Idaho panhandle

Idaho panhandle
Red: The ten counties of the Idaho panhandle
Country	United States
State	Idaho
Largest city	Coeur d'Alene
Area
• Total	21,012.64 sq mi (54,422.5 km2)
Population  (2010)	317,751

The Idaho panhandle—locally known as North Idaho, Northern Idaho, or simply the Panhandle—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone (though the southern part of the region is sometimes referred to as North Central Idaho). The panhandle is bordered by the state of Washington to the west, Montana to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. The Idaho panhandle, along with Eastern Washington, makes up the region known as the Inland Northwest, headed by its largest city, Spokane, Washington.

Coeur d'Alene is the largest city within the Idaho panhandle. Spokane is around 30 miles (50 km) west of Coeur d'Alene, and its Spokane International Airport is the region's main air hub. Other important cities in the region include Lewiston, Moscow, Post Falls, Hayden, Sandpoint, and the smaller towns of St. Maries and Bonners Ferry. East of Coeur d'Alene is the Silver Valley, which follows Interstate 90 to the Montana border at Lookout Pass.

The region has a land area of 21,012.64 square miles (54,422 km²), around 25.4% of the state's total land area; there is also 323.95 square miles (839 km²) of water area. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the Idaho panhandle was 317,751, around 20.3% of the state's total population of 1,567,582.^[2]

The town of Bonners Ferry has two Canada–US border crossings: Porthill-Rykerts Border Crossing connects with Creston, British Columbia; Eastport–Kingsgate Border Crossing connects with Yahk, British Columbia.