Greater Sandpoint Info

Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products, light manufacturing, tourism, recreation and government services. As the largest service center in the two northern Idaho counties (Bonner and Boundary), as well as northwestern Montana, it has an active retail sector.

Sandpoint lies on the shores of Idaho's largest lake, 43-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille, and is surrounded by three major mountain ranges, the Selkirk, Cabinet and Bitterroot ranges. It is home to Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Idaho's largest ski resort, and is on the International Selkirk Loop and two National Scenic Byways (Wild Horse Trail and Pend Oreille Scenic Byway). Among other distinctions awarded by national media in the past decade, in 2011 Sandpoint was named the nation's "Most Beautiful Small Town" by Rand McNally and USA Today.

Bonner General Hospital, an accredited, full-service, acute-care hospital, provides medical care to Bonner and Boundary counties and to residents of Western Montana. The 48-bed hospital offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services including surgery, radiology, ultra-sound diagnosis, mammography, CT scan, MRI, intensive and coronary care, nuclear medicine, speech therapy, occupational therapy, interventional cardiology, physical therapy and a compounding pharmacy. The hospital also provides a physician-staffed emergency room and a family-centered birthing room.

Sandpoint’s medical community includes more than 40 physicians and 16 dentists. Specializations include orthodontics, dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgery, sports medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine and family practice. Sandpoint also has a variety of home health care resources available to those who need them.

Sandpoint offers every level of care for the seniors. The 55 units at Alpine Vista Apartments were created to give seniors an independent living situation while providing meals, transportation, and 24-hour emergency assistance. Other assisted living facilities include Beehive Homes, with a full-time nurse and activities director, and Huckleberry Retirement II. Valley Care Center provides shelter care and 24-hour nursing care in its 60 rooms. Life Care Center and The Bridge Assisted Living offers short- and long-term convalescent care with 24-hour nursing staff. Home health care is also available through Alternative Health Care, Angel Aides, Bonner General Hospital and others.

Local medical resources are augmented by Spokane’s nationally recognized medical services with emergency transport provided by specially equipped helicopters.

The City of Sandpoint is the largest of the four incorporated cities at the heart of Bonner County. The others are Dover to the west of Sandpoint and Ponderay and Kootenai to the north and east. Each is governed by a Mayor and City Council. Bonner County, of which Sandpoint is the county seat, is governed by a three-member commission.

Both the city of Sandpoint and the county have full-time planners who work with appointed planning commissions on the development of planning objectives and zoning ordinances. Anyone considering building is directed to them for help in beginning the application process. A resource for finding contractors, the Sandpoint Plan Center is located at the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce at 900 North Fifth Ave.

Idaho taxes are among the lowest in the country. Property taxes within the City of Sandpoint are about 1.8 percent of assessed market value; county taxes are approximately one percent. Idaho’s income tax code follows federal guidelines with graduated rates that range from 1.6 percent to 7.8 percent. Sales tax is currently 6 percent.

Within minutes of Sandpoint, there are virtually unlimited recreational opportunities. During winter, the slopes of Schweitzer Mountain Resort beckon. With the installation of a high-speed quad and six-pack chair, night skiing, a new lodge and hotel to go with 2,400 vertical feet, two bowls, and great powder, Schweitzer is without doubt the Inland Northwest’s outstanding ski resort.

Cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating and ice fishing round out the winter recreational opportunities. During the summer months, most activities focus on Lake Pend Oreille or the forests surrounding the town. Fishing, sailing, lake cruises, kayak tours, water-skiing and swimming appeal to residents and visitors alike. Sandpoint’s City Beach is a beautiful place to enjoy the summer sun. Hikers can get their fill on many trails and logging roads in the surrounding mountains or ride Schweitzer ski lifts for a spectacular view.

Golfers can test their skill at the highly acclaimed 18-hole Hidden Lakes Golf Resort or play a quick 9 holes at the Elks Golf Course. Two more 18-hole courses are found within the county at Priest Lake Golf Course in Coolin and StoneRidge Resort Golf in Blanchard. Another 9-hole course is located about 30 miles north of Sandpoint, Mirror Lake Golf in Bonners Ferry. Spring and fall are the best times of year for Sandpoint’s hunters and fishermen. Throughout the fall, hunters head into the mountains seeking deer, elk and the occasional bear, while fishermen are out on the lake pursuing world-record size Kamloops.

Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84 provides educational services to the eastern half of Bonner County. Approximately 3,600 students kindergarten through grade 12 are enrolled in 11 schools. A senior high, an “alternative high school,” middle school and three elementary schools are located within Sandpoint itself. The Sandpoint Charter School is a public school serving about 140 students in grades 7, 8 and 9. Private and parochial schools are also available.

The newSandpoint High School opened in the fall of 1991. It joins Sagle Elementary, Hope Elementary and Kootenai Elementary as district schools newly built or expanded under the $15.8-million plant facility levy passed by Bonner County voters in the spring of 1987.

Both North Idaho College, a community college whose main campus is located in Coeur d’Alene 45 miles south of Sandpoint, and the University of Idaho offer a variety of credit and non-credit courses in Sandpoint itself. Students can also drive to North Idaho College or take classes at several Spokane area universities. Lewis-Clark State College, through its Coeur d’Alene office, also offers classes and degrees to Bonner County residents.

The first white man known to visit the Sandpoint area was David Thompson, the famous explorer and “land geographer.” He, with partner “Big Finan” McDonald, established the Kullyspell House on the Hope Peninsula in 1809 as the first trading post in Idaho.

Kullyspell House survived for only two years, however, and it wasn’t until the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the early 1880s that permanent settlements took root. At that time, Hope and Clark Fork were established to help support the railroad building and operation.

The history of Sandpoint as a settlement dates back to the year 1880 when Robert Weeks opened a general store and dealt in furs. The town was known for a long time as Pend Oreille and actually existed east along the lakeshore from the current site.

The community grew slowly until the construction of the Great Northern Railroad in 1892. This railroad brought L.D. Farmin to Sandpoint as a Great Northern agent. He filed on the original town site and laid out Sandpoint in 1898, ten feet above the lake’s high water mark.

The city’s early history was tied closely to the railroads and to the timber industry as the Humbird and other area mills sought to harvest the timber resources of the region. In the early 1900s more than 225 men worked for the Humbird Mill in two shifts to keep up with demand.

Timber continued to play a major role in the local economy as Sandpoint became known for the cedar electric and telegraphy poles produced by area companies. However, the community grew slowly until World War II brought the construction of Farragut Naval Basein Bayview. This “boot” camp trained over 300,000 seamen for duty in the war and introduced them to this region.

After a slowdown following the war, our area has grown in spurts as disenchanted urbanites have sought the slower pace and physical beauty of north Idaho. It is expected that that growth will continue into the foreseeable future.

Newcomers to Sandpoint are always surprised by the number, quality and variety of community events. It seems that there is a major activity going on each weekend. This is so true that one of the town’s slogans is “Sandpoint is Happening All Year Long.”

Perhaps the highlight of each year is The Festival at Sandpoint, a renowned two-week long outdoor concert series. The Spokane Symphony Orchestra performs each season as well as famous pop, country and world-music performers. Past artists include Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Emmy Lou Harris, Tony Bennett, B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakam, George Benson, Keb Mo and The Pretenders. Other major events include Winter Carnival, K & K Fishing Derby, Lost in the ‘50s, North Idaho Timberfest and the Idaho Draft Horse International.

The Pend Oreille Arts Council produces many of the community’s arts related events. Among other things, they organize a major juried Arts and Crafts Fair in August; coordinate ArtWalk, summer -long revolving self-guided art exhibits in area businesses; produce Sunday Concerts-on-the-Lawn and Summer Sounds at Park Place series; and sponsor an annual performance series at the Panida Theater.

The Panida Theater, Sandpoint’s community owned theater and cultural center for cinema, theatre and music, is the site of many of the town’s best performances. Located in downtown Sandpoint, this historic theater has been purchased by the people of the Sandpoint area to provide an excellent performance setting.

Below is a list of the major annual events: