Garden City is a city in Ada County, Idaho, United States. The population was 10,972 at the 2010 census. Garden City is nearly surrounded by Boise but retains a separate municipal government.Garden City was named for gardens raised by Chinese immigrants who lived in the area. The name of the city's only main street, Chinden Boulevard, is a portmanteau of the words "China" and "garden." In the second decade of the 21st century, it became a haven for artists' studios due to its cheap rents and eclectic ambience.Garden City is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.