Boise, Idaho

Boise, sometimes also Boise City, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Idaho and also the county seat of Ada County. It covers an area of 170 km2 on the banks of the Boise River and is the economic, cultural and transportation center of the entire metropolitan area. Like most major cities, it is divided into several neighborhoods: Bench, North End, West Boise and Downtown.

Today’s name of the city comes from the French word “boisé”, which means “wooden” or “wooded”. According to legend, French-Canadian fur trappers came to the area around 1800 and, looking down from the mountains toward the Boise River Valley, exclaimed “Les bois!”, or “the woods!”. Since then, Boise has been nicknamed the City of Trees. Currently, over 200,000 people live here, but the entire metropolitan area has around 600,000 inhabitants.

Originally, only Fort Boise from 1830 was located near today’s city. It was located near the confluence of the Boise River and the Snake River, on the border with Oregon. In 1850 the fort was abandoned, but thirteen years later a new fort was built to serve the American Army during the Civil War. The first capital of the newly formed Idaho Territory was Lewiston in the north of the country, Boise became the capital only in 1865. One of the monuments that have survived from that time is the US Assay Office building on Main Street, which was built in 1871 and today is a national cultural monument.

There are plenty of recreational opportunities around the city, including hiking and biking. The city itself is also criss-crossed by an extensive trail system along the river called the Boise River Greenbelt. The river is a popular place for fishing, swimming and rafting. The city’s Julia Davis Park is home to Zoo Boise, home to more than 200 animals. In 1942, the Bogus Basin ski area was opened near the town, which attracts lovers of alpine skiing, snowboarding, but also snow tubing and cross-country skiing. The city is home to Boise State University, home to the Center for the Performing Arts.

Idaho Falls

According to existingcountries, Idaho Falls is the largest and also the county town of Bonneville County in the state of Idaho, in the United States of America. About 60,000 people live in the city itself, but the entire metropolitan area has more than 130,000 people. This metropolitan area is the third largest in the state.

The area of today’s Idaho Falls began to be settled around 1865, when a wooden bridge was built over the Snake River. The bridge enabled a new wave of westward migration while improving travel options throughout the state. He thus simplified the way not only for settlers heading north, but also for miners and traders who were looking for a better life and an easier way to get rich in this area. Thus, Idaho Falls underwent a major development in 1866, a railroad was introduced here, a post office, hotels and a bank were located here. Originally, the town was named Eagle Rock, after a rocky island on the Snake River that was an important nesting ground for a number of eagles.

In 1891, the city was renamed Idaho Falls – after the rapids that are located under the already mentioned wooden bridge. In 1895, just 12 years after the arrival of the Mormons in the region, the largest irrigation canal in the world called the Great Feeder was already built here. Water from the Snake River was diverted to help irrigate about ten thousand acres of what was once a desert landscape suddenly transformed into green farmland. Local residents could grow sugar cane, potatoes, peas, grain and alfalfa here. The area around Idaho Falls thus became one of the most productive areas in the United States of America.

On September 23, 1945, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completed construction of the temple here, which still stands on the banks of the Snake River. Today, Idaho Falls is a regional cultural center with many theaters, galleries and museums. Examples include the Willard Art Center, the Colonial Theater and the Civic Auditorium. The Museum of Idaho is a showcase of local attractions, old artifacts and history. For example, you can see dinosaur bones, all kinds of old documents, but also primitive historical weapons.

In the center of the city, the so-called Downtown, you will find mostly the offices of entrepreneurs, headquarters of companies and other organizations, such as the Downtown Development Corporation or Grow Idaho Falls. However, Idaho Falls is also a city with beautiful parks that line the Snake River, which flows through the center of the city. The city also has its own airport – Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

Boise, Idaho