Magna, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Magna
City
Main Street in Magna
Etymology: Kennecott Copper's Magna Mill; Latin word meaning "great" or "superior"
Location of Magna within Salt Lake County and the State of Utah.
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Salt Lake
First Settled (as Pleasant Green)	1868
Given Township Status	2001
Incorporated as a Metro Township	2017
Incorporated as a City	2024
Area
• Total	37.48 sq mi (97.07 km2)
• Land	15.11 sq mi (39.13 km2)
• Water	22.37 sq mi (57.94 km2)
Elevation	4,265 ft (1,300 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	29,251
• Density	1,935.87/sq mi (747.54/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	84044
Area code(s)	385, 801
FIPS code	49-47290
GNIS feature ID	2408162

Magna (/ˈmæɡnə/ MAG-nə) is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. In 2020, about 29,251 people lived there. This was a 10.4% increase from 2010.

History of Magna

Early Settlement

People first started settling in the Magna area in 1851. This was soon after pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. In 1868, early farmers settled near the Oquirrh Mountains. They called their community Pleasant Green. By 1900, about 20 families lived there. One of the first farmers was Abraham Coon. He started a ranch and settlement called Coonville. This was in a canyon now known as Coon Canyon.

The Pleasant Green Cemetery was started in 1883. It is in the Oquirrh foothills. In 1890, the first school was built. This was because a new law said all children must get free public education.

Magna's Growth: 1900-1960

In the early 1900s, copper mining changed Pleasant Green. It went from a farming village to an industrial town. D.C. Jackling started the Utah Copper Company. This company later became Kennecott Copper Corp.. In 1906, the company began building its Magna Mill. Jackling chose the name "Magna" from a Latin word. It means "great" or "superior."

Starting in 1903, many Greek immigrants came to Magna. They came mostly because of coal mine strikes in other areas. This group created a busy Greek community.

Another company, Boston Consolidated Copper, built a second mill in 1909. In 1911, the two companies joined. The second mill was renamed Arthur Mill. Workers building these mills lived in a temporary camp called Ragtown. Some homes from Ragtown were later moved to the main community. As the mills opened, some farmers started working there instead.

In 1914, the Post Master, Renald Woolley, asked to change the town's name. Pleasant Green was confusing with other towns. On October 19, 1915, the town officially became Magna. New schools were also built, like Hawthorne School and Webster School. In 1924, the first building of Cyprus High School was finished. Many early residents were immigrants, especially from Eastern Europe.

Between 1915 and 1960, Magna's success depended on the copper industry. During the Great Depression, the mills closed for a while. Workers lost their jobs. Around 1940, things got better. The demand for copper grew because of the coming war. Magna continued to grow after World War II and through the 1960s.

Suburban Changes: 1960-1980

By the 1960s, Magna began to change into a suburban area. The Hercules Powder Co. started making rocket motors. This plant was south of Magna. More jobs led to new housing developments in Magna and nearby towns.

In 1961, people in Magna approved a plan for better water and sewer systems. These improvements helped the town grow. Magna's population started moving south. Also, people began driving cars to work and to shop. Because of this, Main Street became less busy and some shops closed.

In the 1970s, Magna grew even more. Land south and east of the old town center was developed. New neighborhoods offered affordable homes. These homes attracted middle-income families. Magna's population grew from about 8,900 in 1960 to 10,000 in 1970. By 2000, it had grown to over 23,000 people. This was a faster growth rate than the rest of the county.

Magna Today: 1980-Present

It took over 10 years for Magna to become a township. Growth and development are still important for Magna.

Kennecott Land plans to build a lot in the areas around Magna. The area west of Magna, along I-80, is planned to become a major "urban center."

Historic Main Street was greatly updated in 2006. Main Street has also become a popular place for filmmakers. Movies like Disney Channel's Dadnapped and some of the Halloweentown movies were filmed there. Parts of the TV series Touched by an Angel and Granite Flats also used Magna locations. Disney's series Andi Mack is also filmed in Magna.

On March 18, 2020, Magna was the center of a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. This was the 2020 Salt Lake City Earthquake. The earthquake happened around 7:10 am. It was felt strongly across the area. There was not much damage. Some old buildings with brick walls were damaged.

On May 1, 2024, Magna officially became a city. Before that, it was a metro township. This change happened because of a new law in Utah.

Magna's Geography

Magna covers about 7.4 square miles (19.2 km2) of land. It is just northeast of the Oquirrh Mountains. It is also directly south of the Great Salt Lake.

Magna's Population

In 2015, there were about 27,451 people in Magna. Most people were non-Hispanic White (69.76%). About 25.64% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Magna

Magna is part of the Granite School District. It has five elementary schools: Copper Hills, Elk Run, Lake Ridge, Magna, and Pleasant Green. It also has Matheson Junior High and Cyprus High School. Cyprus High's sports teams compete at the 5A level. The old Brockbank Junior High closed in 2016. Its students now go to the Cyprus High campus.

Magna's Economy

Northrop Grumman has a factory in Magna. This factory makes solid rocket motors.

Transportation in Magna

Magna is located on the Salt Lake Valley's grid system. It is between 7200 and 9200 West and 2100 and 4100 South. SR-201 is an expressway along the northern border. It connects with I-80 to the west. West 3500 South (SR-171) is a main east-west road. South 8400 West (SR-111) is a main north-south road.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) runs bus route 35 (3500 South) in Magna. This bus route goes from the Millcreek TRAX station to 8400 West in Magna. It also passes near the start of the TRAX Green Line. The Green Line connects to the Salt Lake City International Airport. The 3500 South bus runs every 15 minutes on weekdays.

Magna's Media

The Magna Times was a local weekly newspaper. It was published in Magna. In 2009, it printed about 4,000 copies.

Magna's Culture

Magna is home to The Empress Theatre. This theater is important for its history. It was added to the National Register for Historic Places in 1985.

Downtown Magna was a main filming spot for the Disney Channel series Andi Mack. "The Spoon" Diner, a popular place for characters to eat, was built just for the show.

Notable People from Magna

• Gary Andersen, a football coach at Utah State University.
• Parley Parker Christensen, a politician from Utah and California.
• Nathaniel Coleman, an Olympic silver-medalist in sport climbing in 2020.
• Emily S. Richards, a national leader for women's right to vote.

See also

In Spanish: Magna (Utah) para niños