The 5 Most Bizarrely Named Towns in Idaho You’ve Never Heard Of

There are some odd, sometimes downright strange, town names in the American West, and Idaho is no exception.

Some communities in Idaho, also referred to as the Gem State, have names that are genuinely surprising and reveal facets of the local past.

Both fictional and genuine names, along with important geographic features, that contributed to Idaho’s statehood are reflected in that history.

From neighborhoods dubbed Good Grief to the festive town of Santa, these seven strangely named Idaho towns serve as reminders of the state’s history and a sense of place that persists to this day.

Chubbuck

Local media have referred to Chubbuck, a 16,400-person town in southeast Idaho, as a “horrible and hilarious” town name.

According to the majority of accounts, railroad conductor Earl Chubbuck is responsible for the town’s name.

The town’s other historical names, such as Chubbuck’s Beet Run and Chubbuck Siding, were influenced by this name and the farming area around it.

Later on, the town’s official name was abbreviated to just Chubbuck.

The town’s continually increasing population suggests that it’s a desirable location to live. Just north of bigger Pocatello, Chubbuck is a desirable suburban neighborhood for living, working, and playing because of its close proximity to parks like the American Falls Reservoir and the Snake River.

Fish Haven

The hamlet of Fish Haven’s name implies a long history of activity centered around the local fish supply and the fishermen who tried to catch them, which may seem odd for a landlocked state.

Fish Haven, which is located in the southeast corner of Idaho on the west side of Bear Lake, which crosses the Idaho-Utah border, gets its name from the means of subsistence used by the first people to settle in the area.

After catching pounds of fish in 1885, it was renamed Rush Creek in honor of John A. Bagley and Joseph C. Rich.

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Visitors from Idaho, Utah, or adjacent Wyoming a few miles to the east can still enjoy what observers have described as “a fine pleasure resort for people who are fond of fishing.”

Ketchum

Named for a local 19th-century trapper named David Ketchum, Ketchum, Idaho, has a population of 3,600 and has long been a destination for leisure travelers.

The town in central Idaho, which was formerly known as Leadville, changed its name to become a mining and smelting center and is now located near to the well-known ski resort Sun Valley.

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Today, the town attracts adventure travelers all year round and provides the opportunity for those who enjoy snow and mountain sports to run, bike, or ride in the majestic Rocky Mountains.

In keeping with the region’s pioneering heritage, Ketchum hosts ‘Wagon Days’ every Labor Day weekend, giving tourists a chance to learn about local history.

Good Grief

Located in the state’s far north, Good Grief is more of a map dot than a real town. It gained prominence in the 1970s when the television program “Heehaw” featured the area.

Legend has it that in the 1950s, a local businessman purchased the town’s sole general store, and his wife exclaimed, “Good grief!”

The location is in the aptly named Boundary County, approximately four miles south of the US-Canadian boundary.

Good Grief is located on the ancestral territories of the Kootenai tribe and has a Native American history with Chubbuck.

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Santa

The town of Santa blends the truth and fantasy of its name and history, much like so many previous Christmases.

The town was first called after the adjacent Santa Anna Creek, but it eventually adopted the more straightforward name Santa.

A reputation with a holiday theme developed as a result of local Christmas celebrations and activities.

The town, which is located in west-central Idaho close to Coeur d’Alene, even creates its own holiday postage stamp with a Christmas theme and gets letters from all over the world.

When Santa formally changed its name to SecretSanta.com for a year in 2005 in exchange for money from an internet merchant, it amplified its strangeness.