Capital of Utah and headquarters for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Mormons founded the city as a well-ordered grid between the mountains and the Great Salt Lake in 1847. While its population and cultural institutions have grown more diverse over time, the geography of Mormonism still dominates the city, from the institutions of Temple Square to the commercial enterprises centered around the Zion Cooperative Mercantile Institution (founded 1868). The relatively small city (under 200,000) also acts as a center for regional agriculture, wholesale and services, as well as a center for education (University of Utah), culture and recreation (Utah Jazz basketball team and mountain sports nearby). The setting and regional opportunities have contributed to rapid servicesector employment growth and population expansion. The metropolitan area grew 18 percent between 1990 and 1998 to reach 1,267,745 inhabitants with development of 1,000 acres per month, increasing highways, sprawl and congestion.

The Winter Olympics of 2002, a rare hosting by an urban center, appeared to be the capstone for this development. The city’s reputation for conservative integrity, however, was marred by influencepeddling scandals surrounding its bid and questions about financial support for its development.