The state of Utah has produced many interesting facts over the years, and with the state’s surge in popularity and encouraging business and economic climate, the Beehive State is only going to get more and more recognized.
With regards to the rest of the U.S., Utah is a relatively young state, being admitted to the union on January 4th, 1896, and subsequently becoming the 45th official U.S. state. Since then so much has taken place, and the state has still held onto its Mormon roots with many residents still being members of the Church.
However, a lot has changed and occurred since then. So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of the most unique, weird, crazy, and interesting facts Utah has to offer.
Where is Utah State?
Utah is a state situated in the western region of the US and is totally landlocked. Lying in the heart of the west and bordered by Idaho to the north, Wyoming northeast, Colorado east, Arizona south, and Nevada west. What makes Utah’s geographical position so unique is that the state meets Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona all at right angles, this is the only instance of this state formation within the U.S.
Here is our list consisting of 19 of the most interesting facts about Utah
1. The iconic Salt Lake City, which is the most populated city in Utah (boasting a population of over 213,000), and the state capital. Salt Lake City is home to many awesome things, none better than the world-famous Great Salt Lake! The Great Salt Lake is a landlocked body of water that has a high concentration of salts, mainly sodium chloride, and other dissolved minerals.
2. Utah is known for having some of the best skiing in the whole of North America and the mountains not too far from Salt Lake City generate roughly 500 inches of snow each year.
3. During the 19th century, many Mormons settled in Utah and even today approximately 60% of Utah’s residents are members of the Mormon Church.
4. Utah clearly has a thing for bees and more importantly, beehives. So, the state insect is a honeybee, and Utah’s nickname is The Beehive State. The nickname was adopted for an abundance of reasons, the main one being that it symbolizes the history of the state, and the hard work and dedication by many to help Utah become what it is today.
More Interesting Facts About the State of Utah
5. In the famous Fish Lake National Forest, you can find one of the heaviest single organisms on earth. The Trembling Giant (or Pando), located in the National Forest is made up of 47,000 or so genetically identical trees that share a single root system! Not just being totally gargantuan in size, Pando’s age is estimated to be over one million years old. Some of the trees in the forest are over 130 years old.
6. What is Utah famous for? Utah’s famous Cottonwood Canyons is home to some of the best skiing conditions in the world, with the snow density at 8.5%, it is the perfect condition for skiing.
7. According to historical data, January 13th is the “golden winter day”, meaning it is perfect for skiing as it has the highest likelihood of receiving snowfall.
8. Did you know that it is illegal to fish whilst on horseback? Who would do that anyway!
9. In case fishing from horseback wasn’t enough, you are also not allowed to walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag in Utah! Make sure you resist the urge!
10. Utah has the highest literacy rate in the whole of the United States.
11. Utah Lake is 24 miles long and 12 miles wide, and around 40% of the lake evaporates each year!
12. Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah all meet at exactly 4 corners. This is the only place in the US where four states come together in this formation.
13. The Great Salt Lake is around four times saltier than any of the world’s oceans.
14. Utah is renowned for being a dry state, however, you probably didn’t know it was the second-driest state in the US after Nevada, with an average of 300 sunny days per year.
13. Utah is home to the highest number of plastic surgeons per capita than any other state.
14. The total area of Utah could fit into the state of California twice with some of CA left over.
15. Brigham Canyon in Utah is the largest open-pit mine in the world.
16. More people from Utah are married than in any other state in the US, as well as marrying at a younger age than any other state!
17. Utah has the youngest population in the US and also has the highest birthrate out of all 50 states too.
18. Utah’s state symbol actually includes the Dutch oven, which is the official state cooking vessel. Dutch ovens were considered by many to be a necessity by westbound pioneers coming into the state during the 19th century and the Dutch oven was made an official state symbol in 1997.
19. There are many different speed limits that you will come across in Utah, but the maximum is 80 mph. To learn more about Utah speed limits, check out our guide dedicated to this.
Utah State Facts
Utah has always had a healthy business climate, however, recent years have witnessed a resurgence in the state’s economy. Beautiful mountain ranges, attractive landscapes, and undeniably unique culture make Utah a popular place to live, and the economy remains one of the strongest in the country with an excelling workforce, great infrastructure, access to capital, and low taxes.
Many people that move to Utah do so because it is affordable – the cost of living in such an amazing place is too difficult to turn down for many! If you are interested in knowing the economic facts about Utah you can head over to our page that lists a lot of economic and business-related facts about the state.
If you would like to learn how to register a business in Utah so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.
A snapshot of the Utah state facts above illustrates why it is considered one of the most popular states for people to move to in the U.S. and why 100,000+ people move to the state annually!
