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Idaho County
Power County, Idaho
American Falls Reservoir and the Snake River irrigation empire - from American Falls Reservoir (the 56,000-acre reservoir on the Snake River - one of the most important water storage facilities in the American West - stores Snake River water from spring runoff for distribution to Idaho's agricultural heartland during the irrigation season, making American Falls Reservoir a cornerstone of the agricultural economy that has transformed the Snake River Plain from high desert to one of America's most productive farming regions) and the Idaho National Laboratory's proximity in the adjacent Butte County desert.
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Office: Power County Sheriff’s Office – American Falls, ID 83211. Confirm current sheriff and phone via co.power.id.us.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-86 serves American Falls, the county seat and largest city, on the Snake River.
Notes: Power County was created by the Idaho Legislature January 30, 1913, partitioned from Cassia County, named for an early hydroelectric power plant (built 1901-1902) at American Falls. Approximately 159,000 acres in eastern Power County lie within the Bannock-Shoshone Fort Hall Indian Reservation.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Power County Courthouse – 543 Bannock Avenue, American Falls, ID (built 1925, Classical Revival/Prairie School, architect C.A. Sundberg; National Register of Historic Places since 1987).
Notes: American Falls holds a genuinely extraordinary distinction: it was the first town in the entire United States to be completely relocated. When the American Falls Dam project (formally authorized 1920, completed ahead of schedule on April 21, 1926, creating a massive reservoir) threatened to flood the original townsite, residents moved the entire city – homes, churches, businesses, and other buildings – up the hill to its present location in 1925, ahead of the rising reservoir waters; the Oregon Short Line Railroad bridge crossing the falls had to be raised 22 feet to accommodate the new water level. The original townsite now sits beneath the reservoir. American Falls itself was a well-documented Oregon Trail campsite, visited by the Wilson Price Hunt expedition in 1811 and John C. Frémont’s expedition in 1843, and was named for a party of American fur trappers whose boat went over the falls.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Power County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via powercounty.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
American Falls District Library (American Falls) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: American Falls Reservoir (555,860 acres, irrigation and recreation), the “Old Town” submerged townsite history, and the Power County Historical Society & Museum are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, extraordinary story of American Falls as the first entirely relocated town in U.S. history is among the most remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Power County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via powercounty.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via powercounty.gov; Power County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Power County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via powercounty.gov.
NOTES: Power County is the fortieth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, extraordinary story of American Falls as the first entirely relocated town in U.S. history 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 Power County
Power County is the American Falls Reservoir – the 56,000-acre Snake River reservoir that stores the water powering Idaho’s agricultural empire, and the community of American Falls sits below the dam that replaced the original falls that gave the town its name.
American Falls (the county seat, population ~4,400) serves the reservoir’s surrounding agricultural communities – potato, grain, and dairy farming sustained by Snake River irrigation define the county’s economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Power County Assessor at 543 Bannock Avenue, American Falls, ID 83211, phone 208-226-7610. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Power County District Court at 543 Bannock Avenue, American Falls, ID 83211, phone 208-226-7611, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
543 Pocatello Ave., American Falls, ID 83211
(208) 226-7611
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
543 Pocatello Ave., American Falls, ID 83211
(208) 226-7611
ELECTIONS / CLERK
543 Pocatello Ave., American Falls, ID 83211
(208) 226-7611
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Power County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Power 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
Power County Magistrate Court 543 Bannock Avenue, Room 101, American Falls, ID 83211 (208) 226-7618
Power County was created January 30, 1913, named for the power plant at the American Falls Dam. The 1925 Power County Courthouse (Classical Revival/Prairie School, National Register of Historic Places) was designed by architect C.A. Sundberg – one of only two Idaho courthouses combining those two architectural styles.
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 Power 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 Power 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
543 Pocatello Ave., American Falls, ID 83211
(208) 226-2311
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
543 Pocatello Ave., American Falls, ID 83211
(208) 226-7611
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
Power County Hospital District
(208) 226-3200
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southeastern Idaho Public Health (serving Power County) – confirm current contact via siphidaho.org.
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