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BOI 100

Celebrating 100 Years of Aviation in Boise

Situated atop the Boise Bench overlooking the Treasure Valley, the Boise Airport has connected our community to the wider world for the last 100 years. In 1926, a gravel bed on a rocky stretch of riverside land was transformed into a fully operational airport in just two months. On April 6, 1926, Boise marked a defining moment: the dedication of its airport and the launch of the city’s connection to the national airmail system.

A century later, BOI 100 is more than an anniversary. It’s a celebration of bold beginnings, constant innovation and the people who helped turn a local airfield into a vital regional gateway. Join us for a centennial celebration, launching April 6, 2026, and culminating in December 2026 with a look ahead to the next 100 years of flight.

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BOI-Runway

The Boise Air Terminal as it appeared circa 1966. CREDIT: Boise City Archives, RG007

A Century of Flight in Boise

From Riverbank to Runway

Boise's first municipal airport was built in 1926 on a gravel bed beside the Boise River where Boise State University is located today. The site transformed from a wild, riverside tract of land to an airport in just two months. Building the airport was a community endeavor. Boise residents, civic clubs, community organizations and even a few Civil War veterans stepped up to help clear the riverfront site of brush and trees. Even local Boy Scout troops joined the project with a contest to determine which troop could clear the most rock from the future runways.

Boise celebrated the dedication of its first airport and the inauguration of the city’s connection to the national airmail system on April 6, 1926. The airport celebration included a parade, cabaret festival, an open-air French café and dancing. The parade reportedly included more than 1,100 people who marched from downtown Boise to the new airport.

Airmail pilot for Varney Air Lines, George Buck, stands next to an airmail plane at the Boise Airport at College Field in 1927. CREDIT: Boise City Archives, 2018.09

Airmail planes lined up outside the hangar at Boise’s riverside airport circa 1920's. CREDIT: Boise City Archives, RG007

Air MaiI, Idaho Style

Varney Air Lines, headquartered in Boise, initially flew one of the country’s first airmail flights between Pasco, Wash., and Elko, Nev. with an intermediate stop in Boise. The first mail carried from Boise included two Idaho potatoes postmarked to President Calvin Coolidge. When adjusted for inflation, the postage paid to mail the potatoes from Boise to Washington D.C. is equivalent to approximately $177 in today’s currency.  Varney would go on to become one of the founding carriers of United Airlines. 

Long Runways and Bigger Ambitions

The current airport location on the Bench dates to the late 1930s. Boise began construction with support from the Works Progress Administration in 1937. When the airport opened for service in January 1939, it touted the longest runway in the United States at 8,800 feet. A hangar built for Varney Air Lines in 1931 was moved from the city’s original riverside airport to the new airfield in 1939. When airplanes eventually grew too large for the hangar to support, it was converted into the facility’s main passenger terminal. Although modified and expanded over the years, the former hangar remained at the heart of Boise’s passenger terminal until the early 2000s. 

United Air Lines’ drive through hangar, 1945. CREDIT: Boise City Archives, RG007

Inspection of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on the ramp at Gowen on April 10, 1942. CREDIT: 303rd Bomb Group

A Movie Star, a Military Base, and World War II

Boise’s new airport drew the attention of the U.S. military, and the U.S. government developed Gowen Field in 1941 on the airport’s southern edge. After the base was readied and put into commission, bomber crews trained at Gowen Field, primarily in B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, prior to World War II deployments. The City of Boise leased the airport to the military for the duration of World War II, and thousands of military personnel were stationed there for most of the war years, including Hollywood movie star Jimmy Stewart. Stewart, known for his roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, and It’s a Wonderful Life, was stationed at Gowen as a flight instructor for roughly six months between February and August 1943. When World War II ended, Gowen Field was returned to City of Boise and then leased to the Idaho National Guard – which still uses it today.

When Boise Prepared for Jets… and Just in Case, UFOs

The 1950s and 1960s ushered in the jet age resulting in major expansion projects to the terminal, runways and safety systems. During the early 1950s, nationwide interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs) skyrocketed, and the number of flying saucer sightings spiked. Reports of flying saucers in Idaho’s skies were published in Boise’s local newspaper. In 1952, the Boise Airport Commission developed a fee schedule applicable to visitors who might travel to Boise via flying saucers. According to the newspaper, the fee schedule purportedly included fees for unscheduled landings, hovering fees that increased with the amount of time spent at the airport, and tie-down fees which were dependent upon the diameter of the saucer.

The first regular jet passenger service in Boise began in October 1964, when a United Air Lines Boeing 727 arrived at the airport. A ribbon cutting ceremony attended by state and local officials celebrated Boise’s new jet service. Reduced flight times made regional and national travel to and from Boise faster and more convenient. The flight time between Boise and Seattle alone was reduced by one hour and 25 minutes.

Passengers line up on the apron for boarding. CREDIT: Hummel Architects historic archive

Boise Airport upper curb front, 2016. CREDIT: Chad Case

Shaped by a Century, Ready for What’s Next

Growth continued through the late 20th century as the airport adapted to increased passenger demand, new concourse construction, and continued operational improvements and renovation and expansion projects.

During the early 2000s, Boise launched a major modernization effort resulting in the current terminal, elevated roadway, enhanced post-9/11 security facilities, and a new air traffic control tower. Public art, designed to enhance the visitor experience and connect people to the community, was also integrated into the facilities. 

Today, the Boise Airport remains a vital regional transportation hub shaped by a century of community effort, technological innovation and strategic planning. With ongoing infrastructure updates, air service expansion and public art investments, the airport continues to support Boise’s economic and cultural growth.

Exterior rendering of future Concourse A, stretching from the existing terminal to the west.

The Future Takes Shape at BOI

To meet the growing demand of today’s travelers, Boise Airport launched BOI Upgrade—a multi-year capital improvement program designed to expand and modernize airport infrastructure in step with regional growth.

Projects include new parking structures for passengers and employees, a consolidated rental car lobby and garage, a new concourse, expanded aircraft parking aprons, and other essential improvements. Together, these investments lay the foundation for the airport’s next century—forging a new flight path as Boise Airport enters its second 100 years of serving the region.

 

Learn More About BOI Upgrade Projects

Rendering of future Concourse A

Rendering of future Concourse A

Imagery

A selection of images from the Boise City Archives of the Boise Airport can be found at the link below. Please consult the image credit list for proper attribution.  

BOI Historic Imagery

Concourse A and Terminal Project Renderings

Research Resources

Archives West

Archives West provides access to finding aids and descriptions of collections held by repositories in the western United States including at the Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives. Boise State University is located on the former location of Boise’s 1926 riverside airport.

Idaho State Archives

The Idaho State Archives holds extensive photograph collections as well as manuscript collections which may include items or photos related to aviation in Idaho and/or the Boise Airport. To learn more about the Idaho State Archives’ photograph collections, visit their website: Idaho State Archives Photographs - Idaho State Historical Society. To search the Idaho State Archives’ collections, visit their Archives Space interface: Idaho State Archives. 

A small sampling of collections which may include records of interest are listed below:  

Idaho Statesman Newspaper 

The Idaho Statesman newspaper has been continuously published in Boise, Idaho since 1864. The newspaper’s digital archive provides access to articles and advertisements published over the past 160 plus years and can be accessed and searched via subscription services such as NewsBank and Newspapers.com. Residents holding a current Boise Public Library card can access The Idaho Statesman archive for free via the Boise Public Library’s website. 

Idaho Transportation Department

The Idaho Transportation Department’s photograph collection contains thousands of images related to Idaho’s transportation infrastructure. To search the collection, visit the Idaho Transportation Department’s online photograph database: Idaho Transportation Photo Collection - Idaho Transportation Photo Collection 

National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds federal records, many of which are available digitally. 

Smithsonian Museums

The National Air and Space Museum and the National Postal Museum provide access to articles and information about aviation and the development of airmail in the United States. 

University of Idaho Library Digital Collections

The University of Idaho Library Digital Collections hosts a small subset of photos which feature both of Boise’s airports, the original riverside airport and the current airport on the Bench.  

Warhawk Air Museum

The Warhawk Air Museum hosts exhibits related to aviation including about Gowen Field and United Airlines.  

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