Boise, Idaho
Boise (locally /ˈbɔɪsi/ ⓘ BOY-see)[5] is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,684 people residing in the city. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is 41 miles (66 km) east of the Oregon border and 110 miles (177 km) north of the Nevada border. The downtown area's elevation is 2,704 feet (824 m) above sea level.
"Boise" redirects here. For other uses, see Boise (disambiguation).
Boise, Idaho
United States
1863
1864
Holli Woodings
85.00 sq mi (219.45 km2)
84.03 sq mi (216.96 km2)
0.97 sq mi (2.49 km2)
2,700 ft (823 m)
235,684
2,860.54/sq mi (1,055.28/km2)
433,180 (US: 94th)
3,111.2/sq mi (1,201.3/km2)
764,718 (US: 75th)
Boisean
16-08830
The Boise metropolitan area, also known as the Treasure Valley, includes five counties with a combined population of 749,202, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho. It contains the state's three largest cities: Boise, Nampa, and Meridian. The Boise–Nampa Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 77th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States.
Downtown Boise is the cultural center and home to many small businesses alongside a number of high-rise buildings. The area has a variety of shops and restaurants. Centrally, 8th Street contains a pedestrian zone with sidewalk cafes and restaurants. The neighborhood has many local restaurants, bars, and boutiques. The area also contains the Basque Block, which showcases Boise's Basque heritage. Downtown Boise's main attractions include the Idaho State Capitol, the classic Egyptian Theatre on the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Main Street, the Boise Art Museum on Capitol in front of Julia Davis Park, and Zoo Boise on the grounds of Julia Davis Park.
Policing and crime[edit]
In 1864, John Ward became the first law enforcement Marshal in the newly formed city of Boise.[124] The Boise Police Department was inaugurated in 1903; at the time it consisted of a chief of police, a police sergeant, and seven police officers.[125] Today the Boise City Police Department (BPD) employs just over 400 people, with 325 allocated positions for sworn officers and 82 civilians.[125]
For 2020, Boise Police reported 4 incidents of murder, 147 incidents of rapes, 210 incidents of sexual assault, 56 incidents of robberies, 380 incidents of aggravated assault, 1465 incidents of assault/battery, 479 incidents of burglary, 3164 incidents of theft, 292 incidents of motor vehicle theft, and 35 incidents of robbery. Total crimes have decreased overall between 2016 and 2020. Over the same time, incidents of rape and sexual assault have trended upwards while assault/battery, burglary, theft, and vandalism have trended downwards.[126]
Violent crimes dropped from 775 incidents in 2006 to 586 in 2007, but murders increased from 2004 to 2007. In 2007, there were 3,211 crimes per 100,000 residents.[127] Despite population growth, violent crime has remained much the same as of 2013, with 600 incidents of violent crime in that year.[128]
Education[edit]
The Boise School District, which includes the majority of the city,[129] includes 31 elementary schools, eight junior high schools, five high schools, and two specialty schools. Part of the West Ada School District is within the Boise city limits,[129] and the city is therefore home to six public high schools: Boise, Borah, Capital, Timberline, the alternative Frank Church, and the West Ada School district's Centennial. Boise's private schools include the Catholic Bishop Kelly, Foothills School of Arts and Sciences, the International Baccalaureate-accredited Riverstone International School, and the only student-led school in the country One Stone.
Post-secondary educational options in Boise include Boise State University (BSU) and a wide range of technical schools. The University of Idaho (UI) and Idaho State University (ISU) each maintain a satellite campus in Boise. As of 2014, the city has two law school programs. The Concordia University School of Law opened in 2012,[130] and the University of Idaho College of Law now hosts second and third year students at its Boise campus.[131] 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.
Boiseko Ikastola is the only Basque preschool outside of the Basque Country.[132][133]
Transportation[edit]
The major Interstate serving Boise is I-84, which connects Boise with Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, residents in the Boise area are served with Interstate 184 (locally known as "The Connector"), a nearly 5-mile (8 km) stretch of freeway connecting I-84 with the downtown Boise area. Highway 55 branches outward northeast. There is a network of bike paths, such as the Boise River Greenbelt, throughout the city and surrounding region. Among US cities, Boise has the seventh highest amount of bicycle commuters per capita with 3.9% of commuters riding to work.[134]
Public transportation includes a series of bus lines operated by ValleyRide. The construction of the underground public transportation hub (UPT Hub) in Boise in the parking lot site near the intersection of W Main Street and N 8th Street was completed in 2016.[135]
Commercial air service is provided at the Boise Airport. The terminal was recently renovated to accommodate the growing number of passengers flying in and out of Boise. It is served by Allegiant Air, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. The airport's east end is home to the National Interagency Fire Center. The Gowen Field Air National Guard Base occupies the south side of the field.
The Seattle–Chicago Amtrak Pioneer passenger train stopped at Boise Union Pacific Depot from June 7, 1977, until May 10, 1997, when it was discontinued.[136][137][138] A short line railroad (Boise Valley Railroad) serves industries in Boise, connecting with the Union Pacific Railroad in Nampa.
