Park City, Utah
—  City  —
Park City in 2006
Location of Park City, Utah
Coordinates: 40°39′34″N 111°29′59″W / 40.65944°N 111.49972°W / 40.65944; -111.49972Coordinates: 40°39′34″N 111°29′59″W / 40.65944°N 111.49972°W / 40.65944; -111.49972
Country	United States
State	Utah
Counties	Summit, Wasatch
Founded	1870
Named for	Parley's Park
Government
• Mayor	Dana WIlliams
Area
• Total	17.567 sq mi (45.50 km2)
• Land	17.567 sq mi (45.50 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	7,000 ft (2,000 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	7,558
• Density	430.2/sq mi (166.1/km2)
Time zone	Mountain (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	Mountain (UTC-6)
ZIP codes	84060, 84068, 84098
Area code(s)	435
FIPS code	49-58070[1]
GNIS feature ID	1444206[2]
Website	www.parkcity.org

Main Street during a parade, 2004

Looking down Main Street, 2004

Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is 32 miles (51 km) southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and 19.88 miles (31.99 km) from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census. On average, the tourist population greatly exceeds the number of permanent residents.

After a population decline following the shutdown of the area's mining industry, the city rebounded during the 1980s and 1990s through an expansion of its tourism business. The city currently brings in a yearly average of $529,800,000 to the Utah Economy as a tourist hot spot.^[3] The city has three major ski resorts: Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and Canyons Resort. The Park City and Deer Valley ski resorts were the major locations for ski and snowboarding events at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Although they receive less snow and have a shorter ski season than do their counterparts in Salt Lake County, such as Snowbird resort, they are much easier to access.

Additionally the city is the main location of the United States' largest independent film festival, the Sundance Film Festival, home of the United States Ski Team, training center for members of the Australian Freestyle Ski Team, the largest collection of factory outlet stores in northern Utah, the 2002 Olympic bobsled/skeleton/luge track at the Utah Olympic Park, and golf courses. Some scenes from 1994's Dumb and Dumber were shot in the city. Outdoor-oriented businesses such as backcountry.com, Rossignol USA and Skullcandy have their headquarters in Park City. The city has many upscale luxury retailers, clubs, bars, and restaurants, and has nearby reservoirs, hot springs, forests, and hiking and biking trails. Park City is also the original home of the Mrs. Fields Cookies chain.

In the summertime many valley residents of the Wasatch Front visit the town to escape high temperatures. Park City is usually 20 °F (11 °C) cooler than Salt Lake City^{[citation needed]}, as it lies mostly above 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above sea level, while Salt Lake City is situated at an altitude of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). It is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States and is notable for having a large number of Northern and Central European immigrants. It is also generally thought to be the most liberal city in Utah, with supermajorities usually supporting Democratic Party candidates and issues.

In 2008, Park City was named by Forbes Traveler Magazine among one of the 20 'prettiest towns' in the United States.^[4] In 2011, the town was awarded a Gold-level Ride Center designation from the International Mountain Bicycling Association International Mountain Bicycling Association for its mountain bike trails, amenities and community.^[5] It continues to be published in top ski, cycling and adventure magazines across the world.

History[link]

The area was travelled by the early Mormon pioneers on their journey to where they settled and built Salt Lake City. One of their leaders, Parley P. Pratt, explored the canyon in 1848. He was given a charter the following year to build a toll road through it, which was finished in 1849.^[6] The basin at the top of the canyon was good for grazing, and a few families settled there. Early on, the area was deeded to Samuel Snyder, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah Grant. The settlers named it "Parley's Park City", which was shortened to "Park City" in the early 1900s. The first known discovery of ore in this area was by Colonel Patrick E. Connor, who instigated his men to search the area in bringing non-Mormons to the Utah region.^[7] The finding of silver, gold and lead sparked the first silver mines in Park City in the 1860s. Park City’s large mining boom brought large crowds of prospectors setting up camps around the mountain terrain, marking the first mining settlements. Although it was not the first find, the Ontario mine, discovered by Herman Buden in 1872 and later purchased by George Hearst, was the first major producer. By 1892 the Silver King Mine and its owners Thomas Kearns and David Keith took the spotlight as one of the most famous silver mines in the world.^[7][8] While silver was thriving in Utah, other mines across the world were depleted, drawing many of these miners to Park City. The town flourished with crowds of miners and wealth. However, the city nearly became a ghost town by the end of the 1950s because of a drop in the price of silver, and the determent of World War I and the Great Depression.

The transformation of the town into a ski resort is primarily attributed to the silver need during (and after) World War I economy. The war and Great Depression were creating strikes and crippling the economy.^[7][8] Once the site of the largest silver-mining camp in the country, the town was virtually destroyed by fire in 1898. Tragedy struck again in 1902 when 34 miners were killed in an explosion in the Day West Mine. The mining community never fully recovered and the miners resorted to desperate measures. These desperate measures were based on the need to revive the economy, and in doing so the miners gave up their mining heritage, turning to the rising interest in the West and skiing. The silver industry was suffering severely, and the town was hanging by a thread when ’Parkite’ miners presented to Utahns Inc. a proposal for a ski resort called Treasure Mountain which ended up saving the town. This ski resort opened in 1963 on 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land the miners owned with mineral rights. This is said to be when tourists first largely began to visit Park City. This marks the beginning of the ski industry largely promoted by the Utah State Legislation as a destination resort.^[8]

Since the rise of the skiing and tourist economy, Park City houses more tourists than residents. It has become a place of fame through the 2002 Winter Olympic games and provides more attractions than ever before. In the 1950s, Utah began to feed on Park City as a mountain getaway, and not until D. James Canon promoted winter sports in Utah, with the promotional scheme of “Ski Utah” and “The Greatest Snow on Earth”^[8] did many drive to see for themselves why Utah is a winter wonderland. Utah drew in over 648,000 tourists in 1970 and now a yearly average of 4 million tourists.^[9] In a small town with a population of 8,000, the average number of tourists in Park City is 600,000 per year. This significant increase in visitors is largely credited^{[by whom?]} to promotional material that is carefully planned and distributed by the Utah Publicity and Tourist Council. Growth has accelerated in the last few decades, and Park City is now one of the most affluent and lively resort towns in the United States.

The tourist industry now contributes over one third of the total economic value to the state of Utah.^[10] In particular, Park City draws in 3,006,071 average annual visitors; in the winter 1,603,775, and in the summer 1,402,296. Park City prospers from the average nightly visitor spending ranging from $100 to $350.^[9] Currently, Park City primarily relies on its tourist industry from skiing to restaurants to hiking and biking. The makeover of Park City has stimulated an entirely different culture of expenditure, adventure, and wealth, and their promotional material indulges it.

As long ago as the 1920s, miners in Park City were using underground trains and shafts to gain access to the mountain for skiing. Aerial trams once used for hauling ore were converted into chairlifts. To this day, there are still more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of old silver-mine workings and tunnels beneath the slopes at Park City Mountain Resort and neighboring Deer Valley. Park City might be a fairly nondescript-appearing town were it not for its colorful and evocative Main Street, where 64 Victorian buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are many remaining mine buildings, mine shafts (most blocked off from outsiders with large steel doors), and hoists, including the weathered remains of the Walker Webster Silver Mine and the water towers once used to hydrate one of the biggest mines, the Silver King, provide a hint of the history of this mining town transformed in economic upheaval into a skiing resort.

Location[link]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.567 square miles (45.50 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

Park City is located at the south end of Snyderville Basin and climbs steep mountains to the southeast, south, and west. It is accessed by State Route 224 from Interstate 80 to the north and State Route 248 (Kearns Boulevard), which heads east to U.S. Route 40 and on to Kamas.

Climate[link]

Summers in Park City are mild, with chilly nights - while winters are cold and very snowy. On average, the temperature exceeds 90 °F (32 °C) five times and drops below 0 °F (−18 °C) twelve times per annum.^[11]

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[15] of 2010, there were 7,558 people, 2,885 households, and 1,742 families residing in the city. The population density was 430.2 inhabitants per square mile (166.1 /km²). There were 9,471 housing units at an average density of 539.1 per square mile (208.1 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.0% White, 0.6% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 13.5% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 24.1% of the population.

There were 2885 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution was 23.0% under the age of 20, 7.2% from 20 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females there were 112.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.7 males.

This section is outdated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (October 2011)

As of the census^[1] of 2000,the median income for a household in the city was $65,800, and the median income for a family was $77,137. Males had a median income of $40,032 versus $26,341 for females. The per capita income for the city was $45,164. About 5.3% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents, past and present[link]

• Jimmy Shea: 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist in Skeleton, Only 3rd Generation American Olympian.
• Ted Bundy: Serial Killer (Summit Park)
• Roger Burrows, author, educator and inventor
• Bill Engvall: Blue Collar comedian
• Bud Feltman: 1964 Olympian, former VP of Scott and Smith USA
• Edward J. Fraughton: Sculptor, Inventor
• John W. Gallivan: publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune from 1960 to 1984
• Tanner Hall: freestyle skier
• George Hearst: founder of the news dynasty
• Michael Jordan: Hall of Fame Basketball Player
• Mike Massey: Professional pocket billiards (pool) player
• Roger I. McDonough: Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice
• Jim Nantz: Sportscaster
• Ronnie Vannucci Jr. the drummer of the American rock band The Killers.
• Thomas Kearns: U. S. Senator 1883–1918, owner-Silver King Coalition Mining Co.
• Ted Ligety: Olympic Gold Medal Skier
• Harry Reems: 1970s porn star
• Barry Sims: NFL offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers, graduated from Park City High School
• John Terry : Actor known for playing Christian Shephard on Lost
• Roger J. Traynor: Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court
• Bryon Wilson : 2010 Olympic bronze medalist.
• Treat Williams: Actor known for playing Dr. Andrew Brown in Everwood
• Scott Wolf: Television and film actor best known for playing Bailey Salinger on Party of Five
• John Schnatter: American businessman and founder of Papa John's Pizza
• Brett Camerota: 2010 Olympic silver medalist, team Nordic combined
• Billy Demong: 2010 Olympic gold and silver medalist, team Nordic combined
• Mitt Romney: former Governor of Massachusetts
• Hal Prewitt: Racecar Driver and American Businessman

Trivia[link]

• Actress Katherine Heigl and singer-songwriter Josh Kelley were married in Park City on December 23, 2007.^[16]

• I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer was filmed in Park City.

• Everwood was shot in Park City.

• Scenes from Dumb and Dumber were filmed in Park City.^[17]

• Daddy Day Care was filmed in Park City

• Troll 2 a horror movie from 1990 was filmed here.

• One Tree Hill filmed one episode there, season 7 episode 22.

• More than $400 million worth of silver ore was mined in Jupiter Peak, creating 23 millionaires, including U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns (Utah), an owner of the Silver King Coalition Mine, The Salt Lake Tribune and the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad; and George Hearst, father of William Randolf Hearst founder of the Hearst newspaper dynasty.

• Johnny Tsunami, a Disney Channel TV movie, was filmed in part on Main Street.

• An episode of The Simpsons titled Any Given Sundance took place primarily in Park City, Utah. This episode features the Sundance Film Festival and various other aspects of life in Park City.^[18]

Sister cities[link]

• Courchevel (Savoy), France

Park City High School[link]

Park City High School is at located at 1752 Kearns Blvd Park City, Utah. Park City School District's size puts the school in the middle of the other Utah school districts with over 4.500 students. It is also close to the state average ethnic minority composition. Seventeen percent of its students are ethic minority - mostly Hispanic heritage. Enrollment in district schools has remained fairly constant. The district has only increased by 265 students in the past five years.The High School, which is well equipped with money, provides its students with a series of film and T.V. production classes, and hosts 'The Miner Film Festival' each year for students to enter their films and show them at the Eccles Center.

See also[link]

• List of Registered Historic Places in Utah: Summit County

References[link]

1. Rugh, Susan Sessions. “Branding Utah: Industrial Tourism in the Postwar American West”. The Western Historical Quarterly, 2006. 4.37. [2]
2. Ball, Jami. "History of Park City." Utah History To Go. Utah Government, 2010. Web. 8 Mar 2010. <http://historytogo.utah.gov/places/olympic_locations/historyofparkcity.html>
3. “Economic Profile: Tourism: Park City and Summit County Utah”. Park City Chambers of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2009. <http://www.visitparkcity.com/includes/media/docs/Tourism-Impacts-Final.pdf>
4. Struck, Don. “From Echo to Park City: The Story of Union Pacific’s Park City Branch”. UtahRails.net. Streamliner, 15.2. 2010. <http://utahrails.net/articles/up-park-city.php>

External links[link]

• [3]
• City website
• Sundance Film Festival
• Park City International Music Festival
• Park City Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau

v t e Municipalities and communities of Summit County, Utah, United States County seat: Coalville Cities Coalville Kamas Oakley Park City Towns Francis Henefer CDPs Echo Hoytsville Marion North Snyderville Basin Peoa Samak South Snyderville Basin Summit Park Wanship Woodland Ghost towns Blacks Fork Grass Creek Rockport Wahsatch

v t e Municipalities and communities of Wasatch County, Utah, United States County seat: Heber City Cities Heber City Midway Park City Towns Charleston Daniel Hideout Independence Wallsburg CDP Timber Lakes Indian reservation Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation Ghost towns Hailstone Keetley Soldier Summit

State of Utah
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Beehive State
Motto(s): Industry
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Utahn or Utahan[1]
Capital (and largest city)	Salt Lake City
Largest metro area	Salt Lake City
Area	Ranked 13th in the U.S.
- Total	84,899 sq mi (219,887 km2)
- Width	270 miles (435 km)
- Length	350 miles (565 km)
- % water	3.25
- Latitude	37° N to 42° N
- Longitude	109° 3′ W to 114° 3′ W
Population	Ranked 34th in the U.S.
- Total	2,817,222 (2011 est)[2]
- Density	34.3/sq mi  (13.2/km2) Ranked 41st in the U.S.
- Median household income	$50,614 (11th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Kings Peak[3][4][5] 13,518 ft (4,120.3 m)
- Mean	6,100 ft  (1,860 m)
- Lowest point	Beaver Dam Wash at Arizona border[4][5][6] 2,180 ft (664.4 m)
Before statehood	Utah Territory
Admission to Union	January 4, 1896 (45th)
Governor	Gary R. Herbert (R)
Lieutenant Governor	Gregory S. Bell (R)
Legislature	State Legislature
- Upper house	State Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Orrin Hatch (R) Mike Lee (R)
U.S. House delegation	1: Rob Bishop (R) 2: Jim Matheson (D) 3: Jason Chaffetz (R) (list)
Time zone	Mountain: UTC-7/-6
Abbreviations	UT US-UT
Website	www.utah.gov

Utah (/ˈjuːtɔː/ or ⁱ/ˈjuːtɑː/) (Arapaho: Wo'tééneihí' ^[7]) is a state in the Western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Utah is the 13th-most extensive, the 34th-most populous, and the 10th-least-densely populated of the 50 United States. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,817,222^[2] people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S.^[8] The name "Utah" is derived from the name of the Ute tribe and means "people of the mountains" in the Ute language.^[9] Utah is bordered by Arizona on the south, Colorado on the east, Wyoming on the northeast, Idaho on the north and Nevada on the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico.