Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state ofUtah. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238,[1] making it the most populous county in Utah. Itscounty seat and largest city isSalt Lake City, thestate capital.[2] The county was created in 1850.[3] Salt Lake County is the 37th most populated county in the United States and is one of four counties in the Rocky Mountains to make it into the top 100. (Others beingDenver andEl Paso counties, Colorado andClark County, Nevada.) Salt Lake County has been the only county of the first class in Utah. Under the Utah Code (Title 17, Chapter 50, Part 5) a county of the first class is a county with a population of 1,000,000 or greater.[4]
The future Salt Lake County area was settled by European Americans in 1847 whenMormon pioneers ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fled religious persecution in the East. They arrived in theSalt Lake Valley after descending what settlers later calledEmigration Canyon.Brigham Young, their leader, declared "This is the place" after seeing the valley. Compared to eastern regions, it seemed arid and unpromising to some of the migrants. Settlers usedirrigation to develop agriculture and the flourishing, self-sufficient city known then asGreat Salt Lake City. Thousands of Mormons joined them in the next several decades.
Settlers buried thirty-six Native Americans in one grave after an outbreak of measles occurred during the winter of 1847.[7]
The initial territorial settlement was in Great Salt Lake City proper, but Brigham Young desired to secure a substantial population base across the then-uninhabited Great Basin, so he soon asked members to resettle farther out from the central point. They declared themselves a state (State of Deseret) in hopes of gaining admittance to the Union, and to assure the nascent state would grow uniformly, they named an as-yet-unbuilt settlement in mid-state as the state's capital (Fillmore).
The county was officially organized on January 31, 1850, with slightly more than 11,000 residents recorded.[7] In 1850, 26 slaves were counted in Salt Lake County.[7] In 1852, the territorial legislature passed theAct in Relation to Service and theAct for the relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners formally legalizing slavery in the territory.
Parley P. Pratt's Land Title Certificate, No. 1048, 1872
Due to Utah Territory's conflicts with the federal government, the federal surveyor abandoned his post in 1857, two years after he arrived. The surveyor's duty was to officially plat the territory in order to bring the area onto the market, to make homesteading possible.[8] The intermediate years between 1857 and 1869 passed with no federal surveyors, the LDS Pioneers completed plats, deeds, and surveys of the county in order to homestead and collect taxes. Since the deeds and titles handed out during the twelve-year period were not federally recognized homestead certificates,[9] the Utah Territory agreed to reconcile the unrecognized deeds and titles in order to fold the Utah Territory into the federal homestead system, calling them (instead of homestead certificates) Land Title Certificates. The process to adjudicate the certificates took place over several years in 1871–1873, through the county Probate Court, overseen by judge Elias Smith.[10] Settlers were required to file land claims, make declaratory statements, attend their adjudication hearings, provide testimony if counter claims on a parcel of land were filed, and wait for final judgement from the probate judge, who issued a final Land Title Certificate which declared a person the rightful owner. These certificates are retroactive backwards to 1852.
The idea of statehood for the new area was quickly tossed aside by the federal government, and the area was declared a territory in September 1850 – theUtah Territory. Construction of the capitol building in Fillmore was completed in 1855, so the territorial legislature traveled to the small community for their first session there. It was to be their last, as they chose to meet in Great Salt Lake City the following year and, in 1857, formally voted to make the city the capital of the Territory. In 1858, when theUtah Territory was declared in rebellion, the federal governmentsent troops to install a new governor and keep watch over the area. The government transition was made peacefully, then the troops set upCamp Floyd to the south inUtah County. In 1862,Fort Douglas was established on the eastern bench, near the current site of theUniversity of Utah, as the federal government wanted to ensure the loyalty of the territory during theAmerican Civil War. On January 29, 1868, "Great" was dropped from both the county and city names, giving them their modern names.[11]
Patrick Edward Connor, the leader of the garrison at Fort Douglas, was openlyanti-Mormon. He sent out parties to scout for mineral resources in the nearby mountains, hoping to encourage non-Mormons to settle in the territory. During the late 19th century, mines were established in the Wasatch mountains, most notably aroundAlta (and nearbyPark City inSummit County). Exploiting the mineral wealth was difficult until theUtah Central Railroad was constructed and reached this area in 1870.
In theOquirrh Mountains, theBingham Canyon Mine, which contains vast deposits of copper and silver, was developed as the most productive of the county's mines. The mine, located in the southwest portion of the county, attracted thousands of workers to the narrow canyon. At its peak, the city ofBingham Canyon contained 20,000 residents, all crowded along the steep walls of the canyon, and natural disasters were a frequent occurrence. By the early 20th century, most of the mines in the county had closed. However, the Bingham Canyon Mine kept on expanding. In the early 21st century, it is among the largestopen-pit mines in the world.
After the railroad came to the county, the population began to expand more rapidly, and non-Mormons began to settle in Salt Lake City. During the early 20th century, the heavy industry came to the valley as well, diversifying its economy. Local andinterurban trolley systems were built covering the more urban northeastern quarter of the valley. The city dismantled the trolley system by 1945, favoring the use of individualcars. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the east side of the valley began to be more densely settled.
In 1942,Kearns Army Air Base, a large military installation developed forWorld War II, was located in what is nowKearns on the western side of the valley. After the camp was closed in 1946, the land was sold for private development. Rapid postwar residential settlement of the area began. The federal government established other major defensive installations along theWasatch Front and in theGreat Salt Lake Desert during World War II, which stimulated the economy and brought more people to the area, establishing Utah as a major military center that benefited from federal investment. In the nationwide suburban boom of the late 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, such cities asSouth Salt Lake,Murray,Midvale, and much of the east side of the valley grew rapidly.
In common with other industrialized cities, Salt Lake City faced inner-city decay in the 1960s, when residents moved to newer housing in the suburbs. Cities such asSandy,West Jordan, and what would becomeWest Valley City grew at boomtown rates in the 1970s and 1980s. Huge residential tracts were developed through the center of the valley, and within ten years, the entire area had been converted from farmland into sprawling bedroom communities in Salt Lake City.West Valley City was created from the merger of the three unincorporated cities ofGranger, Hunter and Redwood (including Chesterfield) in 1980.
But not every area of the county saw growth. The former mining towns related to Bingham Canyon were abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the expansion of the open-pit mine. The city ofBingham Canyon was completely torn down and swallowed up in the mine by 1972, and the dismantling ofLark in 1980 completed the process. The only remaining mining town in the county isCopperton, located southwest ofWest Jordan, with approximately 800 residents.Magna has workers who continue to be associated with the mine'ssmelting operations inGarfield and atArthur Mill.
In the 1990s, the county's areas of rapid growth shifted further south and west. Farm and pasturelands were developed as suburbs. The cities ofWest Jordan,South Jordan,Riverton,Herriman, andDraper are some of the fastest-growing cities in the state. During the 1990s, Salt Lake City gained population for the first time in 40 years.
Salt Lake City's selection as the host of the2002 Winter Olympics spurred a construction boom in the city that continued after the Olympics, slowing only in 2008recession. As the county's population has surpassed 1 million, it has significantly urbanized, leaving only a few rural areas in the far west of the valley. Issues facing the county today include congested transportation and related air pollution.
The Salt Lake Valley is fed by seven streams from the surrounding mountains. All the runoff water eventually ends in the Great Salt Lake, which has no outlet. The mountains rise precipitously from the relatively flat valley surfaces, indicating their comparatively youthful formation. The county has a total area of 807 square miles (2,090 km2), of which 742 square miles (1,920 km2) is land and 65 square miles (170 km2) (8.1%) is water.[12] It is the fifth-smallest county in Utah by area. The county borders on theGreat Salt Lake and is traversed by the northward flowingJordan River.[13]
The western portion of the county descends toward the valley of the lake,[13] but perhaps the most dominating physical feature in Salt Lake County is theWasatch Mountains in the eastern portion of the county, famous for both summer and winter activities. The mountains are administered as part of theWasatch-Cache National Forest. The mountains' snow is touted in state-sponsored publicity as 'Greatest Snow on Earth' for its soft, powdery texture, and led toSalt Lake City's winning the bid for the2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake County has four ski resorts:Snowbird andAlta inLittle Cottonwood Canyon andSolitude andBrighton inBig Cottonwood Canyon. Hiking and camping are popular summer activities. TheOquirrh Mountains border the western part of the county. These two mountain ranges, together with the much smallerTraverse Mountains at the south of the valley, delimitSalt Lake Valley, which is also flanked on the northwest by theGreat Salt Lake, and on the north by the Salt LakeAnticline (includingEnsign Peak).
Salt Lake County and surrounding area as seen from above
On the north andeast benches, houses have been built halfway up the mountain to the boundary of the national forest, assuming greater risk from wildfires. New communities are also being constructed on the southern and western slopes. Rapid residential construction continues in the west-central, southwest, and southern portions of the valley. In the far west, southwest, and northwest, rural areas still exist, but rapid growth threatens what remains of the natural environment in the valley. The County government operates several large parks in the valley (including some with incorporated cities), includingBig Cottonwood Park, Crestwood Park, and anEquestrian Center.
Traffic into the Salt Lake Valley passes through four narrow geographic features:Parley's Canyon to the east; the space between the Salt Lake Anticline and the Great Salt Lake leading intoDavis County to the north; thePoint of the Mountain and adjacentJordan Narrows leading toUtah County to the south; and a space (known asGarfield) between the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake leading toTooele County to the west. Of these, only the connection to Davis County to the north is wide enough and flat enough to accommodate transportation routes without reliance onearthworks.
Annual precipitation for the Salt Lake Valley is around 15 inches (380 mm), usually with more on the east side and less on the west side, as most storms come from the Pacific Ocean and the west side is in the rain shadow of theOquirrh Mountains. Up to 19 inches (480 mm) is received on theeast benches. Most of this precipitation is received in spring. The summer is dry, with the majority of precipitation arriving from themonsoon that rises from the south. Short, localized, and often drythunderstorms are usually associated with the monsoon. However, some can be very intense. These storms can cause contrasting emergencies offlash floods andwildfires (due to dry lightning and powerful winds). Precipitation is heaviest in late fall/early winter and in spring, while early summer is the driest season.
Annual snowfall in the valley is 55 inches (140 cm), with up to 100 inches (250 cm) on the benches. The most snow falls between mid-November and late March. The mountains receive up to 500 inches (1,300 cm) of light, dry snow and up to 55 inches (140 cm) of precipitation annually. The dry snow is often considered good for skiing, contributing to the four ski resorts in the county. Snow usually falls from October through May. The heavy snow totals across the county can be attributed to thelake-effect, where precipitation is intensified by the warm waters of the Great Salt Lake, which never entirely freezes due to the lake's high salinity. The lake effect can affect any area of the county, depending on wind conditions. The dry snow is attributed to the low humidity of the region.
During winter,temperature inversions are common, causing air pollution in the valley. They trap pollutants, moisture, and cold temperatures in the valley while the surrounding mountains enjoy warm temperatures and clear skies. This can cause some melting snow in the mountains and unhealthy air quality, and low visibility in the valley. This weather event lasts from a few days to a month in extreme cases and is caused when an area of high pressure forms over theGreat Basin.
1 The 2000 census was the first to allow residents to select multiple race categories. Prior to 2000, the census used the category 'Other Race' as a catch-all identifier. For county-level census data in 1950 and 1900, Utah counted all non-White and non-Black residents using this category. Asian and Hispanic Americans were counted by national origin (i.e. Mexican).
There were 595,608 (50.25%) males and 589,630 (49.75%) females, and the population distribution by age was 310,343 (26.2%) under the age of 18, 740,417 (62.5%) from 18 to 64, and 134,478 (11.3%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 32.9 years.
There were 405,229 households in Salt Lake County with an average size of 2.92 of which 276,809 (68.3%) were families and 128,420 (31.7%) were non-families. Among all families, 207,859 (51.3%) weremarried couples, 23,928 (5.9%) were male householders with no spouse, and 45,022 (11.1%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 93,149 (23.0%) were a single person living alone and 35,271 (8.7%) were two or more people living together. 145,748 (36.0%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 259,912 (64.1%) of households wereowner-occupied while 145,317 (35.9%) wererenter-occupied.
The median income for a Salt Lake County household was $77,128 and the median family income was $90,815, with aper-capita income of $34,640. The median income for males that werefull-time employees was $55,514 and for females $42,479. 8.6% of the population and 5.6% of families were below thepoverty line.
The US Census Bureau estimate for 2019[25] lists 1,160,437 people in Salt Lake County. The racial makeup of the county was 70.3% non-HispanicWhite, 2.2%Black, 1.4%Native American, 4.6%Asian, 1.8%Pacific Islander, and 2.9% from two or more races. 18.8% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 1,029,655 people, 343,218 households, and 291,686 families in the county. The population density was 1,388 per square mile (536/km2). There were 364,031 housing units at an average density of 491 per square mile (190/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.2%White, 1.59%Black orAfrican American, 0.89%Native American, 3.3%Asian, 1.53%Pacific Islander, 8.35% fromother races, and 3.14% from two or more races. 17.09% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
In 2010 there were 343,218 households, out of which 40.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.53.
In terms of age, 30.5% of the county's population was under the age of 18, 12.90% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 18.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.10% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,373, and the median income for a family was $54,470. Males had a median income of $36,953 versus $26,105 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,190. About 5.70% of families and 8.00% of the population were below thepoverty threshold, including 9.00% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.
The 2005 American Community Survey indicated that 11.4% of Salt Lake County's population living in households (as opposed to group arrangements such as college dormitories) spoke Spanish at home.
According to data from the LDS Church and the State of Utah, Salt Lake County's population was 50.6% LDS (Mormon) in 2008, as reported in theDeseret News.[26] By 2013, this had increased to 51.41%.[27] However, by 2020, the share of LDS members had decreased to 46.89%.[28]
Salt Lake County Court Minutes, Book A, page 1, March 15, 1852
The first governing administrative body of the county was made up of the probate court and judge, Elias Smith, and three selectmen: Samuel Moore, Reuben Miller, and J.C. Wright. The first order of business on March 15 was to appoint a county Assessor/Collector, S. Eldridge. Second order was the appointment of a county Treasurer, Thomas Rhodes, and the third and fourth orders of business for the day was setting the rate of taxation on taxable property, at .5% of $0.01, and .25% of $0.01, as a road tax.[29] The Court (probate section) adjudicated in civil and criminal cases in the county.
Salt Lake County, Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, First Meeting, Book H, page 2697, June 8, 1896
The Board of County Commissioners began its duties on June 8, 1896,[30] with Utah's statehood. Though the judge was removed when the court was abolished upon statehood, the Selectmen stayed on in their offices until elections to fill the new commission seats were held. The first commissioners elected were: A.S. Geddes, M. Christopherson, and C.H. Roberts. The Commission took over all duties the Court and Selectmen performed. The County Court house was demolished[31] after the completion of theSalt Lake City and County Building inDowntown Salt Lake City in the mid-1890s. The new County Commission governed at the City and County Building until 1986 when the county government moved its offices to the newly built the Salt Lake County Government Center atState Street and 2100 South, formerly the location of the County Hospital, which was demolished in early the 1980s to build the County Government Center.[32]
The county currently has a mayor–council form of government. The position of mayor is decided in partisan elections; the current mayor (as of January 2019) isJenny Wilson, aDemocrat.[33] Former county mayors includePeter Corroon,Nancy Workman and Alan Dayton (Workman's deputy mayor; sworn in as acting mayor in September 2004 when Nancy Workman was placed on paid administrative leave). The County Council is composed of three seats electedat-large and six elected bydistrict. District-elected councilors are elected to staggered four-year terms; the at-large councilors are elected to six-year terms.See district maps
Like most of Utah, Salt Lake County has traditionally favored candidates from theRepublican Party. However, while it is relatively conservative for an urban county, it has been friendlier toDemocratic candidates than the rest of the state. All but one Democrat in thestate House of Representatives, and all six Democrats in thestate Senate, represent districts based in the county. Democratic presidential candidates managed to carry the county four times between 2008 and 2024, despite losing the state by large margins.
In 2004, Republican PresidentGeorge W. Bush won the county overDemocratJohn Kerry 59% to 37%. In 2008, however, DemocratBarack Obama won Salt Lake County by an extremely narrow margin, 48.17% to 48.09%, over RepublicanJohn McCain—a difference of 296 votes.[34] It was the first time since 1964, whenLyndon B. Johnson was the Democratic candidate, that Salt Lake County had voted for a Democrat in a presidential race. In 2012, the Republicans recaptured the county, asMitt Romney received 58% of the vote to Obama's 38%.[35] In 2016, DemocratHillary Clinton won the county with 41.5% of the vote, to RepublicanDonald Trump's 32.6% and Independent and Utah-nativeEvan McMullin's 25.9%—a much wider margin of over 35,000 votes. In 2020, Salt Lake County saw a strong Democratic trend whenJoe Biden carried it with 53% of the vote. He was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win a majority of the county's vote since Johnson.
In 2004, theConstitutional Amendment 3 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman passed the county with 54.4% of the vote, only neighboringSummit County andGrand County in the eastern part of the state voting no on the amendment that passed statewide with 66% of the vote. Salt Lake County was the only county to vote in favor of the amendment where it did not receive more than 55% of the vote.[36]
Democratic strength in the county is mainly concentrated inSalt Lake City and closer inner ring suburbs likeSouth Salt Lake andMillcreek. Other inner ring suburbs in theI-215 corridor such asWest Valley City tend to be swing towns.Sandy andWest Jordan tend to lean more Republican, and the other outer-ring suburbs in the southern part of the county likeSouth Jordan are strongly Republican.
The bulk of the county was for a long time located in the2nd congressional district. However, after Utah gained a seat following the2010 census redistricting, the Republican-controlled state legislature split the county into three districts – 2nd,3rd and4th. Despite that, from 2000 to 2020 Republicans controlled most of the county in Congress only for four years – from 2015 to 2019, afterJim Matheson, who survived two redistricting cycles following the 2000 and 2010 censuses, retired and was replaced byMia Love, who in turn, was defeated by former county mayorBen McAdams in the2018 election. McAdams lost to RepublicanBurgess Owens in2020, giving Republicans full control of the county’s districts. Salt Lake County was split into 4 districts after the2020 census, and Republicans have held all of them since.
Only one Republican (Workman) has ever been elected county mayor. Since its inception, the county council has mostly been Republican-controlled, save for two years in 2009–2011, when Democrats had a narrow 5–4 majority following the 2008 election.
The county last voted for the Democratic candidate for governor in2004, and for a Democratic Senate candidate in1974,[37] although, it voted for independent candidateEvan McMullin in2022.
The region's economy traditionally revolved around LDS services and mining. While both are still important to the economy, each has greatly declined in significance since the 19th century. SinceWorld War II, defense industries in the region have also played a very important role in the economy due to its strategic central location in the Western United States, as well as the largely uninhabited and desolateGreat Salt Lake Desert to the west (used for training, weapons testing, and storage of hazardous materials).
Beginning in 1939, with the opening ofAlta Ski Area, skiing and other winter sports (as well as summer sports), have become a major force in the economy. In 1995, Salt Lake City won the bid to host the2002 Winter Olympics. The 2002 Olympics boosted tourism and the economy, and helped to dramatically improve transportation throughout the county. Transportation has been a major focus, as the county continues to rapidly grow in population. It was drastically improved beginning in the late 80s and through the 90s, and continues to this day. Beginning in the 1960s, a more service-oriented economy began to develop, and information technologies began to arrive in the 80s and 90s. Although this business has waned in recent years, information and computer companies, such asiBAHN,InContact,Mstar,Opengear, andOverstock.com are still thriving businesses here.
Salt Lake City and Murray operate their own school districts (although a recent[when?] annexation by Murray leaves a part of the city within the Granite School District). The Granite School District, the third largest in the state, is a broad district that covers a swath fromMagna, Kearns, andTaylorsville throughWest Valley City and eastward toSouth Salt Lake andMillcreek. The Jordan School District, with approximately 48,000 students, covers the southwest part of the county, including most ofWest Jordan,South Jordan,Riverton,Herriman,Bluffdale, andCopperton.[citation needed]
On November 6, 2007, the east side residents of the Jordan School District inSandy,Draper,Midvale,Cottonwood Heights,Alta, and nearby unincorporated areas voted to split from the Jordan District, creating the Canyons School District. A similar vote to make West Jordan its own district, however, failed.[96]
South High School in Salt Lake City closed in 1988; it is now occupied by the City Campus of theSalt Lake Community College (SLCC).
Granite High School in South Salt Lake was reformed into an alternative school in 2006, although it remained a public school. However, this venture was not a financial success and the school closed in 2009. The school building was demolished in 2018 in preparation for the site to be redeveloped. The site is now the location of Salt Lake County Library's Granite branch.[97]
Salt Lake County is home to the Bastian Agricultural and Equestrian Center, which also serves as an extension and distance education location forUtah State University.
Because the restricted geography permits only four major entrances to the Salt Lake Valley, routes for long-distance travel through the valley are mainly confined to an east–west strip through Salt Lake City andSouth Salt Lake and a north–south strip near theJordan River. These corridors cross in the area between South Salt Lake andDowntown Salt Lake City and together form alatin cross of transportation infrastructure that is almost perfectly oriented north-to-south.
Alight rail system, known asTRAX, is operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and currently has three lines. TheBlue Line runs from Downtown Salt Lake City toDraper), theRed Line fromSouth Jordan to the University of Utah, and theGreen Line fromWest Valley City to theSalt Lake City International Airport (via Downtown Salt Lake City). There are currently 50 stops in the system. The original line opened in 1999 from downtown to Sandy, with the line to the University of Utah completed in 2001, and to West Valley City and South Jordan in 2011. In April 2013 the extension tothe airport (Airport Station) on the Green Line opened and the extension toDraper (Draper Town Center Station) on the Blue Line opened in August 2013.
An historic streetcar was proposed along 2100 South from the TRAX station to the historic business district in theSugar House neighborhood.[100] The proposal was refined and in December 2013, a modern (S Line) light rail track was completed and is operated by UTA. A future extension is planned to run north along Highland Drive and 1100 East to 1700 South.
The county is traversed by threeInterstate Highways and oneU.S. Highway, as well as an additional freeway and one majorexpressway.US-89 enters fromDavis County to the north and traverses the county arrow-straight until merging withI-15 in northDraper. It is known asState Street along most of the route and is the primary surface road in the valley. I-15 andI-80 intersect just west ofDowntown Salt Lake City, merging for approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north-to-south. I-80 continues west past theSalt Lake City International Airport and east throughParley's Canyon and into theWasatch Range. I-15 traverses the valley north-to-south, providing access to the entire urban corridor. The freeway is 10–12 lanes wide after a major expansion project from 1998 to 2001 undertaken in preparation for the2002 Winter Olympics.I-215 directly serves many of the suburbs of Salt Lake City in the western, central, and eastern portions of the valley in a 270° loop.SR-201, alternatively known as the "21st South Freeway", provides access toWest Valley City and the west side of the valley.Bangerter Highway (SR-154) is an expressway that traverses the entire western end of the valley from the airport, ending at I-15 in southern Draper.SR-68, or Redwood Road, is the only surface street that traverses the entire valley from north-to-south. TheLegacy Parkway opened in 2008 to connect with I-215 at the north end of the valley, providing an alternative route into Davis County to alleviate congestion. TheMountain View Corridor is a limited-access highway across the southwestern part of the county; construction began in 2010 and it was put into operation in stages.
The Utah Transit Authority operates bus routes throughout the valley and along the Wasatch Front, toPark City andTooele, and to the ski resorts in winter.
TheJordan River Parkway trail (and its northern extension, the Legacy Parkway trail) runs north–south in the center of the valley from Utah County to Davis County (though it has a few gaps), and the plannedCrosstown andParley's trails will together form the primary east–west route from Parley's Canyon to Garfield. TheBonneville Shoreline Trail runs along the face of the Wasatch mountains, skirting the edge of the built up areas of theeast bench, though there are large gaps in the central part of the county. A large number of more remote trails provide access throughout theWasatch-Cache National Forest.
Bingham Canyon, incorporated 1904, disincorporated 1971. The last buildings were razed in 1972 as theBingham Canyon Mine absorbed the town. At its peak the population was around 15,000.
Lark was a small town on the southwest side of the valley that was dismantled in 1978 to make way foroverburden from the Bingham Canyon Mine. At its peak the population was around 800.
Riter started out as a station on the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad in 1905 and a town formed in its vicinity. In 1918, the town and station were buried by an expansion of one of Kennecott's tailings ponds west of Magna. The station was moved north but in 1996 the location was again buried by another expansion of the tailings pond although by that time Riter was only a siding and there were no buildings there.
