[2] Partitioned from Kootenai County and established in 1907, it was named for Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator.

Bonner County comprises the Sandpoint, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The government of Kootenai failed to organize due to lack of settlement within the county boundary.

Legislators creating Kootenai County in December 1864 lacked knowledge of the geography of the area and failed to fully include the non-county area within the county boundaries of Kootenai or Lah-Toh.

The non-county area was fully included within Bonner County when it was formed in 1907.

[8] The highest point in the county is Scotchman Peak, elevation 7,018 feet (2,139 m).

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 40,877 people, 17,100 households, and 11,591 families living in the county.

The last Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Bill Clinton in 1992, and incumbent president George H.W.

Bush fell to third place in the county, behind independent candidate Ross Perot.

The tourism-oriented city of Sandpoint is more of a swing town and occasionally backs Democrats, but the rest of the county remains strongly Republican.

[21] School districts include:[23] It is in the catchment area, but not the taxation zone, for North Idaho College.