Salt Lake City is the state capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Utah. The population of the city, as of the 2000 Census, was 181,743. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, which encompasses the Salt Lake Valley and 15 other municipalities to include a total population of 978,285.

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area spans two additional counties, Summit and Tooele, and had a total estimated population of 1,018,826 in 2004, while the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield combined statistical area had 1,559,230 residents. Metropolitan Salt Lake is situated between two other metropolitan areas in an urban area called the Wasatch Front, which has a population of 2,081,257 as of 2005. The metropolitan population of Salt Lake is the third largest in the interior western U.S., being behind only Denver and Phoenix.

The city occupies the north end of the Salt Lake Valley at an elevation of 4,330 feet (1,320 m). The valley is surrounded by mountains that rise dramatically to an elevation of 11,752 feet (3,582 m). Named after the nearby Great Salt Lake—in fact, the original name was "Great Salt Lake City"—the city is separated from the shores of the lake by marshes and mudflats.

Founded in 1847 by a group of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) led by Brigham Young, Salt Lake City is among the oldest cities in the region and is the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mining and railroads initially brought economic growth, and the city became known as the "Crossroads of the West." In the 21st Century the city has developed a strong tourism industry and was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the industrial banking center of the United States, the center of business along the rapidly-growing Wasatch Front, and the gateway to several resort towns, ski resorts and national parks; such as Park City, Snowbird ski resort, and Bryce Canyon National Park.