[2][3] Elk City was the site of a gold strike in 1861, as prospectors rushed south from Pierce, two years before the formation of the Idaho Territory.

[4] In the 1870s, Chinese miners leased the claims but were later driven out by mistreatment.

[5] Elk City is located at the eastern end of State Highway 14, it is fifty miles (80 km) east of Grangeville, the nearest city.

Elk City has a post office with ZIP code 83525.

[8] This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.