With a population of 181,743, Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of Utah, as well as the county seat. This friendly, family-oriented community offers stunning views of the Wasatch Mountains, a massive range of outdoor recreation, lively entertainment and culture as well as a rich history. You can also enjoy a high standard of living, outstanding colleges and universities, affordable housing, and excellent job opportunities. What more could you ask for? Salt Lake City has it all!
Location
Salt Lake City is located in Salt Lake County, in north central Utah. The Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks are to the south of the city and Yellowstone/Grand Tetons are to the north. Salt Lake City is 15 miles east of the Great Salt Lake, and it sits on the western slope of the Wasatch Range, with the Jordan River passing through it.
Geography/Terrain
Covering a total area of 110.4 square miles, Salt Lake City sits in the Salt Lake Valley at an average elevation of 4,327 feet above sea level. Flanked by the Wasatch Range to the east, the Oquirrh Mountains to the southwest and the Great Salt Lake to the northwest, it comprises a small portion of the Salt Lake Valley. The Wasatch Range, 5 miles east of the downtown area, rises approximately 11,500 feet above sea level. The Oquirrh Mountains, located 7 miles west of the city, rise to about 10,000 feet. As you move north or east from the city center, the elevation level rises sharply, ranging from about 4,220 feet at various points in the west to 5,200 feet. Three major canyons cut through the Wasatch Range, opening into Salt Lake City. Marshlands and mudflats separate the Great Salt Lake from the city. The Jordan River flows through the city west of downtown from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake.
Distance to 3 Closest Major Cities
Provo, UT is 38 miles south of Salt Lake City, Ogden, UT is 38 miles north, and Logan, UT is 67 miles north.
Jobs
The Salt Lake area is known as the "Crossroads of the West," and is located equidistant from all major western markets. A major regional business center, Salt Lake City has an ideal central location in the western U.S. Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the industrial banking center of the nation. It is a key hub for technology-based corporations with major industries in government, trade, transportation, health services, utilities, and professional and business services. The area’s major employer is Delta Air Lines. Other major employers include the federal and state governments, the University of Utah, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Kennecott Corporation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Educational, health and social services provide 22.6% of the employment in the city, professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services provide12.3%, and arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services provide 11.2%. The unemployment level in Salt Lake City is 4.07%, and the average commute time is 19.2 minutes. The median household income in the city is $42,944.
Housing
Homes in Salt Lake City are currently moderately priced, but prices are rising and there is a strong demand for housing in the area. There are more higher priced homes than the number of buyers, but mid priced homes are selling quickly. The eastern section of the city has higher property values than the west. You can find everything from moderately priced single-family homes, and condominiums to gated communities with exclusive multi-million dollar houses and incredible views. There is housing here for every taste and price range.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
The city has numerous excellent parks for outdoor enjoyment. Liberty Park is the city's oldest park, and is home to the Brigham Young Grist Mill and a folk art museum. Memory Grove Park honors those who died in the wars. At Jordan River State Park, over 20 countries are represented in the International Peace Gardens. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, a part of the University of Utah, is one of the city's favorite parks. It is situated in the mountains and encompasses over150 acres of gardens and natural areas.
This Is The Place Heritage Park, near the mouth of Emigration Canyon, re-creates typical 19th-century LDS pioneer life. Hogle Zoological Gardens is located across the street from the park, and offers a range of animals and birds as well as a children's zoo. Encompassing over 100 acres, Liberty Park is the city’s largest public park. It features a lake with an island in the middle and the Tracy Aviary. Sugar House Park is the city’s second largest park, hosting numerous outdoor events and the Fourth of July fireworks.
This area boasts some of the best skiing found anywhere, and 11 top-notch ski resorts are located within a one-hour drive of Salt Lake City. Its location makes it a prime gateway to several national parks, ski resorts, and resort towns. The nearby resorts include: Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Snowbird, Deer Valley, The Canyons, Park City Resort, and Sundance. Skiing and snowboarding are favorite winter activities in the surrounding mountains, as well as hiking, camping, rock climbing, and mountain biking in the warmer weather.
At the Great Salt Lake you can swim, sail, kayak and powerboat around the lake. A vestige of former Lake Bonneville, the Great Salt Lake encompasses more than 2,000 square miles and is several times saltier than the ocean. It is also a popular bird watching destination. There are many other pristine lakes, streams and rivers in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, where you can enjoy boating, fishing, and other water-related recreational activities.
Biking enthusiasts have great trails to explore at Antelope Island and Mueller Park Trail. Miles of top-notch inline skating can be found winding along the Jordan River Pathway, stretching from Utah Lake to North Salt Lake City. For spectator sports, Salt Lake City is home to the NBA team Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake, a new Major League Soccer franchise that plays at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The city will host the 16th Winter Deaflympic games next year, which will take place in Salt Lake City and Park City.
Avid golfers can enjoy their favorite sport at any of the city’s 15 excellent golf courses. The Country Club is a private course with narrow fairways and sand bunkers, and has a great deal of wildlife living on or near the course. Golf Digest has rated it 2nd “Best in State” and the 3rd “Best in State”. Mountain Dell is a public course with two very demanding eighteen-hole courses with narrow fairways and several lakes. It has numerous pine and oak trees and an abundance of wildlife. Nibley Park is considered the oldest course in the State, and West Ridge is a well-maintained public course, which was host to the Gus Paulos Classic. A short drive from the city, you can play the Wingpointe Course, which has a traditional links style layout that winds through the native lowlands of the Great Salt Lake with scenic views of the Wasatch Range.
Special Attractions/Events
Salt Lake City is home to the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the renowned Mormon Tabernacle choir, and the University of Utah. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, founded in 1847, has a weekly program, which is the longest-running continuous network broadcast in the world. The Utah Symphony and the Utah Opera provide additional musical enjoyment. The Orchestra, which was founded in 1940, performs at the Salt Lake Tabernacle and Abravanel Hall.
There is no shortage of fascinating museums to explore and enjoy in Salt Lake City. These include: the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Church History and Art. There is also the Utah State Historical Society, Daughters of Utah Pioneer Memorial Museum, Fort Douglas Military Museum, and the Social Hall Heritage Museum. You can also visit the Clark Planetarium at the Gateway Mall, which is home to an IMAX theater.
Salt Lake City provides ample opportunities for both professional and amateur theatre, including traveling Broadway and off-Broadway performances. Local professional acting companies include the Pioneer Theatre Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, and Plan-B Theatre Company. The University of Utah is home to two first-rate dance departments, the Ballet Department and the Department of Modern Dance. There are also professional dance companies in Salt Lake City, such as Ballet West, Rire Woodbury, and Repertory Dance Theatre.
Come and enjoy celebrations and festivities throughout the year in Salt Lake City. Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24th, is the anniversary of the Mormon pioneers’ arrival at Salt Lake Valley. It is celebrated for a week, with several parades, a rodeo, and a major fireworks display at Liberty Park. The second-largest parade in the city is the gay pride parade, which is part of the Utah Pride Festival held every June. First Night on New Year's Eve is a celebration held at Rice-Eccles Stadium, culminating with a midnight fireworks display. There is a 3-day Greek Festival, held the weekend after Labor Day, and the renowned Utah Arts Festival in June. Salt Lake City hosts portions of the Sundance Film Festival, and the international Salt Lake City Marathon. In September you can participate in the Japanese Fall Festival and Reggae in the Mountains.
Other attractions close to Salt Lake City include the Golden Spike National Historic Site (where the world's first transcontinental railroad was joined), the Lagoon Amusement Park, the Bonneville Salt Flats, Gardner Historic Village, resort towns such as Park City, one of the largest dinosaur museums in the U.S. at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, and the world’s largest man-made excavation at Kennecott Copper Mine.
There are restaurant selections in Salt Lake City to fit every budget and taste. The city has over 600 restaurants and eating establishments and is the fourth fastest growing restaurant market in the nation.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
The community was originally named Great Salt Lake City after the Great Salt Lake. It was founded in1847 by a group of Mormon pioneers, led by Brigham Young, fleeing hostility in the East. Among their early setbacks was a plague of crickets, opportunely followed by a large flock of insect-hungry seagulls. For this reason, one of the local landmarks is a monument to the beloved seagull. Salt Lake City is one of the oldest cities in the region. Mining and railroads brought economic growth. With the gold rush happening on the west coast, local merchants sold supplies to miners on their way to California.
For historic interest, you can explore the State Capitol, the Governor's Mansion, historic homes along South Temple, This is the Place Heritage Park, and the Lion House, or any of the many local museums. Kennecott Copper Mine offers interesting displays of mining equipment and history. This mine is the world's largest man-made excavation, (2 ½-miles across and ¾-mile deep). It is so big that it can be seen from outer space.
Well-known residents have included: Loretta Young, an actress; Wilford Brimley, an actor; Roseanne Barr, a comedian and actress; Wallace Stegner, a writer; and Chad Hedrick, a 2006 Olympics gold medallist.
Salt Lake City was the filming location for the 1997 movie, "Truth or Consequences, N.M", and the 1997 movie, "A Life Less Ordinary.” Many films, music videos, commercials, and sitcoms have been recorded in the Salt Lake metropolitan area. They include: Touched By An Angel, Everwood, Big Love, Dawn of the Dead, Drive Me Crazy, High School Musical, Unaccompanied Minors, Dumb and Dumber, Independence Day, Poolhall Junkies, The Brown Bunny, The World’s Fastest Indian, Carnival of Souls, and The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights.”
Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code, visited Salt Lake City to study the symbols on the Salt Lake LDS Temple and the Masonic Temple, as well as other historical buildings, for inclusion in an upcoming book.
Salt Lake City is known as the "Genealogy capital of the world."
- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
