Rathdrum, Idaho

History

Settled in 1861, the City of Rathdrum is located in the Pandhandle of Northern Idaho, 12 miles northwest of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and 25 miles east of Spokane, Washington.  In the late 1860’s, a pony express relay station was established in Rathdrum and in 1882, the first Northern Pacific rail line was laid allowing ore from the Silver Valley to be shipped by rail to the mills.

Rathdrum is one of the oldest towns in North Idaho. From the beginning, Rathdrum has been an important crossroads, the Indians referred to the area as the “Great Road of the Flatheads.” Hudson Bay and Pacific Fur trading companies traversed the Rathdrum Prairie in the early 1800’s, followed by the Jesuit missionaries in the 1840s. Originally named “Westwood” after Charles Wesley Wood, local pony express rider, rancher and land developer, the city became the County seat for Kootenai County in 1881. In 1908, electors voted the County seat to Coeur d’Alene. In the late 1800s, the city’s name was changed from Westwood to Rathdrum after Rathdroma, Ireland, the birthplace of a local businessman.

Present day Rathdrum is a thriving community of 6,500.  In spite of three major fires, the earliest in 1884 and the last in 1924, many historical buildings still stand including Saint Stanislaus Church, the oldest brick church in the state of Idaho. Today, Rathdrum is the crossroads for State Highways 41 and 53, linking the Rathdrum area with Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Source: City of Rathdrum, Idaho

Education

Rathdrum is home for the Lakeland School District which is one of the premier public school districts in Idaho. Lakeland students consistently score well above state averages on Idaho Standard Achievement Tests.

The Lakeland College Academy is a new program at Lakeland High School. It provides dedicated and academically qualified dual credit juniors and seniors with the opportunity to complete one year of college before graduating from high school.

Lakeland schools have received numerous awards and recognitions for excellence, including:

• Accreditation with Merit
• A+ Excellence
• The coveted national award of “What Parents Want.”

Recently Lakeland School District was ranked #1 among all schools in Idaho by Niche.com, a national company ranking schools nationwide. For more information about area schools, visit the Lakeland Jt. School District No. 272 website at https://www.sd272.org/

Rathdrum is fortunate to also be the home for the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) which is a partnership between business and industry leaders, three local school districts and local manufacturers. This school specializes in vocational and technical education that offers dual enrollment credits, industrial certifications and applied skills learning.

The North Idaho STEM Charter Academy is also located in Rathdrum. It is specially designed to provide a challenging learning environment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in order to maximize individual potential and ensure students are well-equipped to meet the challenges in the world around them.

Rathdrum is well located for opportunities to pursue Higher Education within 50 miles of our community.

In Coeur d’Alene:

• North Idaho College
• Lewis-Clark State College
• University of Idaho, Coeur d’Alene & Post Falls

In Spokane:

• Washington State University, Spokane Campus
• Community Colleges of Spokane
• Gonzaga University
• Whitworth College

In addition, North Idaho College opened a 100,000 sq. ft. college professional and technical training center in September 2016.

Local Recreation

Our area boasts numerous clean lakes for swimming and boating plus beautiful mountains for biking, hiking, backpacking and skiing. With seven state parks, dozens of lakes and hundreds of trails, you are always close to the great outdoors! Four ski resorts are only an hour or so away. Over a dozen golf courses mark the area, including the popular Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course and its centerpiece floating green.

In nearby Spokane you can enjoy concerts, plays and special events at the INB Performing Arts Center (formerly the Spokane Opera House), Spokane Convention Center and the Spokane Arena.

Rathdrum Idaho Homes for Sale