Eagle Idaho City Information

Local History

Eagle is located on the Snake River basin plain that crosses, from east to west, the south end of the State of Idaho. Eagle is in the middle area of the valley at an average elevation of about 2,566 feet above sea level and borders the Boise River on the south end. This is considered a high desert area with most of the moisture occurring and collecting in the surrounding mountains and then being transferred into the valley by creeks, streams and rivers. These waterways provide the irrigation water used by farmers across the whole south end of the state. Eagle is near the old Oregon Trail and was on the trail between Boise to the east and the convergence of the Boise and Snake Rivers on the west.

Over the years, Eagle and Boise have joined on the east border of the city limits. Even though Eagle was not incorporated until 1970 with a population of only 350 at the time, its history goes back to the Oregon Trail and to the gold rush days of that period. There was good activity in the area by the 1850’s, the location being on a trade route that followed the Boise River and later connected to the Oregon Trail. Gold was discovered in the Boise Basin (mountains above Boise) in 1862 causing a tremendous influx of prospectors seeking their fortune. With the prospectors came farmers, ranchers, storekeepers, bankers etc. that set up at the base of the mountains around Boise to support the mines and then later the timber industries. Eagle first came to life as an Illinois farmer named Thomas Aikens obtained 160 acres of land on Eagle Island and started farming in order to provide the much needed food supplies for the mining operations.

The communities name came from the fact that Eagle Island was just that, a home to hundreds of Bald Eagles at the time. By 1864 irrigation canals had been established on the island bringing to life about 700 acres of farmland. Over the next 40 years nine major canals were developed, diverting river water to farms over the entire area now incorporated as the City of Eagle. Early on, there were schools, stores, banks, food processing plants etc. successfully established in Eagle as well as a bridge crossing the river. Eagle was close enough to Boise and because of its agricultural economic and low population base, there was no great need for a city infrastructure until very recently. Since 1970, the population has gone from 350 to over 20,000, with half of this increase occurring in the last 10 years.

Eagle is part of the greater Boise economic region of Southwest Idaho, referred to as the “Treasure Valley” due to its agriculturally based wealth, made possible by irrigation and mild climate. Boise is the economic and political hub of this region being the capital of the state, the largest city in the state and the primary source of non-agriculturally based jobs for the region. Eagle’s economic base has now shifted from agriculture to housing. This change came mainly through the introduction of clean industries, such as Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies, in the last 20 years. Boise and the surrounding area’s have also become a hub for transportation and storage, higher education, communication call centers, medical services and most other major demographic factors that allow clean and sustained growth.

Eagle is located in Ada County and is the third largest city. Eagle is most closely located and related to Boise the county seat of Ada County and the capital city of the State of Idaho. Ada County has the largest concentration of people in the state. Eagle is beginning to establish itself as a full service community due to the increase in population but with most major purchases, services and higher education, still being located outside the community. The community’s small town feel has evolved quickly into a full-scale suburb feel of the larger Boise market. Eagle is currently known for having more top end homes per capita than any other location in the valley. This is also reflected in its high per capita income rate being almost twice as much as other smaller communities in the region and in the high percentage of business owners and professionals living within the community. For those seeking a higher quality lifestyle feel, Eagle is now one of the best choices.

Whatever your reasons for coming to Eagle, it can be considered a good choice and one of the positive puzzle pieces that make up the “Treasure Valley” whose real treasure has always been its people. Trust the experts at Stewart Realty, LLC to help you find your own piece of Eagle Idaho real estate.

Still unsure about where you want to move? Keep reading about Eagle Idaho or check out other city pages to find the area of the Treasure Valley that best fits your needs. This site also has up to date information from the Boise MLS on available homes in the area so you can find the perfect home.