Mackay, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mackay, Idaho
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Location of Mackay in Custer County, Idaho.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Custer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.87 sq mi (2.24 km2) |
| • Land | 0.87 sq mi (2.24 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,906 ft (1,800 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 439 |
| • Density | 505/sq mi (196.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
83251
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| Area code(s) | 208 |
| FIPS code | 16-49240 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0397886 |
Mackay (pronounced 
i/mæˈkiː/) is a town in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 439 at the 2020 census. The town is pronounced "Mackie" with the accent on the first syllable.
Contents
Highways
Etymology
The town was named in honor of John William Mackay who owned the local copper mines. The nearby Mackay Peak in the White Knob Mountains is also named after him.
Geography
Mackay is located at 43°54′43″N 113°36′49″W / 43.91194°N 113.61361°W (43.911880, -113.613669), at an elevation of 5,905 feet (1,800 m).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.86 square miles (2.23 km2), all of it land.
About 20 miles (32 km) north of Mackay is Idaho's highest mountain: Borah Peak, with a summit elevation of 12,662 feet (3,859 m). Mt. McCaleb, 11,427 feet (3,483 m), overlooks the city.
Climate
The climate of Mackay ranges from lows of −40 °F (−40 °C) to highs of +30 °F (−1 °C) in the winter. In the summer, temperatures range from lows of 30 °F (−1 °C) to highs of 100 °F (38 °C) in some areas. Mackay has a fairly dry climate, typical of high desert bordering alpine areas.
| Climate data for Mackay, Idaho (Chilly Barton Flat), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 50 (10) |
55 (13) |
68 (20) |
78 (26) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
93 (34) |
83 (28) |
67 (19) |
55 (13) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 41.8 (5.4) |
45.2 (7.3) |
57.2 (14.0) |
68.4 (20.2) |
76.9 (24.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
90.9 (32.7) |
89.6 (32.0) |
83.2 (28.4) |
72.4 (22.4) |
56.0 (13.3) |
42.7 (5.9) |
91.9 (33.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.5 (−0.8) |
33.7 (0.9) |
43.6 (6.4) |
52.9 (11.6) |
62.6 (17.0) |
71.8 (22.1) |
82.3 (27.9) |
80.4 (26.9) |
71.5 (21.9) |
57.3 (14.1) |
40.5 (4.7) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
54.7 (12.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
32.3 (0.2) |
40.3 (4.6) |
48.7 (9.3) |
56.5 (13.6) |
64.5 (18.1) |
62.6 (17.0) |
54.3 (12.4) |
42.8 (6.0) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
41.0 (5.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.4 (−13.7) |
11.2 (−11.6) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
34.7 (1.5) |
41.3 (5.2) |
46.7 (8.2) |
44.7 (7.1) |
37.2 (2.9) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
8.6 (−13.0) |
27.2 (−2.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.9 (−25.5) |
−9.8 (−23.2) |
2.8 (−16.2) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
36.1 (2.3) |
34.3 (1.3) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
−2.6 (−19.2) |
−11.6 (−24.2) |
−17.8 (−27.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −42 (−41) |
−36 (−38) |
−34 (−37) |
−6 (−21) |
8 (−13) |
20 (−7) |
25 (−4) |
22 (−6) |
11 (−12) |
−10 (−23) |
−21 (−29) |
−37 (−38) |
−42 (−41) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.28 (7.1) |
0.23 (5.8) |
0.46 (12) |
0.74 (19) |
1.20 (30) |
1.48 (38) |
0.58 (15) |
0.66 (17) |
0.65 (17) |
0.80 (20) |
0.44 (11) |
0.44 (11) |
7.96 (202.9) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.6 (12) |
2.7 (6.9) |
1.9 (4.8) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.9 (2.3) |
1.6 (4.1) |
4.5 (11) |
18.3 (46.42) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 7.8 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 66.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 16.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Sports
The main athletic attraction in the city is Mackay High School. The Miners have won ten state championships in football in the 1A (previously A-4) division and five state championships in basketball. Volleyball, girls' basketball and track are other athletic opportunities in Mackay.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 638 | — | |
| 1920 | 869 | 36.2% | |
| 1930 | 777 | −10.6% | |
| 1940 | 776 | −0.1% | |
| 1950 | 760 | −2.1% | |
| 1960 | 652 | −14.2% | |
| 1970 | 539 | −17.3% | |
| 1980 | 541 | 0.4% | |
| 1990 | 574 | 6.1% | |
| 2000 | 566 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 517 | −8.7% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 501 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 517 people, 247 households, and 137 families residing in the city. The population density was 601.2 inhabitants per square mile (232.1/km2). There were 352 housing units at an average density of 409.3 units per square mile (158.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 247 households, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.5% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.72.
The median age in the city was 47.5 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.
1983 earthquake
On Friday, October 28, 1983, the Borah Peak earthquake occurred at 8:06 am MDT, measured at 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale. The Challis-Mackay region experienced rather thorough damage, with 11 commercial buildings and 39 homes with major damage; while another 200 houses were damaged, minor to moderately. Chickens were running all through the streets. Mackay experienced the most severe damage. Most of the city's large buildings on its Main Street were damaged, to some extent; eight of these buildings were deemed condemned and closed down. Most of these buildings were built from materials such as brick, concrete block, and stone, each varying.
Notable residents
- Chase A. Clark, 18th Governor of Idaho (1941–43) and federal judge
- Marilyn Howard, politician and educator
See also
In Spanish: Mackay (Idaho) para niños
