Lewiston is a city in and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the third-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, and the twelfth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez Perce County and Asotin County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lewiston was 34,203, up from 31,894 in 2010.
Lewiston is located at the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River, upstream and southeast of the Lower Granite Dam. Dams and locks on the Snake and Columbia Rivers make Lewiston reachable by some ocean-going vessels. of Lewiston is Idaho's only seaport, and is the farthest inland port linked to the Pacific Ocean. The Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport serves the city by air.
Lewiston was founded in 1861 in the wake of a gold rush which began the previous year near Pierce, northeast of Lewiston. The city was incorporated by the Washington Territorial Legislature in January 1863. In March 1863, Lewiston became the first capital of the newly created Idaho Territory. Its stint as seat of the new territory's government was short-lived, inasmuch as a resolution to move the capital south to Boise was passed by the Idaho Territorial Legislature on December 7, 1864.
Lewiston's main industries are agriculture, paper, and timber products, and light manufacturing. Ammunition manufacturing maintains a very important and growing presence in Lewiston, being the headquarters of ammunition makers CCI and Speer Bullet. The city is the primary regional transportation, retail, health care, and entertainment center of the surrounding area and serves as a recreation destination for the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.
Lewiston is home to Lewis–Clark State College, a public undergraduate college. Community events in Lewiston include the Dogwood Festival, Hot August Nights, and the Lewiston Roundup.
History
In August 1860, Elias D. Pierce snuck onto the Nez Perce reservation disguised as an itinerant trader and found gold there. Thousands trespassed into the reservation in search of the gold, and the illegal white encampment of Lewiston was founded in 1861 on the sovereign territory of the Nez Perce.Hampton, Bruce. Children of Grace: The Nez Perce War of 1877. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1994, pp.28–29 The settlement is believed to have been named after Meriwether Lewis, who camped at the site in October 1805. In local lore, it is claimed that the Nez Pierce word for the area was "Tsceminicum." The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was founded to ferry gold prospectors to the squatter camp and blithely ignored orders from the Nez Perce and U.S. military authorities to cease operations.
In December 1861, Washington Territory illegally annexed large regions of the Nez Perce reservation, including Lewiston, naming it Nez Perce County.Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965), p. 407 In 1862, when it became clear there was no gold in Lewiston, much of the population pushed deeper into Nez Perce territory hunting for new discoveries. However, Lewiston became the first capital of the Idaho Territory in 1863 following the legalization of the occupation. Acting Idaho governor Clinton De Witt Smith was prevented from reaching Lewiston by the Nez Perce, and decided to board a ship to San Francisco, of course having to stop at Panama and board another ship as the canal had not yet been constructed Upon his eventual arrival in the Idaho Territory in 1864 he named Boise the new capital, much to the annoyance of the people of Lewiston. In 1877, the town was briefly affected by the Nez Perce War.
The City of Lewiston’s high reservoir failed on January 18, 2023. The failure caused flooding with the release of approximately of water.
Geography
Lewiston is located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. Immediately west of Lewiston is the smaller twin city of Clarkston, Washington. The north-flowing Snake River departs Hells Canyon and forms the state boundary with Washington, while west-flowing Clearwater River defines the northern border of the city. At their confluence at the city's northwest corner, the lower Snake River turns west into Washington, and after passing four dams, empties into the Columbia River at Burbank.
About northwest of the city is the Lower Granite Dam, the last and upper-most of the four dams on the lower Snake River. It was completed in 1975, creating a reservoir, Lower Granite Lake that stretches to Lewiston.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Downtown Lewiston, at elevations between and , is only slightly higher in elevation than the river, about , which was lower prior to the completion of the Lower Granite Dam. Away from downtown the terrain gains elevation quickly, as the steep riverbank highway of U.S. 95 north of Lewiston ascends to .
The lowest point in the state of Idaho is located on the Snake River in Lewiston, where it meets the Clearwater and flows west into Washington. The populated areas in Idaho with the lowest elevations are along (or near) the Clearwater River, from Lowell at to Lewiston.
The Orchards
The heavily residential southern half of the city is referred to as "The Orchards". This area is much higher in elevation than downtown, at about , and is named for the fruit orchards that previously covered the area. Formerly unincorporated, it was annexed which nearly doubled the city's population and doubled the area of the city. The original farming development took up 9,000 acres (14.1 sq mi), with the residential neighborhood spanning roughly 8 to 9 square miles as of 2020. There is little sign of any orchards today, although there is a wide proliferation of fruit trees in the backyards of many residences in this area of town. The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport is located on the western edge of the Orchards plateau at above sea level, with Bryden Canyon Road providing westbound access via the Southway Bridge into Clarkston. As of 2000, the area has a population of approximately 18,500 people .
Climate Lewiston experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with occasionally cold, but short winters, mostly influenced by mild Pacific air, and hot, dry summers. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in December to in July; the temperature reaches on 7.7 afternoons, on 42 afternoons, and does not rise above freezing on 14 afternoons annually. The last year that Lewiston did not reach was back in 1995. Precipitation averages annually, including an average seasonal snowfall of .
At 195 days, the growing season is relatively long, with the average window for freezing temperatures being October 23 thru April 10. The plant hardiness zone of Lewiston is 7b with some pockets of 8a. Temperatures below are quite rare. Extreme temperatures range from on December 13, 1919 to on July 27, 1939. Tornadoes are very rare with only three tornadoes being reported in Nez Perce County since 1950, and the only significant tornado was an F2 in Lapwai on May 8, 1962.
Demographics 2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lewiston had a population of 34,203. The median age was 39.9 years. 5.4% of residents were under age 5, 21.3% were under 18, and 20.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.5 males age 18 and over.
99.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 14,176 households in Lewiston, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.4% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 14,836 housing units, of which 4.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 30,545 89.3% Black or African American 175 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 630 1.8% Asian 306 0.9% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 33 0.1% Some other race 355 1.0% Two or more races 2,159 6.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,403 4.1%
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 31,894 people, 13,324 households, and 8,201 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 14,057 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 0.3% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.
There were 13,324 households, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 30,905 people, 12,795 households, and 8,278 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 13,394 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.14% White, 0.30% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.
There were 12,795 households, out of which 28.7% included children under the age of 18, 51.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% were a single person living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,606, and the median income for a family was $45,410. Males had a median income of $35,121 versus $22,805 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,091. About 8.4% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those aged 65 or over.
Historical demographics 1864 census: 359 (247 men, 58 women, 54 children) 1863 census: 414 (306 men, 59 women, 49 children)
Economy