Overview
Arco is a city in Central Idaho. In 1955 Arco became the first city on Earth to be solely lit by nuclear energy.
3 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Arco
Experimental Breeder Reactor I
Take a self-guided tour through the first nuclear reactor to produce electrical power, first breeder reactor, and first reactor to use plutonium as fuel.
Number Hill
The mountain towers above the city and the cliffs are covered with numbers. Since 1920 the graduates of the local high school paint the year on them. The locals try to fool the visitors by telling them the numbers corres…
USS Hawkbill (SSN-666)
USS Hawkbill with the "devil" hull number 666 was a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. After the decomissioning in 2001, her sail was preserved and donated to Arco, the place where development of nuclear submarine pr…
Idaho National Laboratory
It is possible to arrange guided tours in advance.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jun–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 7°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Craters of the Moon National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SUN Friedman Memorial Airport, Hailey — 51 mi away. Directions
- PIH Pocatello Regional Airport, Pocatello — 61 mi away. Directions
- BOI Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field, Boise — 146 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Experimental Breeder Reactor I, Idaho National Laboratory
- Lunch Pickle's Place
- Afternoon USS Hawkbill (SSN-666), Number Hill
- Dinner Lost River Drive In
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Nearby Idaho National Laboratory, formerly known as National Reactor Testing Station and under various other names, is an important place for nuclear science and engineering development. Notable milestones are its first usable amount of electricity produced from nuclear power and the power plant for the world’s first nuclear submarine. The laboratory was also a place of the US's first nuclear accident with fatalities in 1961. The Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One (SL-1), a US Army experimental nuclear power reactor, underwent a steam explosion and meltdown, killing three operators.
See
See Number Hill
The mountain towers above the city and the cliffs are covered with numbers. Since 1920 the graduates of the local high school paint the year on them. The locals try to fool the visitors by telling them the numbers correspond to high water marks of the Big Lost River.
See USS Hawkbill (SSN-666) (The Devil Boat)
USS Hawkbill with the "devil" hull number 666 was a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. After the decomissioning in 2001, her sail was preserved and donated to Arco, the place where development of nuclear submarine propulsion began in nearby laboratories. It is on display in a little park along the main street.
Do
Eat
Eat Lost River Drive In
A friendly diner with great food, especially the onion rings, among other "famous" sides. It also has great, amicable employees.
Eat Pickle's Place
Home of the Atomic Burger (not glowing, actually, served with onions, mushrooms and fried potatoes).
Sleep
Go next
- Craters of the Moon, spectacular lava fields, the youngest of which were spilled mere 2000 years ago - 18 miles SW along US-20.
Nearby
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Park · 10 listings · 36 mi away
Sun Valley
City / town · 38 listings · 52 mi away
Blackfoot
City / town · 4 listings · 57 mi away
Shelley
City / town · 62 mi away
Idaho Falls
City / town · 22 listings · 65 mi away
Dubois
City / town · 2 listings · 65 mi away
Pocatello
City / town · 9 listings · 68 mi away
Shoshone
City / town · 6 listings · 74 mi away
My experience
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