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The history of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is in Salt Lake County, Utah. The city center combines civic landmarks, cultural venues and local restaurants. The hillside residential district offers another view of the city; respect residential streets and parking rules.
People who shaped Salt Lake City
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Hidden History of Salt Lake City's Japantown | Short Documentary
A local history film shared by PBS Documentaries.
Watch on YouTube ↗Salt Lake City in old photos
See all 15 old photos
Famous people born in Salt Lake City
See all 47 famous people
- 1847
A new settlement
Latter-day Saint pioneers established the settlement they called Great Salt Lake City on July 24.
Visit Salt Lake ↗ - 1851
City incorporation
Salt Lake City incorporated, and the city cemetery was permanently established that year.
Salt Lake City ↗ - 1882
Liberty Park is dedicated
Liberty Park was officially dedicated on June 17.
Salt Lake City ↗ - 1896
Utah statehood
Salt Lake City became Utah’s state capital when Utah entered the Union on January 4.
Visit Salt Lake ↗ - 2002
The Winter Olympics
Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympic Games.
Visit Salt Lake ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk the Exchange Place Historic District on South Main Street, home to the 1908 Salt Lake Stock and Mining Exchange Building. Check current opening hours before visiting the Natural History Museum of Utah.
For deeper research, the Salt Lake City library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.