About The Boise Area

Boise City

Geography

To distinguish the city from neighboring Boise County, government publications, maps and some other media may refer to the city as "Boise City." The official city name, however, is simply "Boise."

Boise is located at 43°36'49" North, 116°14'16" West (43.613739, -116.237651)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 165.7 km² (64.0 mi²). 165.2 km² (63.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.33% water.

Demographics

Recent figures

Boise and its surrounding metropolitan area have seen dramatic growth through the 1990s and 2000s. The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) puts Boise's population as of 2005 at just more than 208,000 people. That is up 11 percent from the 2000 Census figures below.

As of 2004 the city of Boise estimated the metropolitan area (Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell) had a population of 526,656.

2000 Census

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 185,787 people, 74,438 households, and 46,523 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,124.7/km² (2,913.1/mi²). There were 77,850 housing units at an average density of 471.3/km² (1,220.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.15% White, 0.77% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.74% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. 4.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 74,438 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% 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, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,432, and the median income for a family was $52,014. Males had a median income of $36,893 versus $26,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,696. 8.4% of the population and 5.9% of families were below the poverty line. 9.7% of those under the age of 18 and 6.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education

The city is home to the Boise School District, which includes 34 elementary schools, 8 junior highs, 5 high schools and 2 specialty schools. Part of the Meridian School District (the largest district in Idaho) overlaps into Boise city limits.

The city is home to six public high schools: Boise High School, Borah High School, Capital High School, Timberline High School as well as the Meridian district's Centennial High School and the alternative Mountain Cove High School. Boise has one Catholic high school, Bishop Kelly High School.

Post-secondary educational options in Boise include Boise State University as well as a wide range of technical schools. Boise is home to Boise Bible College, an undergraduate degree-granting college that exists to train leaders for churches as well as missionaries for the world.

Culture

Numbering about 15,000, Boise is home of the largest Basque community in the United States and the second largest community in the world outside the Basque Country in Spain and France [4]. A large Basque festival known as Jaialdi is held once every five years (next in 2010). Downtown Boise features a vibrant section known as the "Basque Block." Boise's mayor, David H. Bieter is of Basque descent.

Boise is also a regional hub for jazz and theater. The Gene Harris Jazz Festival is hosted in Boise each spring.

The city is home to a number of museums, including the Boise Art Museum, Idaho Historical Museum, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center and the Discovery Center of Idaho. Several theater groups operate in the city, including the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Boise Little Theatre and the Boise Contemporary Theatre among others.

On the first Thursday of each month, a gallery stroll is hosted in the city's core business district by the Downtown Boise Association.

Major attractions

A number of recreational opportunities are available, including extensive hiking and biking in the foothills to the immediate north of downtown and an extensive urban trail system called the Boise River Greenbelt that runs along the river. The Boise River itself is a common destination for fishing, swimming and rafting.

Bogus Basin Mountain Resort hosts several winter activities, including cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. “Bogus” is just 16 miles outside city limits (less than an hour drive from downtown).

Minor professional sports teams in Boise include the short-season Class A Boise Hawks (Minor League Baseball), the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, and the Idaho Stampede of the Continental Basketball Association.

The Boise State University campus is home to Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, home to local and national fine arts performances; Bronco Stadium, the 30,000 seat football stadium known for its blue AstroPlay field; and Taco Bell Arena, a 12,000 seat basketball and entertainment venue which opened in 1982 as the BSU Pavillion.

The MPC Computers Bowl football game is held in late December of each year, and pairs a team from the Western Athletic Conference with an at-large team.

The World Center for Birds of Prey is located just outside city limits, and is a key part of the re-establishment of the Peregrine falcon and the subsequent removal from the Endangered Species list. The center is currently breeding the very rare California condor, among many other rare and endangered species.

The city has been cited by publications like Forbes, Fortune and Sunset for quality of life.

Boise is the hometown of WWE superstar Torrie Wilson.

Transportation

The major highway serving Boise is I-84, with I-184 branching toward the northeast. There is also a network of bike paths throughout the city and surrounding region.

Commercial air service is provided at the Boise Airport, recently renovated to accommodate the growing number of passengers flying in and out of Boise. Public bus transportation is provided by ValleyRide and the Boise Urban Stages (BUS).

Communities

Parts of the City

Despite Boise's small population, it occupies a large area, 165.7 km² (64.0 mi²) according to the United States Census Bureau. Like most major metropolitan areas it is divided into several named parts. These include the Bench, the North End and Downtown among others.

The North End

The North End contains many of Boise's older homes and is known for its tree-lined drives such as Harrison Boulevard. Here you can find many quiet neighborhoods right in the center of Boise. From Camel's Back Park one can afford a view of Downtown Boise and the sea of trees that is the North End. On 13th Street Hyde Park is home to many small restaurants and businesses and is a favorite place among natives for an evening outing.

The North End is also known for its artistic community. Politically it is considerably more liberal than the rest of Boise, and as such is noted as a Democratic Party enclave in otherwise very Republican Idaho.

Warm Springs

Warm Springs is centered around the tree-lined drive Warm Springs Avenue and contains many of Boise's largest and most expensive homes (many of which were erected by wealthy miners and businessmen around the turn of the century; hence the Victorian style). The area gets its name from the natural hot springs that flow from Boise's fault line and warm many of the homes in this area.

The Boise Bench

The Boise Bench is south of Downtown Boise and is raised in elevation approximately 60 feet. The bench is named such because the sudden rise in elevation gives the prominent appearance of a step, or bench. The Bench is home to the old Boise Train Depot, Vista Village shopping center, and extensive residential neighborhoods. The Boise Towne Square Mall is on the bench to the southwest of downtown. Due south of the Boise Bench is the Boise Airport, raised up on another "bench".

Garden City

Garden City is surrounded by but a separate municipality from Boise. Chinden Boulevard, Garden City's main street, is locally notorious for trailer parks and sex shops, which sometimes earns it the derisive nickname "Garbage City." To be fair its poor reputation is mainly due to a lack of public funding as Garden City does not share in Boise's much larger tax base.