Moscow is the county seat of Latah County in northern Idaho, along the Washington/Idaho border. The city is the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state. Eight miles to the west is Pullman, the home of Washington State University. While the University of Idaho is the dominant employer in Moscow, the city also serves as a modest agricultural and commercial hub for the Palouse region. As of the 2000 census, the city has a total population of 21,291. Moscow is the birthplace of Carol Ryrie Brink, singer Josh Ritter and model Nicholas Lemons. Along with the rest of northern Idaho, Moscow resides in the Pacific Time Zone.
Moscow is the principal city of the Moscow, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Latah County.
Moscow is located at 46°43'54" North, 116°59'50" West (46.731745, -116.997188).
According to the U.S. Census, the city has a total area of 15.9 km2 (6.2 mi2). 15.9 km2 (6.2 mi2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
The town lies in a valley between the Palouse Range (highest point is Moscow Mountain at 4983 feet) to the northeast, and the less prominent Paradise Ridge (3702 feet) to the southeast. This region which surrounds the Moscow-Pullman area, known as the Palouse, has varied geologic formations: very old intrusive granite structures, fertile fields atop rolling hills of deep loess soil deposited after the last ice age by westerly winds, and flood-worn basaltic channels. The Palouse is commonly termed 'The Breadbasket of the Northwest' because of its high yield per acre of wheat (as well as peas, lentils, & canola). Downtown Moscow is at an elevation of 2560 feet, and the University of Idaho (Administration Building) is at 2640 feet (exactly a half mile).
As of the census of 2000, there are 21,291 people, 7,724 households, and 3,869 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,336.7/km2 (3,460.6/mi2). There are 8,029 housing units at an average density of 504.1/km2 (1,305.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 92.23% White, 0.91% African American, 0.80% Native American, 3.13% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 2.47% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,724 households out of which 24.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% are married couples living together, 6.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% are non-families. 29.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 2.87.
In the city the population is spread out with 16.1% under the age of 18, 35.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 24 years. For every 100 females there are 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 110.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,884, and the median income for a family is $46,331. Males have a median income of $35,494 versus $24,560 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,930. 22.4% of the population and 9.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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The first settlers came to the area in 1869 and informally named the vicinity Hog Heaven, due to the abundance of camas bulbs, a favorite fodder of pigs. When the first post office opened in 1872, the town was called Paradise Valley (Paradise Creek flows through town, westward to Pullman), but the name was changed to Moscow in 1875.
The origin of the name Moscow has long been disputed. There is no evidence that it was named by a Russian or for a Russian city. What can be verified is this: five of the settlers met to choose a proper name. They wanted a prestigious name, one that would bode well for the town. They failed to come to an agreement quickly, and so they designated the postmaster, Samuel Neff, to complete the official papers. He chose Moscow, which because of its favorable meaning, city of brotherly love,' met the desired requirements. An interesting sidelight to the choice is that Neff was born in Moscow, Pennsylvania and later moved to Moscow, Iowa.
With the establishment of the business district in 1875, the town began developing as a trading center. The coming of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company's rail line (now Union Pacific) in 1885 touched off a migration that boosted the young town's population to 2000 in 1890. A second railroad line, the Northern Pacific, reached the town in 1890.
The capital of the Idaho Territory was relocated from Lewiston to Boise in December 1864. In the late 1880s, statehood for the Washington Territory was nearing. Because its commercial and transportation interests looked west, rather than south, the citizens of the Idaho Panhandle passionately lobbied for their region to join Washington, or form an entirely separate state, rather than remain connected with the less accessible southern Idaho. To appease the residents of the north, the territorial legislature of Idaho in Boise placed the new land grant university in Moscow. The University of Idaho was chartered in January 1889, and first opened its doors to students in October 1892.
In March 1890 Moscow's twin city, Pullman, was selected as the home of Washington's land grant institution. The college which would eventually become Washington State University, opened its doors in January 1892. Washington entered the union as the 42nd state in November 1889. Idaho entered next, eight months later, in July 1890.
Today, the commercial, transportational, and political divide between northern & southern Idaho remains, which includes different time zones.
Source:
MoscowID.com
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