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Caribou County Courthouse, Soda Springs, IdahoSoda Springs, #1 on this list · Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0
Idaho rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in Idaho

Soda Springs ranks first on outdoors among Idaho’s 59 towns of 2,500+; 8 of the 59 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work

#1

Soda Springs

Caribou County · 3,165 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #16 of 58 in ID

#2

Boise City

Ada County · 238,429 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #20 of 58 in ID

#3

Eagle

Ada County · 34,658 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #2 of 58 in ID

All 59 towns

Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

59 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1Soda SpringsCaribou County · 3,165 peopleAbetter than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #16 of 58
2Boise CityAda County · 238,429 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #20 of 58
3EagleAda County · 34,658 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #2 of 58
4McCallValley County · 4,133 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #41 of 58
5BellevueBlaine County · 2,597 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #19 of 58
6MontpelierBear Lake County · 2,710 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #3 of 58
7Coeur d'AleneKootenai County · 58,179 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #21 of 58
8American FallsPower County · 4,785 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #31 of 58
9HaileyBlaine County · 10,053 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #4 of 58
10PocatelloBannock County · 58,771 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #33 of 58
11MoscowLatah County · 26,721 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #17 of 58
12Mountain Home AFBunincorporated, Elmore County · 3,219 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #53 of 58
13KetchumBlaine County · 3,643 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #5 of 58
14Hidden Springsunincorporated, Ada County · 3,378 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #30 of 58
15SalmonLemhi County · 3,286 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #55 of 58
16HeyburnMinidoka County · 3,783 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #49 of 58
17Mountain HomeElmore County · 16,779 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #54 of 58
18Post FallsKootenai County · 46,715 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #24 of 58
19RigbyJefferson County · 5,757 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #18 of 58
20NampaCanyon County · 120,384 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #35 of 58
21Idaho FallsBonneville County · 71,785 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #37 of 58
22Garden CityAda County · 13,047 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #36 of 58
23RupertMinidoka County · 6,460 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #56 of 58
24MiddletonCanyon County · 12,600 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #6 of 58
25MeridianAda County · 142,988 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #1 of 58
26CaldwellCanyon County · 76,629 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #47 of 58
27KunaAda County · 31,525 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #25 of 58
28GoodingGooding County · 3,855 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #48 of 58
29BlackfootBingham County · 13,361 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #44 of 58
30StarAda County · 20,874 peopleBbetter than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #29 of 58
31LewistonNez Perce County · 34,717 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #32 of 58
32SandpointBonner County · 10,645 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #26 of 58
33FruitlandPayette County · 7,213 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #10 of 58
34ChubbuckBannock County · 16,823 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #28 of 58
35St. AnthonyFremont County · 3,990 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #23 of 58
36Rexburg College campusMadison County · 40,334 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall B
37PayettePayette County · 8,813 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #57 of 58
38VictorTeton County · 2,589 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #27 of 58
39OrofinoClearwater County · 3,259 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #58 of 58
40RathdrumKootenai County · 13,227 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #14 of 58
41BurleyCassia County · 12,409 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #40 of 58
42WeiserWashington County · 6,249 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #45 of 58
43GrangevilleIdaho County · 3,621 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #22 of 58
44Twin FallsTwin Falls County · 56,216 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #50 of 58
45PrestonFranklin County · 6,177 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #11 of 58
46AmmonBonneville County · 20,119 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #8 of 58
47Bonners FerryBoundary County · 2,797 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #42 of 58
48EmmettGem County · 8,900 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #39 of 58
49HaydenKootenai County · 17,363 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #15 of 58
50WendellGooding County · 3,090 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #46 of 58
51JeromeJerome County · 13,731 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #52 of 58
52HomedaleOwyhee County · 3,138 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #38 of 58
53ShelleyBingham County · 5,303 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #12 of 58
54IonaBonneville County · 3,179 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #9 of 58
55BuhlTwin Falls County · 4,801 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #43 of 58
56FilerTwin Falls County · 3,026 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #34 of 58
57KimberlyTwin Falls County · 5,798 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #13 of 58
58Fort Hallunincorporated, Bannock County · 2,654 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #51 of 58
59Lincolnunincorporated, Bonneville County · 4,002 peopleDbetter than 11% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #7 of 58
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Idaho town is best for the outdoors?

Soda Springs (Caribou County) ranks first on outdoors among 59 towns, with an A; Boise City and Eagle follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (59 in Idaho). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Idaho page.

Go deeper

More Idaho lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Idaho rankings →
Best places to live58 towns · #1 MeridianBest small towns32 towns · #1 MontpelierMost affordable towns59 towns · #1 MontpelierSafest towns41 towns · #1 Soda SpringsTowns with the best schools59 towns · #1 McCallHealthiest towns59 towns · #1 KetchumBest towns for jobs & income59 towns · #1 EagleMost walkable towns59 towns · #1 KetchumTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk59 towns · #1 JeromeMost historic towns59 towns · #1 Bonners FerryTowns with the most civic life54 towns · #1 McCallTowns with the least snow50 towns · #1 EmmettDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns50 towns · #1 McCallDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters63 towns · #1 LewistonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers63 towns · #1 Mountain Home and Mountain Home AFBDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers63 towns · #1 DriggsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes59 towns · #1 Hidden SpringsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes58 towns · #1 GrangevilleDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns55 towns · #1 StarDescribed, no letters
Other states

Best towns for the outdoors in other states

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