Payette is a city in and the county seat of Payette County, Idaho, United States. The population was 7,433 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ontario, OR−ID Micropolitan Statistical Area. History The settlement was originally named "Boomerang," a construction camp for the Oregon Short Line from 1882 to 1884 at the mouth of the Payette River. Logs were floated down the river to the sawmills at the camp to produce railroad ties. After completion of the railroad, the settlement moved upstream to its present site and incorporated in 1891 as "Payette," to honor François Payette, a French-Canadian fur trapper and one of the first white men to explore the area. He arrived in present-day Idaho from Astoria and was later the head of the Fort Boise trading post for the British Hudson's Bay Company from 1835 to 1844. A large merry man, Payette was highly regarded for his helpful assistance to the many travelers who came through the fort. Following his retirement in 1844, he returned to Montreal, after which the rest of his life is a mystery. Payette County was created in 1917, partitioned from Canyon County, and the city of Payette became the county seat. Geography Payette is located at (44.075175, -116.929928), at an elevation of above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Highways - US 95 - SH-52 Demographics 2020 census Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,127 people, 3,081 households, and 3,081 families residing in the city. 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 7,433 people, 2,816 households, and 1,910 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,095 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 0.2% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 7.3% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.3% of the population. There were 2,816 households, of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder