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Boise is the capital, the largest city in Idaho and seat of Ada County. Boise is located on the Boise River, in the southwestern part of the state. Corporate headquarters of several major firms are located in Boise; among them are makers of computer microchips, processed foods, and forest products as well as construction and service companies. Boise is the economic hub of Idaho’s only metropolitan area and provides financial, medical, and commercial services for much of southern Idaho and portions of eastern Oregon. Also important to the city’s economy are the activities of the federal and state government, including the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates wildfire fighting in the United States. Public air transportation is through the Boise Air Terminal.

Educational institutions in Boise include Boise State University (1932) and Boise Bible College (1945). Among the cultural institutions are the Discovery Center of Idaho, with more than 100 hands-on science exhibits; the Idaho Historical Museum, which displays aspects of the various cultures that contributed to the state’s development; the Idaho Basque Museum and Cultural Center, which commemorates major contributions to area culture made by Basque immigrants from northwestern Spain; and the Boise Art Museum. The city also has ballet and opera companies and a philharmonic orchestra. Other points of interest in the city are the State Capitol (1905-1920); Congregation Beth Israel (1895), the oldest synagogue west of the Mississippi; Warm Springs Avenue Historical District, containing the first American home to use natural hot water for heating; the Old Idaho Penitentiary, used between 1870 and 1973 and now open for touring; and a nature center that illustrates the various ecosystems found in the state. The Boise River Festival is held each June.

Attempts by French-Canadian fur trappers to settle the region in the early 19th century were thwarted by the Shoshone people. A permanent white settlement was not achieved until 1863, following the discovery of gold in the region. Fort Boise, a U.S. military base, was constructed and the site for Boise City was selected next to it. Located at the crossroads of the Oregon Trail and routes to the gold mines, the city grew rapidly. Chinese immigrants came to mine gold near Boise; by 1870 they outnumbered white miners, and later became farmers, merchants, and restaurateurs in the area. In 1864 Boise incorporated as a city and became capital of the Idaho Territory. When statehood was granted in 1890, Boise remained the seat of government. The passage of the National Reclamation Act of 1902, providing for construction of Arrowrock Dam and expanded irrigated farming, aided the city’s expansion. More growth came after 1925 when the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad passed through the city. In the mid-1980s, establishment of two major electronics manufacturing plants in Boise caused substantial growth in the area. Other factors contributing to Boise’s rapid development include the city’s relatively low cost of living, high quality of life, tax advantages for businesses, and its role as a transportation hub for the region. The city’s name is derived from the French word boisé (wooded), initially applied to the tree-lined Boise River by French-Canadian fur trappers in the early 19th century.

Boise covers a land area of 45.9 square miles, with a mean elevation of 2,695 feet.