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The Sandpoint Lifestyle...at a glance

Henry David Thoreau said, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

In Sandpoint, Idaho, living is a dream and so much more than most can imagine. Surrounded by stunning natural beauty, Sandpoint is nestled at the northern tip of Lake Pend Oreille between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains in the middle of the Idaho Panhandle. Sandpoint is located 60 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is accessed from the south by the scenic Long Bridge which crosses the lake at the point that it becomes the Pend Oreille River. Sandpoint is home to a thriving arts community with a vibrant downtown full of friendly people.

The population of the city is approximately 7,500, while that of Bonner County is about 39,000. The age breakdown of the Bonner County population roughly corresponds to that of the nation as a whole. Thirty percent are under the age of 18, 52 percent are between the ages of 18 and 65, and the remaining 18 percent are over the age of 65. Approximately 75 percent of that population has completed high school, while 40 percent have taken at least some college level courses.

Climate
Sandpoint has a moderate four-season climate. Few days reach subzero temperatures and likewise, few days reach over 90 degrees in the summer. Most of the precipitation occurs in the winter. The City of Sandpoint receives about 33 inches of precipitation annually; the mountains receive 300 inches of snow on average. Summers are drier with weeks of sunny days in a row.

Economy
The city was founded as a timber community in the 1800xs. As the timber industry winds down, tourism has become a stronger driving force in Sandpoint with the lake, the mountains and many outdoor options. The Greater Sandpoint Area is home to a surprisingly diverse light manufacturing and retail base with notables such as Coldwater Creek, Quest Aircraft Company, Litehouse Salad Dressings, Unicep Packaging, Encoder Products and Riley Creek Lumber.

Getting Around
Sandpoint is located at the crossroads of federal and state highways. U.S. Highway 95 passes through Sandpoint from north to south. U.S. Highway 2 runs east to west and connects Sandpoint to Spokane, Washington to the west, and Montana to the east. Highway 200 connects Sandpoint with Missoula, Montana, to the east. Below are approximate highway mileages to major cities:

• Spokane, WA: 80 miles
• Seattle, WA: 350 miles
• Boise, ID: 450 miles
• Portland, OR: 400 miles
• Butte, MT: 340 miles
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada: 425 miles
• Missoula, MT: 200 miles
• Coeur d'Alene, ID: 45 miles
• Glacier National Park, MT: 225 miles

Sandpoint is also situated on three major railroad lines. It has the only Amtrak passenger service in Idaho with a daily train to Seattle and Portland to the west and Chicago to the east.

The Sandpoint Airport has a 5,500-foot paved runway rated up to 40,000 pounds gross weight single-wheel load. An instrumentation approach allows Sandpoint to handle commercial airline flights in addition to landing corporate jets. Spokane International Airport, 80 miles away, serves major airlines and provides regularly scheduled flights to destinations anywhere in the world.

Local public transportation is now provided by North Idaho Community Express in Sandpoint, which has regular, fixed routes from Sandpoint to Coeur d’Alene and within Sandpoint.

Idaho Panhandle National Forests: National Forests comprise 470,000 acres of Bonner County, more than the combined total of all private land ownership in the county. These forests are integrated into the daily lives of local residents and visitors alike through endless recreational opportunities, as well as being a main ingredient in the visual landscape around us.