# Orem, Utah

Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately 45 miles (72 km) south of Salt Lake City.
Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and Juab counties. The 2020 population was 98,129, while the 2010 population was 88,328 making it the 5th most populous city in Utah. Utah Valley University is located in Orem.

## History

At one time the area was known as Sharon, a Biblical name for a mostly level strip of land running between mountains and the sea, and the name of the Vermont birth town of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Another former name was Provo Bench. In an apparent attempt to attract more investment to the town and provide an easy way for the large population of farmers with orchards to ship produce, in 1914 it was named after Walter C. Orem, President of the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad in the early 1900s. Orem was incorporated on May 5, 1919.

## Geography

Orem is in a high desert, with an average elevation of 4,767 feet. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 18.4 square miles (48 km$^2$), all land. Orem is near the eastern shore of Utah Lake, bordering Provo on the east and south, Vineyard to the west, Lindon contiguous to the north, and Mount Timpanogos/Wasatch Mountain range to the east.

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Orem, 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) | 73,076 | 68,433 | 68,948 | 86.66% | 77.48% | 70.26% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 267 | 524 | 866 | 0.32% | 0.59% | 0.88% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 521 | 528 | 485 | 0.62% | 0.60% | 0.49% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,202 | 1,688 | 1,968 | 1.43% | 1.91% | 2.01% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 710 | 856 | 1,409 | 0.84% | 0.97% | 1.44% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 103 | 162 | 469 | 0.12% | 0.18% | 0.48% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,228 | 1,913 | 4,130 | 1.46% | 2.17% | 4.21% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,217 | 14,224 | 19,854 | 8.56% | 16.10% | 20.23% |
| Total | 84,324 | 88,328 | 98,129 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of 2011 the 88,112 residents of Orem had a racial and ethnic composition of 89.3% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander Americans, 4% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% two or more races reported and 14.8% Hispanic, as Orem has a large Mexican American community with other Latinos residing in the city. This contrasts with the census of 2000, which showed a racial makeup of 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.
The 2000 Census counted 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families. The population density at that time was 4,572.6 people per square mile (1,765.5 people/km$^2$). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 1,310.4 per square mile (505.9/km$^2$). There were 23,382 households, out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,703, and the median income for a family was $59,066. Males had a median income of $42,249 versus $30,742 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,971. About 10.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2002, over 97% of all church-going citizens of Orem are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Due to the high numbers of Latter-day Saints in the area, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple in Orem on October 5, 2019. The temple is located a half mile south of the Interstate 15 exit at University Parkway on South Geneva Road.

## Education

Orem is in the Alpine School District and is home to three high schools, three junior high schools, and 14 elementary schools. Stevens-Henager College is also in Orem, as is an education center of Utah State University.

### Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University is a public university operated by the state of Utah. UVU is one of the United States' only Open Enrollment Universities, accepting all applicants. UVU offers a wide variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. It is Utah's largest and fastest-growing public university, with over 43,000 undergraduates. The campus's notable features include the UCCU Center, the Digital Learning Center library, the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, and the Woodbury School of Business. The Roots of Knowledge stained glass display is in the Fulton Library on campus.

## Government

Orem has a council–manager government. The mayor and council members are elected and serve part-time, while the city manager is appointed and serves full-time. Six city council members serve alongside the mayor. The mayor and city council are elected to staggered four-year terms.
| Name | Position | Elected/Appointed | Year First Elected/Appointed | Number of Terms Served (Includes Current Term) | Current Term Ends |
| David Young | Mayor | Elected | 2021 | 1 | 2025 |
| Jenn Gale | City Council | Elected | 2023 | 1 | 2027 |
| Chris Killpack | City Council | Elected | 2023 | 1 | 2027 |
| Jeff Lambson | City Council | Elected | 2019 | 2 | 2027 |
| Tom Macdonald | City Council | Elected | 2013 | 3 | 2025 |
| LaNae Millett | City Council | Elected | 2021 | 1 | 2025 |
| David Spencer | City Council | Elected | 2013 | 3 | 2025 |
| Brenn Bybee | City Manager | Appointed | 2023 | N/A | N/A |
List of mayors of Orem (years served):
* B. M. Jolley (1941-1945)
* J. W. Gillman (1946-1953)
* Ray E. Loveless (1953)
* Leland Jarman (1954-1957)
* Luzell Robbins (1958)
* V. Emil Hansen (1958-1959)
* Melbourne D. Wallace (1960-1961)
* G. Milton Jameson (1962-1965)
* James E. Mangum (1966-1967)
* Winston M. Crawford (1968-1973)
* James E. Mangum (1974-1981)
* Delance W. Squire (1982-1985)
* S. Blaine Willes (1986-1991)
* Joyce Johnson (1991)
* Stella Welsh (1992-1997)
* Joseph Nelson (died in office) (1998-1999)
* Chris Yandow (1999-1999)
* Jerry C. Washburn (2000-2011) Died on September 26, 2011, after a long battle with cancer.
* James T. Evans (2011-2014)
* Richard F. Brunst, Jr. (2014-2021)
* David A. Young (2022-Current)

## Economy

Orem has a wide variety of stores and businesses. It is also home to University Place, Utah County's oldest mall, opened in March 1973.

### Top employers

According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's top employers are:
| # | Employer | # of employees | Percent of Total City Employment |
| 1 | Utah Valley University | 3,030 | 5.9% |
| 2 | Alpine School District | 1,222 | 2.4% |
| 3 | City of Orem | 569 | 1.1% |
| 4 | Timpanogos Regional Hospital | 507 | 1.0% |
| 5 | Avetta, LLC | 500 | 1.0% |
| 6 | Wal-Mart | 499 | 1.0% |
| 7 | Target Corporation | 409 | 0.8% |
| 8 | United Parcel Service, Inc. | 360 | 0.7% |
| 9 | Costco | 350 | 0.7% |
| 10 | U.S. Synthetic Corporation | 347 | 0.7% |
| | Total | 7,793 | 15.3% |

### Company startups

Several notable companies started in Orem:
* Blendtec
* Bluehost
* Caldera
* Chess.com
* Fishbowl Inventory
* Flexsim
* Mity-Lite
* Novell (now owned by Micro Focus)
* Omniture (now owned by Adobe Systems)
* PowerQuest
* Wahoo Studios
** NinjaBee, subdivision of Wahoo Studios
* WordPerfect (now owned by Corel, it was first named Satellite Software International and used Orem City Center as its headquarters for a time in offices the city had available in the basement)
* Zuka Juice

## Sports

Orem has been home to a number of professional sports teams in addition to being the home to Utah Valley University's Wolverines athletic teams. The Orem Owlz minor league baseball team, a rookie league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, began play in 2005. The Owlz won 5 championships and had more than 90 major league players as part of the team. The Owlz played their home games at UCCU Ballpark on the campus of Utah Valley University. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 spectators. The Owlz competed in the Pioneer League against teams from Colorado, Idaho, Montana and one team in Utah - the Ogden Raptors. They relocated to Windsor, Colorado, in 2021 and became the Northern Colorado Owlz.
Orem has also been the home to two indoor football teams as well as a G League professional basketball team. In 1998, the Utah Catzz played their only season in the Professional Indoor Football League as the league only lasted one season. The Utah Flash was an NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers that was established in 2007.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Established | Concluded | Championships | Notes |
| Orem Owlz | Baseball | Pioneer League, Baseball | UCCU Ballpark | 2005 | 2020 | 5 | The Pioneer League 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Utah Catzz | Football | Professional Indoor Football League | UCCU Center | 1998 | 1998 | 0 | The Professional Indoor Football League only operated for one year during the 1998 season. |
| Utah Flash | Basketball | NBA G League | UCCU Center | 2007 | 2011 | 0 | The Utah Flash was later moved and is now known as the Delaware Blue Coats. |
| Utah Valley Thunder | Football | American Indoor Football Association | UCCU Center | 2009 | 2009 | 0 | The Utah Valley Thunder returned to the Arena Football League until 2013. |

## Transportation
### Public transit

Several modes of transportation are available in Orem. The Utah Transit Authority operates the Frontrunner train, Utah Valley Express (UVX) bus rapid transit and regular bus service in the city. The Orem station serves Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner train. The UVX route runs from Orem Central Station through UVU and along University Parkway through Orem's uptown near its southern boundary with Provo, which is where the opposite end of the bus line is located.

### Major highways

The road system includes an Interstate highway, US highways, state highways, and city-maintained roads. Interstate 15 runs through the west side of Orem with four interchanges in the city. US Highway 89 (State Street) runs northwest–southeast through the middle of the city, while US Highway 189 (University Avenue) passes through a short section of northeast Orem. There are also four state routes that pass through the city - SR-52 (800 North/Canyon Parkway), SR-114 (Geneva Road), SR-241 (1600 North), and SR-265 (University Parkway).

## Notable people

* Alan Ashton - owns land of Thanksgiving Point and is co-founder of WordPerfect
* Ben Cahoon - receiver for the Montreal Alouettes
* William Campbell - California state legislator
* James C. Christensen - fantasy, religious and surrealism artist
* Ally Condie - New York Times bestselling author of the Matched series
* LaVell Edwards - BYU football coach
* Travis Hansen - former guard for Atlanta Hawks; co-founder of Eddy
* Brett Helquist- illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events
* Gary Herbert - former Governor of the State of Utah
* Chelsie Hightower - Professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars
* Allison Holker - So You Think You Can Dance season 2 finalist
* Julianne Hough - actress, professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars, and singer, born in Orem
* John S. K. Kauwe III - Biologist and president of Brigham Young University–Hawaii
* Paul Kruger - NFL linebacker for the Cleveland Browns
* Chad Lewis - NFL tight end
* Bert McCracken - lead vocals of the rock band The Used, was born in Provo but grew up in Orem
* Rome Odunze - NFL wide receiver for the Chicago Bears was born in Orem
* Donny Osmond - American actor and singer
* Marie Osmond - American actress and singer
* Noelle Pikus-Pace - 2005 overall World Cup Skeleton title winner and silver medalist at 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
* Shauna Rohbock - silver medalist in women's bobsleigh at the Turin 2006 Olympics
* Thomas Sederberg - Creator of the T-spline
* Howard Tayler - author of Schlock Mercenary
* Erin Thorn - WNBA guard
* Dan Wells - author of the I Am Not a Serial Killer and Partials Sequence
* Matt Norman - professional basketball player
Notable groups include:
* Rock band The Used

## City parks

Orem has more than 20 parks throughout the city. In 2017, the Orem Splash Pad opened at Palisade Park. The Splash Pad uses 1,000 gallons per minute and has a weave spray nozzle as well as 22 other spray nozzles. The Skate Park opened in 2002 and has a quarter acre of cemented space for extreme sport use. City Center Park is home to the annual Orem Summerfest as well as concerts and other cultural events. City parks include:
* Bonneville Park
* Cascade Park
* Cherry Hill Park
* City Center Park
* Community park
* Foothill Park
* Geneva Park
* Hillcrest Park
* Lakeside Sports Park
* Mt. Timpanogos Park
* Nielson's Grove Park
* Northridge Park
* Orchard Park
* Palisade Park
* Scera Park
* Sharon Park
* Skate Park
* Spring Water Park
* Westmore Park
* Windsor Park

## Sister cities

Orem has one sister city in Ürümqi, China, according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Sister Cities Coalition.