New Meadows is a rural city in Adams County, Idaho, United States, at the southern and upper end of the Meadows Valley, on the Little Salmon River. Located in the west central part of the state, just south of the 45th parallel, the population was 496 at the 2010 census, down from 533 in 2000. New Meadows is located at the junction of the primary north–south highway in the state, U.S. Route 95, and State Highway 55, which connects it with McCall and Boise.

Prior to the establishment of Adams County in 1911, Meadows was in Washington County; The Meadows Eagle newspaper served the community, and C. A. Hackney was the publisher.^[4]

The Pacific and Idaho Northern (PIN) Railroad ran from Weiser to an area about two miles (3.2 km) from Meadows, the site of modern-day New Meadows founded in 1911. The city of New Meadows hosts the last surviving remnants of the PIN; without the railroad, New Meadows would arguably not have existed.

The depot was built in 1910 and served as the northern end of the PIN Railroad. It is a significant cultural and historical resource in the Payette River Scenic Byway corridor in the city of New Meadows, at the junction of US-95 and state highway 55. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[5] The depot is an asset for the community of New Meadows and currently functions as a community center for the local area. It hosted the Barn Again! Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition in 2005,^[6] and represents early twentieth century efforts to create a north–south railroad for Idaho. Though the efforts ultimately failed, the PIN Railroad served an important function as a "farm-to-market" railroad until 1940, and then as a timber railroad for local timber outfits.

The Union Pacific acquired the line in 1936 and in 1979 abandoned the northern end of the line, from the Tamarack sawmill site north of Council to New Meadows, along US-95. The depot was a functioning facility until 1972. In 1978, ACHS acquired the title to the PIN Depot to preserve it as a repository for the history of Adams County.^[7] Since 2000, the building has been preserved from immediate deterioration; the foundation has been restored and the building has a new roof.

The only school in New Meadows is the Meadows Valley School, which houses all thirteen grades, K-12. The school mascot is the mountaineer, and the school colors are orange and black.^[8]

Two established alpine ski areas, Brundage Mountain and the Little Ski Hill are less than ten miles (16 km) to the east, both on the west side of the Valley/Adams county line. The MeadowCreek golf resort (originally "Kimberland Meadows")^[9] is a few miles northwest of town.^[10] Payette Lake and the surrounding areas in McCall offer numerous recreational opportunities, and further north along US-95 is Riggins, the gateway to the Salmon River and the Seven Devils Mountains. Five miles (8.0 km) north of New Meadows is Zim's Hot Springs.

• - U.S. Route 95
• - State Highway 55 - Payette River Scenic Byway

New Meadows is approximately 115 miles (185 km) north of Boise, accessed via State Highway 55, the Payette River Scenic Byway, a designated national scenic byway. It heads north from Eagle in Ada County to Horseshoe Bend in Boise County, and climbs the whitewater of the Payette River to Cascade and McCall in Valley County. The route turns west at Payette Lake in McCall and ends at New Meadows at the junction with U.S. Route 95.^[11]

New Meadows is located at 44°58′13″N 116°17′7″W (44.970405, -116.285283),^[12] at an elevation of 3,868 feet (1,179 m) above sea level.^[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.53 square miles (1.37 km²), of which, 0.52 square miles (1.35 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.026 km²) is water.^[14]

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, New Meadows has a warm-summer mediterranean continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in New Meadows was 104 °F (40.0 °C) on August 9, 1906, July 19, 1960, and July 13, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was −49 °F (−45.0 °C) on December 13, 1919.^[15]

• Gilbert F. Smith, state legislator and president of Meadows Valley Bank

• Pacific and Idaho Northern Railroad Depot
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Adams County, Idaho