The first settlers arrived in the Moscow area in 1871. The town underwent several name changes in its first years of existence; from "Hog Heaven" upon its settlement to "Paradise Valley" in 1872 with the opening of the first U.S. post office to the official name of "Moscow" in 1875. By the mid-1870s, the business district was established and the town became known as a center of commerce for the region.
By 1890, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company and Northern Pacific railroad lines helped boost the town's population. Just prior to this, the territorial legislature of Idaho in Boise placed a new land grant university in Moscow. In January 1889, the University of Idaho was chartered and its doors were opened to students in 1892.
Moscow maintains a variety of attractions including: