# West Haven, Utah

West Haven is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was estimated at 24,014 as of 2023. It was incorporated on July 1, 1991, combining the unincorporated communities of Kanesville and Wilson.
West Haven is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of Salt Lake City, west of the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah. The confluence of the Weber and Ogden Rivers is located inside the northeastern portion of the city. The city is bordered on the east by Ogden, on the south by Roy, on the west by Hooper, and on the north by Marriott-Slaterville. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
West Haven has a city park which includes a historical monument. Plans provide for a River Parkway Trail that would include a fishing bridge, a pedestrian tunnel under 21st Street, picnic tables, places to rest and points of historical interest. Plans have this trail connect with the Weber County Centennial Trail. The current mayor is Rob Vanderwood who started his term on January 1, 2022.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km$^2$), all land.

## History
### Kanesville

The first settlers in what would become Kanesville arrived in 1868. At the time the area was known as Northwest Hooper. Kanesville was named for Thomas L. Kane. The name Kanesville was adopted when an LDS Ward was first organized there in 1882. The first bishop was Peter B. Peterson.
The name is retained by Kanesville School, a K-6 school in West Haven. Until October 2010 the Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the city was the Kanesville Utah Stake. On October 17, 2010, the Kanesville Utah Stake was divided and a new stake, the West Haven Utah Stake, was formed. The old stake retained the Kanesville name.

### Wilson

Wilson, Utah was formed in 1854. It was named after the four Wilson brothers who began farming in the area in 1854. An irrigation company was formed in 1879 and an LDS Ward was organized in 1882. The first bishop was Brigham Heber Bingham. The first settler to live in the area that became Wilson was John Martin. He moved from Ogden and was the first to move west of the Weber River in 1856. The Wilson Brothers started farming in the area west of the Weber River in 1854, but lived in Ogden. (History from the book, "Mormon John Martin" Utah Pioneer Family History copyright 1969 by Drucilla H. McFarland. Carr Printing.)

### City of West Haven

West Haven installed a citywide sewer system in 2002. In 1994 the city purchased 40 acres for a park which was then developed with playground equipment and sports fields. There is also a historical marker in the park.

## Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 16,739 people in West Haven with a population density of 1,552.7 people per square mile (599.5/km$^2$). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 13,438 (80.3%) White, 167 (1.0%) African American, 91 (0.5%) Native American, 281 (1.7%) Asian, 47 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 58 (0.3%) from other races, and 663 (4.0%) from two or more races. 1,994 (11.9%) people were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 8,339 (49.82%) males and 8,400 (50.18%) females, and the population distribution by age was 5,078 (30.3%) under the age of 18, 10,209 (61.0%) from 18 to 64, and 1,452 (8.7%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 30.2 years.
There were 5,442 households in West Haven with an average size of 3.08 of which 4,238 (77.9%) were families and 1,204 (22.1%) were non-families. Among all families, 3,327 (61.1%) were married couples, 350 (6.4%) were male householders with no spouse, and 561 (10.3%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 873 (16.0%) were a single person living alone and 331 (6.1%) were two or more people living together. 2,417 (44.4%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 3,976 (73.1%) of households were owner-occupied while 1,466 (26.9%) were renter-occupied.
The median income for a West Haven household was $80,762 and the median family income was $88,309, with a per-capita income of $31,976. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $62,817 and for females $45,884. 4.9% of the population and 2.1% of families were below the poverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 8,316 people in West Haven 25 years or older, 222 (2.7%) had not completed high school, 2,503 (30.1%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 2,922 (35.1%) had some college or associate degree, 2,160 (26.0%) had a bachelor's degree, and 509 (6.1%) had a graduate or professional degree.