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5 Reasons to Move to Meridian, ID

Residents enjoy a community rich in history, economic prosperity, natural beauty, plus tons of activities to keep you busy year round.

By Kevin Litwin on May 8, 2019

Meridian ID
Meridian / Photo Courtesy of City of Meridian

Conveniently located along Interstate 84, less than 12 minutes from Boise and within similarly short drives to endless outdoor recreation surrounding the city, Meridian can claim location and accessibility as one of its top selling points. 

Put Down Roots in Meridian

Embrace Every Season

The climate allows residents here to experience all four seasons fully, with comparatively mild temps for each. Rain and snow is usually light, so all the factors add up to lots of chances to get outdoors for fun. Warm-weather activities include hiking, biking, swimming, fishing and horseback riding, while cold weather adventures include skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing, hunting and even elk feeding. 

Meridian ID
Meridian / Photo Courtesy of Travis Lewis/ICOM

Idaho’s First Medical School

Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine – the first medical school in the state – is a private institution located on the Meridian campus of Idaho State University. The 94,000-square-foot, $120 million building opened in 2016 with a mission to train osteopathic physicians who will eventually help patients throughout Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Osteopathic medicine involves using the entire body, mind and spirit to treat symptoms, and one out of every four medical students in the U.S. is now enrolled in an osteopathic medical school.

4 Businesses That are Made Meridian Proud

Positioned to Lead

Corporate headquarters have chosen Meridian to set up shop, including Blue Cross of Idaho, which has 850 employees and is the state’s oldest health insurer. Also HQ’ed in Meridian are Jackson Food Stores, Micro 100 (precision tools), Scentsy (fragrances), Specialty Construction Supply and Thomas Cuisine (food service management). In the public sector, Meridian is home to the Idaho State Police, whose campus includes a police academy where all cadets statewide are required to complete basic training.

Meridian ID
Meridian / Photo Courtesy of City of Meridian

The Hill

Residents of Meridian gathered in May 2018 to celebrate the opening of The Hill, a 22.5-acre campus near the intersection of South Eagle and Amity roads. Its mission is to provide more education, recreation, wellness and literacy opportunities in that area, with amenities like the new South Meridian Family YMCA, the new Hillsdale Park with a walking path and playground, a Meridian Public Library branch focused on early development, a St. Luke’s Health System clinic and Hillsdale Elementary School, which opened in 2016. Hillsdale Elementary connects directly to the YMCA, so the school is using the Y building as its gymnasium.

Meridian ID
Meridian / Photo Courtesy of City of Meridian

Take It Outside

Now playing in Meridian: A variety of parks that beckon residents outdoors. Regional facilities include the 58-acre Kleiner Park and 53-acre Meridian Settlers Park, while 30-acre Heroes Park is among the many favorite community parks. Meridian also has six neighborhood parks and three mini-parks, and two more neighborhood parks are in the planning stages. There are also four special-use areas at City Hall Plaza, Generations Plaza, Heritage Ball Fields and Jabil Field. Last but certainly not least is the popular Eagle Island State Park just 15 minutes from Meridian, which has a large lake and is great for camping.

This article is sponsored by the Meridian Chamber of Commerce.

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