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The Micron expansion is going to be huge both in terms of jobs, wages, new growth, but more importantly job expansion in other fields. Boise already has a healthy and vibrant tech industry spread throughout the valley and has a tech corridor downtown, so this will only add to it. Having a major university downtown adds to the pie. Meridian also has a lot of new major employers as well as tech. It may just be Idaho's 2nd or 3rd most important city now regarding economic opportunities.
Here are updated population numbers:
Opportunity promotes growth for sure. Most opportunity rises from the stuff that created the town.
In Twin's case, that was agriculture. Twin's the center of a spot where anything will grow like magic if it gets some water.
Plentiful water also spurs the computer industry. Making chips and components demands a lot of water, mostly for cooling purposes. Water isn't abundant any more in this persistent drought, so the ag industry is now using high technology to develop ways to farm using less water that is recycled more often in smaller but more intensely grown crop fields.
I think that's the area where Twin's computer industry could grow. The large food manufacturing companies that are there also use really a lot of water and they need water recycling right now.
I just read that Idaho's agriculture has been the most profitable in the entire northwest for 5 years in a row, and this year looks to be the 6th. Our ag is not the largest, but it makes the most money. And it is still the largest industry by far in the state.
eXPosure to more chemicals and pesticides since agriculture area.
I seriously doubt Twin's exposure to ag chemicals is any worse (or better) than the rest of SID.
Exposure is all about degrees. Idaho is a farm state, but there are many other farm states where the contamination levels are higher daily than here.
You pays your money and takes your choice. Up in NID, heavy metals like arsenic, zinc and lead, along with sulphuric acid, are major contaminants in the environment.
Ag chemicals are the same as industrial chemicals. The big industrial states produce the same exposure. All in varying degrees of contamination. Humans have been living in these chemicals for so long life anywhere in the USA is impossible to escape them. Someone would have to live in a multi-filtered bubble to live free from these contaminants. Most have always been present naturally, long before they were refined into pure form.
And in general, the food we eat daily has more of that stuff in it than you'll get from living in any agricultural area.
The pertinent question that you need to ask is:
How long do Idahoans live on average?
The answer is: 78.4 years.
Idaho's life expectancy is the 11th highest in the nation.
That's about 2 years more than the national average of 76.5 years. So our environmental contamination doesn't seem to be affecting our overall health here very much.
Like to learn more about certain areas to visit or possibly live. Twin Falls has some of my attention at this time. Learned about a few new things recently: the downtown commons, Saturday market, botanical gardens, planetarium, history & science museums, the theater, some of the nearby trails and rock climbing, Dierke's Lake, the growing restaurant scene, etc.
Hi there! I'm a lifelong Magic Valley resident and grew up in Twin Falls (now live in Filer). I love this area and hope you enjoy all that it has to offer. The downtown commons has been a fantastic addition to the music and event scene in Twin Falls, there are always lots of concerts and other things going on. Kids enjoy the splash pad and there are some meaningful displays there as well.
Main Street has been completely revitalized over the years, many like it and many do not. It's more modern and there are some great trendy shops and restaurants and all locally-owned businesses.
There are two Saturday Markets. The Market on Main Street and I think the other one is the Magic Valley Market (it's over at the mall). Both offer very similar goods, produce, crafts, etc. I personally like Main Street's better because it seems to have more variety.
The botanical gardens are FANTASTIC! I absolutely love that place. It's so peaceful and laid out perfectly with the walking trails, seating areas, and landscape design. The owners decorate for Halloween and Christmas and it's just beautiful.
The Twin Falls County Museum has a large collection of history from our area and beyond. They also have some interesting barns and sheds that give you a glimpse of life from years past.
The Faulkner Planetarium at the CSI Herrett Center is a wonderful place to explore, examine artifacts, check out local artists, watch the special shows in the dome, and view the stars, suns, and skies through their amazing telescope. The staff is all very experienced and the telescope guys are incredibly knowledgeable. Fantastic place for kids to experiment and learn. This building also hosts many conventions and meetings as it has a large conference room.
The Herrett Center serves as the main arts and science museum, but for more local history we have the Twin Falls County Historical Society which maintains the county museum. There is plenty of old history, knick-knacks, old-time farming equipment, and much more. It's definitely worth a look!
In surrounding towns, I believe Jerome has a little museum. There's also a small military museum, and they used to have a cool hands-on agriculture experience/museum called the I-Farm & Ranch. Hagerman has the Hagerman Horse Fossil Beds and museum - neat visit and displays there. Some of the other towns may have a museum as well, but they are more than likely quite small.
Our theater is decent. They play a lot of movies, the seating is good, and we have D-Box seats so you can literally feel the action. They are also set up with reserved seating which is pretty cool. You can rent out a theater for company parties, there's a birthday party room, and the seating is staggered so you don't have nearly as many problems with tall people sitting in front of you. As with most theaters, prices are pretty high in my opinion.
We have a TON of trails for biking, hiking, hunting, etc. My favorite places to go are the trails in the canyon (above and below), Cauldron Lin in Murtaugh, and Blue Heart Springs near Gooding. There are also some pretty cool caves if you like exploring further such as the Shoshone Ice Cave, the Mammoth Cave, Tea Kettle, and some unnamed ones. Be careful in the summer though, rattlesnakes are frequent cave seekers.
As far as rock climbing, I'm not all that familiar with the sites around here, but I know they exist and we have a coalition for it. I know there are some spots on the Jerome side of Dierke's lake and we have a rock climbing gym. I've seen some people free climb in the canyons and other rocky surfaces such as Balanced Rock.
Dierke's Lake is a hot spot with a lot of locals. The parks and rec have made some great strides in fixing up the facilities and docks there. There is a playground, beach volleyball, a sandy bar, lots of picnic spots, and a lot of fishers and kayakers. There are usually a lot of geese, which unfortunately kind of ruin the terrain with all the poop. It's a popular swimming spot with a sectioned-off area for younger kids. Teens and young adults like to cliff dive there as well. One of the best parts about Dierke's (again, in my opinion) is that you can hike all the way around the lake and explore some of the hidden lakes along the way.
The restaurants in the valley are quite diverse. We have loads of the national chains in fast food and diners, but a couple of our unique restaurants include the Snake River Grill in Hagerman (they serve alligator!), Yellow Brick on Main Street in Twin (they serve more farm-to-table style healthy food), and Saffron on Main Street in Twin (they serve Indian food). We've also got some great steak houses and one of our newest restaurants is Texas Roadhouse.
Any locals with comments on recent development trends (beyond the big box stores and manufacturing plants)? Overall would you say Twin is getting "better", mainly just getting bigger or bigger & "worse"?
The economy here is so into agriculture that the city and county recruitment offices are usually trying to recruit food-based products and service companies here. Other than that, multi-family housing is on the rise, there are a lot more storage units, and new small businesses opening up. I see a lot more investors for flips, and I see a LOT more people doing independent sales through their own products or multi-level marketing companies. And it seems like we are always adding schools or city service facilities.
Personally, I think Twin is getting bigger and better in many ways. First, we've had to grow because of the influx of people who brought new interests and challenges. This has forced the city planners to look at some of the sorely lacking infrastructure plans and make positive changes. Unfortunately, many of the improvements cause an increase in property taxes, which is always a drag. And, with a set-in-our-ways town, change is extremely hard for a lot of people.
Some say it's getting worse because of the more people and more modern changes which don't coincide with small-town life and like any area, more people bring more crime so there has likely been an uptick in some criminal activity. Regardless, this is a very safe place compared to other areas.
Favorite trails, camping areas, and lakes mostly in the southeast direction (up to 2 hours away)?
I've already mentioned my favorite trails, but for camping areas, if you want to get away you can literally go in any direction and find a river or lake to stop at and camp, or a campground, or a mountain with camping space. Many people just drive up the South Hills and go to one of their favorite places to settle in for a weekend.
I like the south hills, but I like rivers and lakes so Anderson Reservoir, Magic Reservoir, and Stanley Lake. Southeast of Twin is some beautiful territory for camping, like Malad, Soda Springs, Lava Hot Springs, American Falls, and Montpelier - Montpelier has what sounds like a really cool interactive Oregon Trail history tour complete with a horse or two pulling a covered wagon!
Anybody in or have comments on Kimberley, Rock Creek, Oakley, Burley, Almo or Albion?
I love Kimberly. It's a very quant and small town with a city vibe. There's something charming as you drive into town from the highway. I love seeing the mom-and-pop shops, grabbing a burrito at their one fast food place, or stopping in the retro diner of Guppie's Hot Rod Grille. They have a variety of small stores and it's only about 10-15 minutes to Twin.
Rock Creek is in a small canyon in Twin Falls, and it's ok. It's made up of some covered patios for hosting events like birthdays, reunions, and other celebrations. There have been a few weddings there I believe. There's a small playground and I've seen some people fish there. It is a frequent hideout for the homeless and questionable activity so I wouldn't recommend visiting after dark. There are also a bunch of feral cats that like to roam around. There is some RV Parking as well.
Oakley is a tiny town south of Burley near the City of Rocks National Reserve. The town is very old and remote. There isn't much to do or see, but there are some very nice Victorian-style homes.
Burley is about 45 minutes away from Twin Falls and is a bit bigger than Kimberly. There are some nice shops and restaurants, a couple of hotels, lots of small-town charm, and home to the Burley Boat Regatta. People from all around come to play in the Snake River in Burley since it's so vast in this area.
Almo is one of the most isolated and remote towns in Idaho. It is TINY. But it has some neat outdoor attractions. You can camp under the stars at Castle Rock State Park, swim in natural hot springs, visit the City of Rocks National Reserve, visit the archery range, and fish.
Albion is southeast of Burley and while it's a small town it has a few big-ticket attractions. The Albion Normal School was one of only two normal schools in the entire state and was established by Idaho Legislature in 1893. Its purpose was to teach future teachers. This former school appeared on Ghost Adventures and is a yearly host to the very popular Haunted Mansions of Albion. Albion also has a popular skiing destination called Pomerelle, one of the best Fourth of July displays around, with three days of activity, and Independence Lakes.
What do you consider interesting and little known or new about the area?
We have so many outdoor sports and activities! Our soccer scene is huge and our football, baseball, and basketball teams are strong as well. You will frequently see people jumping off the 486' high Perrine Bridge and floating gingerly down to the ground (their BASE jumpers - This is the only place in the US Base jumpers can do so without a permit.
Also, we call Shoshone Falls the "Niagra of the West." This is because the falls are much wider than the Niagara. Thousand Springs State Park is an amazing place as you go through Hagerman. There are dozens of beautiful waterfalls and spectacular scenery. You can also rent a kayak and get to the beautiful Box Canyon or find your own adventure by just exploring. Also, we are so much more than just potatoes. We also grow sugar beets, onion seeds, and corn. Our dairy industry is really strong as well.
Turns out I had heard of Blue Heart Springs, just didn't immediately recognize the name. Didn't know about Caldron Lin but found a picture and a little history. Also bumped into pictures of Devils Washbowl. With and without kayakers in freefall.
Those places are great too, from what I hear. I haven't been to them though. I tried to put some pictures on my profile, but they aren't uploading for some reason.
I have a couple questions about Twin Falls coming from Boise, having driven past but not yet visited.
1. What are the Summers like compared to Boise?
Based on the numbers I see, it seems like Twin Falls is a few degrees cooler with only a handful of days breaching 100F. For anyone who has spent time in Twin Falls, is this difference significant or negligible (meaning are Twin Falls Summers distinct or indistinguishable from Boise metro Summers)?
2. Is there any walk-and-wade fly fishing in the portion of the Snake River adjacent to town?
I see there are numerous rivers and creeks in the Magic Valley region. I've also been fishing down by C.J. Strike Reservoir and observed much of the Snake River across the state when driving to Wyoming. Most of what I seen is pretty broad and deep. The Boise River running through town is probably my favorite thing about living here compared to other places I've been.
3. Can anyone speak to non-obvious differences between Lewiston and Twin Falls?
Similar to Twin Falls, on paper Lewiston appears to have Summers marginally cooler than Boise. Population also looks to be comparable to Twin Falls. I imagine growth flowing from CdA and Moscow to Lewiston may be comparable to growth flowing from the Boise metro to Twin Falls.
Hopefully this isn't too off topic, any input greatly appreciated!
The Twin Falls area consists of Boise, Pocatello and Idaho Falls, each offering a variety of real estate options at relatively low crime rates. Prices vary depending on location, but there are plenty of affordable options available too.
No, Egon. This post is not factual.
Each of those cities you mentioned is located in a different valley. Twin Falls is the hub of the Magic Valley.
Idaho Falls is the hup of the Upper Snake River Valley.
Boise is the hub of the Treasure Valley.
Each valley is different in many ways from the others. None of the cities are close together enough to each other to be mistaken for being located in one single valley.
The Twin Falls area consists ONLY of the region surrounding Twin Falls.
Idaho Falls is over 150 miles away and has its own region.
Boise is not close to either city mentioned above, and it too has its own region.
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