Draper, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Draper, Utah
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Draper Historic Park
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Location in Salt Lake County and the state of Utah.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| Counties | Salt Lake, Utah |
| Settled | 1849 |
| Incorporated | 1978 |
| Founded by | Ebenezer Brown and his wife Phebe DRAPER Palmer Brown |
| Named for | William Draper, Jr. |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29.96 sq mi (77.61 km2) |
| • Land | 29.95 sq mi (77.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,505 ft (1,373 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 51,017 |
| • Density | 1,702.84/sq mi (657.35/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
84020
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| Area code(s) | 385, 801 |
| FIPS code | 49-20120 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1427473 |
Draper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah counties in the U.S. state of Utah, located about 20 miles (32 km) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. As of the 2020 census, the population is 51,017, having grown from 7,143 in 1990.
Draper is part of two metropolitan areas - the Salt Lake County portion is included in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, while the Utah County portion is part of the Provo-Orem metropolitan area.
The Utah State Prison is located in Draper, near Point of the Mountain, alongside Interstate 15. The execution of Gary Gilmore took place there on January 17, 1977. The Utah Legislature voted to relocate the state prison in Draper in 2014 and approved the Salt Lake City location recommended by the prison relocation commission in August 2015. The Draper Prison will be closing in 2022. Inmates will be moved from the Utah State Prison in Draper to the new prison facility in Salt Lake City; the new prison is slated for completion in mid-2022.
Draper has two UTA TRAX stations (Draper Town Center, 12300/12400 South and Kimball's Lane 11800 South) as well as one on the border with Sandy (Crescent View 11400 South). A FrontRunner commuter rail station serves the city's west side. The city has around 5 FLEX bus routes connecting neighboring communities and 2 bus routes to Lehi Frontrunner Station and River/Herriman connecting at Draper Town Center and the Draper Frontrunner Stations respectively.
The city is home of 1-800 Contacts and a large eBay campus.
History
American Indian groups living in Utah include the Ute, Paiute, Goshute, Shoshone, and Navajo. A group of Shoshone people near Hoytsville, Utah. The Utes, Paiutes, Goshutes, and Shoshone people speak similar languages from a family known as the Numic Language Family.
In the fall of 1849, Ebenezer Brown brought cattle to graze along the mountain stream of South Willow Creek. The next spring, he brought his family and sold his cattle to immigrants heading to the gold fields of California along what became the Mormon Road. More settlers came in the next few years to the new settlement first known as Sivogah, meaning Willows, the Indian name for the area, then later as South Willow Creek. At the end of 1852, 20 families lived along South Willow Creek. In 1854, the first post office was established with the name Draperville for William Draper III, the first presiding elder of the town's Mormon congregation. The name of the town in later years was shortened to Draper.
Hostilities with the Native Americans began in 1854, and a fort was established were the local settlers lived, during the winters of 1855 and 1856. The fort was never completed, as the feared hostilities did not materialize, and its former location is now the site of the Draper Historical Park.
Geography
Draper lies roughly midway between Salt Lake City and Provo. Draper is bordered by Riverton and Bluffdale to the west, South Jordan to the northwest, Sandy to the north, Alpine to the southeast, Highland to the south, and Lehi to the southwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.1 square miles (78.0 km2), of which 30.1 square miles (77.9 km2) is land and 0.015 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.05%, is water.
The winds on Traverse Ridge make it a popular area for hang gliding and paragliding. In 2004, Draper citizens voted for a tax increase that would pay for the purchase of key pieces of property in the Corner Canyon area. The aim of this measure was to protect and preserve the Corner Canyon area for the future enjoyment of citizens of the city and the Salt Lake Valley area. In the fall of 2005, 1,021 acres (4.13 km2) of property were identified and purchased for the development of Corner Canyon Regional Park, which will consist of parks, trails, and other recreation areas.
Climate
Draper's climate is roughly identical to that of other Salt Lake City suburbs. However, due to being further away from the Great Salt Lake, varied elevation, and from the downtown urban heat island effect, Draper experiences a slightly drier winter, and more extremes in temperatures.
The average temperatures in winter and summer respectively are 30°F to 50°F, and 80°F to 100°F. Springs are usually mild and wet, while fall can sometimes become an Indian summer with drier weather. Monsoonal moisture from the south usually brings afternoon thunderstorms in July and August. Draper falls on the border of the humid continental/subtropical climatic zones, and is technically a cool/warm semi-arid desert environment, but with summer monsoonal moisture. Snow usually falls quite regularly from November through March.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 5,521 | — | |
| 1990 | 7,257 | 31.4% | |
| 2000 | 25,220 | 247.5% | |
| 2010 | 42,274 | 67.6% | |
| 2020 | 51,017 | 20.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Information
| Population | 42,272 |
| Median Age | 30.7 years |
| Mean Household Income | $120,088 |
| Median Household Income | $94,852 |
| Estimated Average Household Size | 3.38 persons |
| Total Households | 12,287 |
| Owner Occupied | 9,708 |
| Renter Occupied | 2,579 |
| Median Home Price | $434,450 |
| Median Rental Rate | $1,156 |
Economy
Draper is home to the tech call center of PGP Corporation, the call center of Musician's Friend, and the headquarters of 1-800 Contacts, Control4, and HealthEquity. Draper is also home to Utah's first IKEA, which opened in 2007.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constructed a temple in Draper that was dedicated on March 20, 2009.
Top employers
According to the City's Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Utah State Prison | 1,000-1,999 |
| 2 | 1-800 Contacts | 500-999 |
| 3 | EMC Corporation | 500-999 |
| 4 | Coca-Cola | 500-999 |
| 5 | City of Draper | 250-499 |
Notable people
- Lauritz Smith (1830–1924), Mormon leader and one of the founders of Draper
- George W. Latimer (1900–1990), lawyer; born in Draper
- Kendall D. Garff (1906–1997), businessman; born in Draper
- Wilson W. Sorensen (1916–2009), president of Utah Technical College; born in Draper
- Douglas R. Stringfellow (1922–1966), one-term congressman; born in Draper
- Dia Frampton (born 1987), singer-songwriter; born in Draper
- Andy Phillips (born 1989), football placekicker; born in Draper
- Kealia Ohai Watt (born 1992), soccer player; born in Draper
- Zach Wilson (born 1999), American football quarterback drafted 2nd overall by the New York Jets
See also
In Spanish: Draper para niños
