Explore the Small-town Life in Eastern Idaho
Life in Eastern Idaho is full of great surprises. You’ll find friendly people, stunning vistas everywhere and a quaint communities that are perfect places to call home. If you are thinking about moving to this region, here are three small towns to put on your list to consider.
Salmon: A Rich Community
Located in east-central Idaho, about 40 miles south of Montana, the mountain town of Salmon has a rich history. Salmon is the birthplace of Sacagawea. Considered one of the most famous women in American history, she helped guide Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition through the West.
Recognized for its beautiful rivers, Salmon is also an angler’s paradise and offers the best guided river tours around. “It’s some of the prettiest landscapes I’ve ever seen with access to tremendous outdoor activities,” says Josh Henroid.
While living in Missouri, Josh and his wife, Jessica, realized they craved more. “We had decent careers, but it wasn’t something that we wanted to do our whole lives. We needed a reset,” Josh says. “Salmon always stuck out to us. We spent some long weekends there and just decided to go for it.”
In 2019, he and Jessica moved to Salmon, and about a year later, they turned a renovated 1901 building into Mountain Harvest Community Market. The couple met while working at a grocery store, and Jessica had extensive experience working in that sector, so opening the market made sense.
“We focus on healthy food and local produce,” Josh says. “We want to serve the citizens. A good grocery store can be a cornerstone of the community.”
For families like the Henroids, Salmon offers the opportunities that they always dreamed of giving their daughter.
“We couldn’t be happier,” Josh says. “Our daughter can ski, rock climb and be a river guide. She can be all of that wrapped up in one person. There are endless opportunities.”
Driggs: An Identity of Its Own
The scenery is different but equally stunning in Driggs, about 200 miles southeast of Salmon. This small town in far east Idaho lies in the shadow of the magnificent Grand Teton National Park. Skiing and upscale shopping in Jackson Hole are just an hour’s drive away.
“Driggs has a small-town feel, like Jackson back in the 1980s and ’90s,” says Andrew Boczar. “Driggs is more western and rural – not what Jackson is now.”
Just off Highway 33 north of town, Boczar’s family runs the Grand Teton Distillery, where they craft potato vodka and whiskey. Throughout the year, people come to buy spirits and tour the distillery. “We get a bit of everything – locals from within driving distance and, in the summer, visitors from all over,” Boczar says.
While the region attracts worldwide interest, Driggs continues to maintain its character.
“Driggs has always been a sleeper town, the place people pass through on their way to somewhere else,” says Christian Hanley. “Even today, after all the attention and real estate speculation, I don’t think people fully realize its beauty. However, the reality is that we have our own identity, full of independence and authenticity.”
Hanley and his wife, Lisa, own Forage Bistro & Lounge. In their spare time, they ski, snowboard and bike. In 2019, the Hanleys partnered with another local business, Tatanka Tavern, to open Citizen 33 Brewery.
“We all agreed that our little town needed a brewery to bring us together,” Hanley says. “The name is derived from our sense of place, a combination of all of us citizens in Driggs and Highway 33.”
American Falls: Americana in the Mountains
Driving Highway 33 from Driggs, it’s 145 miles to American Falls. Situated along Interstate 86 near Pocatello, Michelle and Deaven Jorgenson couldn’t be happier in their new town.
“American Falls is amazing. We’ve never seen anything like it,” Deaven says. “We just made friends so easily. They pulled us right in.”
In 2021, the Jorgensons moved from northern Utah. Deaven was working in IT from home but says he was not enjoying it. The area was getting busier, while housing prices were skyrocketing.
The couple ended up buying a house in American Falls, where Deaven now has a construction business and Michelle works as a behavioral specialist at an elementary school.
“We’re the small-town type,” says Michelle, who appreciates the community spirit in American Falls. “We all come together for different activities. There are a lot of summer festivals. It’s very much the quintessential American community.”
Like all Eastern Idaho communities, adventures are never far away. “Disc golf is big,” Deaven says. “And we’re about six blocks from the water for swimming, kayaking and fishing.”
With a few years in American Falls behind them, the Jorgenson’s plan to continue enjoying life in Eastern Idaho. “We feel really good about our move,” Deaven says. “People are super welcoming here.”
Get to Know Eastern Idaho
Want to learn more about living and working in Idaho Falls and Eastern Idaho? Check out the latest edition of Livability Eastern Idaho.