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Eagle Idaho lies to Boise's Northwest corner. Known for it's wide selection of golf courses and upscale  Eagle is a booming town, west of Boise. It is a 20 minute drive and offers ...
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Buy Idaho Realtypresented by Hortense Everett - Boise Real Estate Boise: Idalike an Idahoan Vacation
Resting on a high desert plain, Boise is the largest city in the northwestern state of Idaho and an ideal location from which to explore the area's many treasures. Nestled among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with the Boise River flowing through its center, the city is bubbling with opportunities for outdoor recreation including fishing, hiking, skiing, biking and camping. Boise also has a vibrant history and culture waiting to be explored at a variety of museums and cultural venues. A major urban center with plenty of events and attractions, Boise has come a long way since it was established in the days of the gold rush. As Idaho's capital, Boise is the hub of commerce, banking and government for the state.
ORIENTATION Situated in Idaho's southwestern region, Boise is the largest city for more than 300 miles in any direction and, as a result, has become a gateway for traveling not only in Idaho, but eastern Oregon and northern Nevada as well. The Oregon border is 57 mi (92 km) west and the Nevada border is 140 mi (225 km) south. Boise is located 336 mi (541 km) northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, and 432 mi (695 km) southeast of Portland, Oregon. Inside Idaho, Boise is 26 mi (41 km) from Caldwell, 131 mi (211 km) from Twin Falls, 157 mi (252 km) from the recreational opportunities of Sun Valley and 16 mi (26 km) from the Bogus Basin Mountain Ski Resort.
Boise's history is rooted in the gold rush and fur trading days of the 19th century. According to oral accounts, Boise received its name when French-Canadian fur trappers first viewed the woods surrounding the Boise River and shouted, "Les bois! Les bois!"—French for the woods. Known today as the City of Trees because of the many different species of trees that have been planted, Boise's name describes the area well.
After the discovery of gold in the Boise Basin in 1862, a fort was needed to safeguard travelers in the region from American Indian raids. In July of 1863, Fort Boise was established to protect Oregon Trail pioneers migrating west in search of gold and free farmland. Within a couple of days, the newly established Fort Boise became a city and began to prosper as a service center used by gold and silver miners in the surrounding mountains and foothills. The population rose quickly, not only because of the gold rush, but because of the city's position on the heavily used Oregon Trail, which is estimated to have had over 350,000 travelers between 1841 and 1866. The Oregon trail begins in the Independence-Westport area in Missouri and passes through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. Once the gold rush had ebbed, Boise's population quickly declined from 1,658 inhabitants in 1864 to 995 in 1870. However, with new construction projects, such as the territorial prison in 1869 and the U.S. Assay Office in 1872, Boise once again began to prosper. In 1886 the capitol building was completed, and a streetcar system was built a year later.
In the late 1930s, a large population of Basques eager to become sheepherders migrated to Boise from the Western Pyrenees Mountains in Spain. The Basques brought their vibrant culture to mainstream city life, and to this day Boise has the largest concentration per capita of Basques outside the Pyrenees Mountains. Although the Great Depression plagued many cities in America, Boise continued to grow. Gowen Field, Boise's air base, trained pilots during World War II. Still the center of economic activity and the largest city in Idaho, Boise is home to several international, national, regional and state corporations, including Albertsons, a major food and drug retailer; Micron, a manufacturer of semiconductors and other components for high-tech devices; and Simplot Corporation, a global food and agribusiness conglomerate.
CLIMATE In Boise an enjoyable climate is offered year round, characterized by a mean temperature of 51°F (11°C), an average annual precipitation of 12.1 in. (307mm) and an average annual snowfall of 21 in. (533mm). Extremely hot and cold temperatures are rare here because of low humidity, a frequent mild breeze and limited winter snowfall. The surrounding mountain areas receive a greater snowfall than the city, resulting in prime conditions for winter recreation. TRANSPORTATION As a major commercial center, Boise can easily be accessed through its airport and elaborate system of highways. Boise is served primarily by Interstate 84, which ties it directly to Portland to the northwest and Salt Lake City to the southeast. Car rental services, taxi service, limousines and public bus transportation are readily available. With bike lanes running throughout the city's infrastructure, Boise is known for being very bike friendly.
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