Twin Falls

Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The city had a population of 51,807 as of the 2020 census. Located on a broad plain at the south rim of the Snake River Canyon, Twin Falls is where daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump across the canyon in 1974 on a steam-powered rocket. The border town resort community of Jackpot, Nevada, fifty miles (80 km) south at the state line, is unofficially considered part of the greater Twin Falls area. The first permanent settlement in the area was a stage stop established in 1864 at Rock Creek near the present-day townsite. Twin Falls city was founded in 1904 as a planned community, designed by celebrated Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, with proceeds from sales of townsite lots going toward construction of irrigation canals. It is the principal city of the Twin Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which officially includes the entirety of Twinfalls and Jerome counties. In the Magic Valley region, Twinfalls is the largest city in a one-hundred-mile (160 km) radius, and is the regional commercial center for south-central Idaho and northeastern Nevada. In 2003, the city is named for a nearby waterfall on the Snake river of the same name. The northwest corner of the city was more than one location and where the corner of "3rdrdrd" and "4thrd" were named for different locations in the city.

History

Twin Falls is the primary city name, but also Hollister are acceptable city names or spellings, Csi, Lynwood, Three Creek on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Twin Falls, Idaho. The first people of European ancestry to visit the Twin Falls area are believed to be members of a group led by American Wilson Price Hunt. The first permanent settlement in the area was a stage stop established in 1864 at Rock Creek near the present-day townsite. By 1890 there were a handful of successful agricultural operations in the Snake River Canyon, but the lack of infrastructure and the canyon's geography made irrigating the dry surrounding area improbable at best. I. B. Perrine is generally credited as the founder of Twin Falls. Twin Falls city was founded in 1904 as a planned community, designed by celebrated Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray. In 1907, Twin Falls became the seat of the newly formed Twin Falls County. By 1960 Twin Falls had become one of Idaho's largest cities, even though its origins were still within the memory of many living within its borders. In 2003 the numbered northeast-to-southwest streets were renamed to alleviate decades of confusion. In later years, the city became a processing center for several agricultural commodities, notably beans and sugar. The city is named for a nearby waterfall on theSnake River of the same name. A congressman (1918-1956) from Twin Falls, Addison T. Smith, was a ten-term member of the Idaho House of Representatives and served as mayor of the city from 1856-1962. The Twin Falls Land and Water Company was re-organized as the privately-owned Twin Falls Canal Company in 1909.

Government

Twin Falls is one of only three Idaho cities which has a council-manager form of government. The seven-member Twin Falls City Council is directly elected in non-partisan municipal elections to four-year terms. The mayor, who holds little executive power, is periodically selected among current city council members to chair meetings and is "considered the official representative of the city" The city government through various citizen boards oversees parks and recreation, planning and zoning, sanitation and garbage collection, street maintenance, wastewater collection, and maintains police and fire departments. Twin Falls Public Library, Twin Falls Municipal Golf Course and Joslin Field-Magic Valley Regional Airport are also under the city's jurisdiction. The city's day-to-day operations are overseen by a city manager, who is appointed by the city council. It is the only city in Idaho to have a city council- manager form ofGovernment. It's also one of the only three cities in the state to have such a form of city government, along with Idaho Springs and Idaho Springs. It was founded in 1883 and was named after the town of Twin Falls, Idaho, where the first city council was elected in 1881. The current city manager was appointed by a vote of the City Council in 1989. It has been in existence since the early 1900s. It currently has a population of about 2,000. It also has a public library and a municipal golf course, which are under the jurisdiction of the council. The council has a budget of about $1.5 million.

Higher education

Twin Falls is home to the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), a large community college in the northwestern part of the city. The CSI men's basketball team won its third NJCAA Division I Championship in March 2011. The nursing program received money from the 2007-2008 state budget to construct a state of the art nursing facility which complements the nursing program. The three state universities (Boise State University, Idaho State University, and the University of Idaho) offer classes on the CSI campus. The city is also home to a number of high schools, including Idaho State, Idaho Tech, and Idaho State College of Idaho. The City of Twin Falls is the home of the American Football Hall of Fame, which was established in 1894. The American Football Association was founded in 1883. The Idaho State Football Association, which began in 1891, was the first professional football team in the U.S. It is the only major college to have a football program in the state. It was founded by Idaho State and Idaho Tech in 1892. The University of Idaho was founded in 1903. The University of Idaho was the first state university to offer a degree in nursing. It opened its nursing program in 1953. The U. of Idaho has a nursing program that offers classes to students from all over the state, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. The State of Idaho is the largest state university in the United States, with more than 2,000 students.

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools are administered by the Twin Falls School District, including Twin Falls High School, Canyon Ridge High School and Magic Valley High School. The district was awarded best title 1C district in the state. Private schools include Lighthouse Christian School, Xavier Charter School, St. Edward's Catholic School and Twin Falls Christian Academy. A citywide contest was held to determine the school's nickname. In November 2006, the Twinfalls School Board selected "River Hawks," thus officially giving birth to the Canyon ridge High School River Hawks. The school district also has three middle schools, nine elementary schools and one alternative high school. The superintendent of these is Brady Dickinson and the assistant superintendent is Bill Brulotte. In March 2006, voters approved a bond to build an additional high school, which was completed for the 200910 school year. The addition of Canyon Ridge high School meant that the student population was split nearly in half. Athletics for both schools are designated 4A rather than 5A by IHSAA by I HSAA. Also, Twin Falls is home to Xavier charter School and the district was award best title1C district. The district has three alternative high schools, one middle school, and oneAlternative high school in addition to the public schools. It also has a private school, LighthouseChristian School, and a charter school, St Edward’s Catholic School, which is a part of the Catholic Diocese of Twin Falls. It is also home to a private day care center, which opened in the fall of 2007.

Economy

As of April 2011 unemployment in Twin Falls county stood at 9.5%, below Idaho's average of 9.6%. From 1998 to 2007 the unemployment rate was steadily decreasing, to a low of just under 2%. Then, in tandem with the national economy, the Unemployment rate increased to nearly 9.4%. Twin Falls hosted the 2012 Idaho Republican Party convention, which was expected to create more positive economic activity. China Mountain Wind, LLC. has proposed and may construct a 300,000 acres (1,200 km²) wind farm after the Environmental Impacts are weighed. Twin Falls County can expect to generate $33.4 million in tax revenues. The construction of the wind farm will bring to the area 396-749 full and part-time jobs during construction and 24-46 new jobs to maintain the facility. It employs 500 residents and its annual revenue is about $100 million per annum. The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) may be an alternative for students not yet ready to attend a four-year university. Other large employers include Amalgamated Sugar Company, makers of White Satin sugar; and Lamb Weston, which has a food processing plant located in west Twin Falls. Chobani Yogurt Company, in 2012, opened the world's largest yogurt manufacturing plant providing an additional 300 jobs to the Twin Falls community. In early 2011, Falls Brands' Old Fashioned Basque Chorizo sausage won the "Hold The Mustard" award presented by the National Meat Association (NMA) every year.

Transportation

Twin Falls is the largest city in Idaho that is not directly on the Interstate Highway System. It is served by several major highways, including U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 93. Access to nearby Interstate 84 is across the canyon via the Perrine Bridge.Limited commercial air service is provided at Magic Valley Regional Airport, also known as Joslin Field. As of August 2017, daily flights to Salt Lake City are available from Delta Connection (fulfilled by SkyWest Airlines) using the Canadair CRJ200. Twice-weekly service to Las Vegas was previously operated by Allegiant Air, but the airline discontinued the route in January 2012, citing insufficient ticket prices. A small public transportation system operated by the College of Southern Idaho, is also available. The city is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Range, which is the highest mountain range in the state. The tallest peak in the city is Mount Twin Falls, at 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. The highest point is 6,000 feet (2,100 m), at the base of the summit of Mt Twin Falls. Twin Falls is located in Jerome County, Idaho, near the junction of Interstate 84 and State Highway 74. The town is also on the Idaho-Nevada border, at Jackpot and Wells, and has a population of 2,000. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, which took place in World War I.

Geography

Twin Falls is located at 42°34'N 114°28'W (42.561,114.464). The city has a total area of 18.16 square miles (47.03 km²), of which, 18.10 square. miles (46.88 km²) is land and 0.06 square miles of water. The Snake River Canyon forms the city's northern limits, separating it from Jerome County. Shoshone Falls stands at 213 ft (65 m), which is 46 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls. In September 2005 Miles Daisher of Twin Falls set a BASE jumping world record by jumping off Perrine Bridge 57 times in a 24-hour period. In July 2006 Dan Schilling jumped off the bridge 201 times in 21 hours to raise money for charity. Unlike Daisher, Schilling was hoisted to the top of the bridge by a crane after every jump. The city's namesake, Twin Falls, is located upstream of Shosh one Falls. The Perrine bridge is one of only a handful of artificial structures worldwide where BASE jumping is legal. It is located approximately 1+12 mi (2+12 km) upstream from the Pillar Falls while Twin Falls is about 5 miles (8.0 kilometres) east of the city. It has a population of 2,000 (2,200 in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011 estimate). It is the only city in the state of Idaho with a population over 1,000.

Climate

Twin Falls experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification, BSk). Winter snowfall averages 29.5 inches (74.9 cm) per year, though much heavier amounts have fallen. Summer and autumn months are very dry in Twin Falls, with less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) inch of precipitation falling each month between June and October. It is not uncommon to experience fast moving, intense electrical storms common in the deserts of the southwestern U.S., such as the one that hit Twin Falls in July. The town has a population of about 2,000, with the majority of residents living in the downtown area. Twin Falls has a high school football team that competes in the NCAA Division II. The football team is known as the Twin Falls Highlanders, and the team won the NCAA championship in 2010. The team also won the Super Bowl in 2010, the first time they have done so in the history of the event. The city has been home to the National Football League's Idaho Falls Generals, who have won the championship three times in a row. It has also been the site of the World Series of Poker, which has won the title three times, including twice in the last three years. It also hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988 and the Winter Games in 1992. The American Football League has a team called the Idaho Falls Thunderbirds, which is based in the town of Twin Falls. The Thunderbirds have won two World Series titles, the last in 1998.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho = 86. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 36. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Twin Falls = 4.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 3,873 individuals with a median age of 34 age the population grows by 20.94% in Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,593.49 residents per square mile of area (1,001.34/km²). There are average 2.44 people per household in the 16,530 households with an average household income of $36,901 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.30% of the available work force and has dropped -2.64% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 27.42%. The number of physicians in Twin Falls per 100,000 population = 194.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Twin Falls = 9.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 19.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 70. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 210. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 74, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Twin Falls, Twin Falls County, Idaho which are owned by the occupant = 59.03%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 32 years with median home cost = $134,140 and home appreciation of -4.50%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $8.54 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $3,284 per student. There are 17.9 students for each teacher in the school, 649 students for each Librarian and 473 students for each Counselor. 8.00% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.99% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.36% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).