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Lincoln
County is located in the south-central region of Idaho. It ranks
39th among counties in population and 25th in area. It is
positioned 30 miles north of Twin Falls on Highway 93 and 75
miles south of Sun Valley on Highway 75. The county seat is
Shoshone and the county includes two other incorporated cities,
Richfield and Dietrich. US highway 93, and state highways 24,
26, and 75 converge in Shoshone, making this town a major
crossroads for travel through this part of the state. The Union
Pacific railroad runs through Shoshone, however it is only a
main line with no passenger or freight service available.
Lincoln County is in a transitional zone between the rich
agricultural areas on the Snake River plain to the south and the
recreational areas to the north. The county is a high plains
desert dominated by basalt flows. Elevation and climate are
limiting factors to crop production with elevation averaging
4100 feet in crop producing areas, and a frost free period of
112 days.
The county is 78% public owned land with most administered by
the Bureau of Land Management. One hundred thousand acres are
used for agriculture production, either for crops or irrigated
and dryland pastures. There are about 78,000 acres irrigated in
the county. The major crops raised include alfalfa, cereal
grains, oats for hay, and more recently silage corn acreage is
increasing to support the dairy industry. Some potatoes and
sugar beets are grown in the Dietrich and Hidden Valley areas.
The major livestock production is dairy cattle, beef cattle, and
some small farm sheep flocks and a few small swine herds.
Lincoln County has long been a commuter county, and this is
increasing as people continue to move here due to lower home and
land prices, and drive to their jobs in the Wood River valley or
Twin Falls and Jerome.
The University of Idaho Cooperative Extension system has the
purpose of bringing the resources of the University of Idaho to
the people of Idaho. Our responsibility is to be responsive in
helping farmers, ranchers, home makers, small business owners
and others find solutions to their problems.
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