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Idaho County
Caribou County, Idaho
Soda Springs - the world's largest captive geyser and the Oregon Trail's soda springs - from Soda Springs' captive geyser (the Soda Springs Geyser - accidentally created in 1937 when a city crew drilling for a hot springs swimming pool tapped into pressurized carbonated water - now erupts every hour on the hour, controlled by a timer valve, and is the world's largest captive geyser - a town clock made of pressurized water) to the natural soda springs that made Soda Springs the most-described landmark on the Oregon Trail (the naturally carbonated springs that bubbled from the ground delighted and amazed trail emigrants who compared the fizzy water to soda water from a dispensary - the Oregon Trail-era springs were the most celebrated natural curiosity on the entire route west).
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Office: Caribou County Sheriff’s Office – 475 E. 2nd South, Soda Springs, ID 83276 | (208) 547-2561 | Fax (208) 547-2564; Sheriff elected 2021. Caribou County covers 1,700 square miles including 55 square miles of recreational water, across three incorporated towns.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-30 serves Soda Springs, the county seat and largest city.
Notes: Caribou County was established February 11, 1919, named for the Caribou Range. Explorer Robert Stuart passed through the Soda Springs area in 1812, followed by Donald McKenzie in 1819; the naturally carbonated springs became a well-known social gathering point for fur trappers by 1833 and a landmark on the Oregon Trail, with missionary and emigrant journal accounts dating to 1834. In May 1863, members of the Morrisite religious sect took refuge near the confluence of Soda Creek and the Bear River. Brigham Young himself helped establish the settlement beginning in 1870 and maintained a summer home there.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Caribou County Courthouse – 159 S. Main Street, Soda Springs, ID (built 1919, Classical Revival, builder C.K. Bocker; National Register of Historic Places since 1987).
Notes: Soda Springs is genuinely home to the world’s only captive geyser – a natural wonder created entirely by accident. On November 30, 1937 (some sources cite 1934), local “town fathers” drilling a well in search of hot water for a community bathing pool instead struck a highly pressurized underground chamber of carbon dioxide gas and cold water roughly 317 feet down, unleashing a geyser that shot over 100 feet into the air and ran uncontrolled for weeks, flooding downtown before being capped. Rather than eliminate it, the town harnessed it: the geyser is now released on a timer once every hour, drawing visitors to Geyser Park, making it one of the only regularly predictable geysers in the world.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Caribou County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via cariboucounty.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Soda Springs Public Library (Soda Springs) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Soda Springs Geyser Park (home to the world’s only captive geyser, erupting hourly), the Enders Hotel Museum, Hooper Springs, and Oregon Trail swale remnants are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions. Soda Springs carries the motto “Historic Oregon Trail Oasis.”
Notes: The genuine, delightful distinction of the Soda Springs Geyser as the world’s only captive geyser is among the most unique local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Caribou County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via cariboucounty.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via cariboucounty.us; Caribou County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Caribou County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via cariboucounty.us.
NOTES: Caribou County is the fifteenth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, delightful distinction of the Soda Springs Geyser as the world’s only captive geyser is among the most unique 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 Caribou County
Caribou County is the world’s largest captive geyser and the Oregon Trail’s most celebrated natural curiosity – Soda Springs’ hourly geyser (accidentally created in 1937) and the natural carbonated springs that made trail emigrants feel they’d found a natural soda fountain define one of southeast Idaho’s most distinctive communities.
Soda Springs (the county seat, population ~2,900) celebrates its geyser and trail heritage while the Monsanto phosphate mine defines the county’s industrial economy.
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Caribou County Assessor at 159 S. Main Street, Suite 5, Soda Springs, ID 83276, phone 208-547-3726. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Caribou County District Court at 159 S. Main Street, Soda Springs, ID 83276, phone 208-547-3731, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
159 S. Main St., Soda Springs, ID 83276
(208) 547-4324
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
159 S. Main St., Soda Springs, ID 83276
(208) 547-4324
ELECTIONS / CLERK
159 S. Main St., Soda Springs, ID 83276
(208) 547-4324
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Caribou County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Caribou 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
Caribou County Magistrate Court 159 South Main Street, Room 202, Soda Springs, ID 83276 (208) 547-4324
Caribou County is in southeastern Idaho, known for phosphate mining and Soda Springs, home to the world’s only captive geyser.
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 Caribou 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 Caribou 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
159 S. Main St., Soda Springs, ID 83276
(208) 547-3304
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
159 S. Main St., Soda Springs, ID 83276
(208) 547-4324
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — Southeast
(208) 236-6700
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Caribou Memorial Hospital
cariboumemorial.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southeastern Idaho Public Health (serving Caribou County) – confirm current contact via siphidaho.org.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Soda Springs
Population: 6,800
Area: 1,766 sq mi
Established: 1919
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Caribou County residents.
