Idaho Panhandle

The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho. The southern part of this region, from Moscow south, is sometimes referred to as North Central Idaho, with the rest as North Idaho. The panhandle is bordered by the state of Washington to the west, Montana to the east and British Columbia to the north.

Coeur d'Alene is the largest city within the Idaho panhandle; however, nearby Spokane, Washington is the region's largest city and also the location of the regional airport, Spokane International Airport (GEG). Other important cities include Lewiston, Moscow (home of the University of Idaho), Post Falls, Hayden, Sandpoint, and the smaller towns of St. Maries and Bonners Ferry. East of Coeur d'Alene is the Silver Valley, which follows Interstate 90 to the Montana border at Lookout Pass.

The region has a land area of 21,012.64 square miles (54,422.5 km2), or 25.39 percent of Idaho's land area; there is also 323.95 square miles (839.07 km²) of water area. The estimated population of the Idaho Panhandle as of 2004 was 295,160, or slightly more than 21% of Idaho's estimated population of 1,393,262. The 2000 census number was 278,866 residents, or 21.55% of the state's population at the time.

The Idaho Panhandle region observes Pacific Time north of the western-flowing Salmon River in the southern part of Idaho County. The rest of the state to the south observes Mountain Time, which begins at Riggins. Though North Idaho is at the same longitude as southern Idaho, the reasons for the different time zones are: one, because the commercial and transportation center for the region was in Spokane, (and now the media market); and two, there are many cross-border towns and cities that are connected, led by Spokane with Coeur d'Alene, followed by Pullman (WSU) with Moscow (UI), and Clarkston with Lewiston. Unlike the Idaho-Montana border, which consists of a long mountain range, and much of the Idaho-Oregon border, which is the Snake River, there isn't a natural boundary between Idaho-Washington. The Panhandle is isolated from southern Idaho due to distance and the east-west mountain ranges that naturally separate the state. The passage by vehicle was arduous until significant highway improvements were made on U.S. Route 95 in North Central Idaho from 1965-95 (Lapwai Canyon, White Bird Hill, Lewiston grade, and Lawyer's Canyon). Had the border been made today, the Panhandle of Idaho would likely be part of Washington, due to local geography. Recognition of this disconnection has caused the Idaho government to begin significant improvements to make U.S. Route 95 a multi-lane highway to connect North Idaho.

The Automobile Association of America (AAA) separates Idaho into two parts, where the Panhandle is part of AAA Washington and the southern part is part of AAA Oregon/Idaho