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Ogden, Utah
From top left to bottom right: Ogden High School, Weber State University Bell Tower, Peery's Egyptian Theater, Downtown, Gantry Sign, aerial view
From top left to bottom right: Ogden High School, Weber State University Bell Tower, Peery's Egyptian Theater, Downtown, Gantry Sign, aerial view
Nickname(s): 
Junction City
Motto(s): 
Still Untamed
Location in Weber County and the state of Utah
Location in Weber County and the state of Utah
Country United States
State Utah
County Weber
Settled 1844
Incorporated February 6, 1851 (As Brownsville)
Named for Peter Skene Ogden
Government
 • Type Council-Mayor
Area
 • Total 27.55 sq mi (71.35 km2)
 • Land 27.55 sq mi (71.35 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
4,300 ft (1,310 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 87,321
 • Density 3,169.55/sq mi (1,223.84/km2)
Demonym(s) Ogdenite
Time zone UTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP Codes
84201, 84244, 844xx
Area codes 385, 801
FIPS code 49-55980
GNIS feature ID 1444049
Website http://ogdencity.com/

Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of the Great Salt Lake and 40 miles (64 km) north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth largest city. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient location for manufacturing and commerce. Ogden is also known for its many historic buildings, proximity to the Wasatch Mountains, and as the location of Weber State University.

Ogden is a principal city of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes all of Weber, Morgan, Davis, and Box Elder counties. The 2010 Census placed the Metro population at 597,159. In 2010, Forbes rated the Ogden-Clearfield MSA as the 6th best place to raise a family. Ogden has had a sister city relationship to Hof in Germany since 1954. The current mayor is Mike Caldwell.

History

Ogden Utah
Ogden in 1874.

Originally named Fort Buenaventura, the city of Ogden was the first permanent settlement by people of European descent in the region that is now Utah. It was established by the trapper Miles Goodyear in 1846 about a mile west of where downtown Ogden is currently located. In November 1847, Fort Buenaventura was purchased by the Mormon settlers for $1,950. The settlement was then called Brownsville, after Captain James Brown, but was later named Ogden for a brigade leader of the Hudson's Bay Company, Peter Skene Ogden, who had trapped in the Weber Valley a generation earlier. The site of the original Fort Buenaventura is now a Weber County park.

Ogden-utah-depot-1910
Westbound passengers changed cars at Ogden, from Union Pacific to Southern Pacific, which took them to California

Ogden is the closest sizable city to the Golden Spike location at Promontory Summit, Utah, where the First Transcontinental Railroad was joined in 1869. Ogden was known as a major passenger railroad junction owing to its location along major east–west and north–south routes, prompting the local chamber of commerce to adopt the motto, "You can't get anywhere without coming to Ogden." Railroad passengers traveling west to San Francisco from the eastern United States typically passed through Ogden (and not through the larger Salt Lake City to the south). Ogden, however, is no longer served by Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, and passengers desiring to travel from Ogden by rail must travel via FrontRunner commuter rail to Salt Lake City and Provo.

In 1972, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completed construction of and dedicated the Ogden Utah Temple in Ogden. The temple was built to serve the large LDS population in the area. In 2010, the LDS Church announced a major renovation of the Ogden Temple and the adjacent Tabernacle. The work, which began in 2011, includes completely changing the dated 1970's exterior, removing the steeple from the Tabernacle so as to make the Temple's steeple a main focus, as well as a new underground parking garage and gardens. The Temple was rededicated in 2014.

Because Ogden has historically been the second largest city in Utah, it is home to a large number of historic buildings. However, by the 1980s, several Salt Lake City suburbs and Provo had surpassed Ogden in population.

The Defense Depot Ogden Utah operated in Ogden from 1941 to 1997. Some of its 1,128 acres (456 ha) has since been converted into a commercial and industrial park called the Business Depot Ogden.

Geography

Ogden is located at 41°13′11″N 111°58′16″W / 41.2196°N 111.9712°W / 41.2196; -111.9712 (41.2196, −111.9712), at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 square miles (69.0 km2), all land. Elevations in the city range from about 4,300 to 5,200 feet (1,300 to 1,600 m) above sea level.

2005-0623-VK-OgdenSign
"Ogden" sign over Washington Boulevard at the Ogden River; toward downtown

The Ogden and Weber Rivers, which originate in the mountains to the east, flow through the city and meet at a confluence just west of the city limits. Pineview Dam is located in the Ogden River Canyon 7 miles (11 km) east of Ogden. The reservoir behind the dam provides over 110,000 acre-feet (140,000,000 m3) of water storage and water recreation for the area.

Prominent mountain peaks near Ogden include Mount Ogden to the east and Ben Lomond to the north.

Climate

Ogden experiences a dry summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dsa). Summers are hot and dry, with highs frequently reaching 95 °F (35 °C), with a few days per year reaching 100 °F (38 °C). Rain is provided in the form of infrequent thunderstorms during summer, usually between mid-July and mid-September during the height of monsoon season. The Pacific storm season usually lasts from about October through May, with precipitation reaching its peak in spring. Snow usually first occurs in late October or early November, with the last occurring sometime in April. Winters are cool and snowy, with highs averaging 37 °F (3 °C) in January. Snowfall averages about 22 inches (0.56 m), with approximately 23.67 inches (601 mm) of precipitation annually. Extremes range from −16 °F (−27 °C), set on January 26, 1949, to 106 °F (41 °C), set on July 14, 2002.

Climate data for Ogden, Utah (1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)
68
(20)
78
(26)
87
(31)
98
(37)
102
(39)
106
(41)
102
(39)
97
(36)
93
(34)
75
(24)
66
(19)
106
(41)
Average high °F (°C) 37.0
(2.8)
42.5
(5.8)
53.8
(12.1)
62.2
(16.8)
71.4
(21.9)
82.0
(27.8)
91.4
(33.0)
89.5
(31.9)
78.7
(25.9)
65.4
(18.6)
49.2
(9.6)
38.3
(3.5)
63.5
(17.5)
Average low °F (°C) 21.3
(−5.9)
24.3
(−4.3)
33.1
(0.6)
39.5
(4.2)
47.0
(8.3)
55.9
(13.3)
63.9
(17.7)
62.6
(17.0)
52.9
(11.6)
41.6
(5.3)
31.0
(−0.6)
22.9
(−5.1)
41.3
(5.2)
Record low °F (°C) −16
(−27)
−11
(−24)
3
(−16)
17
(−8)
21
(−6)
33
(1)
37
(3)
34
(1)
29
(−2)
11
(−12)
−12
(−24)
−12
(−24)
−16
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.20
(56)
1.92
(49)
2.11
(54)
2.18
(55)
2.58
(66)
1.54
(39)
0.83
(21)
0.92
(23)
1.67
(42)
2.22
(56)
1.96
(50)
1.86
(47)
21.98
(558)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7.8
(20)
5.9
(15)
1.3
(3.3)
0.7
(1.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.1
(0.25)
2.8
(7.1)
3.6
(9.1)
22.1
(56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01-inch) 9.3 7.8 8.3 8.0 8.5 5.1 3.8 4.0 6.0 6.4 7.7 7.8 82.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1-inch) 3.4 2.2 0.8 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 1.2 1.6 9.6
Source: NOAA

Demographics

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 82,825 people living in the city. The population density was 2,899.2 people per square mile (1,119.3/km2). There were 29,763 housing units at an average density of 1,117.4/sq mi (431.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.02% White, 2.24% African American, 1.40% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.64% of the population.

2017

As of 2017 the largest self-identified ancestry groups in Ogden, Utah were

  • English (15.3%)
  • German (9.8%)
  • American (6.7%)
  • Irish (6.6%)
  • Scottish (3.7%)
  • Italian (3.4%)
  • Danish (2.9%)
  • French (2.1%)
  • Swedish (1.9%)
  • Welsh (1.7%)

Transportation

Front Runner (1141456610)
FrontRunner commuter rail, which runs between Provo and Ogden, via Salt Lake City

Interstates 15 and 84 serve the city. I-84 runs east–west through the southern suburbs, merging with I-15 near Riverdale. I-15 runs north–south near the city's western edge and provides connections to the rest of the Wasatch Front and beyond. Ogden is served directly by exits 341, 342, 343, and 344. US-89 enters the city from the south, running through the city as Washington Boulevard, which serves as the main street of Ogden. It then continues north to Brigham City. State Route 39 runs east–west through the city as 12th Street, and continues eastward through Ogden Canyon providing access to Pineview Reservoir and the mountain and ski resort town of Huntsville.

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) operates four bus routes directly between Salt Lake City and Ogden, as well as numerous others that serve Weber and northern Davis counties that connect into either the Ogden Intermodal Hub on the west edge of town or to Weber State University. Ogden is also the source of the two routes that serve Brigham City, the northernmost extension of UTA's bus system. It also has a Greyhound bus stop along a line that runs north–south along I-15. The FrontRunner commuter rail runs between Salt Lake City and Pleasant View, just north of Ogden, and includes a stop at the Ogden Intermodal Hub. This line opened for service on April 26, 2008.

Amtrak service is provided with a bus connection running to/from Salt Lake City, where there are daily California Zephyr trains west to the Oakland, California area and east to Chicago, Illinois. Amtrak trains do not serve Ogden directly. Historically, Ogden Union Station served as a hub for frequent trains going northwest to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, and east to Chicago. Amtrak ended the Pioneer in 1997. In the same year, Amtrak ended the Los Angeles to Chicago Desert Wind.

Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Utah's busiest municipal airport, is in the southwest portion of the city. Allegiant Air offers commercial service from Ogden to Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona, Avelo Airlines serves Burbank, California, while Utah Airways offers charter service to many of the West's national parks.

Sites of interest

Ogden25thStreet
Historic 25th Street, Downtown
Peery's Egyptian Theatre Ogden Utah
Peery's Egyptian Theatre, Downtown
First security building ogden utah
The First Security Building on 24th Street.

Sports and recreation

The mountains and rivers near Ogden offer many opportunities for outdoor recreation.

An extensive trail system, immediately adjacent to the city's eastern edge, gives residents and visitors immediate access to the foothills of the Wasatch Range. The foothill trails are used for hiking, running, mountain biking, and sometimes snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Steeper trails climb eastward into the mountains, and many other mountain trails originate within a few miles of the city. A system of paved urban trails runs along the banks of the Ogden and Weber Rivers.

The quartzite cliffs above Ogden's foothills provide a variety of rock climbing routes. An extensive boulder field in the foothills is one of the most popular bouldering sites in the state.

LindquistFieldOgden
Lindquist Field, home of the Raptors

On the mountains east of Ogden are three downhill ski areas: Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley. Popular sites for cross-country skiing include Snowbasin and Weber County's North Fork Park.

Kayaking is a popular sport on portions of the Ogden and Weber Rivers. A developed kayak park lies on the Weber River in the western portion of the city. The reservoirs near Ogden are used for a wide variety of water sports.

Ogden is also home to the minor league baseball team Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association league Junction City Roller Dolls, the minor-league soccer team Ogden City SC of the USL League Two, and the junior hockey team Ogden Mustangs of the United States Premier Hockey League.

Ogden Stadium houses the annual "Hot Rocking 4th", a motorsports event.

There are several golf courses in the city of Ogden.

Weber State University fields several intercollegiate athletic teams that attract spectators from among residents. The university is especially known for its basketball team.

Ogden is a satellite venue of the Sundance Film Festival. A local film festival, now called the Foursite Film Festival, has been held annually since 2004. Other events of interest include a downtown farmer's market, the Ogden Arts Festival, the Harvest Moon Festival, Ogden Winterfest, and the Ogden Marathon.

Ogden has had two shopping malls. Newgate Mall was built in 1981, and Ogden City Mall a year prior. The latter was torn down and redeveloped as The Junction.

Renown

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named after the City of Ogden; the first, USS Ogden (PF-39), in 1943, and the second, USS Ogden (LPD-5), in 1964.

Ogden was the site of the infamous Hi-Fi murders in 1974.

Flying J, the largest retailer of diesel fuel in North America, has its corporate headquarters in Ogden.

In 2009, Ogden ranked No. 5 on Newsmax magazine's list of the "Top 25 Most Uniquely American Cities and Towns," a piece written by current CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. According to the magazine, Greenberg based the rankings on a variety of features, such as quality of schools and proximity to medical care, as well as culture, hospitality, and scenic beauty.

Economy

Market star ogden utah
MarketStar headquarters in Ogden, Utah.
Bank of Utah Corporate
Bank of Utah was founded in Ogden in 1952 and maintains its corporate headquarters in Ogden.

As the principal city of the 2nd largest MSA in Utah, Ogden serves as an economic hub for the northern part of the state. Much of the central city is occupied by offices of federal, state, county, and municipal government entities. The Internal Revenue Service has a large regional facility in Ogden and is the city's largest employer with over 5,000 employees. Other large employers include McKay Dee Hospital, Weber State University, Ogden City School District, Autoliv, Fresenius, and Convergys.

In 2013, Ogden ranked No. 16 on Forbes' list of the Best Places for Business and Careers.

The western parts of the city have several industrial areas. The largest is Business Depot Ogden, a former Army depot that was restructured to be a 1,000-plus acre business park.

Headquarters

  • MarketStar – Sales and marketing company.
  • ENVE Composites - high-end bicycle components
  • Autoliv North America – Automotive safety equipment.
  • Bank of Utah – Banking services.
  • America First Credit Union – Banking services.
  • Kadince – Software services.

Education

Weber State University Campus 2
Weber State University's main campus in Ogden
Ben Lomond High School
Ben Lomond High School

Ogden City School District is the public school district in the city, with its boundaries mirroring the city limits. It operates Ogden High School and Ben Lomond High School.

Weber School District serves areas outside of the city limits, even if they have "Ogden, Utah" postal addresses.

DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts is an elementary and secondary charter school system.

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind's boarding facility is in the city.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City operates and/or sponsors Catholic schools including Saint Joseph Catholic High School.

Tertiary

Notable people

  • Hal Ashby, Academy Award-winning film director
  • Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's
  • Rodney Bagley, co-inventor of the catalytic converter
  • Tanoka Beard, basketball player
  • Colby Bockwoldt, football player
  • Solon Borglum, sculptor
  • Fawn M. Brodie, historian
  • John Moses Browning, inventor and firearms designer
  • Val A. Browning, industrialist, philanthropist, and gun innovator
  • Blake Moore, politician, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Laurence J. Burton, politician, U.S. House of Representatives
  • R. D. Call, actor
  • Tom Chambers, basketball player
  • Les Clark, film animator and director
  • Elwood Cooke, tennis player, Wimbledon doubles champion
  • Bernard DeVoto, historian
  • Kelly Downs, former pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
  • Spencer Eccles, philanthropist
  • Arthur Guy Empey, adventurer, soldier, writer, actor
  • Arnie Ferrin, basketball player
  • Byron Foulger, actor
  • Cecil Jensen, editorial cartoonist
  • Ashley Jenkins, online personality
  • Tracy Hall, chemist
  • William Jefferson Hardin, black legislator
  • William Wadsworth Hodkinson, Paramount Pictures founder
  • Edward U. Knowlton, physician and politician
  • Damian Lillard, basketball player and NBA Rookie of the Year
  • J. Willard Marriott, hotel magnate
  • Herbert B. Maw, politician, Utah's 8th Governor
  • K. Gunn McKay, politician, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Joe McQueen, jazz saxophonist
  • Wataru Misaka, basketball player
  • Red Nichols, jazz musician, bandleader
  • Ray Noorda, business executive
  • "The Osmonds": George, Jr. (Virl), Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, entertainers
  • Janice Kapp Perry, songwriter
  • Heath Satow, artist
  • Byron Scott, basketball player and coach
  • Brent Scowcroft, politician, United States National Security Advisor
  • Sarah Sellers, American long-distance runner
  • Richard H. Stallings, politician, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Ken St. Andre, game designer
  • Brent R. Taylor, politician and United States Army officer
  • Minerva Teichert, artist
  • E. Parry Thomas, banker
  • Olene S. Walker, politician, Utah's 15th Governor
  • Ginger Wallace, artist and philanthropist
  • Gedde Watanabe, actor
  • Jeff Lowe, World Class Alpinist

Images for kids

See also

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