About Downey
The rural community of Downey sits isolated amidst farmland at the southern end of Marsh Valley. Separated from the highway by railroad tracks, there are no busy streets in the town itself. Interstate 15 passes several miles to the west, relieving Downey of its noise and bustle. Beyond the fields to the east stand the Portneuf Mountains, and across the valley to the south rises Oxford Mountain. Grass, sagebrush and junipers cover the mountain slopes. Downey itself lies at 4,860 feet in elevation
The settlement of Downey began before 1866 when a cabin was built by William Jackson and Cyrus Coffin. A few other settlements began near Downey, including Grant and Cambridge, but Downey's permanence was established when the railroad depot was built here.
Downey has a population of 613, as of the 2000 census. U.S. Highway 91 passes along the west side of town, paralleling the railroad tracks. Idaho Highway 40 connects it to Interstate 15 to the west, and numerous other rural roads lead into the surrounding farmland. The historic route of U.S. Highway 191 intersected highway 91 at Downey, and still can be followed to the southwest towards Malad.
