Boise
Boise is the capital and most populous city in the state of Idaho. Located on the Boise River, the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area is the largest population area between Salt Lake City and Portland, Oregon. Most of the metropolitan area lies on a broad, flat plain, descending to the west. Mountains rise to the northeast, stretching from the tip of the Boise city limits to nearby Eagle.
Boise has a semi-arid climate, with four distinct seasons: hot-dry summers; cold winters, and mild spring and fall seasons. Autumn is brief and spring is gradual.
Technology, investments and high-end industry have become increasingly important to the city, with businesses including Healthwise, Bodybuilding.com, Crucial.com, MobileDataForce, MarkMonitor, Sybase, Balihoo.com, Wire-stone.com and Microsoft having facilities in Boise.
Boise frequently receives national recognition for its quality of life, support of higher education and its positive business climate. Some recent rankings: Best Towns 2010: #1 Overall town in the Western US (Outside Magazine); Best places for business and careers: #2 in 2008 (Forbes Magazine). Best places to live 2009 (US News & World Report).
