Nestled at the foot of the rugged Wasatch Mountains and extending to the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City is a relatively small, navigable, and increasingly diverse and vibrant city at the heart of a metropolitan area with more than 1.25 million residents.

Both downtown and many outlying neighborhoods have become hot beds of acclaimed dining, artisan brewing and coffee-roasting, and trendy retail. The surrounding Salt Lake Valley offers striking landscapes and accessible outdoor adventures. Canyon breezes turn hot summer afternoons into enjoyable evenings, and snowy winter days are moderated with temperatures warmer than those at most ski destinations, making Salt Lake City an ideal destination year-round.

Salt Lake City's history was built on the shoulders of its Mormon founders, but today its culture draws equally contemporary events and influences, such as hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics, and becoming a preeminent destination for technological or innovative pursuits, earning it the nickname "Silicon Slopes." The city has emerged as the economic and cultural center of the vast Great Basin, between the Rocky Mountains and California’s Sierra Nevada. And its growing population of young outdoorsy types, artists, makers, foodies, and entrepreneurs has infused it with a progressive sensibility that surprises many first-time visitors. Every mayor of Salt Lake City since 1976 has been a Democrat, and Salt Lake City County has voted Democrat more often than not in the last few presidential elections. Furthermore, the city has a sizable and visible LGBTQ community.

Tourists come here to hike and ski, and they stay for Salt Lake City's charm. As seen in other growing metropolitan areas, as the population increases, so does its pollution. Smog can be a serious problem, but Salt Lake City is working hard to shift to greener initiatives that will help alleviate these impacts. However, those susceptible to respiratory infections or allergies should avoid visiting in January and February, as this is when inversion is most likely to occur.

Despite recent demographic changes, including the percentage of Mormon-identifying residents of Salt Lake County falling below 50% as of 2018 (it's far lower than that in Salt Lake City proper), since Brigham Young led his first party of pioneers here in 1847, Salt Lake City has been synonymous with the Mormon Church, formally called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The valley appealed to Young because, at the time, it was under the control of Mexico rather than the U.S. government, which the Mormons believed was responsible for much of their persecution. Within days of his arrival, Young drew up plans for Salt Lake City, which was to be the hub of the Mormons’ promised land, a vast empire stretching from the Rockies to the Southern California coast. Although the area that eventually became the state of Utah was smaller than Young planned, Salt Lake City quickly outstripped his original vision. Missionaries throughout Scandinavia and the British Isles converted thousands, who flocked to the city to live near their church president—a living prophet, according to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doctrine—and worship in the newly built temple.

The area had few permanent settlements, an adequate supply of water and building materials, and a protected location, with the Wasatch Mountains to the east and a vast desert to the west. Still, on July 24, 1847, when Young gazed across the somewhat desolate valley and reportedly announced, "This is the right place," his followers understandably had mixed feelings. They saw no familiar forests or lush pasture, just a dry valley and a salty lake.

Within hours of arriving, Young and his followers got to work, planting crops and diverting water for irrigation.

In the 1860s, income from railroads and mines created a class of industrialists who built mansions near downtown and whose businesses brought thousands of workers—mainly from Europe and few of whom were Mormon—to Utah Territory. By the time Utah became a state in 1896, Salt Lake was a thriving city. Although the majority of the city was members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it claimed a healthy mix of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish citizens. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's presence is still evident, as both its headquarters and the Tabernacle, home to the world-famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, call Temple Square home.

Several high-rise hotels, office buildings, and downtown condominiums mark the skyline; restaurants serve a world of tastes; fashionable retail enclaves are appearing all around town; and nightlife is improving.

Today the city is an important center for business, medicine, education, and technology, and it's a major worldwide hub of Delta Airlines. A growing commitment to the arts from both the public and private sector has led to a booming cultural scene, and sports fans appreciate the presence of two major-league franchises—basketball’s Utah Jazz and soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

Although the former mining town and now ritzy getaway of Park City—just a 40-minute drive up the hill—receives the lion's share of Utah's skiing acclaim, Salt Lake County is home to four world-class resorts: Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude. And the foothills just north and east of the city teem with amazingly scenic hiking and mountain-biking trails and myriad opportunities for wildlife viewing, as does Antelope Island, at the eastern end of Great Salt Lake.