of worship2
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.9 mi
602 Schweitzer Cutoff Road, Sandpoint
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Forrest M Bird Charter School
School · 3.2 mi
614 South Madison Avenue, Sandpoint
Healthcare1
Kaniksu Community Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.8 mi
810 North 6th Avenue, Sandpoint
Map of Ponderay
53 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 23°F | 4.3 in | 20.9 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 24°F | 2.9 in | 8.4 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 29°F | 3.6 in | 6.5 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 34°F | 2.4 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 66°F | 42°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 48°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 50°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 42°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 34°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 29°F | 4.7 in | 6.4 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 23°F | 4.6 in | 19.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sandpoint Exp Stn Hcn (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
Bonner County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2026-04-07: Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2025-08-15: Sunset Fire (Fire)
- 2021-03-04: Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Coeur d'Alene Airport (COE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 39 miles away.
- Kootenai 1 mi northeast, about 2 min by car
- Bonners Ferry 29 mi north, about 46 min by car
- Hayden 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Rathdrum 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Dalton Gardens 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Coeur d'Alene 43 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Post Falls 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Liberty Lake 51 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Spokane Valley 55 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Fairwood 55 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 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
- Sandpoint Historic District 2, Richard Bauer ( rustejunk ), CC BY 2.0
- Sandpoint Federal Building - Sandpoint Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nesbitt House NRHP 82002508 Bonner County, ID, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thanks for a great visit at your cabin on the lake! (5959159874), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Deep Soil Core Extraction, Zkayler, CC BY 4.0
- ISS020-E-51413 - View of Idaho, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-74712 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-74711 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS006-E-34284 - View of Washington, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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