Boise (, BOYZ-ee locally /ˈbɔɪsiː/ (listen), BOYSS-ee) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county chair 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 link up and 110 miles (177 km) north of the Nevada border. The downtown area’s height above sea level is 2,704 feet (824 m) above sea level.

The Boise metropolitan area, also known as the Treasure Valley, includes five counties afterward a total population of 749,202, the most populous metropolitan Place 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 house to many small businesses and a number of high-rise buildings. The Place has a variety of shops and restaurants. Centrally, 8th Street contains a pedestrian zone later than 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 add up the Idaho State Capitol, the eternal Egyptian Theatre upon the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Main Street, the Boise Art Museum on Capitol in belly of Julia Davis Park, and Zoo Boise upon the grounds of Julia Davis Park.

The stock of the pronounce is uncertain. One account credits Capt. B. L. E. Bonneville of the U.S. Army as its source. After trekking for weeks through temperate and rough terrain, his exploration party reached an overlook once 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 reveal stuck.