Horseshoe Bend is the largest city in rural Boise County, in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Idaho.

It is named for its location at the horseshoe-shaped U-turn of the Payette River, whose flow direction changes from south to north before heading west to the Black Canyon Reservoir.

The name was changed to Horseshoe Bend in 1867, and after the gold rush quieted, the city became a prosperous ranching and logging community.

The railroad, from Emmett up to Long Valley following the Payette River (its North Fork above Banks), was completed in 1913.

[8] Horseshoe Bend sits along State Highway 55, the primary north–south route out of Boise, 23 miles (37 km) to the south and accessed over the 4,242-foot (1,293 m) Spring Valley summit, a.k.a.

[10] The new multi-lane grade was completed in fall 1991;[11] the old curvier road is to the west, long plagued by landslides and closures.

[12] Within an hour's drive north of Horseshoe Bend are the outdoor recreational areas of the Payette River basin, including Cascade, Tamarack Resort, and McCall.

Horseshoe Bend's current culture is a blend of ranching and a growing bedroom community for Boise.

A scenic railroad, the Thunder Mountain Line, was based in the city, but it closed operation in 2016.