Pocatello, in southeastern Idaho, seat of Bannock County, on the Portneuf River. Pocatello is a distributing and commercial center for an irrigated farm area producing potatoes, grain, and dairy products. Manufactures include fertilizer, electronic equipment, machinery, and processed food. Idaho State University (1901) is here, and American Falls Reservoir and other outdoor-recreation spots are nearby. The city was founded as a railroad center in 1882 and is named for Pocatello, a local Bannock Native American leader. It was incorporated as a city in 1893. Its main industrial growth began in the 1940s. According to the 1990 census, whites constitute 94.1 percent of the city's population; Native Americans, 1.4 percent; people of Asian background, 1.3 percent; and blacks, 0.9 percent. Hispanics, who may also be counted among other groups, represent 4.5 percent of Pocatello's population. Population 46,340 (1980); 46,080 (1990); 53,074 (1998 estimate).
