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History
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The
Salt Lake Valley was settled in 1847 by Mormon
pioneers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints). The area offered a haven
to practice their religion free from persecution.
After an arduous trip by covered wagon through
rough terrain, their leader, Brigham Young,
spotted the valley and uttered the now-famous
words, "This is the right place!" Little did
he realize it would be the place for business,
culture, fine dining, city adventures and a
host for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games! Click
here for more history!
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Statistics
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Utah's
population is 1.8 million and 765,000 people
live in the Salt Lake area. Utah has:
- One
of the 10 lowest violent crime rates
- The
youngest population
- One
of the highest birth rates and the second
lowest death rate
- The
healthiest population
- The
highest literacy rate
- The
highest percentage of high school graduates
- The
highest number of people with college educations
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Business
& Employment
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Utah
has:
- The
second largest concentration of computer software
firms
(Provo/Orem)
- One
of the four largest concentrations of biomedical
firms (Salt Lake)
- 450
high technology firms employing 13,000 workers.
Tourism,
trade, government and manufacturing are Utah's
top four areas of employment. In 1994, CFO Magazine
ranked Salt Lake as one of the best environments
for business. In October 1993, Salt Lake tied
with Indianapolis, Indiana as the eighth best
place to live in North America.
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| Transportation |
| Interstate
Highways 15 and 80 intersect in Salt Lake. "Conde
Nast Traveler" magazine ranked Salt Lake City
International Airport the ninth best in the U.S.
The airport's new International Building has customs
and a duty free shop. Salt Lake International
City Airport is closer to the heart of the city
it serves (a ten minute drive) than nearly any
other U.S. airport. Nine major airlines and two
regional carriers serve Salt Lake, offering a
total of 624 arriving and departing flights daily,
with 75,000 passenger seats. As the "Crossroads
of the West" at least half of America's population
is located within a 2 1\2 hour flight from Salt
Lake. Click here
for more transportation. |
| Accommodations, Dining, Nightlife |
| Visitors
to Salt Lake have their choice of 11,000 hotel
rooms and 7,000 rooms in nearby communities. There
are more than 300 restaurants in the Salt Lake
area. Seventy-five restaurants and numerous nightclubs
are within walking distance of the Salt Palace
Convention Center, the Delta Center Arena and
downtown hotels. Alcoholic beverages may be served
with meals in restaurants and hotels. Drinks are
also available in non-exclusive clubs where visitors
are welcome to purchase temporary memberships
at a nominal fee. Liquor can be purchased in state
liquor stores, including two excellent wine stores,
located in the Salt Lake area. Click here for
more accommodations
and dining. |
| Tourism |
| Seven
million people visit the Salt Lake area each year.
Sixty percent of the skiers at Salt Lake ski resorts
are out-of-state and international visitors. In
1995, Life Magazine ranked Salt Lake as one of
the top vacation getaways. |
| Sports
& Recreation |
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Nine
major ski resorts, three cross country ski areas
and the nation's only recreational ski jumping
complex are less than an hour's drive from downtown.
During warmer seasons, Salt Lake canyons are
filled with hikers, cyclists, rock climbers
and picnickers. Utah is the home of the U.S.
Ski Team. Salt Lake's low humidity (normally
15% or less) makes outdoor recreation more comfortable
in both summer and winter. Sports fans enjoy
two professional teams:
The
Utah Jazz - NBA basketball The Utah Grizzlies-
IHL Hockey The Salt Lake Buzz - Triple A baseball
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| The Arts |
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Salt
Lake is the perfect destination for patrons
of the performing arts with:
Ballet West The Utah Opera Company Ririe-Woodbury
Dance Company Repertory Dance Theatre The Mormon
Tabernacle Choir Numerous theater groups The
Utah Symphony (12th largest in the U.S.)
Fifteen art galleries are within minutes of
downtown hotels. Five more are only a short
drive.
Museums
of note in Salt Lake include:
The Museum of Natural History The Utah State
Historical Society The Utah Museum of the Fine
Arts
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| Attractions |
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Eleven
national parks are less than a day's drive from
Salt Lake. Five of those are located in Utah.
Top
attractions for Salt Lake Visitors include:
Historic Temple Square The Beehive House The
Bingham Copper Mine (world's largest open pit
mine) Great Salt Lake Antelope Island This is
the Place Monument and State Park The Utah State
Capitol Building Red Butte Garden and Arboretum
Within
walking distance of Salt Lake's Delta Center
Arena and downtown hotels, visitors can explore
the ZCMI Center Mall and Crossroads Plaza, two
of the largest indoor shopping malls in the
country. Many of the shops are open every day
and stay open late on weekdays.
Trolley
Square, a restored historic trolley station
turned shopping mall, is a few blocks from downtown
Salt Lake. Click here
for more activities.
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