Founded in 1889, Pocatello anchors a smaller metro area in the beautiful mountains of rural Southeast Idaho. The lifestyle here is friendly, wholesome, and easy going—a welcome change relocators say—from the hectic pace of urban hotspots. Dubbed the "Gateway to the Northwest," Pocatello has been an important transportation route since the days of the Oregon Trail when settlers and fur trappers came through the Portneuf Gap (on the south end of present-day Pocatello) to Fort Hall, a major trading post on the Snake River. Dirt roads along this corridor soon succumbed to highways and railroad tracks when Chief Pocatello of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes donated land for a railroad and stagecoach center. Air traffic arrived in Pocatello during World War II when the army built an air base, which later became the Pocatello Regional Airport. And road travel got even better with the introduction of two interstate freeways to the city: I-15 (north and south) and I-86 (west). Poised at the junction of these two interstates, Pocatello is well suited for regional business operations and remains a popular stop for vacationers. Major tourist attractions within a three-hour drive of Pocatello include Yellowstone National Park, Island Park (cabin retreats), Jackson (Grand Tetons), Sun Valley (snow skiing), Jackpot (gambling), and Bear Lake (boating). Nearby major cities are Boise (to the west) and Salt Lake City (to the south).