The “Nile of the North” became the newest term for the rich Kootenai Valley. As far as the Bonners Ferry lumber was concerned, they grew to be one of the world's largest lumber mills! Downtown steadily became more inhabited as buildings were put in place, replacing their predecessors on stilts.

Bonners Ferry, city, seat (1915) of Boundary county, northern Idaho, U.S. Located 27 miles (43 km) south of the Canadian border on the Kootenai River, the city developed around a trading post and ferry established in the early 1870s by pioneer Edwin Bonner.

Located in the heart of the Kootenai River Valley, the town of Bonners Ferry serves as a picturesque international gateway to Idaho and hosts visitors from around the world. Surrounded by three mountain ranges, abundant outdoor recreation is just steps away.

The total cost of housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and other necessities for a single adult in Bonners Ferry is $35,964 a year — greater than the annual cost of living for Idaho of $34,349 yet less than the national figure of $38,433.