Nampa, Idaho | |
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City | |
Nampa Depot
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Nickname(s): The Heart of the Treasure Valley | |
Motto: What a Place to Live | |
Location in Canyon County and the state of Idaho |
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Location in the United States | |
Coordinates: 43°34′29″N 116°33′49″W / 43.57472°N 116.56361°WCoordinates: 43°34′29″N 116°33′49″W / 43.57472°N 116.56361°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Idaho |
County | Canyon |
Founded | 1886 |
Incorporated | 1891 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Bob Henry |
Area | |
• City | 31.34 sq mi (81.17 km2) |
• Land | 31.19 sq mi (80.78 km2) |
• Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2) |
Elevation | 2,516 ft (767 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• City | 83,557 |
• Estimate (2014) | 88,211 |
• Density | 2,614.8/sq mi (1,009.6/km2) |
• Metro | 650,288 |
Time zone | Mountain (UTC-7) |
• Summer (DST) | Mountain (UTC-6) |
ZIP codes | 83651-83686-83687 |
Area code(s) | 208 |
FIPS code | 16-56260 |
GNIS feature ID | 0396943 |
Website | www.cityofnampa.us |
Nampa (i/ˈnæmpə/) is the largest city of Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census making it the third-most populous city in Idaho. Nampa is located about 20 miles (32 km) west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles (10 km) west of Meridian. Nampa is the second principal city of the Boise-Nampa metropolitan area. The name "Nampa" may have come from a Shoshoni word meaning either moccasin or footprint.
Nampa began its life in the early 1880s when the Oregon Short Line Railroad built a line from Granger, Wyoming, to Huntington, Oregon, which passed through Nampa. More railroad lines sprang up running through Nampa, making it a very important railroad town. Alexander and Hannah Duffes established one of the town's first homesteads, eventually forming the Nampa Land and Improvement Company with the help of their friend and co-founder, James McGee. In spite of the name, many of the first settlers referred to the town as "New Jerusalem" because of the strong religious focus of its citizens. After only a year the town had grown from 15 homes to 50. As new amenities were added to the town, Nampa continued its growth and was incorporated in 1890.