In 1870 Gus Glenn bult a ferry for crossing the Snake River, which was the early origin of the town now named after him. When the railroad was completed here in 1883, Glenn's Ferry became an important railroad stop. U.S. Highway 30 passes through Glenn's Ferry also. Originally it ran along First Avenue. Later it was routed along the north side of town, complete with a bridge to cross Elmore Street. When the freeway was built, it replaced highway 30, which is now nearly abandoned.
Glenn's Ferry is located on a bend in the river, in the grassland just above the riverbanks. Little Canyon Creek flows out of the hills to the north, passing right through the town, and joins the Snake River to the west. Hills reach to the edge of town above which are the deserts of the Snake River Plain. The railroads tracks divide the town in two, with the only crossing on Commercial Street.
The population of Glenn's Ferry is 1,611 as of 2000. The elevation is 2,560 feet.
