Mountain Home is the county seat of Elmore County, in Southern Idaho. The population in the 2010 census was 14,206.
Originally founded as a post office at Rattlesnake Station, a stagecoach stop on the Overland Stage Line, about seven miles east of the city. With the addition of the Oregon Short Line railroad in 1883, the post office was moved downhill and west to the city's present site.
Mountain Home Air Force Base, an Air Combat Command installation, is located 12 miles southwest of the city. Opened in 1943 during World War II, MHAFB was originally a bomber training base and later an operational SAC bomber and missile base (1953-65). It switched to TAC and fighters in January 1966; TAC was succeeded by ACC in 1992.