About Ada County
Ada County is the seat of Boise, Meridian, Star, Eagle, Garden City and Kuna. There is additional land set outside of the incorporated city limits, and served directly by Ada County government, as presided over by the Ada County Commissioners. Many of the communities set outside of the incorporated cities are set up under homeowner associations (HOAs), and those HOAs maintain certain services in their community and enforce community standards. There are several new and fairly new Ada County communities that are worth exploring if you like the idea of being a little bit away from the bustle of urban commute traffic and noise. All of these communities are within about 10-15 minutes drive of neighboring cities, such as Boise or Eagle, and many of them have some commercial services within the community. Elementary schools are also a part of these communities, so kids can enjoy the experience of walking to school in many cases.
Hidden Springs was the earliest of the communities tucked into an area between Eagle and Boise. Hidden Springs was built with the goal of creating a sort of country village, where neighbors would get to know each other, kids could walk to school, and families might meet at the local market or by the pool. There’s a totally refinished community barn where you can host events, and an old farm where you can pick produce and get fresh eggs. Hidden Springs is dotted with trees and the homes have very traditional craftsman-inspired architecture. It’s a charming place.
Next to Hidden Springs is a newer community, still under construction at the start of 2020: Cartwright Ranch. Cartwright Ranch literally abuts Hidden Springs almost like a continuation of the original plan, but with new homes and without the established tree-lined streets. A bit closer to Eagle, off of highway 55, is Dry Creek Ranch, where thousands of new homes are under construction as of the beginning of 2020. Further out highway 55 is Avimore, where new homes have been under development since 2009. All of these communities are near open lands where you can hike and ride mountain bikes on established Ridge to Rivers trails.
Beyond these communities, there are parcels of land available for sale, farms that are very occasionally offered for sale, and a few larger luxury homes generally set on substantial pieces of land. These unique properties come onto the market rarely and tend to command higher prices.
