Kuna, Idaho

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Coordinates: 43°29′35″N 116°25′8″W / 43.49306, -116.41889
Kuna, Idaho
Main Street in Kuna
Location in Ada County and the state of Idaho
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Ada
Government
- Mayor	J. Scott Dowdy
Area
- Total	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km²)
- Land	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	2,694 ft (821 m)
Population (2006)
- Total	11,510
- Density	2,249.9/sq mi (869.5/km²)
Time zone	Mountain (UTC-7)
- Summer (DST)	Mountain (UTC-6)
ZIP code	83634
Area code(s)	208
FIPS code	16-44290
GNIS feature ID	0396755
Website: www.cityofkuna.com

For other uses, see Kuna.

Kuna is a city in Ada County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,382 at the 2000 census; the 2006 Census Bureau estimated population was 11,510.^[1]

Kuna is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state, having more than doubled in population since 2000.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Kuna is located at 43°29′35″N, 116°25′8″W (43.493092, -116.418936)^[2]. Kuna's business center is approximately 18 miles (40 km) from Boise, the capital of Idaho.

Kuna originated as a railroad stop with coach transport to Boise. Many people think Kuna means "the end of the trail", but Charles S. Walgamott cites the origin of the name as a Shoshone Indian word meaning "green leaf, good to smoke" (see "Six Decades Back", a memoir of Walgamott's adventures in the late 1800s in southern Idaho).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.

South of Kuna you can find Kuna Caves, an underground lava flow cave.

A small seasonal creek, now used as a canal for irrigation water, Indian Creek, runs through the town. One of the few small floatable waterways in the region, Indian Creek is a favorite tubing spot for local residents.

In the town's center is Colonel Bernard Fisher Veteran's Memorial Park, named after one of the town's most famous residents, Bernard Francis Fisher; Bernie to his friends. In January of 1967, Major, U.S. Air Force, 1st Air Commandos was awarded the Medal of Honor "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" (official citation). An accomplished pilot, he risked his life to save a fellow airman during Vietnam at A Shau. The Idaho Military Historical Society notes, "He could make his A-1E (plane) do the waltz, which is just what he did that day in far off Southeast Asia. There's no other way to explain how he danced it down that beat up airstrip, off into the wild blue."

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 5,382 people, 1,727 households, and 1,390 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,249.9 people per square mile (869.5/km²). There were 1,793 housing units at an average density of 749.5/sq mi (289.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.65% White, 0.26% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.85% of the population.

55.8% of the households have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the city the population was spread out with 37.3% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 12.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,617, and the median income for a family was $42,956. Males had a median income of $32,236 versus $22,473 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,891. About 10.1% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 33.0% of those age 65 or over.

Kuna was the 13th fastest growing city in the US from the years 2000 to 2002 for cities with 5000+ population, and the fastest growing city in the state of Idaho, when measured by percentage growth. In July 2005, the population was estimated to be 15,164. It was a contender for CNN/Money's "Best Place to Live 2005" list. What used to be a small farming community has become a bedroom suburb for Boise employees. However, Kuna still retains its small-town charm, with a throw-back mainstreet.