Weber County, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Weber County
U.S. county
Historic United States Post Office and Courthouse in Ogden, Utah.
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Utah
Founded	January 31, 1850 (created) March 3, 1852 (organized)
Named for	John Henry Weber
Seat	Ogden
Largest city	Ogden
Area
• Total	659 sq mi (1,710 km2)
• Land	576 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Water	83 sq mi (210 km2)  13%
Population  (2020)
• Total	262,223
• Estimate  (2023)	271,926
• Density	472/sq mi (182/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	1st

Weber County (pronounced WEE-ber) is a county in the state of Utah. In 2020, about 262,223 people lived here. This makes it Utah's fourth-largest county by population.

The main city and county seat is Ogden. This city is also home to Weber State University. The county got its name from a fur trapper named John Weber. Weber County is part of a larger metropolitan area that includes Ogden and Clearfield.

History of Weber County

Early Explorers and Settlers

The Weber Valley was a popular spot for fur trappers. They came looking for beavers and muskrats along the streams. One of the first trappers arrived in 1824 from Fort Bridger. He reported that the Bear River flowed into a salty bay.

Peter Skene Ogden explored the area in 1826. He worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. He traded furs near what is now North Ogden for several years. Later, in 1843, John C. Frémont explored the Weber Valley. He made maps that encouraged people to move west.

Miles Goodyear, another fur trapper, built a trading post in 1845. It was located on the Weber River. In 1847, he sold it to the first Mormon pioneers arriving in the area. James Brown bought the site and renamed it Brownsville. This place later became known as Ogden.

How Weber County Was Formed

After the Mormon pioneers settled in Utah, they started a government. In 1849, this government was called the State of Deseret. On January 31, 1850, they created six counties. Weber County was one of them, with Ogden as its main city.

The exact borders of the county were set in 1852. These borders changed a few times over the years. In 1862, the creation of Nevada Territory made Weber County much smaller. By 1880, the county's borders were set to what they are today.

Originally, Weber County stretched all the way to California. It also went north to the Oregon boundary. Now, it covers part of the Wasatch Front. It also includes some eastern shores of the Great Salt Lake. And it has a large part of the rugged Wasatch Mountains.

Geography and Nature

Land and Water Features

Weber County stretches from the high Wasatch Range in the east. It reaches into a part of the Great Salt Lake in the west. The Weber River and Ogden rivers flow through its valleys. Many smaller streams also feed into these rivers.

The county is divided into two main areas. These are the "Lower Valley" and the "Upper Valley." A mountain ridge separates them. The Lower Valley is closer to the Great Salt Lake and has more people. The Upper Valley is mostly the Ogden Valley. This area is where the Ogden River gets its water.

The highest point in the county is Willard Peak. It is in the Wasatch Mountains. This peak is about 9,763 ft (2,976 m) above sea level. The county covers 659 square miles (1,710 km²) in total. About 576 square miles (1,490 km²) is land, and 83 square miles (210 km²) (13%) is water. It is one of Utah's smaller counties.

Major Roads and Transportation

Many roads in Weber County follow a special grid system. Road names change by 800 for every mile. This is similar to how roads are named in Salt Lake County. North Ogden was the first city to use this system in 1947. The main north/south line is 1st Street. The main east/west line is Wall Avenue in Ogden.

Neighboring Counties

Parks and Protected Areas

Lakes and Ponds

People of Weber County (Demographics)

Population Overview (2020)

In 2020, Weber County had 262,223 people. This means there were about 429 people for every square mile. Most people (73.9%) were White. About 18.6% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were slightly more males (50.29%) than females (49.71%). About 27.7% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age in the county was 32.9 years.

Households and Income

There were about 89,595 households in Weber County. The average household had almost three people. Most households (72.0%) were families. About 54.3% of families were married couples.

The average income for a household was $71,275 per year. For families, the average income was $80,961. About 8.6% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Education Levels

Many adults in Weber County have completed high school. Out of people 25 years or older:

• 29.3% had a high school diploma.
• 37.2% had some college or an associate degree.
• 17.5% had a bachelor's degree.
• 7.6% had a graduate or professional degree.

Age Distribution in 2010

The average age in 2010 was 30.7 years. For every 100 females, there were about 100.7 males.

Ancestry Groups (2017)

In 2017, the largest ancestry groups in Weber County were:

• English (21.6%)
• German (10.5%)
• "American" (7.5%)
• Irish (6.1%)
• Scottish (4.1%)
• Danish (3.9%)
• Italian (3.6%)
• Dutch (3.1%)
• Swedish (3.0%)
• Welsh (1.9%)
• Norwegian (1.9%)

Education in Weber County

Colleges and Universities

Weber County has several places for higher education:

• Weber State University
• Ogden–Weber Technical College

K-12 School Districts

There are two main school districts for younger students:

• Ogden City School District
• Weber School District

There is also a special state-run school:

• Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

Communities in Weber County

Cities

Towns

• Huntsville

Townships

• Reese
• Warren
• Weber
• West Weber

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

• Eden
• Liberty
• Wolf Creek

Census County Division

• Ogden Valley

Unincorporated Communities

Famous People from Weber County

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Weber para niños