Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County Facts:

County Website: Salt Lake County
Area: 807 square miles
Population: 1.16 million (2019)
County Seat: Salt Lake City (also the state capital)
Origin of County Name: from the Great Salt Lake
Cities/Towns: Alta, Bluffdale, Copperton, Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Emigration Canyon, Herriman, Holladay, Kearns, Magna, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, Riverton, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, West Jordan, West Valley City, White City
Economy: wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, services, transportation and communications, finance, mining, construction, tourism, agriculture
Points of Interest: Beehive House, Bingham Copper Mine, Fort Douglas, Great Salt Lake, Hogle Zoo, LDS Church Museum of History and Art, Liberty Park, Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt Palace Convention Center, ski resorts at Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude, State Capitol building, This is the Place Heritage Park, Temple Square, Utah State Historical Society, Wheeler Historic Farm

About Salt Lake County:

Salt Lake County is bordered on the east and west by mountains creating a valley. Part of the Great Salt Lake is included in the northern part of the county. When looking at Salt Lake County today, you might forget that only a couple hundred years ago the valley was empty of human structures and many trees. A few Shoshone and Ute Indians used the area for hunting. William H. Ashley trappers, around 1824, were the first white men to see the area. The area changed forever when in 1847 the Mormon pioneers came into the valley led by Brigham Young. Within days after their arrival these pioneers set up a city that they called the Great Salt Lake City that later became known as Salt Lake City, the county seat and State Capitol of Utah. In the 1930’s some smaller towns, like Alta, changed from being mining communities into ski areas. These ski areas helped bring the 2002 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City.

There is much to see and do in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas. While many visitors come to the area to see Temple Square and other historical sites, nearby canyons are well-known for skiing, camping, and enjoyable hikes. Salt Lake City is also home to the Utah Symphony, the Utah Jazz, and the University of Utah. The State Capitol Building is a great place to visit to see the branches of state government at work and see the Renaissance Revival style architecture. If you’d like to step back in time, try visiting the This is the Place State Park or the Natural History Museum of Utah. If space is your destination, you can visit the Clark Planetarium. Looking for something more down to earth? Check out Red Butte Garden with memorable gardens for everyone or Hogle Zoo. Finally, there are many parks that give residents a quiet place to relax and enjoy time with family.