This map shows us the results of votes across multiple Oregon counties between 2020 and 2024 on a challenging question: Should these regions leave Oregon and join Idaho?
Part of the Greater Idaho movement, this action reflects a deepening political and cultural divide within the state. Counties highlighted on the map have held referendums on the issue, with color gradients indicating the level of support.
This news report below, from KTVB-7 in Boise, Idaho, explains it further:
A blue shade on the map indicated that a county wants to stay in Oregon. Shades of red, meanwhile, depict the county’s desire to join Idaho instead, with the shades varying depending on the majority “leave” vote in each county.
There are a few reasons why select Oregon counties want to join Idaho instead: differences in political ideologies, concerns in the local economy, and a greater local autonomy.
As of July 2024, thirteen counties—Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler—have voted in agreement with the idea.
While the movement shows growing discontent in Oregon’s rural east, any actual border shift would face significant hurdles, as it needs approval from both state legislatures and Congress.
Nevertheless, the sentiment behind these votes is clear: many residents in these sparsely populated counties, like Lake County (home to just 8,160 people), feel that they are aligning more with Idaho’s policies and governance than with Oregon’s.
Whether symbolic or the start of something larger, this map captures a movement reshaping the conversation about state borders and regional identity in the Pacific Northwest.
If you learned something today from this map, feel free to share it along or post a comment below.