Salt Lake City, home to the University of Utah and the state's capital city, offers an unrivaled blend of metropolitan life and recreational opportunities. With 183,171 residents in the city limits and a metro population of 1,130,293, Salt Lake City is the largest city in the state.
Consistently cited as one of the nation's most livable cities, Salt Lake City ranks high for its employment and cultural opportunities, quality of life and recreation. In the May 2010 issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Salt Lake City was No. 5 on its list of the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade." Forbes Magazine selected Salt Lake City as "The Best City for Jobs" in both 2007 and 2008.
Nestled between the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain ranges and the Great Salt Lake, the city is located in one of the most picturesque places on earth. The lowest point within city boundaries is 4,210 feet near the Great Salt Lake, and the highest is Grandview Peak at 9,410 feet. The Great Salt Lake (48 miles wide and 90 miles long) is the world's second largest saltwater lake and the largest lake in the western United States.
The city is the cultural, financial, educational, technological, commercial, and communications hub of the Intermountain West. Utah was named the most technologically advanced state in the 2008 Digital States Survey. Salt Lake is also home to world-renowned medical and technology industries.
Cultural and ethnic activities flourish in Salt Lake City and its vibrant downtown features dining, shopping, music and ethnic festivals, art galleries, professional symphony, opera, theater and dance.
The annual Sundance Film Festival, which is the largest independent film festival in the U.S., attracts movie stars, celebrities, and thousands of film buffs to the area every year. According to P3/Production Update Magazine, Utah is one of the "10 Best States in the Nation for Film."
Professional sports franchises in Salt Lake City include the Utah Jazz (NBA), Real Salt Lake (Major League Soccer), the Salt Lake Bees (AAA baseball) and the Utah Grizzlies (East Coast Hockey League).
