Albion, Idaho

Albion, Idaho
City
Overhead photo of Albion (2024)
Location of Albion in Cassia County, Idaho.
Coordinates: 42°24′35″N113°34′50″W / 42.40972°N 113.58056°W / 42.40972; -113.58056
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Cassia
Government
•  Mayor	Isaac Loveland [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.47 sq mi (1.22 km2)
• Land	0.47 sq mi (1.22 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	4,728 ft (1,441 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	234
• Density	496.82/sq mi (191.71/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	83311
Area code	208
FIPS code	16-01000
GNIS feature ID	2409677 [3]
Website	www.albionidaho.org

Albion is a city in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 234 at the 2020 census. Albion was the county seat of Cassia County from 1879 to 1918.

Albion is one of the few cities in the Magic Valley region of Idaho founded before 1900. Beginning in 1893 it was home of the Albion State Normal School, which trained many Idaho teachers. The school was closed in 1951 and its teaching programs were transferred to Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) in Pocatello. By 2006 the campus had fallen into serious disrepair.

History

The first settlement at Albion was made ca. 1875. ^[4] The city was named for Albion, the poetic name for Great Britain. ^[5]

Albion Normal School opened in 1893 and functioned until it closed in 1951. Magic Valley Christian College opened in 1957 but was closed in 1969 due to rumours. The school now stands as the site of five haunted houses and is a popular tourist attraction thanks to paranormal investigations.

D. L. Evans Bank was founded in Albion in 1904. Although the bank's headquarters is now located in Burley, it continues to operate a branch in Albion. ^[6]

Geography

Albion is located at 42°24′39″N113°34′51″W / 42.41083°N 113.58083°W / 42.41083; -113.58083 (42.410882, -113.580901). ^[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.47 square miles (1.22 km²), all of it land. ^[8] The college was later opened by the Church of Christ as Magic Valley Christian College. This was a part of Pepperdine College in California.

Climate

Climate data for Albion, Idaho
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	38.1 (3.4)	41.7 (5.4)	49.3 (9.6)	59.5 (15.3)	67.3 (19.6)	75.7 (24.3)	86.2 (30.1)	85.8 (29.9)	74.8 (23.8)	63.5 (17.5)	49.6 (9.8)	40.8 (4.9)	61.0 (16.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	15.2 (−9.3)	19.6 (−6.9)	25.4 (−3.7)	31.0 (−0.6)	36.9 (2.7)	41.3 (5.2)	47.2 (8.4)	47.1 (8.4)	38.2 (3.4)	30.7 (−0.7)	23.0 (−5.0)	18.5 (−7.5)	31.2 (−0.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.5 (38)	1.2 (30)	1.2 (30)	1.4 (36)	1.6 (41)	1.1 (28)	0.6 (15)	0.4 (10)	0.8 (20)	1.3 (33)	1.4 (36)	1.4 (36)	13.9 (350)
Source: Weatherbase [9]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	257		—
1890	179		−30.4%
1900	306		70.9%
1910	392		28.1%
1920	388		−1.0%
1930	262		−32.5%
1940	357		36.3%
1950	610		70.9%
1960	415		−32.0%
1970	229		−44.8%
1980	286		24.9%
1990	305		6.6%
2000	262		−14.1%
2010	267		1.9%
2020	234		−12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [10]

2010 census

As of the census ^[11] of 2010, there were 267 people, 113 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was 568.1 inhabitants per square mile (219.3/km²). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 293.6 per square mile (113.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 3.0% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.5% of the population.

There were 113 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 42.8 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[12] of 2000, there were 262 people, 108 households, and 65 families residing in the city. The population density was 635.5 inhabitants per square mile (245.4/km²). There were 120 housing units at an average density of 291.1 per square mile (112.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.24% White, 0.76% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.67% of the population.

There were 108 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 1.9% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,375, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $43,125 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,259. About 10.3% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.2% of those sixty five or over.

Education

The city is served by the Cassia County School District.

The city is zoned to:

• Albion Elementary School

Notable people

• Harold B. Lee (1899-1973) - educator, American religious leader
• Stephen Montague (1943-) - classical composer, lived in Albion as a child 1947 to 1951

References

1. https://albionidaho.gov/about/
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Albion, Idaho
4. The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Volumes 9-10. 1918. p. 8.
5. Harriman, Peter (May 5, 1989). "Albion faces community identity crisis". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. pp. 1B. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
6. "DL Evans Bank History". Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
9. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Albion, Idaho". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 18, 2012.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.