The most populated county in Utah is full of sights and has so many fun things to do. Learn more about Salt Lake County and all it has to offer.
Fun Facts
Salt Lake City doubles as the county seat and the state capital. In 2019, Salt Lake County’s population was about 1.16 million. That makes Salt Lake County the most populated county in the state of Utah. The economy of the county includes manufacturing, services, transportation and communications, wholesale and retail trade, finance, mining, construction, tourism, and agriculture.
How did Salt Lake county get its name?
The name “Salt Lake” came from the Great Salt Lake. “The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. It lies in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and has a substantial impact upon the local climate, particularly through lake-effect snow. It is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric body of water that covered much of western Utah.”
History
Before white settlement began in Salt Lake County, Indian groups like the Northern Shoshone and Ute Indians used the area for hunting, fishing, and gathering. William H. Ashley and other trappers were first seen in the valley in 1824-25. Permanent settlement began in 1847 when the Mormon pioneers were fleeing mobs in Illinois. “With self-sufficiency a major goal, the settlers established basic industries to supply everything from pottery to printing paper. They experimented with mixed success in growing many different kinds of plants, raising silkworms, and refining sugar. The county was temporarily abandoned in 1858 during the Utah War. In 1862 U.S. troops established Fort Douglas to protect overland communications and to watch the Mormons.” Political diversity was introduced in 1870 and “industrial development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought ethnic diversity with the arrival of many southern and eastern Europeans, blacks, Chinese, Japanese, and Mexicans. The migration of Native Americans to the larger cities and the recent immigration of southeast Asians and others continue the trend.”
Towns/ Cities in the County
There are many towns and cities in Salt Lake County. A few of them include, Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, Murray, Draper, Brighton, South Jordan, Midvale, Taylorsville, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Herriman, South Salt Lake, Riverton, Holladay, Magna, Kearns, Alta, Copperton, Granite, and White City.
Fun things to do
There are always so many things to do in the Salt Lake County, but especially during the Holiday Season.
- Festival of Trees at South Towne Expo Center (Sandy)
- Christmas at The Grand America Hotel (Downtown Salt Lake)
- Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo (East Salt Lake City)
- Messiah Sing in with Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall (Downtown)
- Ballet West Nutcracker at the Capital Theatre(Downtown)
- Christmas at City Creek Center Mall (Downtown)
- Torchlight parade at Snowbird Resort (Little Cottonwood Canyon)
- Candlelight Christmas at This Is The Place Heritage Park (East Salt Lake City)
- Temple Square (Downtown) – This is still under construction, but I heard that there are some lights being displayed in the areas that are not under construction.