Ogden (pronounced OG-dən) is a city in Utah, United States. It is the main city of Weber County. Ogden is about 10 miles (16 km) east of the Great Salt Lake. It is also about 40 miles (64 km) north of Salt Lake City.

In 2020, Ogden had a population of 87,321 people. This makes it Utah's eighth largest city. For a long time, Ogden was a very important railway hub. It still handles a lot of train cargo today. This makes it a good place for manufacturing (making things) and commerce (buying and selling).

Ogden is also famous for its many old, historic buildings. It is close to the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. The city is also home to Weber State University. Ogden is a major city in the Ogden–Clearfield Metropolitan Area. This area includes several nearby counties. In 2010, Forbes magazine said the Ogden area was the 6th best place for families. Ogden has a special "sister city" relationship with Hof in Germany. This connection started in 1954.

History of Ogden: From Fort to City

Ogden in 1874

Ogden was the first place in what is now Utah where people from Europe settled permanently. It was first called Fort Buenaventura. A trapper named Miles Goodyear started it in 1846. This was about a mile west of where downtown Ogden is now.

In 1847, Captain James Brown bought all the land that is now Weber County. He also bought some animals and Fort Buenaventura for $3,000. At that time, this area was part of Mexico. The settlement was then called Brownsville, named after Captain James Brown. Later, it was renamed Ogden. This new name honored Peter Skene Ogden. He was a leader for the Hudson's Bay Company. He had trapped animals in the Weber Valley many years before. Today, the original Fort Buenaventura site is a park.

Westbound passengers changed cars at Ogden, from Union Pacific to Southern Pacific, which took them to California

Ogden is the closest big city to the Golden Spike location. This is at Promontory Summit, Utah. Here, the First transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869. Ogden became a very important train junction. This was because it was on major east-west and north-south train routes. The local business group even had a motto: "You can't get anywhere without coming to Ogden."

Most train passengers traveling west to San Francisco from the eastern U.S. went through Ogden. They did not go through the larger Salt Lake City to the south. Today, the national passenger train system, Amtrak, no longer stops directly in Ogden. People who want to travel by train to or from Ogden must use the FrontRunner commuter rail. This train takes them to Salt Lake City and Provo.

In 1972, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built the Ogden Utah Temple. This temple was built to serve the many LDS people in the area. In 2010, the Church announced plans to update the Ogden Temple. The work started in 2011. It included changing the outside of the temple. They also removed the steeple from the nearby Tabernacle. This made the Temple's steeple the main focus. A new underground parking garage and gardens were also added. The Temple was opened again in 2014.

Ogden used to be Utah's second-largest city. Because of this, it has many historic buildings. However, by the 1980s, some suburbs of Salt Lake City and Provo grew larger than Ogden.

The Defense Depot Ogden Utah was a military base in Ogden. It operated from 1941 to 1997. Part of its land is now a business park. It is called the Business Depot Ogden, or "BDO" for short.

Geography and Climate of Ogden

Ogden's Location and Landscape

Ogden is located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The city covers about 26.6 square miles (71.35 km²), all of it land. The height of the city above sea level ranges from about 4,300 to 5,000 feet (1,310 to 1,524 meters).

"Ogden" sign over Washington Boulevard at the Ogden River; toward downtown

The Ogden and Weber Rivers flow through the city. They start in the mountains to the east. They meet just west of the city limits. Pineview Dam is in the Ogden River Canyon. This is about 7 miles (11 km) east of Ogden. The water held by the dam creates a reservoir. This reservoir provides water and a place for water sports.

Important mountains near Ogden include Mount Ogden to the east. Also, Ben Lomond is to the north.

How Ogden's Streets are Organized

Ogden and its surrounding area

Ogden has a grid system for its streets, like many U.S. cities. Its neighboring towns are South Ogden, Roy, West Haven, Marriott-Slaterville, Farr West, Pleasant View, and North Ogden. Streets are numbered from north to south. Directions like "E" for east and "W" for west are added to the numbers. This shows their location from the city center.

In the downtown area, near Union Station and 25th Street, cross streets are named after former U.S. presidents. Examples include Lincoln Avenue, Grant Avenue, Washington Boulevard, Adams Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, and Madison Avenue. Washington Boulevard is a main street that runs north and south. Harrison Boulevard is another central north-south street. The city is divided into six main areas. These include North End, West Ogden, Downtown, East Central, East Bench, and Shadow Valley.

Ogden's Weather Patterns

Ogden has hot and fairly dry summers. High temperatures often reach 95°F (35°C). Some days even reach 100°F (38°C). Rain in summer usually comes from thunderstorms. These happen between late July and mid-September. This is during the monsoon season.

The Pacific storm season is from October through May. Spring usually has the most rain. Snow often starts in late October or early November. The last snow usually falls in April.

Climate data for Ogden, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	62 (17)	67 (19)	79 (26)	87 (31)	98 (37)	106 (41)	106 (41)	104 (40)	104 (40)	89 (32)	76 (24)	65 (18)	106 (41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	48.4 (9.1)	56.6 (13.7)	69.7 (20.9)	77.8 (25.4)	87.6 (30.9)	96.2 (35.7)	100.3 (37.9)	97.4 (36.3)	91.0 (32.8)	79.4 (26.3)	66.0 (18.9)	53.1 (11.7)	100.6 (38.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	35.7 (2.1)	41.9 (5.5)	52.7 (11.5)	59.6 (15.3)	70.1 (21.2)	81.5 (27.5)	91.3 (32.9)	88.7 (31.5)	77.8 (25.4)	62.7 (17.1)	48.5 (9.2)	36.8 (2.7)	62.3 (16.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)	28.5 (−1.9)	33.4 (0.8)	42.9 (6.1)	49.1 (9.5)	58.6 (14.8)	68.4 (20.2)	78.0 (25.6)	75.8 (24.3)	65.4 (18.6)	51.7 (10.9)	39.5 (4.2)	29.6 (−1.3)	51.7 (11.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	21.2 (−6.0)	24.9 (−3.9)	33.1 (0.6)	38.6 (3.7)	47.1 (8.4)	55.3 (12.9)	64.8 (18.2)	62.9 (17.2)	53.0 (11.7)	40.8 (4.9)	30.5 (−0.8)	22.4 (−5.3)	41.2 (5.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	7.1 (−13.8)	10.9 (−11.7)	21.1 (−6.1)	27.2 (−2.7)	33.8 (1.0)	42.5 (5.8)	55.8 (13.2)	52.3 (11.3)	39.7 (4.3)	27.6 (−2.4)	17.3 (−8.2)	8.3 (−13.2)	3.6 (−15.8)
Record low °F (°C)	−23 (−31)	−23 (−31)	5 (−15)	6 (−14)	26 (−3)	29 (−2)	36 (2)	33 (1)	20 (−7)	8 (−13)	0 (−18)	−20 (−29)	−23 (−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.53 (39)	1.55 (39)	1.71 (43)	1.97 (50)	2.17 (55)	1.12 (28)	0.35 (8.9)	0.72 (18)	1.06 (27)	1.68 (43)	1.17 (30)	1.33 (34)	16.36 (414.9)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	13.8 (35)	11.0 (28)	5.8 (15)	2.3 (5.8)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)	5.7 (14)	14.7 (37)	53.6 (135.56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	8.8	8.6	9.1	9.9	8.9	4.8	3.0	3.9	5.5	6.7	7.3	9.4	85.9
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: XMACIS2

People and Demographics in Ogden

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	500	—
1860	1,464	192.8%
1870	3,127	113.6%
1880	6,069	94.1%
1890	14,889	145.3%
1900	16,313	9.6%
1910	25,580	56.8%
1920	32,804	28.2%
1930	40,272	22.8%
1940	43,688	8.5%
1950	57,112	30.7%
1960	70,197	22.9%
1970	69,478	−1.0%
1980	64,407	−7.3%
1990	63,909	−0.8%
2000	77,226	20.8%
2010	82,825	7.3%
2020	87,321	5.4%
source:

Ogden's Population in 2020

In 2020, Ogden had 87,321 people. The city is home to a diverse group of people.

**Ogden, Utah – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	54,216	52,557	52,743	70.20%	63.46%	60.40%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,630	1,553	1,759	2.11%	1.88%	2.01%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	681	701	696	0.88%	0.85%	0.80%
Asian alone (NH)	1,023	966	1,197	1.32%	1.17%	1.37%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	109	241	331	0.14%	0.29%	0.38%
Other race alone (NH)	69	150	404	0.09%	0.18%	0.46%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,245	1,717	3,293	1.61%	2.07%	3.77%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	18,253	24,940	26,898	23.64%	30.11%	30.80%
Total	77,226	82,825	87,321	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Ogden's Ancestry Groups

In 2017, the largest ancestry groups in Ogden were:

English (15.3%)
German (9.8%)
American (6.7%)
Irish (6.6%)
Scottish (3.7%)
Italian (3.4%)
Danish (2.9%)
French (2.1%)
Swedish (1.9%)
Welsh (1.7%)

Education in Ogden

Weber State University's main campus in Ogden

Ben Lomond High School

Schools for Kids (K-12)

The Ogden City School District runs the public schools in the city. Its boundaries are the same as the city limits. It includes Ogden High School and Ben Lomond High School.

The Weber School District serves areas outside of Ogden city limits. This is true even if they have an "Ogden, Utah" mailing address.

DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts is a charter school system. It has both elementary and secondary schools.

The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind has a boarding facility in Ogden.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City also runs Catholic schools here. This includes Saint Joseph Catholic High School.

Colleges and Universities

Ogden is home to several higher education institutions:

Weber State University
Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College
Stevens–Henager College

The Ogden Botanical Gardens are also in Ogden. They are a branch of Utah State University. They offer classes and distance learning programs.

Ogden's Economy and Businesses

MarketStar headquarters in Ogden, Utah

Bank of Utah was founded in Ogden in 1952 and maintains its corporate headquarters in Ogden

Ogden is a main city in Utah's second largest MSA. This means it is an important business center for northern Utah. Many government offices are located in the central part of the city. These include federal, state, county, and city government buildings.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a big office in Ogden. It is the city's largest employer, with over 5,000 workers. Other big employers include McKay Dee Hospital and Weber State University. Also, the Ogden City School District, Autoliv, Fresenius, and Convergys employ many people.

In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked Ogden highly. It was number 16 on their list of the Best Places for Business and Careers.

The western parts of Ogden have several industrial areas. The biggest one is Business Depot Ogden. This used to be an Army depot. Now, it is a large business park covering over 1,000 acres.

Companies Headquartered in Ogden

Several companies have their main offices in Ogden:

MarketStar – A company focused on sales and marketing.
ENVE Composites – Makes high-quality bicycle parts.
Autoliv North America – Produces safety equipment for cars.
Bank of Utah – Provides banking services.
America First Credit Union – Offers banking services.
Kadince – A company that provides software services.

Transportation in Ogden

FrontRunner commuter rail, which runs between Provo and Ogden, via Salt Lake City

Major highways like I-15 and I-84 serve Ogden. I-84 goes east-west through the southern parts of the city. It joins I-15 near Riverdale. I-15 runs north-south along the western edge of the city. It connects Ogden to other parts of the Wasatch Front and beyond.

US-89 enters Ogden from the south. It runs through the city as Washington Boulevard, which is Ogden's main street. It then continues north to Brigham City. State Route 39 goes east-west through the city as 12th Street. It continues east through Ogden Canyon. This road leads to Pineview Reservoir and the mountain town of Huntsville.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates many bus routes. Four routes go directly between Salt Lake City and Ogden. Many others serve Weber and northern Davis counties. These buses connect to the Ogden Intermodal Hub or Weber State University. Ogden is also where two bus routes to Brigham City start. This is the northernmost part of UTA's bus system. There is also a Greyhound bus stop in Ogden.

The FrontRunner commuter rail runs between Salt Lake City and the Ogden Intermodal Hub.

Ogden–Hinckley Airport is in the southwest part of the city. It is Utah's busiest airport for smaller planes. Currently, Breeze Airways offers flights to Orange County, California.

Fun Places to Visit in Ogden

Historic 25th Street, Downtown

Peery's Egyptian Theatre, Downtown

The First Security Building on 24th Street

Ogden has many interesting places to see:

Bigelow-Ben Lomond Hotel
Dee Events Center
Eccles Avenue Historic District
Historic 25th Street
The Ice Sheet: This was used for Curling during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Jefferson Avenue Historic District
The Junction: A place with shops and homes.
Ogden High School
Ogden Nature Center
Ogden Utah Temple
American Can Company of Utah Building Complex
Ott Planetarium
Peery's Egyptian Theatre
Snowbasin Ski Area: Used for alpine skiing during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Union Station
Ogden Forest Service Building
Weber State University

Sports and Outdoor Fun in Ogden

The mountains and rivers near Ogden offer many chances for outdoor activities.

There is a large system of trails right next to the city. These trails give people easy access to the foothills of the Wasatch Range. People use these trails for hiking, running, and mountain biking. In winter, they are sometimes used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Steeper trails go up into the mountains. Many other mountain trails start close to the city. There are also paved trails along the Ogden and Weber Rivers.

The rocky cliffs above Ogden's foothills are great for rock climbing. A large area of boulders in the foothills is a popular spot for bouldering.

Lindquist Field, home of the Raptors

East of Ogden, there are three downhill ski areas: Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley. Popular places for cross-country skiing include Snowbasin and Weber County's North Fork Park.

Kayaking is a popular sport on parts of the Ogden and Weber Rivers. There is a special kayak park on the Weber River in the western part of the city. The reservoirs near Ogden are used for many different water sports.

Ogden is also home to several sports teams:

The Ogden Raptors: A minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League.
The Junction City Roller Dolls: A Women's Flat Track Derby Association league.
The Ogden Mustangs: A junior hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League.

Ogden Stadium hosts the annual "Hot Rocking 4th." This is a motorsports event. There are also several golf courses in Ogden.

Weber State University has many college sports teams. These teams attract fans from the city. The university is especially known for its basketball team.

Ogden is a satellite location for the Sundance Film Festival. A local film festival, now called the Foursite Film Festival, has been held every year since 2004. Other fun events include a downtown farmer's market, the Ogden Arts Festival, the Harvest Moon Festival, Ogden Winterfest, and the Ogden Marathon.

Ogden has had two shopping malls. Newgate Mall was built in 1981. Ogden City Mall was built a year before. The Ogden City Mall was later taken down and replaced by The Junction complex.

Ogden's Special Mentions

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named after Ogden. The first was the USS Ogden (PF-39) in 1943. The second was the USS Ogden (LPD-5) in 1964.

On September 17, 2024, the National Park Service announced that Ogden was named a World War II Heritage City.

Ogden in Movies and TV

Ogden is one of five cities shown in the first season of the ABC show Emergency Call. This show features real 9-1-1 calls and the people who answer them. The old Ogden City Mall was featured in the music video for the pop song "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany Darwish.

Famous People from Ogden

Many notable people have connections to Ogden:

Hal Ashby, a film director who won an Academy Award.
Rodney Bagley, who helped invent the catalytic converter.
John Moses Browning, a famous inventor of firearms.
Nolan Bushnell, who founded Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's.
Tom Chambers, a basketball player.
Damian Lillard, a basketball player and NBA Rookie of the Year.
J. Willard Marriott, who founded the Marriott hotel chain.
Joe McQueen, a jazz saxophonist.
Wataru Misaka, a basketball player.
"The Osmonds": A famous family of entertainers, including Donny and Marie.
Brent Scowcroft, a politician who was a United States National Security Advisor.
Olene S. Walker, Utah's 15th Governor.
Gedde Watanabe, an actor.