Facts:
- 75,000 people live downtown and near downtown in the
surrounding neighborhoods.
- Currently 44,000 employees work downtown. In over
300 public and private businesses.
- Major Downtown Employers: JR Simplot Company – Agriculture
(Corp HQ); US Bank – Financial (Regional HQ);
Boise Cascade - Wood Products (Corp HQ); Idaho Power – Utility;
Qwest – Telecommunications (Regional HQ); Wells
Fargo – Financial (Regional HQ); Key Bank Corp – Financial
(Regional HQ); CSHQA – Architects; Idaho State
Offices – Government; Ada County Courthouse – Government;
Boise City Offices – Government
- 103 retail shops - a great mix of specialty stores,
art galleries and much more.
- 82 restaurants & nightclubs - including comedy,
dance clubs, live music venues, and fine dining.
- 57 Business & Retail Services
- 21 Arts & Entertainment Facilities
- One Major Downtown Department Store - Macys.
- 6,330 public parking spaces - 3,200 public parking
garage system & 3,000 street metered spaces.
First Hour Free in Public garage spaces. 20 minutes
free parking at all Meters. Merchant tokens are
available for as low as $0.25 per hour.
- Short Term Customer public parking in 2004 was 548,216
parkers
- 5,000 seat Bank of America arena. Home of the Idaho
Steelheads professional hockey team, the Idaho
Stampede basketball team and today’s touring concert
acts
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Demographics
For current demographics - click
here
Population - City 181,711 City of Boise
(APA, June 2000)
Population - MSA 403,817 (MSA - Ada & Canyon Counties)
Elevation 2,842 feet
Land Area 1,645 sq mi (Boise MSA)
Annual Precipitation 12.11 inches
Sunshine Days 234
Temperature Average:
January 22-36 degrees F
April 37-61 degrees F
July 58-90 degrees F
October 29-65 degrees
for local area moving resources - click
here
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Boise's History
Nestled on a high desert plain in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains
with a pristine river flowing through its center, Boise finds
its roots from the gold rush days of the 1800s.
In 1834 Fort Boise, owned by the Hudson Bay Company, was established
by British fur traders. The fort, now known as Old Fort Boise,
was located at the mouth of the Boise River, 40 miles from present
day Boise. In 1854, due to frequent Indian raids, the fort was
abandoned. Despite this, the military desired to build another
fort in the area, but, before this plan could go into effect,
gold was discovered in the Boise Basin in 1862. It was now necessary,
more than ever, to protect the vast number of travelers coming
to the area.
On July 4th, 1863, the military chose a location for the new
Fort Boise and construction began soon afterward. A town site
was located next to the fort, and with the protection of the
military, the town grew quickly. A major reason for this growth,
other than the gold rush, was its location along the Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a thoroughfare for thousands of travelers
heading for the Oregon Territory. Of all the western roads, the
Oregon Trail was the longest at 2,020 miles. It began in Independence,
Kansas and ended at Oregon City, Oregon. Its route in Idaho began
at the Idaho-Wyoming border, crossed through Bear Valley, turned
north toward Fort Hall and then followed the Snake River until
it reached the Boise River. It followed the south side of the
river winding through what is now the southern part of Boise.
To this day, wheel ruts can still be seen along various spots
of its path.
Adding to this major thoroughfare were the routes to the Boise
Basin and Owyhee mines. These routes crossed the Oregon Trail
at the Fort Boise location. Because it was located at these major
crossroads, Boise became a prosperous commercial center.
In 1864, when the territorial legislature held its second session
in Lewiston, Boise was incorporated as a city and proclaimed
the capital of the Idaho Territory. This same year, on July 26,
the Idaho Statesman newspaper produced its first publication
and became the second newspaper in Idaho. The first was the Idaho
World in Idaho City.
After the gold rush, Boise's population declined from 1,658
citizens in 1864 to 995 in 1870. With new construction, including
the territorial prison in 1869 and the U.S. Assay Office in 1872,
Boise began to grow again. The capitol building was completed
in 1886 and in 1887 Boise built a streetcar system. In 1890,
Idaho became a state.
In the early 1900s Boise once again enjoyed rapid growth. This
growth came with the expansion of irrigation in the valley in
1902. This led to the construction of Arrowrock Dam, the tallest
in the world from 1915 to 1932.
In the late 1930s, Boise was graced with the massive migration
of Basques from their native home in the Western Pyrenees Mountains.
These proud people became sheepherders, a large industry at the
time, and gradually moved into the mainstream of city life in
Boise, bringing their colorful culture with them. Today Boise
has the largest concentration of Basques per capita outside the
Pyrenees Mountains.
As the Great Depression ravaged many cities in the nation, Boise
enjoyed growth. And during World War II, multitudes of airmen
trained at Gowen Field, Boise's air base.
Today Boise is still the largest metropolitan community in the
state with over 185,000 residents. Numerous international, national,
regional and state corporations have their headquarters in Boise.
Some of these include Boise (formerly Boise Cascade), Simplot
Corporation, Albertsons, Micron and Washington Group International.
Boise is the hub of commerce, banking and government for the
state and is located midway between Salt Lake City, UT and Portland,
OR.
local job listings
arts & entertainment
parks & recreation
ski
resorts
Bogus
Basin Ski Resort
2405 Bogus Basin Rd.,
Boise Ph. 208.332.5151
(45 minutes outside of Boise)
Brundage
Mountain Ski Resort
McCall, Idaho Ph. 208.634.7462
Snow Report 800.255.7669
Grand
Targhee
Teton Mountain Range.
Located 87 miles from Idaho Falls.
Pomerelle
Mountain Resort
Albion, Idaho
Schweitzer
Mountain Resort
Sandpoint, Northern Idaho
Silver
Mountain
Kellogg, Northern Idaho
Soldier
Mountain
Central Idaho
10 miles N. of Fairfield on Hwy. 20
Sun
Valley
Ph. 800.786.8259
email ski@sunvalley.com
Tamarack
Council Mountain Range
Near Donnelly, Idaho
Current
Ski Conditions in Idaho
Accommodations
in Idaho
Driving
Directions and Maps!
The
Idaho Travel Guide
Fishing / Hunting
Cascade Lake, Cascade
Lucky Peak Reservoir
CJ Strike Reservoir
Snake River
Boise River
Idaho
Fish and Game
Boise National
Forest
Caribou National Forest
Challis National Forest
Clearwater National Forest
Curlew National Grassland
Idaho Panhandle National
Forests: Coeur d'Alene, Kaniksu, and St. Joe National Forests
Nez Perce National
Forest
Payette National Forest
Salmon National
Forest
Sawtooth National Forest
Targhee National
Forest
Sawtooth Mountain
Guides
State
Parks A to Z
Cabins & Yurts
Reservations
Group
Facilities
Parks
Calendar
parks
Ann Morrison Park,
Americana Blvd.
Boise Julia Davis Park,
700 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise
Kathryn Albertson Park,
1000 block of Americana Blvd. Boise
Municipal Park,
500 S. Walnut St. Boise
Veterans Memorial Park,
960 Veterans Way Boise |
private
golf courses
Broadmore Country Club, Inc.
103 Shannon Nampa
208.466.1114
Crane Creek Country Club
500 W. Curling Dr. Boise
208.344.6529
Hillcrest Country Club
4610 Hillcrest Dr. Boise
208.343.5425
Plantation Golf Club
6515 W. State Boise
208.853.4440
Spurwing Country Club
6800 N. Spurwing Way, Meridian
208.887.1800
Terrace Lakes Resort
Garden Valley
208.462.3250
public golf courses
Boise Ranch Golf Course,
6501 S. Cloverdale Rd.
208.362.6501
Banbury
North Marypost Place, Eagle
208.939.3600
Centennial Golf Course,
Centennial Dr., Nampa
208.467.3011
Cherry Lane,
2070 Interlachen Way, Meridian
208.888.4080
Eagle Hills Golf Course,
605 N. Edgewood Dr.
208.939.0402
Foxtail Golf Course,
990 W. Chinden Blvd.M eridian
208.887.4653
Indian Lakes Golf Club,
4700 S. Umatilla Ave.
208.362.5772
Purple Sage Municipal Golf Course
Middleton
208.459.2223
Quail Hollow Golf Club,
4520 N. 36th Boise
208.344.7807
Ridgecrest Golf Club,
3730 Ridgecrest Dr. Nampa
208.468.9073
Shadow Valley Golf Course,
15711 Highway 55 Boise
208.939.6699
Warm Springs,
2495 Warm Springs Ave. Boise
208.343.5661
sports
BSU
Broncos
Boise Hawks
Idaho
Stampede
Idaho
Steelheads
Idaho
Vandals |
| Bogus Creek Outfitters Visit |
208-336-3130 |
| A real western adventure, these outfitters
feature horseback riding and wagon rides with chuck
wagon meals. |
|
| Boise Greenbelt Visit |
208-384-4240 |
| On this unique trail system connecting
the city's network of parks, you can jog, skate,
cycle, or walk along more than 25 miles of paved
pathways following the Boise River through the
heart of the city. |
|
| Basque Museum and Cultural Center |
208-343-2671 |
| Exhibits feature Basque traditions,
artifacts and culture. Next door, an original Basque
boarding house brings to life the history of Basques
in Idaho |
|
| Boise Depot |
208-384-4014 |
| This stately structure was built
by Union Pacific Railroad in 1925 during the glory
years of rail transport. Immersed in the beauty
of the Platt Gardens, the Depot offers a wonderful
view of Boise's downtown backed by scenic foothills. |
|
| Boise River |
|
| Cast a fly or lure in the Boise River
as it runs through the heart of town. In the summer
enjoy a cooling float from Barber Park to Ann Morrison
Park. |
|
| Boise River Tours |
208-333-0003 |
| Educational and recreational river
rafting. Tours are available June through September. |
|
| Discovery Center of Idaho |
208-343-9895 |
| With over 150 hands-on scientific
exhibits to explore, experience, and enjoy, this
museum makes learning fun for the whole family.
Located in Julia Davis Park. |
|
| Downtown Boise |
|
| Historic buildings in the downtown
area showcase Boise's pioneer roots, such as Old
Boise and 8th Street Marketplace. The Grove, the
city's public plaza, is the site of many community
activities, including "Alive After Five," a
weekly program of music and entertainment during
the spring and summer months. |
|
| Idaho Black History Museum |
208-433-0017 |
| A showplace of theirtorical photos,
crafts, and other artifacts, reflecting Black culture
in Idaho's diverse heritage |
|
| Idaho Botanical Garden |
208-343-8649 |
| Features an ever-changing world of
theme and display gardens. |
|
| Idaho Historical Museum |
208-334-2120 |
| Step back 100 years and visit an
Old West saloon, Chinese medicine shop and blacksmith's
forge. Located in Julia Davis Park. |
|
| Idaho Ice World |
208-331-0044 |
| Public ice skating sessions run daily
for all levels of skaters. Rental skates available. |
|
| Idaho Museum of Military History |
208-422-6128 |
| This museum features Idaho naval
history, the development of Gowen Field and the
General Patch collection |
|
| Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology |
208-368-9876 |
| Follow in the steps of miners as
they rushed to Idaho's hills and fought each other
in pursuit of gold and silver. |
|
| M-K Nature Center |
208-368-6060 |
| An indoor/outdoor facility, the Center
features the life of a mountain stream, with underwater
viewing, interpretive signs and interactive exhibits. |
|
| Old Idaho Penitentiary |
208-368-6080 |
| Take a fascinating peek into the
lives of Idaho's theirtoric criminals. A self-guided
tour includes Death Row, cell houses, and exhibits
on early prisoners and prison life. |
|
| World Center for Birds of Prey |
208-362-8687 |
| Located south of Boise, this renowned
facility gives visitors insight into the actual
working process of saving endangered species of
hawks, falcons, eagles, and other birds of prey. |
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