Wilder Idaho City Information

Local History

Wilder is located on the Snake River basin plain that crosses, from east to west, the south end of the State of Idaho. Wilder is on the west end of the valley at an average elevation of about 2,428 feet above sea level and is near the confluence of the Boise and Snake Rivers to the west. 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.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the Wilder area in 1805 on their way to the west coast. In 1811, the Wilson Price Hunt party passed through exploring portions of the then future Oregon Trail which runs along the Boise River about 5 miles north of Wilder. Wilder sparked into life in about 1904 when it appeared the "Boise Project," an irrigation enterprise, was going to bring irrigation water to the location that would bring the dry desert soil to life.

After 1909, a rail line was run to Wilder from Caldwell where the Oregon Short Line railroad already had a track down. Like many communities in the Boise Valley at the time, great plans were made for Wilder for which little happened except for the development of some of the best farmlands in the region. It appears Wilder got its name from Marshall P. Wilder, a publisher in the early 1900's that may have done a major article about Wilder in his "Delineator" magazine in exchange for having the location named after him. Many people in the community wanted to name it "Goldengate" after the community's first general store. The name "Goldengate" was used later for the school, canal system, church, irrigation and highway districts. It is not clear whether Marshall P. Wilder ever actually visited the community, which helps explain why everything else was named "Goldengate." Wilder is located on Hwy 95, which is the primary north south road that runs from California up to Canada however most commerce and normal traffic use the east west I-84 Freeway system that passes through Caldwell about 10 miles east of Wilder. A good state and county road system connects Wilder with all the other communities within the county with good and direct access.

Wilder 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. Wilder is located about 10 miles west of Caldwell, the county seat, and 35 miles from Boise the economic and political center of the state. To a lesser extent, Wilder has become a satellite or bedroom community location for the Boise market. It has been limited by its location but more by its lack of infrastructure, i.e. sewer system, which hinders large-scale changes in population.
Most of the recent development pressure has been taken up by lands and communities closer to Boise such as Caldwell, Nampa and Middleton. The recent rapid growth in the east county area came primarily through the introduction of clean industries, such as Hewlett Packard and Micron Technologies, in the last 20 years. Boise and the surrounding areas 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.

Wilder is located in Canyon County. It has a population of about 1,500 within the city limits, as of 2009, and has experienced a less than 1% per year growth rate in the last 20 years. Most of the population lives outside the city limits on farmlands near Wilder. Wilder is on the outer edge of the Boise Metro area that now has the greatest concentration of people between Salt Lake City Utah and Portland Oregon at about 588,000. In recent years Wilder has become a favorite location for upper end, small acreage, residential properties, located in the unincorporated areas around Wilder. There is a county golf course located about five miles south on the Snake River which has become a magnet location of upgrade small acreage subdivisions. Most of the population, with Wilder addresses, live out in the county areas and were not included in the community's population count or growth rate.

Today Wilder is a very viable community with a city government, schools K-12, some new subdivisions and a food processing plant just outside the city limits. This area is known for its onion, hop, seed corn, bean, potato, sugar beet and alfalfa seed crops. A more recent entry into this area is the wine industry with multiple large and small vineyards coming on line. Wilder proper still serves as a major housing location for local farm labor and agricultural service and support businesses. Most services are available, with a health clinic, food shops and fuel stations but most major services, employment and higher education are located in Caldwell and Nampa to the west.

Wilder Real Estate is divided into two major categories, high-end acreage properties in the county areas and more modest homes within the community itself. If you are looking for the small town feel with affordable, in community, housing or for upgrade small acreage properties with amenities ranging from view to river frontage golf course lots with its own county school system, all within good striking distance of all of the best southwest Idaho has to offer, Wilder is a good choice.

Whatever your reasons for coming to Wilder, 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 Wilder Idaho real estate.

Still unsure about where you want to move? Keep reading about Wilder 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.