Mountain Home, Idaho

Mountain Home, Idaho
City
Clockwise from top: Historic Turner Hotel, Elmore County Courthouse, Mountain Home Air Force Base, St. James Episcopal Church
Location of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho
Coordinates: 43°8′13″N 115°41′40″W / 43.13694°N 115.69444°W / 43.13694; -115.69444
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Elmore
Government
• Mayor	Rich Sykes[1]
Area [2]
• Total	6.35 sq mi (16.45 km2)
• Land	6.06 sq mi (15.70 km2)
• Water	0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2)
Elevation	3,146 ft (959 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,979
• Density	2,636.8/sq mi (1,018.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code	83647
Area code	208
FIPS code	16-54730
GNIS feature ID	0374044
Website	mountain-home.us

Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho, United States.^[3] The population was 15,979 in the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Mountain Home Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Elmore County.

Mountain Home was originally a post office at Rattlesnake Station, a stagecoach stop on the Overland Stage Line, about seven miles (11 km) east of the city, on present-day US-20 towards Fairfield. With the addition of the Oregon Short Line Railroad in 1883, the post office was moved downhill and west to the city's present site.^[4][5]

Mountain Home Air Force Base, an Air Combat Command installation, is located 12 miles (20 km) southwest of the city. Opened in 1943 during World War II, it was originally a bomber training base and later an operational Strategic Air Command bomber and missile base (1953–65). It switched to Tactical Air Command and fighters in January 1966, which was succeeded by Air Combat Command in 1992.