What is the population of Meridian Idaho?
Meridian, Idaho had a population of 117,635 at the 2020 census. That makes it the second most populous city in Idaho, behind the state capital Boise.
Questions about Meridian, Idaho
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why is Meridian Idaho growing so fast?
Meridian is considered Idaho's fastest-growing city and ranks among the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Its population grew from 34,919 in 2000 to 117,635 in 2020, more than tripling in two decades, driven by its location in the Treasure Valley between Boise and Nampa.
How did Meridian Idaho get its name?
Meridian got its name in 1893 when Christian Zenger filed the town plat on homestead land belonging to his wife Eliza Ann Zenger. He named it Meridian because the settlement was located on the Boise Meridian. Before 1893, the settlement was called Hunter.
What companies are headquartered in Meridian Idaho?
Blue Cross of Idaho, Jacksons Food Stores, and Scentsy are all headquartered in Meridian. The Idaho State Police is also based in Meridian, and the state police academy, where all Idaho officers must complete basic training, operates there.
What was the Ada County creamery in Meridian Idaho?
The Ada County Dairymen's cooperative creamery opened in Meridian in 1929, during the onset of the Great Depression. It produced Challenge Butter and ran seven days a week for 40 years, closing in 1970. In its later years, Wyeth Laboratories affiliated with the creamery to manufacture SMA baby formula.
What movies or books are set in Meridian Idaho?
The Clint Eastwood film Bronco Billy, released in 1980, was partially filmed in Meridian. The city is also a setting in Richard Paul Evans's book series Michael Vey, with significant events in the first novel, Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, taking place in the area.