Salt Lake City (population 186,440) is the capital city of the state of Utah. The city of Salt Lake or SLC, as it is occasionally called, is the most densely inhabited city within Utah State. It is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, population about 1,124,200. The larger urban region in which Salt Lake is situated is called the Wasatch Front, which has a population of more than 2 million. The Wasatch Front and Reno, in Nevada State, are the two biggest urban regions within the Great Basin.
Brigham Young, Mormon leader together with his followers established the community during 1847. The Mormon settlers transformed an arid valley with cultivation and irrigation. Until 1868 the city of Salt Lake was called "Great Salt Lake City" after nearby Great Salt Lake. Salt Lake City is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or also called LDS Church) world head office. Mormons comprise around half the population of the city.
The city was known as the Crossroads of the West. The economy was boosted by immigration of LDS Church members from abroad, a railroad boom and mining booms. During 1913, the city of Salt Lake became the point of intersection of the transcontinental railroad and the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway. These days, the I-80 and I-15, two major cross-country freeways, intersect in Salt Lake.
The city is likewise recognized internationally for its skiing facilities and was fortunate to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. The outdoor recreation tourist business is important to the Salt Lake City economy. People looking for outdoor adventure come to visit the nearby Wasatch Mountains.
Salt Lake City has a thriving and bustling culture and arts sector. Salt Lake City also has numerous museums, such as: The Utah Museum of Fine Arts, The Children's Museum of Utah, The Utah Museum of natural History, The Clark Planetarium and The Red Butte garden and Arboretum.
A lot of the local residents are employed by either the local, federal and state. The other main city industries include professional and business services, transportation and utilities and trade. Industrial banking is a major economic sector. Nearly all of the industrial banks within the nation have headquarters within the Salt Lake City area. Additionally, the city has lots of convention centers, regional distribution centers and call centers.
Both the Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Utah are key employers within Salt Lake City. Other main businesses that have head office within the city consist of Sinclair Oil Corporation, Alpha Graphics, Smith's Food and Drug and Zions Bancorporation.