© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Apple's latest iOS (17.4) is preventing our livestreams from playing. We suggest you download the free Boise State Public Radio app & stream us there while we work to troubleshoot the issue.

Is Idaho Really In The Middle Of Nowhere?

Vizual Statistix

Idahoans (or really anyone who lives in the rural west) often joke they live in the middle of nowhere.  As it turns out, parts of Idaho really are in the middle of nowhere – at least according toVizual Statistix.

These maps show where roads and airports are few and far between. Vizual Statistix pulled together a database of all interstate routes, highways, and roads to see which parts of the country really are the most remote.

One of the largest spots categorized as “nowhere” is smack-dab in the middle of Idaho. It’s mostly all forest land. And as many Idahoans know, there isn't an easy or direct route to drive from the bottom of the state north to the panhandle.

There’s also a swath of “nowhere” on the border of Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada.

Montana, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Maine and Wyoming also have their fair share of nothing-ness. Perhaps it’s a surprise to you, it was to us, that so much of Texas and the country’s mid-section are so connected.

The data is an interesting take on U.S. geography. Of course, we want to hear from you -- is Idaho really in the middle of nowhere? Perhaps, it's part of her charm.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.