page_title: Boise, Idaho
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Boise, Idaho / History / Etymology
caption_attribution_description: English: Recreational floaters on the Boise River, 8/12/2004. Photo taken about a mile from downtown, near Albertsons Headquarters.
context_page_description: Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, and is the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is 41 miles east of the Oregon border, and 110 miles north of the Nevada border. The downtown area's elevation is 2,704 feet above sea level. Its estimated population in 2019 was 228,959.
  The Boise-Nampa metropolitan area, also known as the Treasure Valley, includes five counties with a combined population of 709,845, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho. It contains the state's three largest cities: Boise, Nampa, and Meridian. Boise is the 80th most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States.
  Downtown Boise is the cultural center and home to many small businesses and a few mid-rises. The area has a variety of shops and dining choices. Centrally, 8th Street contains a pedestrian zone with sidewalk cafes and restaurants. The neighborhood has many local restaurants, bars and boutiques and supports a vibrant nightlife. The area contains the Basque Block, which showcases Boise's Basque heritage.
context_section_description: Accounts differ regarding the name's origin. One account credits Capt. B.L.E. Bonneville of the U.S. Army as its source. After trekking for weeks through dry and rough terrain, his exploration party reached an overlook with a view of the Boise River Valley. The place where they stood is called Bonneville Point, located on the Oregon Trail east of the city. According to the story, a French-speaking guide, overwhelmed by the sight of the verdant river, yelled "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The woods! The woods!")—and the name stuck.
  The name may also derive from earlier mountain men who named the river that flows through it. In the 1820s, French Canadian fur trappers set trap lines in the vicinity. Set in a high-desert area, the tree-lined valley of the Boise River became a distinct landmark, an oasis dominated by cottonwood trees. They called this "La rivière boisée", which means "the wooded river."
caption: Floating the Boise River
exif: {}