Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S.
state of Idaho. It is the county seat of
Ada County and the principal city of the Boise metropolitan area.
As of the 2000 census, Boise's population was 185,787 (2006 estimate: 201,287)[1].
Geography and climate
In order to distinguish the city from a neighboring locale Boise County,
government officials, government publications, maps and some other media often refer to the city as "Boise City." While the
city's charter does indeed refer to the city as "Boise City", it is most often referred to locally as "Boise."
Boise is located at 43°36′49″N, 116°14′16″W (43.613739,
-116.237651)1.
Downtown Boise is at an elevation of 2,704 feet (824 m) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 165.8 km² (64.0 mi²). 165.2 km² (63.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.33%
water.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Rec High °F
(°C) |
63
(17.2) |
71
(21.7) |
81
(27.2) |
92
(33.3) |
99
(37.2) |
109
(42.8) |
111
(43.9) |
110
(43.3) |
102
(38.9) |
94
(34.4) |
78
(25.6) |
65
(18.3) |
Norm High °F
(°C) |
36.7
(2.6) |
44.5
(6.9) |
53.6
(12.0) |
61.7
(16.5) |
70.7
(21.5) |
80.3
(26.8) |
89.2
(31.8) |
88
(31.1) |
77.2
(25.1) |
64.3
(17.9) |
47.5
(8.6) |
37.2
(2.9) |
Norm Low °F
(°C) |
23.6
(-4.7) |
28.8
(-1.8) |
34
(1.1) |
39.4
(4.1) |
46.6
(8.1) |
54.2
(12.3) |
60.3
(15.7) |
59.8
(15.4) |
51.2
(10.7) |
41.3
(5.2) |
32.4
(0.2) |
24.1
(-4.4) |
Rec Low °F
(°C) |
-17
(-27.2) |
-15
(-26.1) |
6
(-14.4) |
19
(-7.2) |
22
(-5.6) |
31
(-0.6) |
35
(1.7) |
34
(1.1) |
23
(-5.0) |
11
(-11.7) |
-3
(-19.4) |
-25
(-31.7) |
Precip in
(mm) |
1.39
(35) |
1.14
(29) |
1.41
(36) |
1.27
(32) |
1.27
(32) |
0.74
(19) |
0.39
(10) |
0.3
(8) |
0.76
(19) |
0.76
(19) |
1.38
(35) |
1.38
(35) |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [1] |
History
An apocryphal tale tells that the Lewis & Clark expedition, after trekking for weeks through rough terrain, happened upon
the sight of the Boise River Valley. A french guide overwhelmed by the sight of the verdant river yelled "Les Bois! Les Bois!"
and this is how Boise got its name. In the 1820’s French furtrappers set traps in the area where Boise now lies. Though mostly an
area of high desert, a prominent landmark was the tree lined Boise River Valley, which they called "La Riviere Boise" which means
"wooded river." Though the connection between the Lewis & Clark tale and the naming of the city is incorrect, as their
expedition didn't travel through Southern Idaho, it is clear that the area was referred to as Boise long before the establishment
of Fort Boise.
The original Fort Boise was 40 miles (64 km) west, down the Boise River, near the confluence with the Snake River at the
Oregon border. This fort was erected by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1830s. It was abandoned in the 1850s, but massacres along the
Oregon Trail prompted the U.S. Army to
re-establish a fort in the area in 1863, during the U.S. Civil War. The new location
was selected because it was near the intersection of the Oregon Trail and a major road connecting the Boise Basin
(Idaho City) and the Owyhee mining areas, both
booming at the time. Idaho City was the largest city in the area, but the new Fort Boise grew rapidly (as a staging area to Idaho
City) and Boise was incorporated as a city in 1864. The first capital of Idaho was Lewiston, but Boise replaced it in 1865.
Further reading
Demographics
Recent figures
Boise and its surrounding metropolitan area have seen dramatic growth through the 1990s and 2000s. As of 2004 the city of
Boise estimated the metropolitan area (Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell) had a population of 526,656.[2] The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) puts Boise's
population as of 2005 at just more than 208,000 people.[3]
That is up 11 percent from the 2000 Census figures below.
Boise has grown considerably in recent years and is now comparable in size to other midsize cities at the center of their own
metropolitan areas in the United States such as Grand Rapids, Des Moines and Providence.[4]
2000 Census
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 185,787 people, 74,438 households, and 46,523 families
residing in the city. The population density was 2,913.1/mi². There were 77,850
housing units at an average density of 1,220.7/mi². The racial makeup of the city was 92.15% White, 0.77% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.74% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. 4.53% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race.The top 5 heritage groups in Boise are · German -
19%[2] ·
English - 16% · Irish - 11% · Scottish - 3% · Norwegian - 3
There were 74,438 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were
non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6%
from 45 to 64, and 10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,432, and the median income for a family was $52,014. Males had a median
income of $36,893 versus $26,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$22,696. About 5.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.
Accolades
Boise frequently receives national recognition for its quality of life and business climate. Some recent national
rankings:
- Best places for business and careers: # 3 (Forbes Magazine, 2007)[5]
- Urban environment report card: # 6 (Earth Day Network, 2007) [6] [7]
- Boomtowns: Hottest cities for entrepreneurs (midsize cities): # 9 (Inc.com, 2007) [8] [9]
- Most secure places to live (500,000 or more residents): # 1 (Farmers Insurance 2006) [10]
- Best places to live: # 8 (Money Magazine, 2006) [11]
Economy
Boise is the headquarters for several major companies, such as Washington
Group International (successor to Morrison Knudsen), Micron Technology (the
area's largest private employer[12]), Albertsons (a major supermarket chain now owned by Supervalu), the J.R. Simplot Company and Hewlett Packard's printer division. Other major industries are headquartered in Boise or have large
manufacturing facilities there. High tech industries are becoming increasingly vital to Boise's economy. State government is one
of the city's main employers, as it is the capital city for Idaho and home of Boise
State University.
Boise is also the headquarters of Idaho Power, Boise
Cascade, Idaho Pacific Lumber Company, WinCo Foods,
and Idaho Timber Corporation. Technology investment and the high tech industry have become
increasingly important to the city, with businesses including Bodybuilding.com,
Crucial.com, MarkMonitor, Sybase and Microsoft. The call center industry is also one of the area's major sources of employment; there are over 20
call centers in the city employing more than 7,000 people[13].
Varney Airlines, founded by Walter Varney, was
formed in Boise. The company is the root of present day United Airlines, which still
serves the city at the newly renovated and upgraded Boise Airport.
Education
The city is home to the Boise School District, which includes 34 elementary
schools, 8 junior high schools, 5 high schools and 2 specialty schools. Part of the Meridian School District (the largest district in Idaho) overlaps into Boise city limits.
The city is home to six public high schools: Boise High School, Borah High School, Capital High School,
Timberline High School as well as the Meridian district's
Centennial High School and the alternative Mountain Cove High School. Boise's private schools include Bishop Kelly High School (Catholic), and Baccalaureate accredited Riverstone Community
School.
Post-secondary educational options in Boise include Boise State University and
George Fox University, as well as a wide range of technical schools. Boise is home
to Boise Bible College, an undergraduate degree-granting college that exists to
train leaders for churches as well as missionaries for the world. Nearby Meridian is home to a campus of the University of Phoenix.
Boise is one of the largest cities in the United States that does not have a community
college. The issue has received a fair amount of attention from city and state officials in recent years. As of May 2007 a
community college special district was formed, with the intention of starting a community college in Nampa, Idaho. [14]
Culture
Numbering about 15,000, Boise's Basque community is the largest such community in the
United States and the fourth largest in the world outside Argentina, Venezuela and the Basque Country in
Spain and France.[15] A large Basque festival known as Jaialdi is held once every five
years (next in 2010). Downtown Boise features a vibrant section known as the "Basque Block". Boise's mayor, David H. Bieter, is of Basque descent.
Boise is also a regional hub for jazz and theater. The
Gene Harris Jazz Festival is hosted in Boise each spring. The city is also home to a number
of museums, including the Boise Art Museum, Idaho Historical
Museum, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Idaho Black
History Museum and the Discovery Center of Idaho. Several theater
groups operate in the city, including the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Boise Little Theatre and the Boise Contemporary Theater. On the first
Thursday of each month, a gallery stroll is hosted in the city's core business district by the Downtown Boise Association. The
city also has an Egyptian Theatre. In the Fall season, Downtown
Boise hosts a film festival called Idaho International Film
Festival.
The Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center offers water features and wildlife experiences just east of
downtown. It is located adjacent to Municipal Park.[16]
It features live fish and wildlife exhibits, viewing areas into the water, bird and butterfly gardens, waterfalls, and a free
visitor's center.
In 1896, the Ahavath Beth Israel Temple was completed to serve the Jewish community of Boise. Avavath Beth Israel is the
nation's oldest continually-used temple on the western side of the Mississippi.
Boise (along with Valley and Boise Counties) will host the Winter 2009 Special
Olympics World Games. More than 2,500 athletes from over 85 countries will participate.[17]
Major attractions
The State Capitol in Boise, Idaho
A number of recreational opportunities are available in Boise, including extensive hiking and biking in the foothills to the
immediate north of downtown. Much of this trail network is part of Hull's Gulch and can be accessed by 8th street. An extensive
urban trail system called the Boise River Greenbelt that runs along the river. The
Boise River itself is a common destination for fishing, swimming and rafting.
Bogus Basin Mountain Resort hosts
several winter activities, including cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. “Bogus” is just
16 miles (26 km) outside city limits (less than an hour drive from
downtown).
Minor professional sports teams in Boise include the short-season Class A Boise Hawks (Minor League Baseball), the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, and the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. An
arenafootball2 franchise, the Boise Burn, began play in
2007.
The Boise State University campus is home to Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, which
hosts local and national fine arts performances; Bronco Stadium, the 30,000 seat
football stadium known for its blue AstroPlay
field; and Taco Bell Arena, a 12,000 seat basketball and entertainment venue which
opened in 1982 as the BSU Pavillion. Boise State University is known primarily for the recent successes of its football team,
although it is also a fairly well regarded commuter school for undergraduate students.
The Roady's Humanitarian Bowl football game (formerly known as the Humanitarian Bowl and later
the MPC Computers Bowl) is held in late December of each year, and pairs a team from the Western Athletic Conference with an Atlantic
Coast Conference team.
The World Center for Birds of Prey is located just outside city
limits, and is a key part of the re-establishment of the Peregrine falcon and the
subsequent removal from the Endangered Species list. The center is
currently breeding the very rare California condor, among many other rare and endangered species.
The city has been cited by publications like Forbes, Fortune and Sunset for its quality of life.
The cornerstone mall in Boise, Boise Towne Square Mall, is also a major
shopping attraction for Boise, Nampa, Caldwell,
and surrounding areas and has recently been through an upgrade along with adding new retailers.
Media
-
The greater-Boise area is served by two daily newspapers, The Idaho Statesman and the Idaho Press Tribune; a
free weekly publication, the Boise Weekly; two city magazines, "Boise Journal" and "Boise Home"; weekly business
publications; 5 commercial TV stations, a PBS station; and a number of radio stations. For more see Media in Boise, Idaho.
Sister cities
Transportation
The major Interstate serving Boise is I-84, with I-184 branching toward the northeast. There is also a network of bike paths throughout the city and surrounding region.
Commercial air service is provided at the Boise Airport, recently renovated to
accommodate the growing number of passengers flying in and out of Boise. Public bus transportation is provided by ValleyRide and
the Boise Urban Stages (BUS).
Parts of the city
Despite Boise's small population, it occupies a large area, 64 mi² according to the
United States Census Bureau. Like most major metropolitan areas it is
divided into several named parts. These include the Bench, the North End, West Boise and Downtown
among others.
Downtown Boise
Downtown Boise is Boise's cultural center and home to many small businesses and several skyscrapers. Downtown Boise has an
array of shopping and dining choices. Centrally, 8th street contains a pedestrian zone with street side cafes and restaurants.
Downtown Boise is home to many local restaurants, bars and boutiques and supports a lively night life.
Downtown Boise's economy was threatened in the late 1990's by extensive growth around the Boise Towne Square Mall[18] (away from the city center) and an increasing number of shopping centers which have sprung up
around new housing developments. Events such as Alive-after-Five[19] and First Thursday[20] have
been created to combat this trend.
The North End
The North End contains many of Boise's older homes and is known for its tree-lined drives such as Harrison Boulevard, and for
its quiet neighborhoods near the downtown area. From Camel's Back Park[21] one can gain a view of Downtown Boise and the sea of trees that is the North End. On 13th Street,
Hyde Park[22] is home to many small restaurants (several with outdoor dining) and businesses. The North End also
hosts several events such as the annual Hyde Park Street Fair.
Southwest Boise
Southwest Boise has traditionally been known for its more country-like aesthetics. It contains sparsely populated
neighborhoods built from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Many include acre-sized plots and the occasional farmhouse and pastures.
Growth in the area was limited in the 1980s due to a moratorium on new construction to prevent urban sprawl. Since this has been
lifted there has been widespread growth of new homes and neighborhoods. The area lies fairly close to Interstate 84, theaters,
shopping, the airport, and the Boise Bench area.
Northwest Boise
Northwest Boise lies blanketed against the Boise Foothills to the north, the major thoroughfare State Street to the south, the
City of Eagle to the west, and Downtown Boise to the east. It contains an eclectic mix of old and new neighborhoods, including
Lakeharbor, which features the private Silver Lake, a reclaimed quarry. Northwest Boise has some pockets of older homes with a
similar aesthetic to the North End, yet housing prices tend to be lower. Downtown is minutes away, as is Veteran's Memorial
Park[23] and easy access to the Boise Greenbelt. Across the river sits the Boise Bench and to the west is fast access to the
bedroom communities of Eagle, Star, and Middleton.
Warm Springs
Warm Springs is centered around the tree-lined drive Warm Springs Avenue and contains many of Boise's largest and most
expensive homes (many of which were erected by wealthy miners and businessmen around the turn of the century; Victorian styles
feature prominently). The area gets its name from the natural hot springs that flow from Boise's fault line and warm many of the
homes in the area.
East End
The far east end of Warm Springs was once known as Barber Town, featuring a hotel with hot springs nestled into the foothills.
It now has some new residential developments, with easy access to Highway 21, which leads to the south-central Idaho mountains;
the Boise River; the Boise Foothills; and the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
South East Boise
South East Boise spans from Boise State University to Micron Technology - all areas between Federal Way and the Boise River.
The older area just south of the University can be described as a cross between the North End and the Boise bench. The rest of
South East Boise was developed in the last thirty years with suburban style homes. Unlike the more typical flat suburban sprawl,
residents of South East Boise are reminded of their city's natural beauty as they catch a close view of Table Rock, or drive
along the winding Parkcenter Blvd. along the Boise River. Columbia Village and the older subdivision Oregon Trail Heights, were
the first major planned communities in South East Boise with an elementary and middle school all within walking distance from all
homes. Developed with the middle carved out for schools and a large soccer complex (over 20 fields), as well as a baseball
complex, swimming pools, and the best view in the valley. Most people consider this end of Boise a hidden gem as just about
everything is about 15 minutes from home: the river, greenbelt, the mountains, lakes, snow, high mountain desert, and more. The
subdivision is located at the intersections of Interstate 84, Idaho 21, and Federal Way (former US Highway), which are all major
arteries to get anywhere in Boise.
The Boise Bench
The Boise Bench is south of Downtown Boise and is raised in elevation approximately 60 feet. The bench is named such because
the sudden rise in elevation gives the prominent appearance of a step, or bench. The Bench (or Benches, there are 3 actual
benches throughout the Boise Valley) was created as an ancient shoreline to the old river channel. The Bench is home to the old
Boise Train Depot, Vista Village shopping center, and extensive residential neighborhoods.
Due south of the Boise Bench is the Boise Airport,[24] raised up on another "bench".
About the name
Origin of Name
Downtown Boise, as seen from the North
The name Boise comes from the French word boisé, which means "wooded". Many people assume that it means "tree",
but the French word for "tree" is arbre,
whereas the word bois means "wood". One
legend claims that French-Canadian fur trappers of the early 1800s came over the mountains looked down upon the Boise River
Valley and exclaimed "Les Bois!" (the wood!). This is also how Boise gained its nickname 'The City of Trees'. In actuality, the
name was apparently a translation of an earlier English name for the Boise River, the Wood
River.
Pronunciation
Many residents (generally those who have lived in the area longer) use the pronunciation of "Boise" as a shibboleth, insisting that [bɔɪsi] is the only correct pronunciation. Others not native to Boise consider
[bɔɪzi] to be an equally valid pronunciation. According to the official city website, the correct way to say Boise is
[bɔɪsi].[25]
Recent News
Photo gallery
The Old Boise Train Depot
|
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References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Coordinates:
43.613739° N 116.237651°
W
|
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