Interesting facts about Utah

utah flag

Utah is a state in the western United States.

It is bordered by Colorado to the east, Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast.

As of Januar 2019, the population of Utah was estimated to be about 3.1 million people. It is the 31st most populous state in the United States.

Utah is the 13th largest state in the United States in terms of total area with 219,887 square kilometers (84,899 square miles).

Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of Utah. Due to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake, the city was originally named “Great Salt Lake City”; however, the word “great” was dropped from the official name in 1868 by the 17th Utah Territorial Legislature.

salt lake city

Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys.

Located in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States, Utah is a land of snow-covered peaks, natural rock formations, and beautifully colored canyons. Utah’s geography is characterized by three major land areas; the Rocky Mountains, the Basin and Ridge Region, and the Colorado Plateau.

Kings Peak is the highest peak in the US state of Utah, with an elevation of 4,125 meters (13,534 feet) above sea level.

kings peak

Utah has 13 national parks and 33 state parks.

Zion National Park is located within the state of Utah in southwestern United States. The park was established on November 19, 1919. It covers an area of 593 square kilometers (229 square miles). The lowest elevation is 1,117 meters (3,666 feet) at Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 2,660 meters (8,726 feet ) at Horse Ranch Mountain.

zion national park

Arches National Park is a United States National Park in eastern Utah. Perched high above the Colorado River, Arches National Park is carved and shaped by weathering and erosion. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. It contains the highest density of natural arches in the world.

arches national park

Bryce Canyon National Park is a United States National Park in southwestern Utah. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. It covers an area of 145 square kilometers (56 square miles) or 14,502 hectares (35,835 acres).

bryce canyon national park

The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), but the lake’s size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness.

great salt lake

Utah is known for having some of the best skiing in the country. Park City is a fun mountain town, about 45 minutes southeast of Salt Lake City, and home to two awesome ski resorts. On the town’s doorstep is Park City Mountain Resort, with lifts operating right from town, and just down the road is Deer Valley Resort, one of Utah’s poshest ski resorts. Both of these offer outstanding terrain for all levels of skiers.

skiing

Archaeological evidence dates the earliest habitation of Native Americans in Utah to about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.

When Europeans arrived in Utah, the land was inhabited by various Native American tribes. One of the largest tribes was the Ute people from which Utah gets its name. The Ute lived in temporary homes called tepees and hunted buffalo for food. Other Native American tribes included the Paiute in the south, the Goshute in the west, the Shoshone in the north, and the Navajo in the southeast.

native americans

The Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado may have crossed into what is now southern Utah in 1540, when he was seeking the legendary Cíbola.

Utah was acquired by the United States in 1848 in the treaty ending the Mexico War.

Utah became the 45th member of the union on January 4, 1896.

utah

Completion of the world’s first transcontinental railroad was celebrated at Promontory where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. It is now known as Golden Spike National Historic Site.

During the 19th century many Mormons settled in Utah.

Approximately 62% of Utahns are reported to be members of Mormon Church, making Utah the only state with a majority population belonging to a single church.

The Sundance Film Festival, one of the most famous independent film festivals in the world, is held each January in Park City.