New Meadows

History

Prior to the establishment of Adams County in 1911, Meadows was in Washington County; The Meadows Eagle newspaper served the community, and C. A. Hackney was the publisher. The Pacific and Idaho Northern (PIN) Railroad ran from Weiser to an area about west of Meadows, the site of modern-day New Meadows founded in 1911. The city of New Meadows hosts the last surviving remnants of the PIN; without the railroad, New Meadows would arguably not have existed. The depot was built in 1910 and served as the northern end of the PIN Railroad. It is a significant cultural and historical resource in the Payette River Scenic Byway corridor in the city of New Meadows, at the junction of US-95 and state highway 55. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The depot is an asset for the community of New Meadows and currently functions as a community center for the local area. It hosted the Barn Again! Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition in 2005, and represents early twentieth century efforts to create a north–south railroad for Idaho. Though the efforts ultimately failed, the PIN Railroad served an important function as a "farm-to-market" railroad until 1940, and then as a timber railroad for local timber outfits. The Union Pacific acquired the line in 1936 and in 1979 abandoned the northern end of the line, from the Tamarack sawmill site north of Council to New Meadows, along US-95. The depot was a functioning facility until 1972. In 1978, ACHS acquired the title to the PIN Depot to preserve it as a repository for the history of Adams County. Since 2000, the building has been preserved from immediate deterioration; the foundation has been restored and the building has a new roof.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, New Meadows has a warm-summer mediterranean continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in New Meadows was on August 9, 1906, July 19, 1960, and July 13, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 13, 1919. |source 2 = National Weather Service }}

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mountain Chickadee

  Poecile gambeli (Ridgway, 1886) · Aves
  3,224
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,829
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,813
• Steller's Jay

  Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,654
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,623
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  2,389
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,306
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,262

Largest nearby schools

• MEADOWS VALLEY SCHOOL
  Other · NEW MEADOWS · 142 students · 10.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-06-21
  30 km N of Lowman, Idaho
• M 2.7 — 2026-06-09
  28 km N of Lowman, Idaho
• M 2.8 — 2025-10-18
  20 km SE of Cascade, Idaho
• M 2.57 — 2025-02-10
  24 km ENE of Baker City, Oregon
• M 2.7 — 2024-12-27
  6 km NNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho
• M 2.7 — 2024-12-15
  7 km NNW of Smiths Ferry, Idaho