About Driving Routes
Driving Routes are one of the most popular parts of the Boise Christmas Lights Project. Each year, we get submissions added to our Christmas Lights Map, and the majority of these submissions come in between Thanksgiving and about the first week of December. After the first week of December, we take a look at where all these homes are, and we create a driving route in areas where homes are more concentrated.
Driving Routes take a bit of time to plan, because I’m a little picky about them. I’ve been doing these routes for years now, and I’ve learned there is a delicate balance to strike with them. We take the following items into consideration when making the driving routes:
Range: We like to make routes in areas where there are multiple homes in a close area (think 6-ish square miles).
Distance between Stops: We try to make it so you don't spend more than 5 or so minutes driving between homes, and none of our routes cross Eagle Road (you're welcome). An exception to this is Eagle and Star routes we sometimes do, where homes are just more spread out in general out there.
Stop Limit: We try to cap each driving route at 10 stops max due to Google maps limitations and length, but we may include some other homes nearby either at the end of the main list or scattered in the main list for you to visit if you have a bit more time.
Route Flow: We try to make the route flow in one direction as much as possible, so you don't have to zig-zag across the area.
Display Hours: Some displays/light shows turn off their lights earlier than others, so those ones will be near the beginning of the route. Some of them go late into the night, and will likely be closer to the end.
Light Shows: Light shows synced to music have proven to be very popular with our visitors, so we prioritize those when creating routes.
Must-See Displays: Other must-see displays that really make you go WOW! are prioritized as well, so not every home on the map makes it onto a route.
With all of that in mind, it’s important to note that not every house on the map makes it onto a route. We have been doing routes for several years now, and we believe this is the best formula to make things work for everyone. We hope everyone understands that not every home on the map makes it onto a driving route due the above parameters.
Thanks for your understanding. Hopefully this explains how routes are made and why we make the decisions we do.
Please don't take screenshots of the Routes, because the Routes may change after initial publishing. Keep the Routes page bookmarked to make sure you've got the latest version, with any last-minute additions!
Merry Christmas!
- William, Admin and Founder of the Boise Christmas Lights Project