Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Coeur d'Alene (IPA: ) is the county seat and largest city of Kootenai County, Idaho . As of the 2000 census Coeur d'Alene population was 34,514 (2003 estimate: 37,262). ^* It is the largest city in the Idaho Panhandle region.

French traders named it in respect for the tough trading practices of local Indian tribes. Translated from French Coeur d'Alene means "heart of the awl" or possibly "sharp-hearted."

Coeur d'Alene has enjoyed significant growth in recent years due in part to a substantial increase in tourism encouraged by several resorts in the area. Barbara Walters called the city "a little slice of Heaven" and included it in her list of most fascinating places to visit. Locally Coeur d'Alene is known as the "Lake City" or simply by its initials: "CDA."

Coeur d'Alene is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Kootenai County. The metropolitan area is the second largest in the state.

Geography

Coeur d'Alene is located at (47.692845, -116.779910).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.2 km². 34.0 km² of it is land and 1.2 km² of it (3.46%) is water.

Coeur d'Alene sits on the western edge of the Coeur d'Alene National Forest. The city is surrounded by forest, which contains several lakes and campgrounds.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,514 people, 13,985 households, and 8,852 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,014.9/km². There were 14,929 housing units at an average density of 439.0/km². The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 0.22% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.70% of the population.

There were 13,985 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,001, and the median income for a family was $39,491. Males had a median income of $31,915 versus $21,092 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,454. About 9.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

History

Coeur d'Alene has a history of miners' disputes.

Education

The city is home to North Idaho College located next to Lake Coeur d'Alene, on the original site of Fort Sherman, the first settlement in the area. Located on the NIC campus is the Fort Sherman Museum, which gives the history of the Fort grounds. The University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene Campus and Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene Campus are satellites of their respective institutions located a few hours to the south. They share a building on Northwest Boulevard near NIC. In partnership with NIC, many of UI and LCSC's classes are taught at NIC's facilities. The city has three High Schools; Coeur d'Alene HS (9-12) Lake City HS (9-12) ^*." target="_blank" >Coeur d'Alene HS is implementing the IB program, and Lake City HS is soon to follow. There are also four alternative high schools: Project CDA, The Bridge, Riverbend Professional Technical Academy, and the Juvenile Detention Center School. Coeur d'Alene also has four Middle Schools: Woodland MS, Lakes MS, Canfield MS, and the prestigous Charter Academy. The public schools are a part of Idaho School District 271 [http://www.cdaschools.org.

Trivia

Coeur d'Alene has become a destination for golf enthusiasts. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is considered one of the best in the United States. Its 14th hole features the world's only movable floating green.
Iris DeMent's song, "Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day", from her 1994 album, My Life, features a protagonist who laments that she will "never make it to Coeur d'Alene".
Listed as one of the places to visit in Patricia Schultz's book 1000 Places to See Before You Die.
In the book Walk Two Moons, Coeur d'Alene is a stop on the main character Salamanca Tree Hiddle's trip.

External links

Cities in Idaho | Kootenai County, Idaho