List of municipalities in Utah Facts for Kids

Map of the United States with Utah highlighted

Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city in Utah.

Utah is a state in the Western United States. As of 2020, Utah has 253 official cities and towns. A place is called a town if it has fewer than 1,000 people. It's called a city if it has more than 1,000 people. When a community becomes a city or town, it means the people living there have voted to create their own local government. This government can make rules, collect taxes, and provide services like parks or roads.

Long ago, different Native American groups lived in this area for thousands of years. Europeans first arrived in the 1500s. For many years, only a few explorers or fur trappers visited. There were no big, lasting settlements. Utah was once controlled by Spain, and then by Mexico. In 1848, it became part of the United States of America. You can still see Spanish and Mexican influences in many place names, especially in southern Utah.

On July 22, 1847, the first group of Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They founded Salt Lake City. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers traveled to Utah and settled there. Many early settlements, especially along the Wasatch Front (a busy area with many cities), were started by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church leaders often helped plan and organize new communities. Other settlements were created by railroad companies, mining companies, or non-Latter-day Saint settlers. Many places are named after important Church leaders, historical events, or religious stories. Natural features like rivers, mountains, and lakes also inspired many names.

In 2017, about 90% of Utah's 3.1 million people lived in these cities and towns. Most of Utah's population (over 75%) lives in four counties along the Wasatch Front: Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, and Weber. Salt Lake City is the biggest city, with nearly 200,000 people. The smallest town is Scofield, a former coal mining town, with only 15 residents.

In 2015, a new type of local government was created called a "metro township." Five areas in Salt Lake County that weren't officially cities or towns yet voted to become metro townships. This lets them elect their own councils and manage a budget. However, they still need to work with nearby cities for services like police and fire, and they have some limits on collecting taxes. The five metro townships are Kearns, Magna, Copperton, Emigration Canyon, and White City.

List of Cities and Towns

and * symbol indicates that this city or town is the county seat of its respective county.

This table shows some of Utah's cities and towns. It includes information like their population, how big they are, when they were settled, and how they got their names. The full list is very long, but here are a few examples to show you how it works:

Name	County	Type	Population (2020)	Area (2020)	Elevation	Year settled	Median household income (2017)	Etymology
Alpine	Utah	City	10,251	7.96 sq mi (20.6 km²)	4,951 feet (1,509 m)	1850	$112,727	Named for the tall Wasatch Mountains and Traverse Mountains nearby.
American Fork	Utah	City	33,337	11.20 sq mi (29.0 km²)	4,606 feet (1,404 m)	1850	$70,926	Named after the American Fork river, which flows into Utah Lake.
Beaver*	Beaver	City	3,592	6.68 sq mi (17.3 km²)	5,902 feet (1,799 m)	1856	$46,708	Named after the Beaver River, which is about 242 miles long.
Bountiful	Davis	City	45,762	13.19 sq mi (34.2 km²)	4,797 feet (1,462 m)	1847	$69,611	Named after a city in the Book of Mormon.
Cedar City	Iron	City	35,235	35.86 sq mi (92.9 km²)	5,846 feet (1,782 m)	1851	$42,216	Named for the many juniper trees in the area, which people often call "cedars."
Draper	Salt Lake/ Utah	City	51,017	29.95 sq mi (77.6 km²)	4,505 feet (1,373 m)	1849	$110,270	Named after William Draper, who was the first local Church leader.
Eagle Mountain	Utah	City	43,623	50.43 sq mi (130.6 km²)	4,882 feet (1,488 m)	1996	$74,885	Named after Eagle Mountain Properties, the company that developed the city.
Farmington*	Davis	City	24,531	9.95 sq mi (25.8 km²)	4,304 feet (1,312 m)	1847	$97,168	Named for the many farms in the area.
Hurricane	Washington	City	20,036	52.76 sq mi (136.6 km²)	3,248 feet (990 m)	1906	$49,961	Named by Church leader Erastus Snow because of the strong winds in the area.
Layton	Davis	City	81,773	22.50 sq mi (58.3 km²)	4,350 feet (1,330 m)	1920	$71,883	Named after Christopher Layton, an early local Church leader.
Lehi	Utah	City	75,907	28.11 sq mi (72.8 km²)	4,564 feet (1,391 m)	1850	$85,794	Named after Lehi, a prophet from the Book of Mormon.
Logan*	Cache	City	52,778	17.85 sq mi (46.2 km²)	4,534 feet (1,382 m)	1859	$38,412	Named after Ephraim Logan, a trapper who died in the area.
Orem	Utah	City	98,129	18.61 sq mi (48.2 km²)	4,774 feet (1,455 m)	1850	$58,077	Named after Walter Orem, who was the president of a local electric railroad.
Salt Lake City*	Salt Lake	City	199,723	110.34 sq mi (285.8 km²)	4,226 feet (1,288 m)	1847	$54,009	Named after the large Great Salt Lake nearby.
Saratoga Springs	Utah	City	37,696	23.23 sq mi (60.2 km²)	4,505 feet (1,373 m)	1997	$88,804	Named after Saratoga Springs, New York, and the local hot springs.
South Jordan	Salt Lake	City	77,487	22.19 sq mi (57.5 km²)	4,439 feet (1,353 m)	1859	$99,856	Named for its location near the Jordan River and south of West Jordan.
Spanish Fork	Utah	City	42,602	16.21 sq mi (42.0 km²)	4,577 feet (1,395 m)	1851	$70,780	Named after the nearby Spanish Fork river, where Spanish explorer Silvestre Vélez de Escalante entered the Utah Valley.
West Valley City	Salt Lake	City	140,230	35.83 sq mi (92.8 km²)	4,304 feet (1,312 m)	1849	$59,954	Named for its location on the western side of the Salt Lake Valley.

List of municipalities in Utah facts for kids

List of Cities and Towns

See also