The city of Boise, Idaho began as a fort to protect settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail. Today, Boise is Idaho’s capital and the state’s largest city by population with nearly 206,000 residents. In recent years, Boise has made national headlines due to the prowess of the Boise State University football team. Known as the “Flutie Effect”, a phenomenon where a school’s popularity rises from having a successful sports program, Boise State University saw a tremendous increase in student enrollment after the 2007 college football season when the team finished undefeated and ranked in the top 5.
Men’s Health magazine also gave Boise more national exposure by recently naming it as the best city for men. Taking into account health, quality of life, and fitness, Boise beat out places like San Francisco, Austin, and Portland, Oregon. Men’s Health cited Boise’s lack of commute time as one of the major factors for the town’s unique designation. The average commute time in Boise is around 18 minutes which is way below the national average for large metropolitan areas. Less time spent in traffic leads to more time for sleep, exercise and eating healthy, according to Men’s Health Magazine.
With more free time on their hands, Boise residents can take advantage of the low-cost or free activities that are available in the city. For example, Boise has more than 100 free parks which have sports facilities for volleyball, football, skateboarding, and even cricket! The city is also home to museums such as the Idaho Black History Museum and the Idaho Military Museum which offer free tours to the public. With so many cost effective things to do, it’s not surprising that Boise is such a highly regarded city.
Here is some additional information and facts on Boise, ID:
City of Boise, Idaho
Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau
Boise Gas Prices