County outline
Where Blaine County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.4% of Blaine County’s measured area and water for 0.6%. Its combined area converts to 6,876.4 square kilometers or approximately 1,699,187 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 2,637.738 | 6,831.71 | 1,688,152.3 |
| Water | 17.242 | 44.657 | 11,034.9 |
| Total | 2,654.98 | 6,876.367 | 1,699,187.2 |
How Blaine County compares
By original Census land area, Blaine County ranks #7 of 44 in Idaho and #199 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 2.005 times the Idaho county-equivalent median of 1,315.7 square miles. It accounts for 3.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Idaho ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Blaine County
The Census Bureau estimates that 25,517 people lived in Blaine County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,650 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #17 of 44 in Idaho. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 24,271, the population has grown by 1,246 (+5.1%), compared with +10.4% for Idaho as a whole.
With 2,637.7 square miles of land, that is 9.7 people per square mile (3.7 per km²), placing Blaine County #2,656 nationally for density and #23 in Idaho. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Idaho median is 10. Put another way, there are about 66 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 24,341 | 24,784 | 25,200 | 25,392 | 25,701 | 25,517 |
| Change | — | +443 | +416 | +192 | +309 | −184 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Blaine County
5 incorporated places lie at least partly in Blaine County. Together they are home to 18,796 people (73.7%); the other 6,721 (26.3%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Hailey city, with 10,053 residents in the county. By land, Sun Valley city is the largest at 9.559 mi². Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Hailey city grew fastest since then (+9.7%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hailey cityCounty seat | 10,053 | +9.7% | 3.975 |
| Ketchum city | 3,643 | +2.9% | 3.207 |
| Bellevue city | 2,597 | +1.5% | 1.471 |
| Sun Valley city | 1,776 | −0.4% | 9.559 |
| Carey city | 727 | +5.1% | 3.45 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Blaine County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Blaine County is a central county of the Hailey, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 32,436 residents on 4,913.3 square miles of land; Blaine County accounts for 53.7% of the land and 78.7% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #22 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #424 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Blaine County | 25,517 | 2,637.7 |
| Lincoln County | 5,603 | 1,201.4 |
| Camas County | 1,316 | 1,074.2 |
ZIP codes
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Blaine County; 7 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
833138332083333833408334883350833528335383354
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Blaine County
Blaine County shares a land border with 9 county equivalents. It has more land than 7 of them. The largest neighbor is Custer County (4,922.2 mi²) and the smallest is Minidoka County (757.2 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Blaine County forms a block of 21,967.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 12%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Blaine | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 4,922.2 | 1.9× larger | Compare |
| Elmore County | 3,075.1 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Cassia County | 2,565.6 | about the same | Compare |
| Butte County | 2,236.5 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Bingham County | 2,093.7 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Power County | 1,403.8 | 1.9× smaller | Compare |
| Lincoln County | 1,201.4 | 2.2× smaller | Compare |
| Camas County | 1,074.2 | 2.5× smaller | Compare |
| Minidoka County | 757.2 | 3.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Blaine County compared with U.S. states?
Blaine County has more land than 2 of the 50 states. It is about 1.4 times the land area of Delaware (1,948.6 mi²), while Connecticut, the next larger state, has 1.8 times as much land (4,842.5 mi²). Idaho’s county land could hold about 31 areas the size of Blaine County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 51.4 miles (82.7 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Blaine County?
Blaine County has more land than 3,023 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Blaine County at #212 nationally by total area, 13 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.5 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Blaine County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #198 | McCone County, Montana | 2,642.2 | Compare |
| #199 | Blaine County, Idaho | 2,637.7 | This county |
| #200 | Shoshone County, Idaho | 2,637.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 43.394179, -113.955387. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 6,831,709,467 m²; AWATER: 44,656,832 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Blaine County?
Blaine County, Idaho has 2,637.7 square miles (6,831.7 km²) of land and 17.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 2,655 square miles. It ranks #199 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Blaine County the largest county in Idaho?
No. Blaine County ranks #7 of 44 in Idaho by land area. The largest is Idaho County, with 8,477.5 square miles of land.
What counties border Blaine County?
Blaine County shares a land border with Custer County, Camas County, Butte County, Minidoka County, Power County, Lincoln County, Cassia County, Bingham County, and Elmore County.
What is the population of Blaine County?
The Census Bureau estimates Blaine County had 25,517 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,650 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 9.7 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Blaine County?
The county seat of Blaine County is Hailey.
What cities and towns are in Blaine County?
Blaine County has 5 incorporated places. The most populous are Hailey city, Ketchum city, Bellevue city, Sun Valley city, and Carey city; 6,721 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Blaine County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Hailey, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 32,436 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Blaine County?
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Blaine County, and 7 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Blaine County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 2 of the 50 states, including Delaware (1,948.6 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Blaine County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 1,688,152 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,699,187 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.