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Office: Butte County Sheriff’s Office – 256 W. Grand Avenue, P.O. Box 130, Arco, ID 83213 | (208) 527-8553 | Fax (208) 527-3916.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. Butte County is Idaho’s third-least populous county (2,574 residents as of 2020).
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-20/26/93 serve Arco, the county seat and largest city.
Notes: Butte County was established February 6, 1917, from parts of Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson Counties, gaining additional territory from Custer County in 1937 to reach its present boundary; named for Big Southern Butte, a landmark rising from the Snake River plain that guided trappers and pioneers through the area. The first settlement in the county occurred around 1878, roughly four miles south of present-day Arco, then known as Kennedy Crossing or Lower Crossing of the Lost River.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Butte County Courthouse – 326 W. Grand Avenue, Arco, ID | (208) 589-9872.
Notes: Butte County holds genuinely historic significance in nuclear science: on December 20, 1951, scientists led by Walter Zinn at the Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I), located in the county, successfully generated usable electricity from nuclear power for the first time, initially lighting four light bulbs. As word spread, Arco became known worldwide as the first city ever lit by atomic power, a distinction still proclaimed on a marquee at the city’s Visitor Center; the city carries the nickname “Atomic City.” EBR-I continued generating power for 12 more years before being shut down in December 1963. The town celebrates this legacy annually with “Atomic Days,” held the third weekend of July since 1982, featuring a parade, rodeo, softball tournament, and themed educational programming. Arco is also known for “Number Hill,” where each graduating class of Butte County High School has painted its class year on the hillside since 1920 – a tradition unbroken for over a century.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Butte County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via buttecountyid.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Butte County Library (Arco) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I), a National Historic Landmark open for public tours, “Number Hill” (the painted class-year tradition), and Craters of the Moon National Monument nearby are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, world-historic distinction of Arco as the first city in the world lit by atomic power is among the most historically remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Butte County Assessor’s Office – (208) 527-8288 | 205 W. Grand Avenue, Arco, ID.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Heart of Idaho Animal Sanctuary – serving Butte County; Butte County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements, (208) 527-8553.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Butte County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via buttecountyid.us.
NOTES: Butte County is the twelfth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, world-historic distinction of Arco as the first city in the world lit by atomic power is among the most remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Butte County County
Butte County is Idaho’s nuclear pioneer and lunar landscape county – Arco’s 1955 distinction as the first city powered by nuclear electricity and the Apollo 14 astronaut training ground of Craters of the Moon’s volcanic terrain define a county of remarkable scientific and geological heritage where Arco serves the county’s ranching and research communities.
Arco (the county seat, population ~940) is Butte County’s governmental hub on US 20, a remote east-central Idaho community whose nuclear energy pioneer heritage, Craters of the Moon gateway, Lost River Range views, and ranching economy anchor its identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Butte County Assessor at 148 Heineman Street, Arco, ID 83213, phone 208-527-3021. ID assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Butte County District Court at 148 Heineman Street, Arco, ID 83213, phone 208-527-3021, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
248 W. Grand Ave., Arco, ID 83213
(208) 527-3021
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
248 W. Grand Ave., Arco, ID 83213
(208) 527-3021
ELECTIONS / CLERK
248 W. Grand Ave., Arco, ID 83213
(208) 527-3021
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Butte County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Butte County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Butte County Magistrate Court 248 West Grand, P.O. Box 737, Arco, ID 83213
Magistrate Judge: Hon. Ralph L. Savage. Butte County is home to Arco, the first city in the world to be powered by nuclear energy (1955), and near the Idaho National Laboratory and Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Idaho has adopted the Uniform Probate Code (Idaho Code Title 15). Idaho is also a community property state. Idaho recognizes four main paths:
Small Estate Affidavit – a non-court process for estates with a total value of $100,000 or less (excluding liens and encumbrances) and no real property. Available 30 days after death. No court filing required (Idaho Code § 15-3-1201).
Summary Administration – available when the value of all the decedent’s property is less than the homestead allowance, exempt property, and last-illness medical expenses combined, or when a surviving spouse is sole beneficiary (Idaho Code §§ 15-3-1203, 15-3-1205).
Informal Probate – the most common track for uncontested estates, handled through the court registrar.
Formal Probate – court-supervised proceedings required when disputes arise or the will is contested.
Step 2: filing
For informal probate with a will, file an Application for Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative with the Magistrate Division.
For formal probate, file a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (or the equivalent for intestate estates).
Idaho does not have a statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be reasonable given the services rendered and complexity.
If formal or informal probate is needed
Determine whether small estate affidavit, summary administration, or full probate applies.
File the appropriate application or petition with the Butte County Magistrate Court.
Under informal proceedings, the registrar reviews the application without a hearing. Under formal proceedings, a judge holds a hearing.
The personal representative accepts the appointment and may need to post a bond.
Once appointed, the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. Obtain several certified copies.
Publish notice to creditors as required.
Mail notice to all heirs, beneficiaries, and interested parties.
Marshal assets, obtain an EIN, open an estate account, pay valid debts and expenses, and prepare any required inventory.
Distribute remaining assets per the will or Idaho’s intestacy statutes, then close the estate.
What it costs
Idaho does not impose its own state estate or inheritance tax.
Idaho does not have a statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives.
Court filing fees and publication costs are separate – confirm current amounts with the Butte County Magistrate Court.
Probate in Idaho typically takes 6-12 months for uncontested estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
248 W. Grand Ave., Arco, ID 83213
(208) 527-3231
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
248 W. Grand Ave., Arco, ID 83213
(208) 527-3021
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — East
(208) 528-5700
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Lost Rivers Medical Center
lostRiversmedical.com (Mackay)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Butte County Health Department – confirm current contact via buttecountyid.us.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Arco
Population: 2,600
Area: 2,233 sq mi
Established: 1917
Public Records
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