Bonners Ferry Info Please! (Sandpoint: travel, income, job)

[Huny]

We are looking into a move to Bonners Ferry and need any and all information anyone has. Including but not limited to schools, average temps extreme temps (How cold does it really get?) average snowfall, crime and travel to larger cities. Thanks!

[brokencrayola]

I don't live in Bonners Ferry but live close and have been there many times. I don't know much about the schools. I know there is some farming in the area. We bought great alfalfa for our llamas there and they grow hops as well as other things. The area has a Mennonite community as well. It is a little colder and snowier generally than Sandpoint, which is about an hour away. Usually the first snow can arrive anywhere from around Halloween to into Dec. and usually winter is over around March or April. Then we usually get a fair amount of rain from March or April until early July. Summer is from July, maybe June into Sept. Fall from Sept until late Oct. There is a tribal casino there and some shopping but people generally go to Sandpoint for shopping. Sandpoint has a Super Wal-Mart, Safeway, and Yokes as far as groceries. Beyond Sandpoint another hour is Coeur d' Alene which has much more shopping including many restaurants, Costco, Target, Shopko, KMart, and much more. There is very very little crime in Bonners.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

CLICK HERE for info on my trip to northern ID in July. There are links to lots of pics. Not sure if the info will be of any help to you, but at least you can see what the area looks like.

[TFG]

A nice area to retire to. Not much work there and like all of Idaho, the pay is very low.

[Xa'at]

Bonners Ferry school district has an interesting system, at least at the high school. They stay in school late and don't go to school on Fridays.
A lot of the income for the city comes from the casino. There is a Safeway and a locally owned grocery store called "Boundary County Trading Co". It is close to the border and a lot of people in the little towns in Canada will come over to do their shopping.
I'd say you could do the drive from Sandpoint in 35 minutes on a really good day. Give yourself at least an hour and a half in the depths of winter. The section of Highway 95 that stretches from CDA to Bonners Ferry (via Sandpoint) is actually the best-kept section of that highway.
Crime is fairly low, but it is very rural and there is a lot of drug usage. I have heard from Sandpoint law enforcement officers that the police up there can be... how do I say this? A bit like a militia at times. Also, they can be overzealous.
That being said, it's a beautiful city. Come check it out for yourself!

[Morgaine]

I have lived in Bonners Ferry for 5 years now, and every year is different...different weather, different issues, different people, different stores. I won't allow my opinions of the schools to be voiced here because there are pros and cons. My 13 year old daughter loves the middle school, and thrives with all A's. I think if you are within driving distance, I would suggest taking a long weekend here...visit our new Million Dollar Visitors center. They have a ton of info. Don't let the locals scare you, they just don't like outsiders...especially Californians. I know all the law enforcement officers, and they are wonderful, as long as you are a decent, lawbiding, citizen. But they do have their hands full with the drug problem up here. It's a very beautiful, ever-changing place, and a wonderful place to retire. If you like the outdoors, this is the place for you...I have 9 whitetail deer in my yard right now, and an owl on my porch. Not many places have such commodities. I definitely would do some extensive research on the schools here, and job prospects as well, if you have kids and aren't retired though. Good luck.