Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Boise, Idaho

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Boise is the capital city of Idaho.

Boise by Sentinel-2, 2021-08-29
Boise by Sentinel-2, 2021-08-29

It sits in the southwestern part of the state. The city is located in the Treasure Valley. A river called the Boise River flows right through it.

Tubers Float the Boise River
Tubers Float the Boise River

This area is a high-desert land. You can see many green trees near the river. These trees make the valley look like an oasis. This is how the name of the river might have started.

Long ago, the Boise Valley Shoshone and Bannock tribes lived here. They gathered in the valley every year. They caught salmon in the Boise River to eat. They also used hot springs for bathing and healing. They called the sacred site Eagle Rock. The tribes lived in this valley during the milder winters. They traveled across a large range of land. They were part of a group called the Snake Country.

In the 1800s, many new people arrived in the region. Some were French Canadian fur trappers. Others were settlers traveling on the Oregon Trail. In 1863, the United States military built an outpost there. They chose this spot near the Oregon Trail. It was also near roads leading to gold and silver mines. This helped the city grow very quickly. By 1866, Boise became the capital of Idaho.

Boise has many interesting facts and numbers. The city had 235,685 people in the 2020 census. The whole Boise metropolitan area has about 846,000 people.

Boise Capitol
Boise Capitol

This makes it the largest metro area in Idaho. The city is also a center for many jobs. People work in technology at companies like Micron Technology. Others work in manufacturing or at the government.

Idaho Historical Museum
Idaho Historical Museum

Today, people visit Boise for many different reasons. You can see art at the Boise Art Museum.

Boise Art Museum
Boise Art Museum

You can also visit the Basque Block.

Historical Home on Boise's Basque Block
Historical Home on Boise's Basque Block

This area shows the city's special Basque heritage. Many people love the Boise greenbelt for outdoor fun.

Ann Morrison Park
Ann Morrison Park

The city feels like a mix of nature and busy life. It is a place where history and new ideas meet.

334 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (13)
File:Tubers Float the Boise River.JPG
Tubers Float the Boise River.JPG
File:Main Street, Looking East, Boise, ID.jpg
Main Street, Looking East, Boise, ID.jpg
File:Idaho - Boise through Boise River - NARA - 23939399 (cropped).jpg
Idaho - Boise through Boise River - NARA...
File:Boise by Sentinel-2, 2021-08-29.jpg
Boise by Sentinel-2, 2021-08-29.jpg
File:Ann Morrison Park.jpg
Ann Morrison Park.jpg
File:Hyde Park Boise.jpg
Hyde Park Boise.jpg
File:LibraryExclamationPointAtBownCrossing.jpg
LibraryExclamationPointAtBownCrossing.jpg
File:Boise Art Museum.JPG
Boise Art Museum.JPG
File:Historical Home on Boise's Basque Block.jpg
Historical Home on Boise's Basque Block.jpg
File:Idaho Historical Museum.JPG
Idaho Historical Museum.JPG
File:Boise Capitol.jpg
Boise Capitol.jpg
File:AnneFrankHumanRightsMemoriaCentopahBackDetail.jpg
AnneFrankHumanRightsMemoriaCentopahBackDetail.jpg

+ 1 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.