Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley, Idaho
City
View of Bald Mountain from Sun Valley Lake in January 2006
View of Bald Mountain from
Sun Valley Lake in January 2006
Location in Blaine County, Idaho
Sun Valley is located in the United States
Sun Valley
Sun Valley
Location in the United States
Sun Valley is located in Idaho
Sun Valley
Sun Valley
Location in Idaho
Coordinates: 43°40′50″N 114°20′34″W / 43.68056°N 114.34278°W / 43.68056; -114.34278
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
CountyBlaine
FoundedDecember 21, 1936, 88 years ago
Incorporated1947
Government
 • MayorPeter Hendricks
Area
 • Total9.58 sq mi (24.80 km2)
 • Land9.56 sq mi (24.77 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
5,945 ft (1,812 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,783
 • Density155.36/sq mi (59.99/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP Codes
83353–83354
Area code(s)208, 986
FIPS code16-78850
GNIS feature ID0398200
Websitewww.sunvalley.govoffice.com

Sun Valley is a resort city in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census.[2] The elevation of Sun Valley (at the Lodge) is 5,920 feet (1,805 m) above sea level.

Among skiers, the term "Sun Valley" refers to the alpine ski area, which consists of Bald Mountain, the main ski mountain adjacent to Ketchum. Dollar Mountain, which is adjacent to Sun Valley, is suited for novice and lower intermediate skiers. Bald Mountain, or "Baldy", best suited for intermediate to advanced and expert skiers, has a summit of 9,150 feet (2,790 m) and a vertical drop of 3,400 feet (1,035 m). The treeless "Dollar" at 6,638 feet (2,023 m) has a moderate vertical drop of 628 feet (191 m).

The term "Sun Valley" is used more generally to speak of the region surrounding the city, including the neighboring city of Ketchum and the Wood River Valley area winding south to Hailey and Bellevue. The region has been a seasonal home to the rich and famous since first being brought to public attention by Ernest Hemingway in the late 1930s.[3][4]

Scheduled passenger airline service is available at Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, approximately fifteen miles (25 km) south. Visitors are relatively close to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, accessed over Galena Summit on State Highway 75, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "2020 Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Arnold, Tillie; with Smallwood, William L. (1999). The Idaho Hemingway. Buhl, Idaho: Beacon Press. ISBN 9780929311081.
  4. ^ Berry, Julie (Spring 2011). Sun Valley's Elite Beginnings: European Influence on the American Ski Industry (PDF) (Thesis). Retrieved September 10, 2023.