Former bedroom community surrounded by Idaho beauty
Situated along the foothills of the Boise River, Eagle is an upscale suburb 10 miles outside of Boise. The former bedroom community has evolved into a full-scale regional destination with its own draws, surrounded by recreation and Idaho’s natural beauty. “Eagle is one of the most desirable places in the [Treasure] Valley,” says David Wuertz, broker at Wuertz Real Estate. “There are lots of master-planned communities and homes that have acreage.” Eagle was founded in the 1860s, when people flocked to the Boise Basin in search of gold. Truman C. Catlin brought the land to provide food for townspeople and named the area Eagle Island, after the bald eagles living around the river.
Eagle has seen population growth of more than 6% since 2020, with a current population of 32,200. It’s the 12th most populous city in Idaho. “You have lots of retirees and families,” Wuertz says. “I’d say about 50-50 between those demographics, but overall it’s diverse.” Health care and retail are some of the area’s largest industries. St. Luke’s Health System, Albertsons and PetIQ are the largest employers, with headquarters in either Eagle or Boise.
Eagle River is one of the largest shopping and corporate office plazas in the area.
Enjoy the historic landmarks in downtown Eagle.
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Luxury community with subdivisions and lots of acreage
Eagle is the most expensive city in the Boise metropolitan area. Its housing stock consists of single-family homes within master-planned subdivisions. The Legacy subdivision has resort-style landscaping, Two Rivers is popular because it’s gated and the new Williamson Rivers Ranch is close to the Boise River, Wuertz says. Most homes are either contemporary, modern or traditional, and new townhouses and condos usually sit near the downtown area. The median price of a single-family home is $810,000, about $300,000 higher than the median price in Boise. The median price of a townhouse is $459,900, just slightly below Boise. Multimillion-dollar homes towards the city outskirts with larger lots tend to cost more. Folks can find farmhouse properties on five-acre lots north of the city.
Rows of large one- and two-story homes with large lots fill the neighborhoods of Eagle.
Outer Meridian’s BanBury Golf Course is a beautiful and challenging course for any skill level.
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High traffic at Eagle Island State Park
Eagle’s parks and recreation department operates nine parks. Arboretum Park has walking trails surrounded by 37 varieties of plants, trees and flowers, and Ada/Eagle Sports Complex offers courses and a 12,500-square-foot skatepark for bikers and skaters. The city’s trail system, Eagle Greenbelt, includes more than 50 miles of trails. “The Greenbelt starts in Eagle, and they're planning to extend it out toward Star,” Wuertz says. “People will take their bikes into downtown Boise.” Youth sports are prevalent, and the under-construction Eagle Regional Sports Complex Park and Eagle Shooting Sports Park will hold events for sports such as football, rugby and shooting.
Eagle Island State Park gets busy in the summer because of its beach. People also go there for horseback riding and disc golf. Golfers can play a round of 18 at the BanBury Golf Course, which has several tournaments and weekly leagues. Shadow Valley Golf Course to the north is a favorite in Treasure Valley. It’s one of four courses in the state honored by the National Audubon Society for its bird habitat protection. For winter activities like skiing and snowboarding, Bogus Basin is the closest option 26 miles away. Some other options include Brundage and Tamarack Resorts, which are both 100 miles north. Sun Valley is a nationally recognized location for skiing and snowboarding 166 miles east of Eagle.
Eagle Island State Park is the largest state park in the area.
Eagle Island State Park beach area.
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Serviced by Idaho's top-rated districts
Students can attend school in one of the two best districts in the state: Boise School District or West Ada School District. However, most are assigned to West Ada School District, rated A-minus by Niche. It’s also the largest district in the state, with approximately 40,000 students across 58 schools. Eagle Middle and Eagle Hills Elementary are standout schools earning A ratings. Private school options can be found in Boise proper. Boise School District may serve students on the city’s east side. It also holds an A-minus rating from Niche.
West front entrance of Eagle High School.
West entrance at Paramount Elementary School.
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Trendy retail growth in Downtown Eagle
Downtown Eagle has grown into a walkable hub for shopping and dining. “Everyone likes Downtown Eagle because of its small-town feel,” Wuertz says. “It’s not a big downtown at all. It’s got good restaurants.” Some of these eateries and shops are inside older buildings with outdoor seating and bike racks. A new development called the Gateway Project is under construction; when completed it will be a three-story mixed-use building with condos, office space and retail. Folks can also explore different paintings from local artists at the City Hall. On the campus of the government building is the Eagle Saturday Market, which runs weekly from May to October.
Eagle Road stretches towards Boise and Meridian, lined with several big box retailers, locally-owned restaurants, and grocers. Five miles south of the city on this road is the Village of Meridian, a high-end outdoor shopping mall with more than 100 stores and restaurants.
With walking paths like these, it’s hard not to get excited about living in Outer Meridian.
Vibrant water features and lush landscaping at the Bridges at Lakemoor shopping center in Eagle.
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Rocky Mountain Oyster eat off at Eagle Fun Days
Residents mingle with one another through community events in the summertime. Eagle Fun Days is a two-day event in July with family-fun activities. The week is also home to the “World’s Largest Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed,” with local firefighters chowing down on the oysters for 40 minutes. This event also has a fireworks show, corn hole tournament, car show and a wet and wild parade. Every October is HarvestFest, which celebrates the turn of the season with a day full of pumpkins, live music and food. Eagle Country Christmas happens over the course of a week in December, beginning with the city’s tree lighting and ends with a market and Santa photo ops.
Outdoor food plazas at Lakemoor shopping center offers an open-air option for sunny day lunches.
Enjoy live music every month from May to August at the Eagle concert series.
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Surrounded by three major highways
Eagle is located near multiple highways connecting it to the rest of the Treasure Valley. U.S. Route 26 and State Highway 44 travel east to west, linking the city to Boise in about 11 miles. State Highway 55 travels north to south with a direct route to Meridian, 8 miles away. Since the metropolitan area is growing rapidly, commuters may experience traffic during rush-hour. “Around here, it’s only 30 minutes to most places. Most people have a car,” Wuertz says. “We do have public transportation, but no one uses it.” Highway 16 is on the city’s west side, taking folks to Emmett. Highway 16 is extending 4.5 miles down towards Nampa, so access to Interstate 84 will be easier. The extension is expected to be complete by fall 2025. The Boise Airport is the closest for commercial travel, 15 miles away. Travelers can take nonstop flights to 28 West Coast and Midwest cities.
Flooding may be an issue for some residents, especially those around the Boise River and Dry Creek. Residents living in special flood areas have to abide by building requirements and ordinances if they choose to build a pool. The city participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which allows homeowners to obtain flood insurance. Using the American Rescue Plan funds, the city has prioritized gaining local control over its fiber infrastructure. The goal is to create a lower-cost alternative for internet and improve access for most of the city. Eagle gets all four seasonsl; summertime temperatures can reach nearly 100 degrees, and colder months get around the low 20s. “As far as our winters, we do get snow but it’ll melt in a few hours,” Wuertz says. “We rarely get snow that accumulates.”
The main hub of Eagle is the junction of Hwy 44 and Hwy 55.
Hwy 44 runs east from Eagle to downtown Boise.
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Upward trend in crime
According to monthly city reports, Eagle’s crime rates have steadily increased over the past few years. The crime rate in 2023 was 21.2 crimes per 1,000 residents, up from 18.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2022. Crimes against persons and society both increased. Property crime had a 13% uptick from 2022.
Jeff has built a successful real estate career the past 16 years and is a native Idahoan. He is married to his beautiful wife and together they have three children. He has served as President of the Boise Regional REALTORS® association in 2021, is passionate about his industry and achieving his client’s real estate goals.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
