Was this town named after a man named Jerome Hill, his son-in-law, or both? Historical records are unclear as to just where the name came from for Jerome, Idaho. Some argue it was a man by the name of Jerome Hill, and others contend it was taken from Jerome Kuhn, his son-in-law. Sound trivial? Wars have been fought for less!
Jerome County came into being when the Idaho legislature decided back in 1919 that other counties were just too big, so they made a new one
Was this town named after a man named Jerome Hill, his son-in-law, or both? Historical records are unclear as to just where the name came from for Jerome, Idaho. Some argue it was a man by the name of Jerome Hill, and others contend it was taken from Jerome Kuhn, his son-in-law. Sound trivial? Wars have been fought for less!
Jerome County came into being when the Idaho legislature decided back in 1919 that other counties were just too big, so they made a new one. Jerome was chosen as the county seat and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. Almost 11,000 people call it home these days, and it's close enough to Twin Falls to be considered part of the greater metro area, even though Twin Falls is a small city. This part of Idaho is known as the Magic Valley, one of two huge valleys along the south part of the state, with the other being the Treasure Valley that Boise is in. Because of the water, the rich volcanic soils are able to produce nice crop yields in spite of the very dry climate. It's close to vast areas of wilderness and fantastic outdoor recreational opportunities.
Moving to Jerome
You could decide to live here and work in Twin Falls, less than 15 minutes to the south. It's a popular part of the state and the number of available rental homes may not be as plentiful as you'd like. It's a good idea to start your search as soon as you have decided to move here.
Write down your favorite properties and match what is available with what you want. When you do this before you are down to the wire, you don't have to just grab something from the available pool at that time and can get a bit choosy. If you are looking for pet-friendly apartments, it's even more important to start early. Don't be too shocked if you are required to pony up first, last, and deposit and be asked to provide a good credit report.
Jerome Neighborhoods
Jerome is a town laid out in one of the most basic designs for a community, the grid. It's essentially cut into four sections by the crossing intersection of two major roads, the east-west Highway 25, and the north-south Highway 79. To a degree, Interstate 84 forms the west boundary.
Downtown: The core downtown area is defined by a main street that -- wait for it -- is actually called Main Street. In the middle of town, Main is bisected by Lincoln Avenue. Here's where you will find the historic older buildings and shops. The nicely-appointed Jerome Public Library is at Lincoln and First Avenue.
Northwest: The Jerome County Fairgrounds make up the defining feature of this quadrant and play home to what is the biggest event of the year, the County Fair. The hospital, St. Luke's Jerome, is here and the housing is primarily single family homes with a couple of manufactured home parks.
Northeast: Dominating here are the grounds of Gayle Forsyth Memorial Park. You will find some properties built as duplexes and other single family homes. House rentals are likely to be found here as well.
Southwest: This is the most industrialized part of Jerome, with commercial and light industrial buildings near downtown. One of the newest home tracts is on the edge of town, where the city limits meet open farmland. The Jerome Cemetery is on the edge of town down here.
Southeast: Here's a good part of town to find a one-bedroom apartment that might be in an existing home or one of the small complexes. The main city park is here and straddles Main Street, providing a nice green space to escape the summer heat. Near Candlelight Park on the main drag you can enjoy great Mexican food at Los Potrillos's.
Living in Jerome
The town itself is pretty much your standard small farming town with a twist here and there. Being so close to Twin Falls means it's also part suburb and that residents have access to the entertainment and shopping that's in the larger community. Granted, Twin Falls isn't exactly the big city, but hey -- they do have a couple of multi-screen cinemas, some good restaurants, and places to grab a drink or a cup of coffee.
The Snake River rolls through a deep canyon between Jerome and Twin Falls that you don't even notice in the surrounding landscape until you are right on top of it. An important monument is in Jerome that points to a dark but important note in American history. The Minidoka Internment National Monument marks the place where nearly 10,000 Japanese Americans were interned from 1942 through 1945. It's a must-see for anyone interested in keeping history alive.
