Downtown Boise — lush with trees, tall buildings and the Idaho State Capitol Building — is depicted in this aerial photo, taken near the Boise foothills. Downtown Boise on Aug 13, 2024.

For perspective, the state had 1.14 million in 1994. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Idaho as of July 1 was 2,001,619, an increase of 1.5% over the 2023 figure. That growth ...