Utah, home to approximately 3.1 million people, is also known as “Beehive State”. Salt Lake City in northern Utah is the capital and largest city.
In the west of the USA lies the state of Utah, which measures almost 220,000 km² – making it one of the 13 largest states in the United States. According to Acronymmonster, about 3.1 million people live in Utah. Utah is surrounded by the six US states of Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. The region’s common nickname is The Beehive State, derived from the Mormon beehive symbol. More than half of Utah’s population is Mormon. The capital is Salt Lake City, which was founded in 1847 and has a population of around 186,000. The four states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet at the Four Corners Monument in southeastern Utah. It is the only place in the United States where four US states directly meet.
Utah – History of Beehive State
The Navajo, Goshute, Shohonen, Paiuite and Ute are historically native tribes of indigenous people in Utah. Southern Utah was explored by the explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado as early as 1540, and around 1776 the so-called Escalante-Dominguez Expedition led deep into what is now Utah. But it was not until the early 19th century that fur traders in particular discovered the region as a route. Finally, in 1896, Utah was named the 45th US state. Due to the dry landscapes, agriculture in the classic sense is only possible to a limited extent in Utah; instead, livestock, mining and tourism are now central economic factors for the western US state.
Utah – largest cities and national parks
Utah’s largest city is its capital, Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is the so-called center of the Industrial Banks in the USA, the big event in the region was the Winter Olympics of 2002. Utah is also known for the five national parks called “Mighty Five” in the state, including Zion National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Largest Counties in Utah by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Utah are listed as below:
Ranking | County | Area |
1 | San Juan County | 20,254 km2 |
2 | Tooele County | 17,977 km2 |
3 | Millard County | 17,021 km2 |
4 | Box Elder County | 14,882 km2 |
5 | Garfield County | 13,403 km2 |
6 | Uintah County | 11,603 km2 |
7 | Emery County | 11,557 km2 |
8 | Kane County | 10,334 km2 |
9 | Grand County | 9,510 km2 |
10 | Juab County | 8,785 km2 |
11 | Iron County | 8,539 km2 |
12 | Duchesne County | 8,394 km2 |
13 | Beaver County | 6,708 km2 |
14 | Wayne County | 6,374 km2 |
15 | Washington County | 6,283 km2 |
16 | Utah County | 5,188 km2 |
17 | Sevier County | 4,949 km2 |
18 | Summit County | 4,848 km2 |
19 | Sanpete County | 4,118 km2 |
20 | Carbon County | 3,828 km2 |
21 | Wasatch County | 3,046 km2 |
22 | Cache County | 3,017 km2 |
23 | Rich County | 2,665 km2 |
24 | Piute County | 1,963 km2 |
25 | Salt Lake County | 1,922 km2 |
26 | Daggett County | 1,805 km2 |
27 | Morgan County | 1,577 km2 |
28 | Weber County | 1,492 km2 |
29 | Davis County | 774 km2 |
Snowbird
In the state of Utah, the Snowbird ski resort is hidden in the Rocky Mountains, which is located about 2 km from the more famous Alta resort. These two areas are connected to each other by lifts and cable cars. Snowbird boasts enough quality powder to last all season until late spring. 40% of the ski terrain is intended mainly for advanced skiers, but beginner skiers can also improve their skills on the open meadows. Part of the slopes in Snowbird is also in the forest. Proficient skiers are attracted to Snowbird by snowballs and the famous Peruvian Gulch. The area is at its busiest on weekends, but the slopes are almost free during the week. Lovers of extreme sports as well as wealthy skiers can order so-called heliskiing, which is skiing with landing from a helicopter. It is thus possible to enjoy untouched and excellent snow-covered slopes with a fresh cover. The Little Cloud Lift and Aerial Tram take you to the highest point of the site, from where you can descend into the wide-open Mineral Basin, a popular local attraction. There are laid-back descents, but also extremely rough parachutes. The facilities for skiers are provided by the modern Plaza center, which was built from glass and concrete. Everything here is controlled by top technologies.