Salt Lake City is the state capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Utah. The population of the city, as of the 2000 Census, was 181,743. By 2005, U.S. Census Bureau estimates placed its population at 178,097.[1] It is the seat of Salt Lake County, which encompasses Salt Lake City and fifteen of its suburbs across the Salt Lake Valley. The city's name is often shortened to Salt Lake or referred to by its initials, S.L.C.

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is situated in a greater urban area called the Wasatch Front, home to 2,081,257 residents. The 2000 metropolitan population of Salt Lake was the third largest of the interior Western states, after those of Denver and Phoenix.

Originally named Great Salt Lake City after nearby Great Salt Lake, it was founded in 1847 by a group of Mormon Pioneers led by Brigham Young who fled hostility in the East. Salt Lake City is among the oldest cities in the region and is the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon Church). Mining and railroads initially brought economic growth, and the city became nicknamed the Crossroads of the West. In the 21st century the city has developed a strong tourism industry; it served as host to the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the industrial banking center of the United States[2], the center of business along the rapidly-growing Wasatch Front, and the gateway to several national parks, ski resorts, and resort towns, most prominently Park City.

A list of Salt Lake City, Utah Hotels with Google Maps.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the [1] article "Salt Lake City, Utah".