One Of America's Major Regional Airports Is Getting A $700M Upgrade

Boise, Idaho, may be known for its potatoes and outdoor adventures, but the capital city's airport is quietly becoming one of the region's busiest gateways. In 2025, Boise Airport (BOI) broke a record and welcomed over 5 million passengers — that's more than double the entire population of Idaho. Passenger volume at the airport has surged by over 75% since 2015, making it one of the fastest-growing airports in the Mountain West. To keep up with these changes, a major $700 million overhaul at Boise Airport is in the works. However, travelers will have to wait until 2030 to see the full transformation.

Plans have been in discussion for nearly a decade and were originally projected to wrap up by late 2023. However, the project was stalled by the pandemic and later redesigned to accommodate more passengers with a third concourse, a new baggage handling system, and up to 10 new gates. If current timelines hold, final design work will wrap in 2027, construction will begin in early 2028, and the expanded concourse will open by August 2030.

In 2026, Boise Airport is celebrating 100 years of operation. The airport first opened on a gravel bed in 1926, hosting one of America's earliest commercial airmail flights and even a stop by Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. During World War II, Boise Airport served as a training base for thousands of soldiers, and by the 1960s, the airport was operating jet service with United Airlines. Boise's airport has continually reinvented itself and continues to do so with this exciting renovation project.

Boise Airport offers nonstop service to 27 destinations across the U.S., with Alaska Airlines serving as the primary carrier. Although some may consider Idaho a flyover state, Boise is an underrated food and wine destination and a great starting point for a scenic road trip between Boise and Salt Lake City. The airport is just 4 miles from downtown, so travelers can be biking along the Boise River Greenbelt, exploring the craft beer scene, or hiking nearby peaks not long after landing. In the winter, the Bogus Basin ski area is easily accessed with a 20-mile drive from the airport.

The capital is, of course, also a launchpad to some of Idaho's most dramatic rural landscapes. The jagged Sawtooth Mountains, Lake Cascade State Park, and Jump Creek Falls, one of America's most beautiful waterfall swimming holes, are all within a few hours' drive. To venture even further afield, consider heading up to Coeur D'Alene, just across the border from Spokane, Washington, for a lakeside mountain town with scenic hikes and a floating golf course. Whether you head to Boise now or once its airport has undergone a full transformation, you'll be landing at the doorstep of some of the West's most underrated adventures.