Why visit Shoshone
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 6 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Shoshone Showhouse, American Legion Hall and Custer Slaughter House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Shoshone
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Shoshone
Shoshone is the county seat of and the largest city in Lincoln County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,653 at the 2020 census. In contrast to the Shoshone Native American tribe for which it is named, the city's name is correctly pronounced "Show-shown", with a silent "e".
From the Wikipedia article Shoshone, Idaho (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
American Legion Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Clubhouse in Shoshone, Idaho
Custer Slaughter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Slaughterhouse in Lincoln County, Idaho, United States
Galo Arambarri Boarding House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building near Shoshone, Idaho, United States
J. C. Penney Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
United States historic place
Jack Oughton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Idaho, United States
Jose and Gertrude Anasola House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
United States historic place
W. H. Murphy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Idaho, United States
Manuel Silva Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes6
History
Founded in 1882 during the construction of the Oregon Short Line, Shoshone has long been considered the main railroad station in south central Idaho's Magic Valley region. The much larger community of Twin Falls 26 miles (42 km) to the south never developed a strong railroad presence due to the logistical issues presented by its location south of the Snake River Canyon. For many years, Shoshone was the only Amtrak stop in south central Idaho.
The Union Pacific Railroad opened the Sun Valley resort in 1936 (and owned it until 1964), and its pre-existing spur route to Ketchum connected here. The spur first headed northeast, following today's US 93, to Richfield and Tikura, then peeled northwest to Picabo and on to Bellevue, Hailey, and Ketchum, so the distance was greater than today's more direct 55-mile (90 km) drive north on Highway 75.
About 15 miles (25 km) north of Shoshone are the Shoshone Ice Caves. The caves are lava tubes that stay cool enough for the ice inside them to remain frozen throughout the summer. In the days before refrigeration, this feature, coupled with the railroad, made Shoshone popular with travelers as "the only place for hundreds of miles where one could get a cold beer."
From the History section of Shoshone, Idaho on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship5
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Shoshone
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 23°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 26°F | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 33°F | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 38°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 74°F | 47°F | 1.1 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 54°F | 0.6 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 62°F | 0.2 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 60°F | 0.3 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 51°F | 0.5 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 40°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 24°F | 1.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Shoshone 1 Wnw (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
Lincoln County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-04-21: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina (Hurricane)
- 2000-09-01: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gooding Municipal Airport (GNG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Jerome 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Gooding 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Twin Falls 26 mi south, about 42 min by car
- Hagerman 26 mi west, about 43 min by car
- Kimberly 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Filer 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Hansen 28 mi south, about 46 min by car
- Buhl 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- Bellevue 37 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Hailey 40 mi north, about 1 h 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
- American Legion Hall in Shoshone Idaho, Tom Young, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Galo Arambarri Boarding House, Tom Young, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Custer Slaughterhouse, Elmoz4u, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jose and Gertrude Anasola House, Shoshone, Idaho, Drmccreedy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jack Oughton House, Tom Young, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JC Penney Building Front, Tom Young, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Manuel Silva Barn, Tom Young, CC BY-SA 3.0
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