Boise ( locally, or , less commonly known as
Boise City) is a city located in the
Northwestern United StatesThe Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon and Washington, to which Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Southeast Alaska, and parts of Northern California are sometimes added...
in the state of
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
. Boise is the capital and most populous city of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of Idaho as well as the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Ada CountyAda County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census, the county had a population of 300,904 . The county seat and largest city is Boise. Other cities in the county with over 10,000 residents include Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, and Garden City....
. Located on the
Boise RiverThe Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately long, in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
, this is the principal city of the
Boise City-Nampa metropolitan areaThe Boise City-Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in southwestern Idaho, anchored by the cities of Boise and Nampa...
and the largest city between
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. Salt Lake City has a population of 181,698 as of July 1, 2008, making it the 125th largest city in the United States...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
and
PortlandPortland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930, making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most...
,
OregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Boise passed
SpokaneSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
in city population in 2001 census estimates and is now the third largest in the
northwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America, bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west. There are several partially overlapping definitions of the region, but they generally include the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon, and...
U.S., behind
SeattleSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
and
PortlandPortland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930, making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most...
. Boise serves as the primary government, economic, cultural, and transportation center for the area.
As of the 2008 Census Bureau estimates, Boise's population was 205,314 with a
metropolitan areaA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
estimated to have 587,689 inhabitants, by far the most populous
metropolitan areaThe Boise City-Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in southwestern Idaho, anchored by the cities of Boise and Nampa...
in Idaho.
Geography
Boise is located at (43.613739, -116.237651), in southwestern
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
, approximately 41 miles (66 km) east of the
OregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
border, and 110 miles (177 km) north of the
NevadaNevada is a state located in the western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas. The state's nickname is Silver State, due to the large number of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there...
border. The
downtown coreDowntown is a term primarily used in North America to refer to a city's core or central business district, usually in a geographical, commercial, and community sense....
sits at an
elevationThe elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an...
of 2704 feet (824 m) above sea level.
Most of the metropolitan area lies on a broad, relatively flat plain, descending to the west. Mountains rise up to the northeast, stretching from the far southeastern tip of the Boise city limits to nearby
EagleEagle is a city in Ada County, Idaho, United States. The population was 11,085 at the 2000 census. Due to growth in the Boise metropolitan area, Eagle has become increasingly suburban in recent years;the 2007 population estimate was 19,254.-Geography:...
. These mountains are known to locals as the Boise foothills and are sometimes described as the foothills of the
Rocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado at above sea level...
. About 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Boise, and about 26 miles (42 km) southwest of
NampaNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. It is now the second largest in the state, passing the eastern Idaho cities of Idaho Falls and Pocatello in the late 1990s. And is owned by Austin Prince. Only the capital city, Boise, is larger. The population of...
, the Owyhee Mountains lie entirely in neighboring
Owyhee CountyOwyhee County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Idaho. In area it is the second largest county in Idaho, behind Idaho County in the north central region of the state. As of the 2000 Census, Owyhee County had a population of 10,644...
.
According to the
census bureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 64.0 mi² (166 km²). 63.8 mi² (165 km²) of it is land and 0.2 mi² (0.5 km²) of it (0.33%) is water.
Climate
Boise's climate is characterized as
semi-aridA Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual rainfall . A more precise definition is given by the Köppen climate classification that treats steppe climates as intermediates between the desert climates and humid climates in ecological...
with four distinct seasons. Boise experiences hot and dry summers where temperatures can often exceed 100°F (38°C), as well as cold winters with fair amounts of snowfall. Rainfall is usually infrequent and light, averaging an inch (25.4 mm) per month. March is the wettest month with an average of 1.41" (36 mm) of precipitation, and August is the driest month with 0.30" (7.6 mm). Spring and fall are generally temperate.
History
It is commonly accepted that the area was referred to as Boise long before the establishment of Fort Boise. However, the exact details of how the name came to be applied to the area differ in the available accounts.
Some credit a story told of Captain
B.L.E. BonnevilleBenjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville was a French-born officer in the United States Army, fur trapper, and explorer in the American West...
of the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
as the source of the name. After trekking for weeks through dry and rough terrain, his exploration party reached an overlook with a view of the
Boise River ValleyThe Treasure Valley is the area of the Western United States where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur and Owyhee rivers drain into the Snake River. Treasure Valley includes all the lowland areas from Vale, Oregon on the west to Boise, Idaho on the east. Formerly, the valley had been known as the...
. The place where they stood is called Bonneville Point, and is located on the
Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail was one of the main overland migration routes on the North American continent, leading from locations on the Missouri River to the Oregon Territory. The eastern half of the trail was also used by travelers on the California Trail, Bozeman Trail, and Mormon Trail which used much of...
east of the city. According to the story, a
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
-speaking guide, overwhelmed by the sight of the verdant river, yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" giving the area the name. An apocryphal version of this story, sometimes mis-attributes this guide as being part of the
Lewis and Clark ExpeditionThe Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first overland expedition undertaken by the United States to the Pacific coast and back. The expedition team was headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and assisted by Sacajawea and Toussaint Charbonneau. The expedition's goal was to gain an accurate...
.
But the name "Boise" may actually derive from earlier
mountain manMountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 to the early 1840s. Although primarily of Canadian or American origin, mountain men were ethnically, socially, and religiously diverse...
usage, which contributed their naming of the river that flows through it. In the 1820s,
French CanadianFrench Canadian refers to a nation or ethnic group of French descent that originated in Canada during the period of French colonization beginning in the 17th century. They constitute the main French-speaking population of Canada...
fur trappers set trap lines in the vicinity where Boise now lies. In a high desert area, the tree-lined valley of the Boise River became a prominent landmark. They called this "La rivière boisée", which means "the wooded river."
The original
Fort BoiseFort Boise refers to two different locations in southwestern Idaho. The first was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post near the Snake River on the Oregon border, dating from the era when Idaho was part of the fur company's Columbia District. After several rebuilds, it was ultimately abandoned in...
was 40 miles (64 km) west near
ParmaParma is a city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Parma is located at ....
, down the
Boise RiverThe Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately long, in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
, near the confluence with the
Snake RiverThe Snake River is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, flowing through the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The river's watershed consists of , and the average discharge at its mouth is...
at the Oregon border. This fort was erected by the
Hudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world...
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 CityIdaho City is a city in and the county seat of Boise County, Idaho, United States, located about 36 miles northeast of Boise. The population was 458 at the 2000 census....
) and the
OwyheeThe Owyhee River is a tributary of the Snake River located in northern Nevada, southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon in the United States. It is long. The river's drainage basin is in area, one of the largest subbasins of the Columbia Basin...
(
Silver CitySilver City is a ghost town in Owyhee County, Idaho, United States. At its height in the 1880s it was a gold and silver mining town with a population of around 2,500 and approximately 75 businesses. Silver City served as county seat of Owyhee County from 1867 to 1934. Today, the town has about 70...
) mining areas, which were both booming at the time. During the mid-1860s, Idaho City was the largest city in the Northwest, and as a staging area, Fort Boise grew rapidly and Boise was incorporated as a city in 1864. The first capital of the
Idaho TerritoryThe Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
was
LewistonLewiston is the county seat of and largest city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States. It is the second largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez...
in
north IdahoNorth Central Idaho is an area which spans the central part of the state of Idaho and borders Oregon, Montana, and Washington. It is the southern half of the Idaho Panhandle region and is rich in agriculture and natural resources. Lewis and Clark travelled throughout this area on their journey to...
, but Boise soon won the capital rights in 1865.
The
U.S. Assay OfficeAssay Office is a historic building in Boise, Idaho. It is significant for its role in the history of mining in Idaho. During the first half of the 1860s, Idaho’s gold production was the third highest in the nation. Due to the difficulty of transporting bulky, heavy ores the long distance to the...
at 210 Main Street was built in 1871 and is a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
.
Demographics
Boise has grown considerably in recent years and is now comparable in size to other mid-size cities at the center of their own metropolitan areas in the United States. Comparable cities are
Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
,
Des MoinesDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
and
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
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/sq mi (1,124.7/km²). There were 77,850 housing units at an average density of 1,220.7/mi² (471.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was:
- 92.15% White
- 0.77% African American
- 0.70% Native American
- 2.08% Asian
- 0.16% Pacific Islander
- 1.74% from other races
- 2.39% from two or more races
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.53% of the population.
There were 74,438 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 10.0% 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
- 10.0% 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 incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
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 6.0% of those age 65 or older.
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)
- Urban environment report card: # 6 (Earth Day Network, 2007)
- Boomtowns: Hottest cities for entrepreneurs (midsize cities): # 9 (Inc.com, 2007)
- Most secure places to live (500,000 or more residents): # 1 (Farmers Insurance 2006)
Economy
Boise is the headquarters for several major companies, such as
URS Corp.URS Corporation is one of the largest engineering design firms worldwide and a leading U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco, California; URS is a full-service, global organization with offices located in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.URS is structured into...
Washington Division (formerly
Washington Group InternationalWashington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
, formerly Morrison-Knudsen),
Boise Cascade LLCBoise Cascade Holdings, LLC, which uses the trade name Boise, is an American pulp and paper company, ranked as the thirteenth largest forest products company in the world. It is composed of the assets sold off when the publicly-traded Boise Cascade Corporation renamed itself OfficeMax Inc...
, New Albertsons Inc.,
Albertsons LLCAlbertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's, County Line Liquor and Super Saver Foods banners...
, J.R. Simplot Company, Idaho Pacific Lumber Company, Idaho Timber, and
WinCo FoodsWinCo Foods is an employee-owned supermarket business headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company's name was decided by the employees both in the stores and the distribution centers in a contest to rename the company, settling on "WinCo," which stands for "winning company"...
. Other major industries are headquartered in Boise or have large manufacturing facilities present. The state government is also one of the city's largest employers.
The area's largest private employer publicly traded and headquartered company in Boise is
Micron TechnologyMicron Technology is a multinational company based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Most consumers are more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial Technology...
. Others include
IDACORP, Inc.IDACORP, Inc is an electricity holding company, incorporated in Idaho with headquarters in Boise, Idaho. It comprises Idaho Power Company, IDACORP Financial and Ida-West Energy. It was formed October 1, 1998....
, the parent company of
Idaho PowerIdaho Power Company is a regulated electrical power utility. its business involves the purchase, sale, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Oregon and Idaho. It is a subsidiary of IDACORP, Inc...
, Idaho Bancorp , Boise, Inc. , American Ecology Corp. , PCS Edventures.com Inc. and Syringa Bancorp.
Technology investment and the high-tech industry have become increasingly important to the city, with businesses including
Bodybuilding.comBodybuilding.com is an online retailer/manufacturer of sports supplements and nutritional products. Bodybuilding.com was founded in 1999 in Boise, Idaho by then 21-year old CEO Ryan R. DeLuca In July 2006, Milestone Partners acquired a majority interest in Bodybuilding.com for an undisclosed amount...
,
Crucial.comMicron Technology is a multinational company based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Most consumers are more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial Technology...
, MobileDataForce, MarkMonitor,
SybaseSybase Inc. is an enterprise software and services company.-History:Sybase became the number two database system behind Oracle, after making a deal with Microsoft to share the source code for Microsoft to remarket on the OS/2 platform as "SQL Server". At the time, Sybase called the database server...
, Balihoo.com and
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
. The call center industry is also a major source of employment; there are over 20 call centers in the city employing more than 7,000 people, including WDS Global, EDS,
TeleperformanceTeleperformance is an international corporation which was founded in Paris, France in 1978 by Daniel Julien. Teleperformance provides customer service, technical support, and sales call center outsourcing as well as worldwide outsourcing services...
,
DIRECTVDirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States. Its primary competitors are Dish Network and cable providers. DirecTV currently has 18 million subscribers...
and
T-MobileT-Mobile is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom and belongs to the FreeMove Business alliance.T-Mobile is a group of mobile phone corporate subsidiaries that operate GSM and UMTS networks in Europe and the United States. The T stands for Telekom. T-Mobile also has financial stakes in mobile operators...
.
Varney AirlinesVarney Air Lines was an airline company that started service on April 6, 1926 as an air-mail carrier. Formed by Walter Varney, the airline was based in Boise, Idaho, United States.-Historical background:...
, founded by
Walter VarneyWalter Thomas Varney was an American aviation pioneer who founded forerunners of two major U.S. airlines United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Varney was also one of the most prominent airmail contractors of the early 20th Century.Varney served as a pilot in the Aviation Section, U.S...
, was formed in Boise. The company is the root of present day
United AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., trading as United Airlines , is a major airline of the United States. It is a subsidiary of UAL Corporation with corporate offices in Chicago at 77 West Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. United's largest hub is O'Hare International Airport, where it has more than 550 daily...
, which still serves the city at the newly renovated and upgraded
Boise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
.
Education
The
Boise School DistrictBoise School District is a comprehensive public school district in Boise, Idaho, U.S.A. The district is officially known as the Independent School District of Boise City, Idaho...
includes 31 elementary schools, 8 junior high schools, 5 high schools and 2 specialty schools. Part of the
Meridian School DistrictThe Meridian School District is located in Ada County, Idaho. In addition to the city of Meridian, the district serves Eagle and western Ada County, and western portions of the city of Boise....
(the largest district in Idaho) overlaps into Boise city limits. The city is home to six public high schools:
Boise High SchoolBoise High School is the one of five public traditional high schools within the city of Boise, Idaho. It is one of four Boise School District three year comprehensive high schools and is located on the outerlying edge of the city's downtown business core...
,
Borah High SchoolBorah High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. It is named after William E. Borah, a prominent U.S. Senator from 1907-40.-History:...
,
Capital High SchoolCapital High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. Opened in 1965, it was the third of four public high schools constructed in the city. The others are Boise , Borah , and Timberline High School .-History:...
,
Timberline High SchoolTimberline High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. Opened in August 1998, it is the fourth and newest public high school in the city, serving the southeast portion of the Boise School District...
as well as Meridian School District's
Centennial High SchoolCentennial High School is a four-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. Although located in Boise, it is part of the Meridian School District, centered in the adjacent town of Meridian. The school opened in 1987 and serves neighborhoods in western Boise and Meridian...
and the alternative Frank Church High School. Boise's private schools include
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
Bishop Kelly High SchoolBishop Kelly High School is a private Catholic high school in Boise, Idaho, operated by the Diocese of Boise. It opened its doors in the fall of 1964, succeeding St. Teresa's Academy, Boise's first high school, which had closed that spring. Bishop Kelly is the only Catholic high school in the...
,
Foothills School of Arts and SciencesFoothills School of Arts and Sciences is an independent school in Boise, Idaho with pre-K through eighth grade.-History:Foothills School of Arts and Sciences was founded in 1992 by Susan and John Medlin. The school was the first non-sectarian, independent school in Boise...
and Baccalaureate accredited
Riverstone International SchoolRiverstone International School, formerly the Hidden Springs Community School, is one of four International Baccalaureate-accredited schools in Idaho. It is located in Boise. Opened in 1997, it offers instruction to children from kindergarten through grade 12...
.
Post-secondary educational options in Boise include
Boise State UniversityBoise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.Boise State was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church...
as well as a wide range of technical schools.
University of IdahoThe University of Idaho is the state of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. UI is the state's land-grant and primary research university...
and
Idaho State UniversityIdaho State University is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Its main campus is in Pocatello with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls.ISU has more than 280 programs...
each maintain a satellite campus in Boise. Boise is home to
Boise Bible CollegeBoise Bible College is an accredited institution of higher learning which specializes in training students to serve in variety of ministry careers...
, an undergraduate degree-granting college that exists to train leaders for churches as well as missionaries for the world. Boise is one of the largest cities in the United States that does not have a
community collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-United States:In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing...
. 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. However, with the development of the
College of Western IdahoCollege of Western Idaho is an American public community college located in Nampa, Idaho. It serves the Boise metropolitan area.CWI began regular classes on January 20, 2009, with an enrollment of over 1100 students...
(CWI), plans to expand and provide courses in Ada County and the City of Boise is likely to occur in 2009.
Culture
Numbering about 15,000, Boise's ethnic
BasqueThe Basques are the native people of the Basque Country .The Basques as an ethnic group primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country, a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-eastern Spain...
community is the second largest such community in the United States after
Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California, United States. It is located roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively...
and the fifth largest in the world outside
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
,
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and the
Basque CountryThe Basque Country as a greater region is a European cultural region in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain, on the Atlantic coast....
in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. 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. BieterDavid H. Bieter has served as mayor of Boise, Idaho since 2004.-Biography:Bieter was born in Boise and graduated from Bishop Kelly High School in 1978. Bieter earned a bachelor's degree in international studies from University of St...
, is of Basque descent. He also wrestles alligators on the weekend.
Boise is also a regional hub for
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
and theater. The
Gene HarrisGene Harris was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz....
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, Boise WaterShed and the
Discovery Center of IdahoDiscovery Center of Idaho or DCI is an interactive Science museum in Boise, Idaho located at 131 Myrtle St. The Discovery Center of Idaho's mission is to provide experiences and educational opportunities that inspire lifelong learning and interest in science, math and technology, and that...
. Several theater groups operate in the city, including the
Idaho Shakespeare FestivalThe Idaho Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre located in Boise, Idaho, United States.-Overview:The Idaho Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre located in Boise, Idaho, United States.. The Idaho Shakespeare Festival provides quality educational theater for the state...
, Boise Little Theatre,
Boise Contemporary TheaterBoise Contemporary Theater is a small professional theater company located in Boise, Idaho . Since 1997, BCT has been the only professional theater company in Boise committed to performing a complete season of contemporary work, thereby filling a long vacant niche in the artistic landscape of Idaho...
, and Prairie Dog Productions. 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 the
Egyptian TheatreThe Egyptian Theatre, also known as the Ada Theater, at 700 West Main Street in Boise, Idaho is a movie theater that opened in 1927.- History :...
as a renovated venue. In the Fall season, Downtown Boise hosts a
film festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. The films may be of recent date and, depending upon the focus of the individual festival, can include international releases as well as films produced by...
called Idaho International Film Festival.
The
Boise Centre on the GroveThe Boise Centre is an 85,000 square foot convention center located on the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise, Idaho. The facility was completed in 1990 and includes a 350-seat auditorium, 20 meeting rooms, and a ballroom....
is an convention center that hosts a variety of events, including international, national, and regional conventions, conferences, banquets, and consumer shows. It is located in the heart of downtown Boise and borders the Grove Plaza, which hosts numerous outdoor functions throughout the year.
The Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center offers water features and wildlife experiences just east of downtown. It is located adjacent to Municipal Park. It features live fish and wildlife exhibits, viewing areas into the water, bird and butterfly gardens, waterfalls and a free visitor's center.
Boise has a diverse and vibrant religious communities. The Jewish community's Ahavath Beth Israel Temple, completed 1896, is the nation's oldest continually-used temple west of the Mississippi. The
Boise Hare Krishna TempleThe Boise Hare Krishna Temple and Vedic Cultural Center was opened near Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States, in 1986 in the home of one of the members. Before then there was no Hare Krishna temple in town. Teachers and professors from local schools and colleges often brought classes...
opened in August 1999. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over 60 congregations in Boise and dedicated
a templeThe Boise Idaho Temple is the 29th constructed and 27th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Boise, Idaho it was built with a sloping roof & six-spire design....
there in 1984, the first of 6 temples dedicated that year.
Boise (along with Valley and Boise Counties) hosted the
2009 Special Olympics World Winter GamesThe 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games was held in the state of Idaho, USA from February 7 through February 13, 2009.Nearly 2500 athletes from over 100 countries participated in the games. Dignitaries included actors, musicians, athletes and politicians from around the United States and the...
. More than 2,500 athletes from over 85 countries participated.
Famous residents
- William Agee
William Joseph "Bill" Agee is a former American business executive, most notably as the CEO of Bendix in Michigan and later with Morrison-Knudsen of Idaho...
, former controversial business executive
- Joe Albertson
Joseph Albert "Joe" Albertson was the founder of the Albertsons chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist.Albertson was born in Yukon, Oklahoma Territory. He was one of four sons born to Rhoda and Earl Albertson...
, founder of Albertsons Inc.
- Frank Church
Frank Forrester Church III was a United States Senator from Idaho, serving four terms from 1957 to 1981. Church was a member of the Idaho Democratic Party.-Early life:...
, former U.S. SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
- John M. Haines
John Michiner Haines was Governor of Idaho from 1913 until 1915. Prior to being elected governor he served as mayor of Boise from 1907 to 1909....
, former Mayor of Boise and Governor of Idaho
- Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne , was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who served under President George W. Bush from 2006–2009. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho...
, former U.S. Secretary of the InteriorThe United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
, Mayor of Boise, Governor of Idaho, and U.S. Senator
- Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is an American football quarterback whose rights are held by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
, former NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
- Frank Shrontz
Frank Anderson Shrontz is a former CEO and chairman of the Boeing Company.The son of a sporting goods merchant, Shrontz graduated from Boise High School in 1949 and the University of Idaho in 1954 with a Bachelor of Laws degree, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Following a...
, former CEO of BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
- Robert Smylie
Robert Eben Smylie was a politician and attorney from Idaho. He served as governor of Idaho from 1955 to 1967. He was a member of the Idaho Republican Party....
, former Governor of Idaho
- Gary Stevens, former thoroughbred jockey
In sport, a jockey is one who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing; however, camel jockey profession is slowly being replaced by robotics.-Horse racing:...
- Wayne Walker
Wayne Harrison Walker is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played in the NFL for fifteen seasons, from 1958-72 for the Detroit Lions. Wearing #55, he played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb...
, former NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
All-Pro linebackerA Linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football that was invented by football coach Fielding Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and broadcaster
- Reginald Owen
Reginald Owen, or John Reginald Owen, was a British character actor known for playing in many film roles in British and American movies and later in television programs...
, EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
character actorA character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads...
- Bill Buckner
William Joseph "Bill" Buckner is a former Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, California Angels and Kansas City Royals. His playing career lasted over twenty years and he accumulated over 2700 career hits...
, former major leagueMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
player
- Torrie Wilson
Torrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands through out her eight year run.As a fitness...
, modelthumb|200px|Alesya Nazarova modeling a dress by [[bebe stores|bebe]]A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed for the purpose of displaying and promoting fashion clothing or other products and for advertising or promotional purposes or who poses for works of art.Modeling...
, entertainer, former professional wrestlerSports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
- Gene Harris
Gene Harris was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz....
, jazz musician
- William Petersen
William Louis Petersen is a Golden Globe and Emmy nominated American actor and producer, best known for playing Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom on the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
, TV actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
- Kristine Sutherland
Kristine Sutherland is an actress best known for her role as Buffy Summers' mother Joyce Summers on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer.-Career:...
, TV actress
- Curtis Stigers
Curtis Stigers is an American jazz vocalist, saxophonist, guitarist, and songwriter.Stigers was born in Boise, Idaho, and started his music career as a teenager, playing in jazz, rock and blues groups, as well as receiving formal training in clarinet and saxophone at high school in Boise...
, musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
& songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
- Doug Martsch
Doug Martsch , a native of Boise, Idaho, is best known for his distinctive vocals and guitar style in the band Built to Spill. He has worked with Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening in The Halo Benders. His first band was Farm Days, with Andy Capps and Brett Nelson in the early 80's...
, musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
& songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
- Thom Pace
Thom Pace is a singer-songwriter who is best-known for the song "Maybe," which became the theme of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams....
, musicianA musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....
& songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
- Robert Adler
Robert Adler was an Austrian-born American inventor who held numerous patents.-Achievements:Adler was born in Vienna, where he earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Vienna in 1937. After emigrating to the United States, he began working at Zenith Electronics in the research division in...
, inventorAn inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method, form, device or other useful means. The word inventor comes form the latin verb invenire, invent-, to find...
- Mark Gregory Hambley
Ambassador Mark Gregory Hambley was born on February 12, 1948, in Boise, ID.A veteran of more than 30 years in the U.S. diplomatic service, Ambassador Mark Hambley served in eleven postings in nine Middle Eastern countries, including as U.S. Ambassador in Qatar and, later, in Lebanon and as the...
, U.S. Ambassador
- Glen A. Holden, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width, amounting to 11,100 km
2. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harboring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- Michael Hoffman, movie director
A film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
& co-founder of The Idaho Shakespeare FestivalThe Idaho Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre located in Boise, Idaho, United States.-Overview:The Idaho Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre located in Boise, Idaho, United States.. The Idaho Shakespeare Festival provides quality educational theater for the state...
- Howard W. Hunter
Howard William Hunter was the fourteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1994 and 1995. His nine month presidential tenure is the shortest in the history of the Church. Hunter was the first president of the LDS Church born in the 20th century.-Biography:Hunter was...
, 14th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Kristin Armstrong
Kristin Armstrong is a professional road bicycle racer and Olympic gold medalist, the winner of the Women's Time Trial at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She rides for in women's elite professional events on the National Racing Calendar and UCI Women's World Cup...
, 2008 cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
U.S. OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
gold medalist
- Brad Tensen, golf
Golf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
er & McCallMcCall is a resort city on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest...
Amateur Champion
- Brett Nelson
Brett Nelson is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist for the indie rock band Built to Spill....
, bass playerA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
in the band Built to SpillBuilt to Spill is an American indie rock band based in Boise, Idaho. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent, There Is No Enemy, was released on October 6, 2009, and the band is currently touring the United States and Canada....
- Lisa Kosglow, U.S. Olympic
The Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
SnowboarderSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is either partially or fully covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, surfing and skiing...
- Mark Levine
Mark Levine is a jazz pianist, theorist and educator. He has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Bobby Hutcherson, and many others....
, Jazz musician and educator
- George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. He is perhaps most familiar as the convict Dragline in Cool Hand Luke , airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s and as Captain Ed Hocken...
, Actor
Sports
| Club |
League |
Sport |
Venue |
Established |
Championships |
| Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs....
|
Northwest League The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
|
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
|
Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium is an outdoor baseball stadium in Garden City, Idaho. The stadium has a current seating capacity of 4,500 on land owned by Ada County, and sits adjacent to the Western Idaho Fairgrounds on the banks of the Boise River...
|
1987 |
6 |
| Idaho Steelheads The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
|
ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada, generally regarded as a tier below the American Hockey League...
|
Ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
|
Qwest ArenaQwest Arena is multi-purpose arena in Boise, Idaho. It holds 5,300 fans for ice hockey and basketball, 5,732 for end-stage concerts, 6,400 for boxing and up to 6,800 for center-stage concerts. It contains 4,508 permanent seats...
|
1996 |
2 |
Boise State UniversityBoise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.Boise State was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church...
|
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
- WACThe Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
|
FootballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
|
Bronco StadiumBronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Primarily used for football, it is the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Western Athletic Conference...
|
1932 |
6 |
| Idaho Stampede The Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the Qwest Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up in...
|
D-League The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
|
BasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a 10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
|
Qwest ArenaQwest Arena is multi-purpose arena in Boise, Idaho. It holds 5,300 fans for ice hockey and basketball, 5,732 for end-stage concerts, 6,400 for boxing and up to 6,800 for center-stage concerts. It contains 4,508 permanent seats...
|
1997 |
1 |
| Boise Burn |
arenafootball2AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
|
Arena FootballArena football is a sport based upon American football. It is a proprietary game played indoors on a smaller field than American football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game. The sport was invented in 1986, and patented in 1990, by James F. Foster, a former executive of the United States...
|
Qwest ArenaQwest Arena is multi-purpose arena in Boise, Idaho. It holds 5,300 fans for ice hockey and basketball, 5,732 for end-stage concerts, 6,400 for boxing and up to 6,800 for center-stage concerts. It contains 4,508 permanent seats...
|
2007 |
0 |
Major attractions
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 GreenbeltThe Boise greenbelt refers to a long bicycling, walking, and jogging trail through Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.. It follows the Boise River on both the north and south banks, and connects most of the city's parks...
runs along the river. The
Boise RiverThe Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately long, in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
itself is a common destination for fishing, swimming and rafting.
In
Julia Davis ParkJulia Davis Park is the first park in the "string of pearls", the public park system found running through the middle of Boise, Idaho. It is centrally located within the city of Boise and is bordered by Broadway Avenue to the east, Capital Boulevard to the west, the Boise River to the south, and...
is Zoo Boise, which has over 200 animals representing over 80 species from around the world. An Africa exhibit, completed in 2008, is the most recent addition.
The
Bogus BasinBogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a ski area located in southwest Idaho in Boise County, 16 miles north-northeast of the city of Boise....
ski area opened in 1942 and hosts multiple winter activities, primarily
alpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with nordic skiing, in which skiers use free-heel bindings...
and
snowboardingSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is either partially or fully covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, surfing and skiing...
, but also
cross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. It is popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and the upper midwest United States...
and snow tubing. "Bogus" is 16 miles (26 km) from the city limits (less than an hour drive from downtown) on a twisty paved road which climbs 3400 vertical feet (1036 m) through sagebrush and forest.
Professional sports teams in Boise include the
Boise HawksThe Boise Hawks are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs....
of the short-season
Class AThe term Class A may refer to:*Class A drug, in British law*Class A surfaces in automotive design*Class A office space*Class A television service, system for regulating low power stations in the United States...
Northwest LeagueThe Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Short-Season A classification minor league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
(
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
), the
Idaho SteelheadsThe Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
of the
ECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada, generally regarded as a tier below the American Hockey League...
(minor league
hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
), and the
Idaho StampedeThe Idaho Stampede is an American basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. The team is based in the Boise, Idaho, area and as of 2005 plays at the Qwest Arena in Boise. The team was founded as a member of the Continental Basketball Association in 1997 and was league runner-up in...
of the
NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
(minor league
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
). An arenafootball2 franchise, the Boise Burn, began play in 2007.
On the
sports entertainmentSports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
front, Boise is also the home of a DIY all-female, flat track
roller derbyRoller derby is an American-invented contact sport—and historically, a form of sports entertainment—based on formation roller skating around an oval track, with points scored as certain players lap members of an opposing team. In past decades, roller derby had been primarily a professional or paid...
league, the Treasure Valley Rollergirls.
The
Boise State UniversityBoise State University is a public university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.Boise State was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church...
campus is home to
Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, which hosts local and national fine arts performances;
Bronco StadiumBronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Primarily used for football, it is the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Western Athletic Conference...
, the 32,000 seat
footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
and track stadium known for its blue Field Turf field; and
Taco Bell ArenaThe Taco Bell Arena is a multi-purpose/multi-color indoor arena on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos of the Western Athletic Conference and its current seating capacity is 12,820 for basketball. The arena is located on the east end of...
, a 12,000 seat basketball and entertainment venue which opened in 1982 as the BSU Pavilion. 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 each year, and pairs a team from the
Western Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
with an
Atlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953, the ACC's twelve member universities compete in twenty sports in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team.
The
World Center for Birds of PreyThe World Center for Birds of Prey, is the headquarters for The Peregrine Fund, an international non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves endangered raptors around the world. Built in 1984, the World Center for Birds of Prey is located on on a hilltop overlooking Boise, Idaho...
is located just outside city limits, and is a key part of the re-establishment of the
Peregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known simply as the Peregrine, and historically as the "Duck Hawk" in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
and the subsequent removal from the
Endangered SpeciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water...
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
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, Forbes magazine, is published fortnightly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published fortnightly, and Business Week...
,
FortuneFortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc.'s Fortune|Money Group. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner...
and Sunset for its quality of life.
The cornerstone mall in Boise,
Boise Towne Square MallBoise Towne Square Mall is a mall in Boise, Idaho, United States. The largest mall in Idaho, it features over 186 stores, with Borders, Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears as anchor stores...
, is also a major shopping attraction for Boise,
NampaNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. It is now the second largest in the state, passing the eastern Idaho cities of Idaho Falls and Pocatello in the late 1990s. And is owned by Austin Prince. Only the capital city, Boise, is larger. The population of...
,
CaldwellCaldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 39,889, as of July 1, 2007.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho...
, and surrounding areas and has recently been through an upgrade along with adding new retailers.
The state's largest giant sequoia can be found near St. Lukes Hospital.
Media
The greater-Boise area is served by two daily newspapers,
The Idaho StatesmanThe Idaho Statesman is a U.S. daily newspaper serving the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area. The paper has a circulation of 61,000 daily, 83,038 Sunday, and employs about 300 people. It is owned by The McClatchy Company....
and the
Idaho Press-Tribune. A free weekly publication,
Boise Weekly, quarterly magazines "Boise Journal" and "Boise Home" have been serving the Treasure Valley for over eight years. "Sprout Magazine" is a Boise-based free quarterly sustainable living publication which is distributed throughout the Treasure Valley and Central Idaho.
Sister cities
Guernica (also Gernika),
Basque CountryThe Basque Country is an Autonomous Community of northern Spain.The Basque Country was granted the status of historical region within Spain with the Spanish Constitution of 1978...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
Chita, Eastern Siberia,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Transportation
The major Interstate serving Boise is
I-84In the U.S. state of Idaho, Interstate 84 heads southeast from the Oregon state line, it spurs to Interstate 184 in Boise. Eventually I-84 spurs Interstate 86 and mainline I-84 heads southeast towards Utah and I-86 is continues due east and heads to Pocatello, meeting with Interstate 15.-Future:...
. Highway 55 branches outward northeast. There is a network of bike paths throughout the city and surrounding region.
Public transportation includes a series of bus lines operated by ValleyRide. Also, the Downtown Circulator, a streetcar, is in its planning stage.
Commercial air service is provided at the
Boise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
, 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
Boise occupies a large area — according to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
. Like most major metropolitan areas, it is divided into several neighborhoods. 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 high-rises. The area has an array of shopping and dining choices. Centrally, 8th Street contains a pedestrian zone with streetside cafes and restaurants. The neighborhood is home to many local restaurants, bars and boutiques and supports a lively night life.
Downtown Boise's economy was threatened in the late 1990s by extensive growth around the
Boise Towne Square MallBoise Towne Square Mall is a mall in Boise, Idaho, United States. The largest mall in Idaho, it features over 186 stores, with Borders, Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears as anchor stores...
(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 and First Thursday have been created to combat this trend.
The North End
The North End, which contains many of Boise's older homes, is known for its tree-lined drives such as Harrison Boulevard, and for its quiet neighborhoods near the downtown area. Downtown Boise is visible from Camel's Back Park. On 13th Street,
Hyde ParkHyde Park, also called Hyde Park Historic District, is a part of a Boise, Idaho, North End neighborhood, consisting of a number of popular eateries and shops, located on North 13th Street...
is home to four small restaurants and other businesses. The North End also hosts events such as the annual Hyde Park Street Fair. The American Planning Association (APA) is designating Boise's North End one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2008.
Southwest Boise
Southwest Boise has traditionally been known for its more bucolic aesthetics. It contains sparsely populated neighborhoods built from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Many include acre-sized plots and the occasional farmhouse and pasture. 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, golf 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 and easy access to the
Boise GreenbeltThe Boise greenbelt refers to a long bicycling, walking, and jogging trail through Boise, Idaho, U.S.A.. It follows the Boise River on both the north and south banks, and connects most of the city's parks...
. Across the river sits the Boise Bench and to the west is fast access to the
bedroom communitiesA commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commute out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
of Eagle,
StarStar is a city in northwestern Ada County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,795 at the 2000 census. It was named in the 1800s by travelers on their way to Middleton and Boise who used the star on the school house to find east and west. The name stuck and it became Star, Idaho...
, and Middleton.
Warm Springs
Warm Springs is centered around the tree-lined Warm Springs Avenue and contains some of Boise's largest and most expensive homes (many of which were erected by wealthy miners and businessmen around the turn of the 20th 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
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. Many 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.
Columbia Village subdivision and the older 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. 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 subdivision was developed around the Simplot Sports complex (with over 20 fields), as well as a baseball complex, swimming pools, and the has a stunning view of the valley. The fields are built over an old landfill/dump and the fields and gravel parking lot allow radon gases to escape through the ground. Columbia Village Homes are not built over the dump.
TrailWind Elementary School, built in 1997, is in the middle of the subdivision and is the largest population elementary school in the Boise School District. It has an extremely active parent teacher association and a high level of parental involvement. Les Bois Junior High is also located in the center of the subdivision, having relocated from its previous home at Apple and Boise Avenue. After an upgrade and expansion, the former junior high became Timberline High School.
Surprise Valley is another large subdivision located on the bench above the river. Its homes are much higher end than the Columbia Village and Oregon Trail Heights subdivisions. Two churches are located within its borders: Eastwind Fellowship and Trinity Presbyterian, which relocated in 2002 from an older SE Boise location on Apple Street.
On August 25, 2008 at about 7:00 pm a fire started near Amity and Holcomb during a major wind storm and destroyed 10 houses and damaged 9. A linguistics professor at Boise State University lost her life in the fire.
The Boise Bench
The Boise Bench is south of Downtown Boise and is raised in elevation approximately . 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 and extensive residential neighborhoods. Due south of the Boise Bench is the
Boise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
.
West Boise
West Boise is home to Boise Towne Square Mall, the largest in the state, as well as numerous restaurants, strip malls, and residential developments ranging from new subdivisions to apartment complexes. Hewlett Packard's Printing Division is located here. It is relatively the flattest section of Boise, with sweeping views of the Boise Front.
Linen District
This district was created as real estate marketing tool by Hale Development. Located at 15th Street and Grove, the Linen District currently has a mix of established retail stores and service oriented businesses. The future plans for the area will include a unique blend of commercial office space, local and regional retail stores as well as an urban residential area. The development will attract the creative professionals who are looking for both an urban workplace and lifestyle. The District is named after the anchor building of the area, the old American Linen Building, which occupies the northwest corner of 14th and Grove Streets, 1402 West Grove Street. Redevelopment is currently underway at two other key buildings. The Furness Building located at 1407 West Grove and the Goodyear Building located at 1515 West Grove. The residential areas around it are also considered part of the Linen District. 18th and Idaho is an example of a residential area that is part of the district.
Origin of name
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" or "woods". 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 woods!), and that 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 RiverThe Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately long, in the northwestern United States. It drains a rugged portion of the Sawtooth Range in southwestern Idaho northeast of Boise, as well as part of the western Snake River Plain...
, the Wood River. Wood River was traditionally called Pine River, but was changed in 1867.
19th Century maps of the Boise River.
Pronunciation
Natives and generally those who have lived in the area for a period of time use the pronunciation , and this is the pronunciation given on the city's website. Non-natives generally pronounce the name .
Boise City Chamber of Commerce has run several campaigns to eliminate the latter pronunciation.
Further reading
Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection Elma MacGibbons reminiscences of her travels in the United States starting in 1898, which were mainly in Oregon and Washington. Includes chapter "Boise, the capital of Idaho."
External links
Related information