Utah University Banner Global Pathways Utah University Logo

About Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, founded in 1847, is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name “Utah” comes from the Native American “Ute” tribe and means people of the mountains. Salt Lake City - often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC - offers the amenities of a large metropolitan area, including concerts, opera, ballet, theatre, fine dining, museums and a wide range of sports.

With seven ski resorts just thirty minutes away, the city was host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games welcoming people form all over the world. With annual events like the Sundance Film Festival there is always something new to discover!

Salt Lake City’s location makes it one of the major gateway cities to the West. Diverse cultures, religions, cuisine and customs bring an interesting flavor to the city. Much of the recent growth has been fueled by the biomedical, high technology and computer software industries.

Top 5 things to do in Salt Lake City & Utah

  1. Visit one of the five national parks. Utah is America’s national parks capital. Our parks include: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park.
  2. Explore downtown Main Street, the Gateway and Trolley Square. There are many shops and boutiques!
  3. Visit Historic Temple Square located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.
  4. Catch the NBA’s Utah Jazz play at the Energy Solutions Arena.
  5. Enjoy popular summer concerts at Red Butte Garden.
© 2009 Kaplan, Inc. All rights reserved.