Preston, Idaho

Preston, Idaho
City
Location in Franklin County and the state of Idaho
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Franklin
Area
• Total	6.7 sq mi (17.3 km2)
• Land	6.7 sq mi (17.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	4,715 ft (1,437 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	4,682
• Density	701.0/sq mi (270.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	83263
Area code	208
FIPS code	16-65260
GNIS feature ID	0398011

Preston is a city in Franklin County, Idaho, United States. The population was 4,682 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Franklin CountyTemplate:GR. It is part of the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Bear River Massacre occurred in 1863 at a point a few miles northwest of Preston. The Bear River Massacre Site is a National Historic Landmark.

In 1866, Mormon pioneers arrived in the northern end of the Cache Valley, stretching across southeastern Idaho and northeastern Utah. They founded a town in that location and named it Worm Creek, but later changed it to Preston. Preston was named after Preston, England, the center of early Mormon proselytizing in the UK.

Napoleon Dynamite

Much of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite was shot in the town of Preston, including at Preston High School, located several blocks from U.S. Highway 91. Several area landmarks can be seen throughout the film. Preston is the home of the film's creators, Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess, Preston being where Jared went to high school.

Festival

The city holds a "Napoleon Dynamite Festival" every summer, organized by the Preston Chamber of Commerce. Many of the events that the festival revolved around are related to events, activities or scenes that took place in the film, such as: Tetherball Tournament, Tater Tot Eating Contest, Moon Boot Dance, Impersonation, Look-A-Like Contest, Football Throwing Contest, and more. In 2004 there was a single day event that drew an approximate 300 people. Although this was not a large crowd drawing event, it did help raise $1,500 for the Preston School District Education Foundation. In 2005 an estimated 6,000 people attended the event, but that number dropped to an estimated 400 in 2006. The 2007 event was held along with the 'That Famous Preston Night Rodeo' in Preston. The 2008 festival is scheduled to be held the first Saturday of August. [1]

Festival of Lights

Each year Preston holds the "Idaho Festival of Lights[2]", which starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes unto December 31. The festival was started by two local business men (Wayne Bell and Walter Ross) along with many other community organizations to help celebrate Christmas within the community. The festival consists of a lighted parade, fireworks, and displays in the city park. The merchants along the main street of Preston have their store fronts decorated with Christmas lights during the festival.

A key event of the festival is the International Bed Race, which is held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving on the main street of Preston. Additional events are a free kid's parade and movie.

Geography

Preston is located at 42°5′43″N 111°52′31″W (42.095160, -111.875330)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.3 km²), all of it land.

Nearby is the Cub River Canyon, which is a popular recreation area.

Within Preston itself, U.S. Highway 91 is the main north-south street, State Street. By taking US-91, it is possible to travel to Preston from Logan, Utah. Oneida Street, also State Highway 36 is the primary west-east road. Preston is a brief drive from Interstate 15.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 4,682 people, 1,529 households, and 1,200 families residing in the city. The population density was 701.0 people per square mile (270.6/km²). There were 1,640 housing units at an average density of 245.6/sq mi (94.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.22% White, 0.09% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.04% of the population.

There were 1,529 households out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50.

In the city the population was spread out with 35.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,204, and the median income for a family was $39,537. Males had a median income of $29,247 versus $20,652 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,751. About 5.9% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Preston Chamber of Commerce
• Preston's Schools
• Preston's Festival of Lights