Utah

**Utah** (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a state in the Western United States. It is bordered by Colorado to the east, Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, Arizona to the south and Nevada to the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast. Of the fifty U.S. states, Utah is the 13th-largest by area; with a population over three million, it is the 30th-most-populous and 11th-least-densely populated. Urban development is mostly concentrated in two areas: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the population and includes the capital city, Salt Lake City; and Washington County in the south, with more than 170,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin.

The territory of modern Utah has been inhabited by various indigenous groups for thousands of years, including the ancient Puebloans, the Navajo and the Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region's difficult geography and climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico. Even while it was part of Mexico, many of Utah's earliest settlers were American, particularly Mormons fleeing marginalization and persecution from the United States. Following the Mexican–American War, it became part of the Utah Territory, which included what is now Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted as the 45th, in 1896.

A little more than half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City. Utah is the only state where most of the population belongs to a single church. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular.

The state has a highly diversified economy, with major sectors including transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining; it is also a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation. In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Utah had the second-fastest-growing population of any state. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah also has the 14th-highest median average income and the least income inequality of any U.S. state. A 2012 Gallup national survey found Utah overall to be the "best state to live in the future" based on 13 forward-looking measurements including various economic, lifestyle, and health-related outlook metrics.

## Geography and geologyTemplate:Anchor

See also: List of canyons and gorges in Utah, List of Utah counties, and List of earthquakes in Utah
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Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state at the convergence of three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau.

Utah covers an area of Template:Convert. It is one of the Four Corners states and is bordered by Idaho in the north, Wyoming in the north and east; by Colorado in the east; at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast; by Arizona in the south; and by Nevada in the west. Only three U.S. states (Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) have exclusively latitude and longitude lines as boundaries.

One of Utah's defining characteristics is the variety of its terrain. Running down the middle of the state's northern third is the Wasatch Range, which rises to heights of almost Template:Convert above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts made popular by light, fluffy snow and winter storms that regularly dump up to three feet of it overnight. In the state's northeastern section, running east to west, are the Uinta Mountains, which rise to heights of over Template:Convert. The highest point in the state, Kings Peak, at Template:Convert, lies within the Uinta Mountains.

At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front, a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. It stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at the south end. Approximately 75 percent of the state's population lives in this corridor, and population growth is rapid.

Western Utah is mostly arid desert with a basin and range topography. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. The Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the bed of ancient Lake Bonneville. Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Sevier Lake, and Rush Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake, which once covered most of the eastern Great Basin. West of the Great Salt Lake, stretching to the Nevada border, lies the arid Great Salt Lake Desert. One exception to this aridity is Snake Valley, which is (relatively) lush due to large springs and wetlands fed from groundwater derived from snow melt in the Snake Range, Deep Creek Range, and other tall mountains to the west of Snake Valley. Great Basin National Park is just over the Nevada state line in the southern Snake Range. One of western Utah's most impressive, but least visited attractions is Notch Peak, the tallest limestone cliff in North America, located west of Delta.

Much of the scenic southern and southeastern landscape (specifically the Colorado Plateau region) is sandstone, specifically Kayenta sandstone and Navajo sandstone. The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through the sandstone, creating some of the world's most striking and wild terrain (the area around the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers was the last to be mapped in the lower 48 United States). Wind and rain have also sculpted the soft sandstone over millions of years. Canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas are the common sight throughout south-central and southeast Utah.

This terrain is the central feature of protected state and federal parks such as Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion national parks, Cedar Breaks, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges national monuments, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (site of the popular tourist destination, Lake Powell), Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks, and Monument Valley. The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah. Southeastern Utah is also punctuated by the remote, but lofty La Sal, Abajo, and Henry mountain ranges.

Eastern (northern quarter) Utah is a high-elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins, particularly the Tavaputs Plateau and San Rafael Swell, which remain mostly inaccessible, and the Uinta Basin, where the majority of eastern Utah's population lives. Economies are dominated by mining, oil shale, oil, and natural gas-drilling, ranching, and recreation. Much of eastern Utah is part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The most popular destination within northeastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal.

Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Utah's Dixie because early settlers were able to grow some cotton there. Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah is the lowest point in the state, at Template:Convert. The northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert is also located in this area. Dixie is quickly becoming a popular recreational and retirement destination, and the population is growing rapidly. Although the Wasatch Mountains end at Mount Nebo near Nephi, a complex series of mountain ranges extends south from the southern end of the range down the spine of Utah. Just north of Dixie and east of Cedar City is the state's highest ski resort, Brian Head.

Like most of the western and southwestern states, the federal government owns much of the land in Utah. Over 70 percent of the land is either BLM land, Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest, U.S. National Park, U.S. National Monument, National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area. Utah is the only state where every county contains some national forest.

### Adjacent states

* Idaho (north)
* Wyoming (east and north)
* Colorado (east)
* Nevada (west)
* Arizona (south)

### Climate

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Utah features a dry, semi-arid to desert climate,Template:Citation needed although its many mountains feature a large variety of climates, with the highest points in the Uinta Mountains being above the timberline. The dry weather is a result of the state's location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California. The eastern half of the state lies in the rain shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. The primary source of precipitation for the state is the Pacific Ocean, with the state usually lying in the path of large Pacific storms from October to May. In summer, the state, especially southern and eastern Utah, lies in the path of monsoon moisture from the Gulf of California.

Most of the lowland areas receive less than Template:Convert of precipitation annually, although the I-15 corridor, including the densely populated Wasatch Front, receives approximately Template:Convert. The Great Salt Lake Desert is the driest area of the state, with less than Template:Convert. Snowfall is common in all but the far southern valleys. Although St. George receives only about Template:Convert per year, Salt Lake City sees about Template:Convert, enhanced by the lake-effect snow from the Great Salt Lake, which increases snowfall totals to the south, southeast, and east of the lake.

Some areas of the Wasatch Range in the path of the lake-effect receive up to Template:Convert per year. This micro climate of enhanced snowfall from the Great Salt Lake spans the entire proximity of the lake. The cottonwood canyons adjacent to Salt Lake City are located in the right position to receive more precipitation from the lake. The consistently deep powder snow led Utah's ski industry to adopt the slogan "the Greatest Snow on Earth" in the 1980s. In the winter, temperature inversions are a common phenomenon across Utah's low basins and valleys, leading to thick haze and fog that can last for weeks at a time, especially in the Uintah Basin. Although at other times of year its air quality is good, winter inversions give Salt Lake City some of the worst wintertime pollution in the country.

Previous studies have indicated a widespread decline in snowpack over Utah accompanied by a decline in the snow–precipitation ratio while anecdotal evidence claims have been put forward that measured changes in Utah's snowpack are spurious and do not reflect actual change. A 2012 study found that the proportion of winter (January–March) precipitation falling as snow has decreased by nine percent during the last half century, a combined result from a significant increase in rainfall and a minor decrease in snowfall. Meanwhile, observed snow depth across Utah has decreased and is accompanied by consistent decreases in snow cover and surface albedo. Weather systems with the potential to produce precipitation in Utah have decreased in number with those producing snowfall decreasing at a considerably greater rate.

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Utah's temperatures are extreme, with cold temperatures in winter due to its elevation, and very hot summers statewide (with the exception of mountain areas and high mountain valleys). Utah is usually protected from major blasts of cold air by mountains lying north and east of the state, although major Arctic blasts can occasionally reach the state. Average January high temperatures range from around Template:Convert in some northern valleys to almost Template:Convert in St. George.

Temperatures dropping below Template:Convert should be expected on occasion in most areas of the state most years, although some areas see it often (for example, the town of Randolph averages about fifty days per year with temperatures that low). In July, average highs range from about Template:Convert. However, the low humidity and high elevation typically leads to large temperature variations, leading to cool nights most summer days. The record high temperature in Utah was Template:Convert, recorded south of St. George on July 4, 2007, and the record low was Template:Convert, recorded at Peter Sinks in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah on February 1, 1985. However, the record low for an inhabited location is Template:Convert at Woodruff on December 12, 1932.

Utah, like most of the western United States, has few days of thunderstorms. On average there are fewer than 40 days of thunderstorm activity during the year, although these storms can be briefly intense when they do occur. They are most likely to occur during monsoon season from about mid-July through mid-September, especially in southern and eastern Utah. Dry lightning strikes and the general dry weather often spark wildfires in summer, while intense thunderstorms can lead to flash flooding, especially in the rugged terrain of southern Utah. Although spring is the wettest season in northern Utah, late summer is the wettest period for much of the south and east of the state. Tornadoes are uncommon in Utah, with an average of two striking the state yearly, rarely higher than EF1 intensity.

One exception of note, however, was the unprecedented F2 Salt Lake City Tornado which moved directly across downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999, killing one person, injuring sixty others, and causing approximately $170 million in damage. The only other reported tornado fatality in Utah's history was a 7-year-old girl who was killed while camping in Summit County on July 6, 1884. The last tornado of above (E)F0 intensity occurred on September 8, 2002, when an F2 tornado hit Manti. On August 11, 1993, an F3 tornado hit the Uinta Mountains north of Duchesne at an elevation of Template:Convert, causing some damage to a Boy Scouts campsite. This is the strongest tornado ever recorded in Utah.Template:Citation needed

### Wildlife

See also: List of fauna of Utah
Utah is home to more than 600 vertebrate animals as well as numerous invertebrates and insects.

#### Mammals

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Mammals are found in every area of Utah. Non-predatory larger mammals include the wood bison, elk, moose, mountain goat, mule deer, pronghorn, and multiple types of bighorn sheep. Non-predatory small mammals include muskrat, and nutria. Predatory mammals include the brown and black bear, cougar, Canada lynx, bobcat, fox (gray, red, and kit), coyote, badger, gray wolf, black-footed ferret, mink, stoat, long-tailed weasel, raccoon, and otter.

#### Birds

Main article: List of birds of Utah
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#### Insects

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There are many different insects found in Utah. One of the most rare is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle, found only in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, near Kanab. It was proposed in 2012 to be listed as a threatened species, but the proposal was not accepted.

In February 2009, Africanized honeybees were found in southern Utah. The bees had spread into eight counties in Utah, as far north as Grand and Emery counties by May 2017.

The white-lined sphinx moth is common to most of the United States, but there have been reported outbreaks of large groups of their larvae damaging tomato, grape and garden crops in Utah.

### Vegetation

Main article: List of flora of Utah
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Several thousand plants are native to Utah.

## Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Utah
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The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Utah was 3,205,958 on July 1, 2019, an 16.00% increase since the 2010 United States Census. The center of population of Utah is located in Utah County in the city of Lehi. Much of the population lives in cities and towns along the Wasatch Front, a metropolitan region that runs north–south with the Wasatch Mountains rising on the eastern side. Growth outside the Wasatch Front is also increasing. The St. George metropolitan area is currently the second fastest-growing in the country after the Las Vegas metropolitan area, while the Heber micropolitan area is also the second fastest-growing in the country (behind Palm Coast, Florida).

Utah contains five metropolitan areas (Logan, Ogden-Clearfield, Salt Lake City, Provo-Orem, and St. George), and six micropolitan areas (Brigham City, Heber, Vernal, Price, Richfield, and Cedar City).

### Health and fertility

Utah ranks among the highest in total fertility rate, 47th in teenage pregnancy, lowest in percentage of births out of wedlock, lowest in number of abortions per capita, and lowest in percentage of teen pregnancies terminated in abortion. However, statistics relating to pregnancies and abortions may also be artificially low from teenagers going out of state for abortions because of parental notification requirements. Utah has the lowest child poverty rate in the country, despite its young demographics. According to the Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index Template:As of, Utahns ranked fourth in overall well-being in the United States. A 2002 national prescription drug study determined that antidepressant drugs were "prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average". The data shows that depression rates in Utah are no higher than the national average.

### Religion

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As of 2017, 62.8% of Utahns are counted as members of the LDS Church. This declined to 61.2% in 2018 and to 60.7% in 2019. Members of the LDS Church currently make up between 34%–41% of the population within Salt Lake City. However, many of the other major population centers such as Provo, Logan, Tooele, and St. George tend to be predominantly LDS, along with many suburban and rural areas. The LDS Church has the largest number of congregations, numbering 4,815 wards.

Though the LDS Church officially maintains a policy of neutrality in regard to political parties, the church's doctrine has a strong regional influence on politics. Another doctrine effect can be seen in Utah's high birth rate (25 percent higher than the national average; the highest for a state in the U.S.). The Mormons in Utah tend to have conservative views when it comes to most political issues and the majority of voter-age Utahns are unaffiliated voters (60%) who vote overwhelmingly Republican. Mitt Romney received 72.8% of the Utahn votes in 2012, while John McCain polled 62.5% in the 2008 United States presidential election and 70.9% for George W. Bush in 2004. In 2010 the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) reported that the three largest denominational groups in Utah are the LDS Church with 1,910,504 adherents; the Catholic Church with 160,125 adherents, and the Southern Baptist Convention with 12,593 adherents. There is a small but growing Jewish presence in the state.

According to results from the 2010 United States Census, combined with official LDS Church membership statistics, church members represented 62.1% of Utah's total population. The Utah county with the lowest percentage of church members was Grand County, at 26.5%, while the county with the highest percentage was Morgan County, at 86.1%. In addition, the result for the most populated county, Salt Lake County, was 51.4%.

According to a Gallup poll, Utah had the third-highest number of people reporting as "Very Religious" in 2015, at 55% (trailing only Mississippi and Alabama). However, it was near the national average of people reporting as "Nonreligious" (31%), and featured the smallest percentage of people reporting as "Moderately Religious" (15%) of any state, being eight points lower than second-lowest state Vermont. In addition, it had the highest average weekly church attendance of any state, at 51%.

### Languages

The official language in the state of Utah is English. Utah English is primarily a merger of Northern and Midland American dialects carried west by LDS Church members, whose original New York dialect later incorporated features from southern Ohio and central Illinois. Conspicuous in the speech of some in the central valley, although less frequent now in Salt Lake City, is a reversal of vowels, so that *farm* and *barn* sound like *form* and *born* and, conversely, *form* and *born* sound like *farm* and *barn*.Template:Citation needed

In 2000, 87.5% of all state residents five years of age or older spoke only English at home, a decrease from 92.2% in 1990.

**Top 14 Non-English Languages Spoken in Utah**
 Arapaho | 0.1%

### Age and gender

Utah has the highest total birth rate and accordingly, the youngest population of any U.S. state. In 2010, the state's population was 50.2% male and 49.8% female. The life expectancy is 79.3 years.

## Transportation

Further information: List of state highways in Utah and Utah Transit Authority
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I-15 and I-80 are the main interstate highways in the state, where they intersect and briefly merge near downtown Salt Lake City. I-15 traverses the state north-to-south, entering from Arizona near St. George, paralleling the Wasatch Front, and crossing into Idaho near Portage. I-80 spans northern Utah east-to-west, entering from Nevada at Wendover, crossing the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City, and entering Wyoming near Evanston. I-84 West enters from Idaho near Snowville (from Boise) and merges with I-15 from Tremonton to Ogden, then heads southeast through the Wasatch Mountains before terminating at I-80 near Echo Junction.

I-70 splits from I-15 at Cove Fort in central Utah and heads east through mountains and rugged desert terrain, providing quick access to the many national parks and national monuments of southern Utah, and has been noted for its beauty. The Template:Convert stretch from Salina to Green River is the country's longest stretch of interstate without services and, when completed in 1970, was the longest stretch of entirely new highway constructed in the U.S. since the Alaska Highway was completed in 1943.

TRAX, a light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley, consists of three lines. The Blue Line (formerly Salt Lake/Sandy Line) begins in the suburb of Draper and ends in Downtown Salt Lake City. The Red Line (Mid-Jordan/University Line) begins in the Daybreak Community of South Jordan, a southwestern valley suburb, and ends at the University of Utah. The Green Line begins in West Valley City, passes through downtown Salt Lake City, and ends at Salt Lake City International Airport.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA), which operates TRAX, also operates a bus system that stretches across the Wasatch Front, west into Grantsville, and east into Park City. In addition, UTA provides winter service to the ski resorts east of Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Provo. Several bus companies also provide access to the ski resorts in winter, and local bus companies also serve the cities of Cedar City, Logan, Park City, and St. George. A commuter rail line known as *FrontRunner*, also operated by UTA, runs between Ogden and Provo via Salt Lake City. Amtrak's *California Zephyr*, with one train in each direction daily, runs east–west through Utah with stops in Green River, Helper, Provo, and Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City International Airport is the only international airport in the state and serves as one of the hubs for Delta Air Lines. The airport has consistently ranked first in on-time departures and had the fewest cancellations among U.S. airports. The airport has non-stop service to more than a hundred destinations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as to Amsterdam, London and Paris. Canyonlands Field (near Moab), Cedar City Regional Airport, Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Provo Municipal Airport, St. George Regional Airport, and Vernal Regional Airport all provide limited commercial air service. A new regional airport at St. George opened on January 12, 2011. SkyWest Airlines is also headquartered in St. George and maintains a hub at Salt Lake City.

## Law and government

Further information: Government of Utah, List of Utah Governors, List of Utah State Legislatures, Utah State Senate, and Utah State House of Representatives
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Utah government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The current governor of Utah is Gary Herbert, who was sworn in on August 11, 2009. The governor is elected for a four-year term. The Utah State Legislature consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. State senators serve four-year terms and representatives two-year terms. The Utah Legislature meets each year in January for an annual 45-day session.

The Utah Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Utah. It consists of five justices, who are appointed by the governor, and then subject to retention election. The Utah Court of Appeals handles cases from the trial courts. Trial level courts are the district courts and justice courts. All justices and judges, like those on the Utah Supreme Court, are subject to retention election after appointment.

### Counties

Main article: List of counties in Utah

Utah is divided into political jurisdictions designated as *counties*. Since 1918 there have been 29 counties in the state, ranging from Template:Convert.

* Total Counties: 29
* Total 2010 population: 2,763,885
* Total state area: Template:Convert

## Major cities and towns

Main article: List of municipalities in Utah
See also: Utah locations by per capita income

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Utah's population is concentrated in two areas, the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, with over 2.6 million residents; and Washington County, in southwestern Utah, locally known as "Dixie", with more than 175,000 residents in the metropolitan area.

According to the 2010 Census, Utah was the second fastest-growing state (at 23.8 percent) in the United States between 2000 and 2010 (behind Nevada). St. George, in the southwest, is the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, trailing Greeley, Colorado.

The three fastest-growing counties from 2000 to 2010 were Wasatch County (54.7%), Washington County (52.9%), and Tooele County (42.9%). However, Utah County added the most people (148,028). Between 2000 and 2010, Saratoga Springs (1,673%), Herriman (1,330%), Eagle Mountain (893%), Cedar Hills (217%), South Willard (168%), Nibley (166%), Syracuse (159%), West Haven (158%), Lehi (149%), Washington (129%), and Stansbury Park (116%) all at least doubled in population. West Jordan (35,376), Lehi (28,379), St. George (23,234), South Jordan (20,981), West Valley City (20,584), and Herriman (20,262) all added at least 20,000 people.

* Until 2003, the Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan areas were considered as a single metropolitan area.Template:Citation needed

## Colleges and universities

Main article: List of colleges and universities in Utah
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* Ameritech College of Healthcare in Draper
* The Art Institute of Salt Lake City in Draper
* Bridgerland Technical College in Logan
* Broadview University in Salt Lake City, Layton, Orem, West Jordan
* Brigham Young University in Provo (satellite campus in Salt Lake City)
* Certified Career Institute in Salt Lake City and Clearfield
* Davis Technical College in Kaysville
* Dixie State University in St. George
* Eagle Gate College in Murray and Layton
* George Wythe University in Salt Lake City
* LDS Business College in Salt Lake City
* Mountainland Technical College in Lehi
* Neumont University in South Jordan
* Ogden–Weber Technical College in Ogden
* Provo College in Provo
* Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo
* Roseman University in South Jordan, Utah
* Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville
* Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield
* Southern Utah University (formerly Southern Utah State College) in Cedar City
* Southwest Technical College in Cedar City
* Stevens-Henager College at various locations statewide
* Tooele Technical College in Tooele
* Uintah Basin Technical College in Roosevelt
* University of Phoenix at various locations statewide
* University of Utah in Salt Lake City
* Utah College of Applied Technology in Lehi
* Utah State University in Logan (satellite campuses at various state locations)
* Utah State University Eastern in Price (formerly the College of Eastern Utah until 2010)
* Utah Valley University (formerly Utah Valley State College) in Orem
* Weber State University in Ogden
* Western Governors University an online only university, headquartered in Salt Lake City
* Westminster College in Salt Lake City

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## Culture

### Sports

See also: List of professional sports teams in Utah
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Utah is the second-least populous U.S. state to have a major professional sports league franchise, after the Vegas Golden Knights joined the National Hockey League in 2017. The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association play at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. The team moved to the city from New Orleans in 1979 and has been one of the most consistently successful teams in the league (although they have yet to win a championship). Salt Lake City was previously host to the Utah Stars, who competed in the ABA from 1970 to 1976 and won one championship, and to the Utah Starzz of the WNBA from 1997 to 2003.

Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer was founded in 2005 and play their home matches at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy. RSL remains the only Utah major league sports team to have won a national championship, having won the MLS Cup in 2009. RSL currently operates three adult teams in addition to the MLS side. Real Monarchs, competing in the second-level USL Championship, is the official reserve side for RSL. The team began play in the 2015 season at Rio Tinto Stadium, remaining there until moving to Zions Bank Stadium, located at RSL's training center in Herriman, for the 2018 season and beyond. Utah Royals FC, which shares ownership with RSL and also plays at Rio Tinto Stadium, has played in the National Women's Soccer League, the top level of U.S. women's soccer, since 2018. Before the creation of the Royals, RSL's main women's side had been Real Salt Lake Women, which began play in the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2008 and moved to United Women's Soccer in 2016. RSL Women currently play at Utah Valley University in Orem.

The Utah Blaze began play in the original version of the Arena Football League in 2006, and remained in the league until it folded in 2009. The Blaze returned to the league at its relaunch in 2010, playing until the team's demise in 2013. They competed originally at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, and later at Vivint Smart Home Arena when it was known as EnergySolutions Arena.

Utah's highest level minor league baseball team is the Salt Lake Bees, who play at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City and are part of the AAA level Pacific Coast League. Utah also has one minor league hockey team, the Utah Grizzlies, who play at the Maverik Center and compete in the ECHL.

Utah has seven universities that compete in Division I of the NCAA. Three of the schools have football programs that participate in the top-level Football Bowl Subdivision: Utah in the Pac-12 Conference, Utah State in the Mountain West Conference, and BYU as an independent (although BYU competes in the non-football West Coast Conference for most other sports). In addition, Weber State and Southern Utah (SUU) compete in the Big Sky Conference of the FCS. Dixie State, with an FCS football program, and Utah Valley, with no football program, are members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Dixie State began a four-year transition to Division I in 2020. Since the WAC has been a non-football conference since 2013, Dixie State football plays as an FCS independent.

Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. After early financial struggles and scandal, the 2002 Olympics eventually became among the most successful Winter Olympics in history from a marketing and financial standpoint.Template:Citation needed Watched by more than two billion viewers, the Games ended up with a profit of $100 million.

Utah has hosted professional golf tournaments such as the Uniting Fore Care Classic and currently the Utah Championship.

Rugby has been growing quickly in the state of Utah, growing from 17 teams in 2009 to 70 Template:As of with more than 3,000 players, and more than 55 high school varsity teams. The growth has been inspired in part by the 2008 movie *Forever Strong*. Utah fields two of the most competitive teams in the nation in college rugby—BYU and Utah. BYU has won the National Championship in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Formed in 2017, Utah Warriors is a Major League Rugby team based in Salt Lake City.

### Entertainment

See also: List of appearances of Monument Valley in the media and Category:Films shot in Utah

Utah is the setting of or the filming location for many books, films, television series, music videos, and video games.

Utah's capitol Salt Lake City is the final location in the video game *The Last of Us*.

Monumentvalley.jpgMonument Valley in southeastern Utah. This area was used to film many Hollywood Westerns.Saltph26.jpgThe otherworldly look of the Bonneville Salt Flats has been used in many movies and commercials.
## See also

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* Outline of Utah
* Index of Utah-related articles

.

## References

1. ↑ Template:Citation; see also: Template:Citation
2. ↑ Adults in Utah - Religion in America.
3. ↑ American Religious Identification Survey (2001). ISSSC.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:Cite news
5. ↑ The Fastest-Growing States in America (and Why They're Booming)—Jordan Weissmann Template:Webarchive. The Atlantic (December 22, 2012). Retrieved on July 12, 2013.
6. ↑ Template:Cite news
7. ↑ Template:Cite news
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Elevations and Distances in the United States. United States Geological Survey (April 29, 2005).
9. ↑ Template:Cite book
10. ↑ Template:Cite news
11. ↑ The state of Utah outdoor recreation vision. (January 2013).
12. ↑ Template:Cite book
13. ↑ 2012 study Template:Webarchive, journals.ametsoc.org.
14. ↑ Gillies et al. (2012) http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00084.1 Template:Webarchive
15. ↑ Template:Cite news
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17. ↑ WOODRUFF, UTAH (429595).
18. ↑ Annual Average Number of Tornadoes, 1953–2004 Template:Webarchive. NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
19. ↑ *Utah's Tornadoes and Waterspouts—1847 to the Present Template:Webarchive*, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
20. ↑ Vertebrate Animals. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
21. ↑ Insects and Mollusks. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
22. ↑ Species Profile for Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima). United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
23. ↑ Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Threatened Status for Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle and Designation of Critical Habitat; Proposed Rule. National Archives and Records Administration (October 2, 2012).
24. ↑ Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Withdrawal of the Proposed Rule To List Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle and Designate Critical Habitat; Proposed Rule. National Archives and Records Administration (October 2, 2013).
25. ↑ African bees found in Utah for the first time Template:Webarchive. Associated Press. February 12, 2009
26. ↑ Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. Ag.utah.gov.
27. ↑ Wright, Becky (May 18, 2017). Killer bees now documented in 8 Utah counties. KSL-TV.
28. ↑ White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineata (Fabricius, 1775) | Butterflies and Moths of North America (en).
29. ↑ Plants. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
30. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `PopEstUS`
31. ↑ Population and Population Centers by State. United States Census Bureau (2000).
32. ↑ Template:Cite news
33. ↑ Teenage Abortion and Pregnancy Statistics by State, 1992. AGI (May 30, 1997).
34. ↑ Contraception Counts: State-by-State Information. AGI.
35. ↑ Sampling of Latter-day Saint/Utah Demographics and Social Statistics from National Sources. Adherents.com.
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42. ↑ Utah sees Latter-day Saint slowdown and membership numbers drop in Salt Lake County (en-US).
43. ↑ Facts and Statistics USA-Utah. LDS.
44. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `neutrality`
45. ↑ Dry Kindling: A Political Profile of American Mormons. Georgetown University Press.
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58. ↑ QuickFacts: Sandy city, Utah; Orem city, Utah; West Jordan city, Utah; Provo city, Utah; West Valley City city, Utah; Salt Lake City city, Utah. United States Census Bureau.
59. ↑ Template:Cite news
60. ↑ Edward, James (November 23, 2009). Real Salt Lake wins dramatic MLS Cup on penalty kicks.
61. ↑ Real Salt Lake announce that new USL PRO team will be called Real Monarchs. MLSsoccer.com (September 10, 2014).
62. ↑ Zions Bank Real Academy new home for Real Salt Lake development pyramid. Real Monarchs (May 24, 2017).
63. ↑ Template:Cite press release
64. ↑ Lee, Jasen (February 8, 2012). Economic impact of 2002 Olympics still felt. KSL.com.
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68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 Filming Locations. Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
69. ↑ Real World Architecture and Locations in The Last of Us. Reality is a Game.

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## Further reading

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* Peterson, Charles S. and Brian Q. Cannon. *The Awkward State of Utah: Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896–1945*. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2015. Template:ISBN

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### Government

* State of Utah.
* Energy Data & Statistics for Utah. DoE.

### Military

* National Guard. Army.
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### Maps and demographics

* Southwest Collection. Texas Tech (1875).
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### Tourism and recreation

* Utah Office of Tourism Official Website
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### Other

* Utah State Chamber of Commerce

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