Salt Lake County, Utah

Salt Lake County
Utah Supreme Court at Scott M. Matheson Court House in Salt Lake City
Utah Supreme Court at Scott M. Matheson Court House in Salt Lake City
Official logo of Salt Lake County
Map of Utah highlighting Salt Lake County
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Map of the United States highlighting Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°40′N 111°56′W / 40.67°N 111.93°W / 40.67; -111.93
Country United States
State Utah
FoundedJanuary 31, 1850
Named forGreat Salt Lake
SeatSalt Lake City
Largest citySalt Lake City
Area
 • Total
807 sq mi (2,090 km2)
 • Land742 sq mi (1,920 km2)
 • Water65 sq mi (170 km2)  8.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,185,238
 • Estimate 
(2023)
1,185,813 Increase
 • Density1,500/sq mi (570/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districts1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
Websiteslco.org

Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238,[1] making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state 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 being Denver County and El Paso County, Colorado and Clark 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) is a county with a population of 700,000 or greater.[4] Although, Utah County directly to the south has recently reached this threshold. [5]

Salt Lake County occupies the Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west and the Wasatch Range to the east (essentially the entire Jordan River watershed north of the Traverse Mountains). In addition, the northwestern section of the county includes part of the Great Salt Lake. The county is noted for its ski resorts; Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake County is the central county of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Sustained drought in Utah has more recently strained Salt Lake County's water security and has caused the Great Salt Lake level to drop to record low levels.[6][7]

  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Utah: Individual County Chronologies". Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  4. ^ Utah Code 17-50-501. Classification of counties
  5. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Utah County, Utah".
  6. ^ "Drought Information". www.slc.gov. Salt Lake City. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "Great Salt Lake Reaches New Historic Low". USGS. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 16, 2022.

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