Lewiston, city, seat of Nez Perce County, northwestern Idaho, an inland port at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, near Washington State; incorporated as a city 1863. It is a commercial and processing center for a lumbering and farming region; plywood and processed food are the major manufactures. Lewis-Clark State College (1893) is here. Founded in 1861, Lewiston was the first capital (1863-64) of the Idaho Territory. It is named for Meriwether Lewis, who camped here with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 and in 1806. Population 27,986 (1980); 28,082 (1990); 30,904 (2000).
