Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, Utah, is synonymous with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), and the Salt Lake Temple is one of the most recognizable features of the city skyline. Founded by Brigham Young and other LDS leaders in 1849, Salt Lake City’s early growth can be attributed to religious migrants and immigrants coming to the home of the church. Modern Salt Lake City is still heavily influenced by the LDS church, but less than half of the current population of the greater metropolitan area are members of the church. In recent years, the city has grown to be an artistic, cultural, and recreational center. The service industry is the main driver of the economy here, supporting tourism, industry, and recreation. Several national companies have their headquarters here, and the technology industry is growing rapidly.While the greater Salt Lake City metropolitan area has more than 1 million residents, barely 200,000 people live in Salt Lake itself. The population is very suburban, and the downtown core is a destination rather than a residential area.The youthful population – the median age is 30 years – and increasing emphasis on tourism and recreation assures that there is always some nightlife and entertainment to be had. The food culture is growing, and a large microbrew culture appeals to the beer lover. Salt Lake City is also a college town. Nearby Brigham Young University and the University of Utah feed a constant flow of educated young people into the workforce.Interstates 15 and 80 intersect in the city, meaning that travelers and truckers use Salt Lake City as a stopping point along their cross-country routes.