The delightful city of Draper, with its rapidly growing population of 35,119 is one of Utah's most unique and desirable cities. This former farming community is not only now a thriving commercial and residential community, but also one of the prime hang gliding locations in the world. The city offers historic charm, culture, and abundant recreational possibilities as well as diverse business and housing options. In Draper, you can live a suburban or a rural lifestyle, and still enjoy everything the big city has to offer. If you want the best of country appeal and city exhilaration, come to Draper.
Location
Draper is located in Salt Lake County, in the Salt Lake City metro area. The city is situated in north central Utah, in the southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley, along the Wasatch Front. The city is bounded by Riverton and Bluffdale to the west, South Jordan to the northwest, Sandy to the north, and Alpine to the southeast. The Great Salt Lake is northwest of the city, and Utah Lake lies to the south. Salt Lake County is bordered by Utah County to the south, Wasatch County to the southeast, Davis County to the north, Morgan County to the northeast, Summit County to the east, and Tooele County to the west.
Geography/Terrain
Encompassing a total area of 30.4 square miles, Draper has 30.3 square miles of land and 0.03% of it is water. It sits at an elevation of 4,508 feet in the Great Salt Lake Valley. The city is surrounded by the Wasatch mountain range, with Corner Canyon as a scenic backdrop. Corner Canyon is nestled in the foothills below the Lone Peak Wilderness Area, in the "corner" between the Wasatch Range and Traverse Ridge.
Distance to 3 Closest Major Cities
Sitting roughly midway between the two cities, Draper is 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, and 23 miles north of Provo, UT. It is 48 miles south of Ogden, UT.
Jobs
With ideal proximity to both metro areas of Salt Lake City and Provo, Draper is experiencing rapid commercial development, as many new businesses are coming to town. The major employers in the city are eBay, Inc., 1-800 Contacts, Advanta Bank Corporation, and Swire Coca Cola. IKEA will open their 30th North American store in Draper, in the spring of 2007.
Educational, health and social services provide15.6% of the employment in Draper; retail trade provides 13.1%; finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing provide 11.9%; and professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services provide 11.2%. The unemployment rate in the area is 4.70% and there has been a 4.07% increase in available jobs within the last year. The average commute time in Draper is 28 minutes. The median household income is $73,528 and the average per capita income is $23,002.
Housing
As a prosperous and developing area, Draper offers a diversity of homes as well as numerous new home developments. You can find everything from single-family homes and condos to rural property and stunning estates with extraordinary mountain views. Homes are on the market an average of 40 days. Prices have leveled off a little, with the market slowing down somewhat, but homes are selling well and the city is booming.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
There is no shortage of parks and open spaces in Draper. The city boasts 29 parks, which offer a range of amenities, including a hang-gliding park. In the fall of 2005, 1,021 acres of property were purchased which will become the Corner Canyon Regional Park. Draper Historic Park is a beautiful park in the center of town with a charming gazebo built where the Round House once stood. Draper City Park has playgrounds, a baseball field, and provides access to the Porter Rockwell Trail. Jordan River Rotary Park is a 10-acre park, which is still being developed and will offer a fishing dock, a canoe launch, a basketball court and a volleyball court. Smith Fields Park is equipped with tennis courts, a walking trail, a skate park and a baseball field. Steep Mountain Park covers fourteen and a half acres, and includes a baseball field, a volleyball area, tennis courts and trails.
Draper’s location provides convenient access to a multitude of trails. There are 67 miles of trails located in the city, throughout city parks and in the eastern foothills. You can jog, mountain bike, horseback ride or hike any of the scenic trails, and many of them offer spectacular views of the Salt Lake Valley. Within a short drive, you can enjoy trails in the beautiful Corner Canyon region or magnificent views from the top of Suncrest. You can take advantage of the trails for anything from a light morning stroll to a strenuous rocky mountain day hike.
Draper is known as one of the world’s best hang gliding areas, largely due to the excellent winds on Traverse Ridge. “Point of the Mountain”, one of the greatest flying sites in the entire country, is located in the city. For skiing enthusiasts, you can be going down the slopes of the mountains northeast of Draper in just 20 minutes. Nearby ski resorts include Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Solitude. If you travel a little further, you can ski at Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley and Wolf Mountain.
Golfing is also readily available for Draper residents and visitors. South Mountain Golf Club is a links-style course with scenic views of South Mountain and the entire Salt Lake Valley. Every hole is unique and each offers a splendid view. The undulating greens and elevation changes provide fun as well as a challenge for even the most seasoned players. A short distance away, the Salt Lake City area has 15 excellent golf courses to choose from.
Special Attractions/Events
Draper is home to Boondocks Family Fun Center, with its 8 acres of exhilarating recreational facilities. You can race around on a speedy go-cart, or play miniature golf. You can ride a bumper boat, and splash your friends, or enjoy flight and roller coaster simulation. Practice your baseball swing in a batting cage, or indulge in laser tag and arcade games. You can even have a try at rock climbing on some recreated Utah red rock.
Annie Pearl and John A. Howell family built the Draper Historic Theatre in 1938. At that time, it was called the Pearl, and hosted Vaudeville acts, movies and live entertainment. It has become a wonderful venue for top-notch family entertainment in Draper. As well as entertaining theatrical productions, the theatre offers a wide range of classes and workshops for all ages.
A short distance from Draper, you can visit Park City Museum, Park City ski resort, or tour its historical homes. In nearby Provo you can visit Startup’s Historic Candy Factory or splash around at Seven Peaks Water Park, home of the largest wave pool in Utah, with its 26 heated water attractions. And of course, all the cultural activities, museums, and fun-filled attractions of Salt Lake City are close at hand.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Draper has a rich pioneer history. The first setter was Ebenezer Brown, who arrived in the fall of 1849. A son of Scottish immigrants, he brought his cattle to graze in the area known as South Willow Creek. The following spring, he brought his wife Phoebe and their large family. Ebenezer and Phoebe raised cattle to sell to immigrants heading to the California gold fields. The area grew rapidly. By the end of 1852, there were twenty families in South Willow Creek. In 1854, the first post office was established with Phoebe Brown tending it. The town was named Draperville in honor of William Draper III, who was the first Presiding Elder of the small Mormon congregation in town.
In 1854, there was trouble with the Indians, so Ebenezer donated some land as a fort site. The settlers lived in the fort at night, during the winters of 1855 and 1856. Thick walls were begun but never finished, as the hostilities never became a reality. Today, Draper Historical Park is situated at the site of the old fort.
Porter Rockwell, a known pioneer personality and bodyguard to the Mormon prophet Brigham Young, visited Draperville frequently. Rockwell sometimes sought protection from his enemies in the fields behind the home of Draper blacksmith, Lauritz Smith.
The city is home to eBay’s main customer service center, as well as the call center of Musicians Friend. Draper is home to Utah's first Ikea, due to open in the Spring of 2007.
There is a street is named "Wayne’s World Drive," after the title of the 1991 Mike Myers film Wayne’s World. It is also the home of golfer, Mike Weir.
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