Salt Lake City is the state capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city's population, as of the 2000 Census, was 181,743. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, which encompasses the Salt Lake Valley and 15 other municipalities to include a total population of 978,285.
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area spans two additional counties, Summit and Tooele, and has a total estimated population of 1,005,232 in 2003. It is situated between two other metropolitan areas in an urbanized corridor called the Wasatch Front, which has a combined population of 2,009,595 as of 2005.
The city occupies the north end of the Salt Lake Valley at an elevation of 4,330 feet (1,320 m). The valley is surrounded by mountains that rise dramatically to an elevation of 11,752 feet (3,582 m). Named after the nearby Great Salt Lake--in fact, the original name was "Great Salt Lake City"--the city is separated from the lake's shore by marshes and mudflats. Residents are known as "Salt Lakers."
Founded in 1847 by a group of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) led by Brigham Young, Salt Lake City is among the region's oldest cities and is the location of the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mining and railroads initially brought economic growth, and the city became known as the "Crossroads of the West." In the 21st Century the city has developed a strong tourism industry and was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. It is also the business center of the rapidly growing Wasatch Front.
Salt Lake City is located at 40°45'N 111°53'W. The total area is 110.4 square miles (285.9 km2). It sits in the Salt Lake Valley with an average elevation of 4,327 feet (1,320 m) above sea level.
The Wasatch Range rises approximately 11,500 feet (3,500 m) above sea level 5 miles (8 km) to the east of Downtown. These mountains are the namesake of the Wasatch Front. The Oquirrh Mountains, located 7 miles (11 km) west of the city, rise to about 10,000 feet (3,050 m). The Traverse Mountains at the south end of the valley rise to 6,000 feet (1,830 m) above sea level, partially bridging the gap between the Wasatch and Oquirrh ranges. Within the city there is a sharp rise in elevation as one travels north or east from the city center. There is an elevation range of approximately 1,000 feet (300 m), from about 4,220 feet (1,285 m) at various points in the west near the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake to 5,200 feet (1,585 m) in the Upper Avenues and Federal Heights neighborhoods and the upper East Bench.
Three major canyons cut through the Wasatch Range and open into Salt Lake City proper. The northernmost is City Creek Canyon that opens into the Downtown, bordered on either side by Capitol Hill and The Avenues. Next is Emigration Canyon, the canyon the Mormons used to initially enter the valley. It opens up on the East Bench just south of the University of Utah, near Hogle Zoo and This Is The Place Heritage Park. Traversed by Interstate 80, Parley's Canyon opens up at the very southeast corner of the city proper near Canyon Rim, an unincorporated residential suburb.
The valley floor consists of the lakebed of ancient Lake Bonneville. This lake once encompassed the eastern Great Basin. Its largest remnant is the Great Salt Lake, located 10 miles (12 km) north of the city. The Bonneville Salt Flats west of the city are a product of the dried up lake. Because of its high salinity content, the Great Salt Lake is devoid of most aquatic life. Marshlands and mudflats exist on the border of the Great Salt Lake. Algae buildup and decay commonly result in a phenomenon known as "lake stink", which serves as one of the only reminders to Salt Lakers that they live near a major body of water.
The Jordan River flows through the city from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. Early Latter-day Saint settlers named the river after its counterpart in the Holy Land, noting similarities as a freshwater lake source and an inland salt-sea destination.
Significant seismic activity has been forecasted for the area. The Wasatch Fault, located in the Wasatch Mountains, is considered overdue for a major earthquake. Concerns have been voiced over possible damage resulting from the liquefaction of the clay and sandbased soil during an earthquake.
As of the census of 2000, there are 181,743 people (up from 159,936 in 1990), 71,461 households, and 39,803 families residing in the city. This amounts to 8.1% of Utah's population, 20.2% of Salt Lake County's population, and 13.6% of the Salt Lake metropolitan population. Salt Lake City proper covers 14.2% of Salt Lake County. Salt Lake City is more densely populated than the outlying metro area with a population density of 643.3/km2 (1,666.1/mi2). There are 77,054 housing units at an average density of 272.7/km2 (706.4/mi2).
The Salt Lake City-Ogden metropolitan area, which included Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties, had a population of 1,333,914 in 2000, a 24.4% increase over the 1990 figure of 1,072,227. Since the 2000 Census, the Census Bureau added Summit and Tooele counties to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, but removed Davis and Weber counties and designated them as the separate Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan area. Together with the Provo-Orem metropolitan area, which lies to the south, a roughly continuous urban corridor along the Wasatch Front is formed, which has a combined population of just over 2 million.
There are 71,461 households, out of which 27.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% are married couples living together, 10.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% are nonfamilies. 33.2% of all households are made up of individuals, and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48, and the average family size is 3.24.
In the city the population is spread out with:
The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 101.2 males. The median income for a household in the city is $36,944, and the median income for a family is $45,140. Males have a median income of $31,511 versus $26,403 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,752. 15.3% of the population and 10.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Large family sizes and low housing vacancy rates, which have inflated housing costs along the Wasatch Front, have led to one out of every six residents living below the poverty line.
About 30% of Salt Lake City's current residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This rises to about 80% for the state's more rural municipalities, averaging about 75% for Utah as a whole.
The modern economy of Salt Lake City is service oriented. In the past, mining and railroad operations provided a strong source of income. Today the city's major industries are government, trade, transportation, utilities, and professional and business services.
Local, state, and federal governments have their largest presence in Salt Lake City, accounting for 21% of employment. Trade, transportation, and utilities account for another 18% of employment, with the major employer's being the regional Delta Air Lines hub at Salt Lake City International Airport. Equally significant are the professional and business services, which account for another 18% of employment. Health services and health educational services comprise an additional 10% of employment. Other major employers include the University of Utah, Sinclair Oil Corporation, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Besides its central offices, the Church owns and operates a profit division, Deseret Management Corporation and its subsidiaries (such as Bonneville International Corporation and Deseret Book), which are headquartered in the city. Smith's Food and Drug is based in the city but is owned by national grocer Kroger. Notable firms based in the suburbs include Franklin-Covey, Overstock.com, and Arctic Circle Restaurants (the inventor of fry sauce). Salt Lake City was once the headquarters of ZCMI, one of the first-ever department stores; it was sold to May Department Stores, which was later bought by Federated Department Stores. Former ZCMI stores now operate under the Meier & Frank label.
Other economic activities are call centers, tourism, and conventions. Tourism was stimulated by the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Many hotels and restaurants were built for the Olympics, some of which now suffer post-Olympic market saturation. The convention industry has blossomed in the city since the construction of the Salt Palace convention center in the late 1990s, which hosts the annual Outdoor Retailers meeting, among other conventions.
Economic indicators in 2005 found that the city, particularly the downtown area, was experiencing increased population growth. The number of residential units in the central business district have increased by 80% since 1995, and is forecasted to nearly double in the next decade. Recent sales of high-rise condominiums have been brisk. One 12-story building, The Parc condos at Gateway, had its ground-breaking in 2002 and was sold-out in mid-2005; many new towers are planned within the next decade. One notably large development of over 1,000 units is being built by the LDS Church. This marks a turn in a half century's trend of stagnant population growth in the city contrasted with an average yearly growth rate of 6% in the surrounding suburban area.
Office vacancy rates are also low in the downtown region. Recent estimates place empty Class A office space at about 3.5 percent. In response two new skyscrapers of at least 20 stories are being constructed. The first is located in the Gateway District and is being built for Fidelity Investments. The second will be 23 stories high and will be located on Main Street. Construction of the Gateway District, light rail, and planned commuter rail service have supported the revival of downtown.
The Census estimates that the city's daytime population increases to 313,000 - the second largest increase for cities with at least 100,000 residents. This reflects the fact that a relatively small proportion of metropolitan area residents (18%) live within the city limits.
Before Western settlement, the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute had dwelled in the Salt Lake Valley for thousands of years. The first Caucasian Europeans to settle in the valley were the Latter-day Saints on July 24, 1847. They had traveled across the nation seeking an isolated area to practice their religion, away from the persecution they had faced in the East. Upon arrival their religious prophet Brigham Young reportedly stated, "This is the place."
Only four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young designated the site for the Salt Lake Temple, the main temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Constructed on Temple Square, in the center of the city, the temple took 40 years to complete, being dedicated on April 6, 1893. It is best-known structure in the city.
These Mormon Pioneers organized a new state called Deseret and petitioned its recognition in 1849. The United States Congress rebuffed the settlers in 1850 and established the Utah Territory. Great Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital in 1858, and the name was subsequently abbreviated to Salt Lake City. The city's population swelled with an influx of religious converts, making it one of the most populous cities in the Old American West.
Disputes with the federal government ensued over widespread religious practice of polygamy. A climax occurred in 1857, with President James Buchanan declaring the area in rebellion when Brigham Young refused to step down as governor. The conflict called the Utah War began. A division of the United States Army marched through the city and found that it had been evacuated. This division set up Camp Floyd approximately 40 miles (65 km) southwest of the city. Another military installation, Fort Douglas, was established in 1862 to maintain Union allegiance during the American Civil War. Many area leaders were incarcerated at the territorial prison in Sugar House in the 1880s for violation of polygamy laws. The LDS Church conceded in 1890, releasing "The Manifesto," which officially renounced polygamy in the church. This paved the way for statehood in 1896, when Salt Lake City became the state capital.
The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory Summit on the north side of the Great Salt Lake. A railroad was connected to the city from the Transcontinental Railroad in 1870 making travel less burdensome. Mass migration of different groups followed. They found economic opportunities in the booming mining industries. These groups constructed the Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral in 1905 and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine in 1909, the first major churches not of the Latter-day Saint faith. Both cathedrals are historic icons.
Population growth began to stagnate during the 20th century with the advent of suburban life. High birth rates combined with migration from defunct mining towns led to explosive growth in its suburbs. As a result the suburban population greatly outnumbers the city proper itself. A major concern of recent government officials has been combating inner-city decay. The city lost population from the 1960s through the 1980s, but recovered in the 1990s. During the 1990s growth rates increased. Many Californians experiencing recession migrated for economic reasons. Utah had escaped the brunt of the turmoil.
Significant demographic shifts have been experienced. Hispanics account for approximately 19% of residents. The Glendale section is predominantly Spanish speaking. Jackie Biskupski, an open lesbian, was elected in 1998 as a Utah State representative. Bosnian, Sudanese, Afghan, Somali, and Russian refugees have settled in the city under government programs. There is also a large Pacific Islander population, mainly made up of Samoans and Tongans. Many of the Pacific Islanders are members of the LDS church.
Salt Lake City was selected as the host to the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995. The games were plagued with controversy. An Olympic bid scandal surfaced in 1998 centered on accusations of bribery. During the games, other scandals erupted over contested judging scores and illegal drug use. Despite the controversies the games were heralded as a financial success, being one of the few in recent history to profit. In preparation major construction projects were initiated. Local freeways were expanded and repaired, and a light rail system was constructed. Tourism has also increased, and the new Olympic venues are now used for local sporting events. Both have had a significant and lasting impact.
Source:
SaltLakeCity-USA.com
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