Nathaniel Wyeth of Massachusetts established one of the first permanent settlements at Fort Hall in 1834, which is only a few miles northeast of Pocatello. When over-trapping and a shift in fashion to silk hats put an end to the fur trade, Fort Hall became a supply point for immigrants traveling the Oregon Trail.
Although thousands of immigrants passed through Idaho, it was not until the discovery of gold in 1860 that Idaho attracted settlers in large numbers. The gold rush brought a need for goods and services to many towns, and the Portneuf Valley, home of Pocatello, was the corridor initially used by stage and freight lines. The coming of the railroad provided further development of Idaho's mineral resources and "Pocatello junction" became an important transportation crossroads as the Union Pacific Railroad expanded its service.
After its founding in 1889, Pocatello became known as the "Gate City"<ref>Wrigley, Robert L. “The Early History of Pocatello, Idaho.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 4, 1943, pp. 353–65. JSTOR, Template:JSTOR. Accessed November 18, 2023.</ref> for being a gateway to Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. As pioneers, gold miners and settlers traveled the Oregon Trail, they passed through the Portneuf Gap south of town. Stage and freight lines and the railroad soon followed, turning the community into a trade center and transportation junction.
After the gold rush played out, the settlers who remained turned to agriculture. With the help of irrigation from the nearby Snake River, the region became a large supplier of potatoes, grain and other crops. Residential and commercial development gradually appeared by 1882.
The adjacent city of Alameda was consolidated into Pocatello in 1962,<ref name=idmetr>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=vtjbic>Template:Cite news</ref> Chubbuck, further north, opposed a similar merger and remained a separate municipality.<ref name=vtjbic/> In the 1960 census, Alameda had a population of 10,660 and Pocatello was at 28,534; the consolidation made Pocatello the state's largest city based on those numbers, passing Boise and Idaho Falls.<ref name=idmetr/><ref name=vtjbic/>
On April 5, 2025, 17-year-old Victor Perez who is a non-verbal autistic with cerebral palsy was shot by police when they were called about him was having a cognitive episode and was in his back yard with a kitchen knife. A neighbor called the police via 911 for assistance who arrived with weapons drawn, avoided talking to anyone on the scene especially the family members who were trying to talk to them about the situation and pleading that he was not mentally capable and would not be able to understand verbal instructions, just seconds after arriving on the scene they yelled instructions at him, and since he did not understand due to disability, they shot Victor nine times. A video was released by the neighbor who called 911, and it shows the scene that has been widely received with outrage. Victor Perez's leg had to be immediately amputated. He died from the injuries on April 12.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A main water feature of Pocatello is the Portneuf River, which runs southeast to northwest on the western side of the city. Since 1992, the city and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> have worked to create a system of trails that follow the river and connect to other trails in the greater Portneuf Valley. Currently, 15+ miles of trails have been constructed with 27 planned total miles.
Template:US Census populationTemplate:As ofAmerican Community Survey estimates, there were 56,582 people and 21,657 households.<ref name=DP05>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=DP02>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 23,357 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name=DP05/><ref name=Gaz2023>To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=B25001>Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the city was 86.2% White, 2.4% Asian, 2.3% some other race, 1.5% Native American or Alaskan Native, 1.4% Black or African American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 6.0% from two or more races.<ref name=DP05/> Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.6% of the population.<ref name=DP05/>
Of the 21,657 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.1% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% were couples cohabitating, 22.7% had a male householder with no partner present, and 25.8% had a female householder with no partner present.<ref name=DP02/> The median household size was 2.48 and the median family size was 3.30.<ref name=DP02/>
The age distribution was 24.8% under 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.9 years.<ref name=S0101>Template:Cite web</ref> For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males.<ref name=DP05/>
The median income for a household was $56,115, with family households having a median income of $76,299 and non-family households $35,964. The per capita income was $28,922.<ref name=S1902>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=S1901>Template:Cite web</ref> Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $52,873 compared to $42,456 for females.<ref name=S2001>Template:Cite web</ref> Out of the 53,680 people with a determined poverty status, 14.4% were below the poverty line. Further, 17.0% of minors and 12.3% of seniors were below the poverty line.<ref name=S1701>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of English descent made up 20.5% of the population of the town, followed by German at 14.2%, Irish at 9.8%, American at 6.0%, Scottish at 4.0%, Italian at 3.0%, Danish at 3.0%, Swedish at 2.7%, Norwegian at 2.6%, French at 2.0%, Welsh at 2.0%, Polish at 1.4%, Swiss at 1.3%, Scotch-Irish at 1.2%, and Dutch at 1.0%.<ref name=DP02/>
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is building a data center in Pocatello as part of an initiative to consolidate operations into three enterprise data centers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Idaho State University's L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center is the largest such complex in Pocatello and hosts dance, theater, music, and other entertainment events. The grand concert hall seats up to 1,200 people.
The Westside Players is a non-profit community theatre company that hosts shows at The Warehouse in the Warehouse District of Pocatello.
Pocatello is home to Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium that opened in 1970 on the ISU campus. Known as the "Minidome" until 1988, Holt Arena was the home of the Real Dairy Bowl, a junior college football Bowl game. Holt Arena also plays host to the Simplot Games, the nation's largest indoor high school track-and-field meet.
The Pocatello Marathon and Half Marathon are held annually. Times from the course may be used to qualify for the Boston and New York marathons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Outdoor sports, both winter and summer, play an important role in the culture of Pocatello. Pebble Creek, Idaho is a ski resort located just south of Pocatello and offers skiing and snowboarding.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pocatello is also home to a semi-pro baseball team, the Gate City Grays, who are a member of the Northern Utah League. The Grays play in Halliwell Park located at 1100 W. Alameda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They were NUL champions in both 2015 and 2016.
All of the Bannock County portion of Pocatello is served by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> The district is home to three public high schools, four public middle schools and thirteen public elementary schools.
Additionally, there are two public charter schools, and various alternative and church-based private schools and academies.
Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Originally an auxiliary campus of the University of Idaho and then a state college, it became the second university in the state in 1963. The ISU campus is in Pocatello, with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls. The university's Template:Convert L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center occupies a prominent location overlooking Pocatello and the lower Portneuf River Valley. The center's three venues provide performance space, including the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall.
Idaho State's athletics teams compete in the Big Sky Conference, the football and basketball teams play in Holt Arena.
Commercial air service is available via Pocatello Regional Airport. Pocatello Regional Transit provides bus service on five hourly routes, Monday through Saturday. There is currently no evening or Sunday service.
James Edmund Johnson, Medal of Honor recipient, posthumously, for valor in combat in the Korean War<ref>Remembering James Edmund Johnson, USMC, by Terrence W. Barrett PhD</ref>
The Great Food Truck Race Season 4, Episode 3, "Potatoes in Pocatello". Pocatello, Idaho is the location of episode 3 food truck race challenge. Much of the city is shown, as well as the local foot traffic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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