Salt Lake City Population 2010: 186,440, #125 in U.S., #1 in Utah 1950: 182,121, #52 in U.S. 2010
Metropolitan Area: 1,124,197, #50 in U.S. 1950 Metropolitan Area: 274,895, #72 in U.S. Setting Salt
Lake City was founded by Mormon pioneers in 1847 at the base of the Wasatch
Mountains. The Great Salt Lake is northwest of the city. Temple Square is on the north side of downtown. Buildings Tallest building: Wells Fargo Center, 422 feet (1998) List of tallest buildings The
LDS Office Building (1973, 420 feet) has an observation deck. The domed State Capitol (1915), 285 feet tall, is just north of downtown. Stores The
City Creek Center opened in 2012 with Macy’s and Nordstrom
department stores. The Gateway is a retail and residential development on the west edge of downtown. Trains Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which runs between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay area, stops at Salt Lake City late at night. Amtrak uses the Intermodal Hub (1999), just west of downtown. The old Rio Grande Depot (1911) now houses the Utah State Historical Society. The old Union Pacific Depot (1909), adjacent to the Gateway District, is now used for special events. The Utah Transit Authority's TRAX (1999) has three light-rail lines, covering 45 miles, with more lines under construction. The
FrontRunner (2008) is an 88-mile commuter rail line going from Provo to Salt Lake City and Ogden. |  Salt Lake City and Wasatch Mountains MuseumsThe Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the Utah Museum of Natural History are on the campus of the University of Utah, east of downtown. Theaters Megaplex12 at the Gateway shows first-run movies. The Broadway Centre Cinemas
show
independent films. The Capitol Theater (1913) has concerts and the Utah Opera. The Eccles Theater (2016) has touring Broadway shows and concerts. The Utah Symphony plays at Abravanel Hall (1979). The Off Broadway Theatre is also downtown. Sports The Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Anaheim Angels, play at Smith's Ballpark (1994), just south of downtown. The NBA Utah Jazz play at Vivint Smart Home Arena (1991). |