Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

, as well as the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Ada County

Ada County, Idaho

Ada County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census, the county had a population of 392,365. The county seat and largest city is Boise, which is also the state capital. Other cities in the county with over 10,000 residents include Meridian, Eagle,...

. Located on the Boise River

Boise River

The Boise River is a tributary of the Snake River 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...

, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area

Boise metropolitan area

The 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 is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt 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. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...

 and Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

.

As of the 2010 Census Bureau, Boise's city population was 205,671. The Boise metropolitan area

Boise metropolitan area

The 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...

 is home to about 616,500 people and is the most populous metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 in Idaho, and the third most populous metropolitan area in the U.S.