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Idaho County
Gooding County, Idaho
Thousand Springs and the Snake River's artesian aquifer spectacle - from Thousand Springs Scenic Byway (the stretch of the Snake River canyon in Gooding County where hundreds of springs burst directly from the canyon walls - fed by the vast Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer recharged by the Lost River Range snowmelt - creating one of the most extraordinary hydrological spectacles in the American West, where the Snake River flows through a canyon whose walls literally pour with water) to Malad Gorge State Park (the 2.5-mile canyon of the Malad River that drops through 250-foot basalt walls in one of southern Idaho's most dramatic geological formations).
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Office: Gooding County Sheriff’s Office – 624 Main Street, Gooding, ID 83330 | (208) 934-4422 | Fax (208) 934-4260; Sheriff Shaun Gough. The office maintains a marine department for emergency response and river patrol, with boat inspections available by appointment.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-84 serves Gooding, the county seat and largest city.
Notes: Gooding County was created by the Idaho Legislature on January 28, 1913, partitioned from Lincoln County, named for Frank R. Gooding – a pioneer sheep rancher, early mayor of the city of Gooding, and later both Idaho Governor and U.S. Senator, a genuinely notable local-to-national political trajectory. The town of Gooding itself was platted on land Gooding owned at the Toponis rail station in 1907 and incorporated under his name in 1908; the area saw an extraordinary 931% population increase between 1900 and 1910 as settlement boomed.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gooding County Courthouse – Gooding, ID.
Notes: Gooding County is home to a stunning natural landmark: Malad Gorge, a 250-foot-deep canyon carved by the Malad River, downstream from a 60-foot waterfall, within Thousand Springs State Park. A visible section of the Oregon Trail crosses the gorge area. The county’s dairy industry has become a major and stabilizing economic force in recent decades, helping the county maintain one of Idaho’s lowest unemployment rates.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gooding County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via goodingcounty.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Gooding Public Library (Gooding) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Thousand Springs State Park (including the Malad Gorge unit, a 250-foot canyon with a 60-foot waterfall and visible Oregon Trail remnants), Niagara Springs, and Ritter Island are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, dramatic natural beauty of Malad Gorge within Thousand Springs State Park, alongside namesake Frank R. Gooding’s rise from local sheep rancher to Governor and U.S. Senator, are among the standout local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gooding County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via goodingcounty.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via goodingcounty.org; Gooding County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gooding County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via goodingcounty.org.
NOTES: Gooding County is the twenty-fourth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, dramatic natural beauty of Malad Gorge and namesake Frank R. Gooding’s political career are among the standout local facts covered 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 Gooding County
Gooding County is Idaho’s Thousand Springs county – the hundreds of springs bursting directly from the Snake River canyon walls, fed by the vast Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, create one of the most extraordinary hydrological spectacles in the West, where ancient snowmelt emerges from basalt canyon walls after a journey of hundreds of miles underground.
Gooding (the county seat, population ~3,400) and Shoshone (population ~1,600) serve the county’s dairy, potato, and trout farming communities in the Magic Valley.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gooding County Assessor at 624 Main Street, Suite A, Gooding, ID 83330, phone 208-934-4841. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Gooding County District Court at 624 Main Street, Gooding, ID 83330, phone 208-934-4221, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
624 Main St., Gooding, ID 83330
(208) 934-4221
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
624 Main St., Gooding, ID 83330
(208) 934-4221
ELECTIONS / CLERK
624 Main St., Gooding, ID 83330
(208) 934-4221
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gooding County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gooding 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
Gooding County Magistrate Court 624 Main Street, P.O. Box 417, Gooding, ID 83330 (208) 934-4861 Gooding County is in south-central Idaho, near the Thousand Springs area of the Snake River Canyon.
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 Gooding 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 Gooding 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
624 Main St., Gooding, ID 83330
(208) 934-8110
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
624 Main St., Gooding, ID 83330
(208) 934-4221
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — South Central
(208) 736-3072
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
North Canyon Medical Center
northcanyonmed.com (Gooding)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: South Central Public Health District (serving Gooding County) – confirm current contact via phd5.idaho.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gooding
Population: 15,500
Area: 732 sq mi
Established: 1913
Tier: 3
Public Records
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