Follow US Immigration and US Cities: Salt Lake City (S.L.C.) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Utah. The city has a population of 181,743 (as of 2000), and its metropolitan area has a population of 1,018,826, ranking third among inland cities in the Western United States, following Denver and Phoenix. Including Summit County and Tooele County, the total population reaches 1,018,826. Salt Lake City is located within a larger urban area known as the Wasatch Front, and as of 2003, the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan area is part of Salt Lake City. The total population of the Wasatch Front is 2,150,000. The city is situated at the northern end of a valley at an elevation of 1,320 m. The surrounding high mountains reach an elevation of 3,582 m, and the city is named for its proximity to the Great Salt Lake.
Before the westward migration in the United States, Indian tribes such as the Shoshone, Ute, and Paiute had lived in the valley for thousands of years. The first group of white settlers to reside in the valley were the Mormons who arrived on July 24, 1847. To escape persecution in the East, they traveled across most of the United States to reach this isolated place to practice their religion. Their prophet, Brigham Young, said, "This is the right place." Only four days after their arrival in the valley, Brigham Young designated the site for the construction of Salt Lake City. Since then, the headquarters of the church has remained in Salt Lake City. Currently, more than half of the local population are members of this church. With the California Gold Rush, in addition to the early Mormons, gold seekers also arrived in Salt Lake City. In the 1860s, the accidental discovery of rich mineral deposits transformed this barren land into a prosperous city.
The Great Salt Lake is situated at 4,202 feet (1,280 meters) above sea level. The salinity of this lake is comparable to that of the Dead Sea. It covers a vast area and is home to seabirds typically seen only in coastal regions.
The Salt Lake Temple is the landmark of Salt Lake City and a holy site for Mormons worldwide. Officially named the Salt Lake Temple, it was built in 1853 and completed in 1893. It is a grand and magnificent Gothic-style building with elegant and simple architecture. It features spires and columns, and the tower-shaped gate is connected by four pillars, with a statue of an eagle standing on top of the gate.
The Salt Lake Temple is a hub for local community activities. With 56% of the city's population being Mormon, the city is very clean, and the crime rate is remarkably low. The buildings surrounding the Salt Lake Temple are rich in religious significance; the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, the Lion House, the Beehive House, the Church History Museum, and Temple Square all hold representative Mormon significance and commemorative value.