Founded in 1847 by Brigham Young, just a year after the Ill-fated Donner Party past through on their way to infamy in California, Salt Lake City sits at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and is the capitol of the state of Utah. The initial population was drawn by international followers of the Mormon Church, the mining strikes and eventually, the Lincoln Highway, the first trans-continental roadway that roughly follows Interstate 80. At that time “Great Salt Lake City” was known as the “Crossroads of the West”. In 1869, the Gold Spike was driven at Promontory Point, just north of Salt Lake City. This made transportation to and from the city much easier and brought many of the Chinese laborers that built the railroad to settle in the Plum Alley section of town.

While mining and railroads supported the early settlers, today the city’s major industries are government, trade, transportation, utilities, and professional and business services. Other major employers are Delta Airlines, Sinclair Oil, and of course, The Church of Latter Day Saints.

There are plenty of things to do in and around Salt Lake City. The area is best known for the ski resorts just east of town: Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and Snowbird, and Park City’s three resorts as well. Home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, winter sports draw millions to the area every year. Summer activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and other related outdoor activities are also popular in the mountains. The many small reservoirs and rivers in the Wasatch Mountains are popular for boating, fishing, and other water-related activities. The Bonneville Salt Flats still attracts those looking to break the Land-Speed records in all sorts of vehicles. Also nearby are the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Gardner Historic Village, one of the largest dinosaur exhibits in the USA.

Salt Lake City Private Jet Charter

Salt Lake City International Airport (IATA: SLC, ICAO: KSLC) is just west of the city and is only 90 minutes away from Palm Springs in a private Desert Jet Citation. Call (800) 381-JETS today for a quote.