South Jordan, Utah
Encyclopedia
South Jordan is a city in the U.S. state
of Utah
. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley
between the 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains
and the 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area
. The Jordan River
flows through the middle of the valley and the city has a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) section of the Jordan River Parkway
that contains fishing ponds, trails, parks and natural habitat. Salt Lake County fair
grounds and equestrian park, 67 acres (27.1 ha) Oquirrh Lake and 27 other parks are located inside the city. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 50,418.
The city was founded 18 miles (29 km) south of Salt Lake City along the banks of the Jordan River in 1859 by Mormon
settlers. An agrarian town for most of its history, today it is a rapidly-growing bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land
, a land development company, has recently begun construction on the master-planned Daybreak Community
for the entire western half of South Jordan. Daybreak could potentially double South Jordan's population. South Jordan is the first city in the world with two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) temples (Jordan River Utah Temple
and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
). The city will has two TRAX
light rail stops and will have one commuter rail stop on FrontRunner
by 2012.
settled into villages and farmed corn and squash. Changes in climatic conditions to a cooler, drier period and the movement into the area of ancestors of the Ute
, Paiute
, and Shoshone
, led to the disappearance of the Fremont people. When European settlers arrived, there were no permanent Native American
settlements in the Salt Lake Valley, but the area bordered several tribes – the territory of the Northwestern Shoshone to the north, the Timpanogots band of the Utes to the south in Utah Valley
, and the Goshute
s to the west in Tooele
Valley.
The only recorded trapper to lead a party through the area was Étienne Provost
, a French-Canadian. In October 1824, Provost's party was lured into an Indian camp somewhere along the Jordan River north of Utah Lake. The people responsible for the attack were planning revenge against Provost's party for an earlier unexplained incident involving other trappers. Provost escaped, but his men were caught off-guard and fifteen of them were killed.
area in 1849, and became the first of his trade in the south Salt Lake Valley. He helped dig the first ditch to divert water from the Jordan River, powering Archibald Gardner's
flour mill. In 1859, Beckstead became the first settler of South Jordan by moving his family along the Jordan River where they lived in a dugout cut into the west bluffs above the river. The flood plain of the Jordan was level, and could be cleared for farming if a ditch was constructed to divert river water along the base of the west bluff. Beckstead and others created the 2.5 miles (4 km) "Beckstead Ditch", parts of which are still in use as of 2010.
In 1863, the South Jordan LDS Branch was organized as a branch of the West Jordan Ward, giving South Jordan its name. The Branch consisted of just nine families. A school was built in 1864 out of adobe
and also served as the LDS Meetinghouse for the South Jordan Branch. As South Jordan grew, a new and larger building was constructed in 1873 on the east side of the site of the present-day cemetery. It had an upper and lower entrance with a granite foundation using left-over materials brought from the granite
quarry at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon
. The upper story was made of over-sized adobe bricks. The main hall had curtains which could be pulled to section off the hall for classes. The meetinghouse also served as the "ward" school when it was held during the fall and winter months. It came to be known as the "Mud Temple", and was in use until 1908.
In 1876, work was completed on the South Jordan Canal which took water out of the Jordan River in Bluffdale
and brought it above the river bluffs for the first time. As a result of the new canal, most of the families moved up away from the river onto the "flats" above the river which they could now irrigate. In 1881, the Utah and Salt Lake Canal was completed. It runs parallels to the west side of today's Redwood Road. With the completion of the canal system, greater acreage could be farmed, which led to the area's population increasing.
hay was introduced and took the place of tougher native grasses which had been used up to that point for feed for livestock. In good years, alfalfa could produce three crops that were stored for winter. Sugar beets were introduced to South Jordan around 1910. Farmers liked sugar beets because they could be sold for cash at the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company
factory in West Jordan. Sugar beet farming became so integral to the region, that the region's high school (Jordan High School
) mascot was named the "beetdigger".
A big celebration was held on January 14, 1914, to commemorate the arrival of electrical power, the addition of a water tank and supply system for indoor pumping and a new park for South Jordan. By the 1930s, the area needed a water tank to store water for residents living further west. The only way to get a federal grant was to incorporate
and become a city. Citizens voted to incorporate on November 8, 1935, and immediately issued bonds to obtain money for the water tank. The city was initially governed by a Town Board with responsibilities over parks, water and the cemetery. In 1978, the city moved to a mayor-council form of government and assumed local supervision of police, fire, road and building inspections from Salt Lake County.
One of the worst school bus accidents in United States history occurred on December 1, 1938. A bus loaded with 38 students from South Jordan, Riverton, and Bluffdale crossed in front of an oncoming train that was obscured by fog and snow. The bus was broadsided killing the bus driver and 23 students.
The concern about bus safety from the South Jordan accident led to changes in state and eventually federal law mandating that buses stop and open the doors before proceeding into a railroad crossing. The same railroad crossing was the site of many other crashes in the following years with the last deadly crash occurring on December 31, 1995, when three teens died while crossing the tracks in their car. The crossing was finally closed, but not until crashes occurred in 1997 and 2002.
In 1950, Salt Lake County had 489000 acres (197,891.5 ha) devoted to farming. But by 1992, due to increasing population, land devoted to farming had decreased to 108000 acres (43,706.1 ha). As a result of this urbanization
, South Jordan's economy went from agrarian to being a bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land began a development in 2004 called Daybreak, which is a 4000 acres (1,618.7 ha) planned community that will contain more than 20,000 homes and includes commercial and retail space. In 1981, the LDS Jordan River Utah Temple
was completed. In 2009, the LDS Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was completed and became the second temple to be built in South Jordan. The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple and the Jordan River Utah Temple are the only two LDS temples in the world located in the same city.
, the city has a total area of 21 square miles (54.4 km²), of which, 0.16 square mile (0.4143980976 km²), 0.76 percent, is water. South Jordan is located in the southwestern portion of the Salt Lake Valley
. The city lies between the Oquirrh Mountains
to the west, West Jordan
to the north, the Jordan River
and Sandy
to the east, Draper
to the southeast, Riverton
to the south, and Herriman
to the southwest.
The relative flatness of South Jordan is due to lacustrine sediments of a pleistocene
lake called Lake Bonneville
. Lake Bonneville existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago and its peak some 30,000 years ago, the lake reached an elevation of 5200 feet (1,585 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19800 square miles (51,281.8 km²). The elevation of South Jordan ranges from approximately 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) near the Jordan River in the east and rises gently to the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains at 5200 feet (1,585 m). A notable exception is a bluff at the western edge of the Daybreak Community which is an old sandbar of Lake Bonneville.
estimate of 2006-2008, there were 44,528 people, 11,628 households, and 10,459 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,450 people per square mile (945/km²). There were 12,051 housing units at an average density of 573.9 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races
, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. The racial makeup of Salt Lake County was 90.8% White, 1.8% African American, 1.1% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 1.4% Pacific Islander, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race was 16.4%. The racial makeup of Utah was 92.9% White, 1.3% African American, 1.4% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race was 12.0%.
There were 11,628 households out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.1% were non-families. 8.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83 compared to 3.0 for Salt Lake County and 3.13 for Utah.
In the city, the population was spread out with 38.5% under the age of 20, 7.2% from 20 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $94,248, Salt Lake County was $59,168 and Utah was $56,820. Males had a median income of $64,192 versus $38,846 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $28,709. About 1.3% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over. In Salt Lake County, 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line and 9.7 of the population in Utah was below the poverty line. Of those people 25 years and older in the city, 96.6% were high school graduates compared to 86.8% in Salt Lake County and 87.7% in Utah.
There were 21,299 people employed over the age of 16 with 17,297 people working in the private sector, 2,857 in the government sector, 1,127 self-employed and 18 unpaid family workers. The mean travel time to work of 23.7 minutes. There were 3,610 people employed in educational services, health care and social assistance. There were 2,700 people employed in professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services. There were 2,557 people employed in finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing. There were 2,590 people employed in retail trade, 1,956 in construction and 1,899 in manufacturing.
, the city had 44 violent crime
s reported to law enforcement, and 1,118 reports of property crime
s. The violent crime rate was 86 per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 455 and 222 for Utah. The property crime rate was 2,190 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 3,213 and 3,367 for the State. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) defines violent offenses to include forcible rape, robbery, murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are defined to include arson, motor vehicle theft, larceny, and burglary.
Statistics published by the Utah Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Identification showed a steady trend in the South Jordan crime rate between 2000 and 2008. The rate for index crimes, a group comprising the combined violent offenses and property crimes stated above, was 2,269 per 100,000 in 2000 and 2,277 per 100,000 in 2008. The 2008 rate for index crimes in Salt Lake County was 5,290 per 100,000 and 3,529 per 100,000 for the entire State of Utah.
In 2008, South Jordan had a total of 59 total law enforcement employees for a rate of 1.15 employees per 1,000 residents. City police officers made a total of 1,279 arrests. Total crimes reported were 4,983. Total crimes contain 22 categories that include everything from murder, rape and assault to drug offenses, larceny and prostitution.
and softball
fields, football
, soccer, and lacrosse
fields, volleyball
courts, tennis court
s and a skate park
. Riverfront Park includes two fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout
and catfish
by the Division of Wildlife Resources and 22 acres (8.9 ha) of natural habitat. Other recreational facilities owned by South Jordan City include the Aquatic and Fitness center
, Community Center
providing the senior programs, Mulligan's two miniature golf
and two nine-hole executive golf cources and an outdoor ice skating rink
next to City Hall.
Two trails meander through South Jordan. The Bingham Creek Trail starts in the northwest part of the city and travels 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) North-East until it reaches the West Jordan border. A 3.5 miles (5.6 km) section of the Jordan River Parkway
trail runs through the city from northern edge of the city all the way to the southern edge. The trail has a combined bike and jogging path, plus an equestrian path.
Salt Lake County operates the 120 acres (48.6 ha) Equestrian Park that sits adjacent to South Jordan City Park. The park grounds contain a horse racing track
, a polo
and dressage
field, indoor arenas and stables. The Salt Lake County Fair is held every August at the park.
The 67 acres (27.1 ha) Oquirrh Lake sits inside 137 acres (55.4 ha) of park and wetlands located at the Daybreak Community. Recreational opportunities include fishing
, sail boating
, kayak
ing and canoe
ing. The lake has been stocked with trout, bigmouth bass
, channel catfish, bluegill
, and fathead minnow
s. Of the fish they catch, anglers can only keep trout. The lake and the surrounding park land are privately owned, but open to the public, with future plans to turn it over to South Jordan City. In addition to the lake, the Daybreak community includes 22 miles (35.4 km) of trails, community gardens
, tennis
courts, basketball
courts, pocket park
s and community-only swimming pools.
Privately owned, but open to the public, Glenmoor Golf course is inside city limits. Salt Lake County-owned Mountain View Golf Course is 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) north in West Jordan and Sandy-owned River Oaks Golf Course borders the Jordan River in Sandy.
form of government. The council, the city's legislative body, consists of five members and a mayor, each serving a four-year term. The council sets policy, and the city manager oversees day-to-day operations. As of 2010, the mayor is W. Kent Money, and the city manager is John H. Geilmann. The city council meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 PM.
Utah is one of the country's most Republican states and South Jordan follows Utah's trend with only Republican elected officials. Jason Chaffetz
, a Republican
, represents South Jordan as part of Utah's 3rd congressional district
of the United States House of Representatives
. Chris Buttars
, a Republican, represents South Jordan as part of the 10th Utah Senate District
in the Utah Senate. Merlynn Newbold, a Republican, represents South Jordan as part of 50th Utah House District of the Utah House of Representatives
.
South Jordan lies within Jordan School District
. The district has six elementary schools, two middle schools (South Jordan Middle and Elk Ridge Middle) and three high schools (Bingham High School
, Herriman High School and Itineris Early College High School
) serving the students of South Jordan. In addition, there is Paradigm
public charter high school and three private schools (American Heritage, Mountain Heritage Academy and Stillwater Academy).
Salt Lake Community College's
Jordan Campus is located on the boundary between of South Jordan and West Jordan. The Jordan Campus offers general education classes as well as all of the college's health science courses. Jordan School District's Applied Technology Center and Itineris Early College High School are also located on campus. Salt Lake Community College's Miller Campus is located in Sandy next to the border with South Jordan and is home to the college's Culinary Institute, Miller Business Resource Center for corporate training programs, and training facilities for the Utah Department of Public Safety. The private universities in South Jordan are Neumont University
, which offers courses in computer science
and the Roseman University of Health Sciences
, which houses schools of pharmacy
and dentistry
.
, an eventual ten-lane freeway, will be located on the western edge of the Daybreak Community. Work began in the Spring of 2010.
South Jordan is served by the Utah Transit Authority
(UTA) bus system and UTA's TRAX
light rail
Red Line
. The Red Line will connect to the TRAX line running to downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah
. Two TRAX stations, with park and ride lots, are located inside the Daybreak Community. The Daybreak North Station is located at approximately 10600 South and will has 400 shared park and ride spaces. The Daybreak South Station is located at 11400 South and has 600 park and ride spaces. Two other stations are located inside West Jordan at the city boundary with South Jordan, the 5600 West Station and the 4800 West Station. The travel time between the Daybreak South Station to downtown Salt Lake City is approximately 60 minutes.
UTA's FrontRunner
commuter rail
system is set to be completed in 2012. There will be a station at South Jordan's eastern edge at 10200 South. When completed, Frontrunner will extended north to Ogden
and south to Provo
.
and Qwest offers high-speed Internet connections.
South Jordan city owns the water distribution system. Drinking water is provided by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
. Secondary water, a non-potable water used for landscaping, is provided from the canals running through the city. South Valley Sewer District owns and bills for the sewer system. South Jordan City contracts out to Allied Waste Industries
for curbside pickup of household garbage; recyclables are picked up once a week.
The Intermountain Riverton Hospital, owned by Intermountain Healthcare
, is a 58-bed, full-service hospital in Riverton that also includes a satellite facility for Primary Children's Medical Center
. Jordan Valley Medical Center, owned by Iasis Healthcare
, is a 183-bed, full-service hospital located in West Jordan.
was a short track speed skating athlete. Ohno is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time with eight medals. Current resident Edward J. Fraughton
is a sculptor of western themes
and inventor. Fraughton invented technology used in Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B is used for tracking and finding aircraft positions using satellites.
Keven Curtis is a former resident who, as of 2010, is a wide receiver
for the NFL
Kansas City Chiefs
. Curtis graduated from Bingham High School where he played football and basketball. Denise Parker is a former resident who is a three time Summer Olympic competitor in Archery
. Parker was the youngest member of the 1988 U.S Summer Olympic team at age 14 where she won a bronze medal. As of 2010, Parker is Chief Executive Officer for USA Archery, the national governing body for the sport of archery.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
between the 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
and the 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Utah, anchored by Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 968,858. As of July 1, 2009 the U.S...
. The Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
flows through the middle of the valley and the city has a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) section of the Jordan River Parkway
Jordan River Parkway
The Jordan River Parkway is an approximately urban park that runs along the Jordan River within the US state of Utah. The parkway follows along the river from Utah Lake in Utah County, through Salt Lake County and onto the Great Salt Lake in Davis County. The majority of a mixed-use trail has...
that contains fishing ponds, trails, parks and natural habitat. Salt Lake County fair
County Fair
"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26th of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little...
grounds and equestrian park, 67 acres (27.1 ha) Oquirrh Lake and 27 other parks are located inside the city. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 50,418.
The city was founded 18 miles (29 km) south of Salt Lake City along the banks of the Jordan River in 1859 by Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers. An agrarian town for most of its history, today it is a rapidly-growing bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land
Kennecott Land
Kennecott Land, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group, is an American land development company formed in 2001 and based in South Jordan, Utah. Kennecott Land owns 93,000 acres of undeveloped land in Salt Lake and Tooele counties in Utah, 75,000 acres of which are located in Salt Lake County...
, a land development company, has recently begun construction on the master-planned Daybreak Community
Daybreak Community
Daybreak is a master-planned community over 4,000 acres in size being built by land development company Kennecott Land in South Jordan, Utah. Home construction began in 2004 and the community is expected to continue building for the next 18 to 20 years...
for the entire western half of South Jordan. Daybreak could potentially double South Jordan's population. South Jordan is the first city in the world with two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) temples (Jordan River Utah Temple
Jordan River Utah Temple
The Jordan River Utah Temple is the 20th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in South Jordan, Utah, it was built with a modern single-spire design....
and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in South Jordan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. South Jordan was the first city in the world to have two temples , followed by Provo, Utah...
). The city will has two TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
light rail stops and will have one commuter rail stop on FrontRunner
FrontRunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
by 2012.
Pre-European
The first known inhabitants were members of the Desert Archaic Culture who were nomadic hunter-gatherers. From 400 A.D. to around 1350 A.D., the Fremont peopleFremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
settled into villages and farmed corn and squash. Changes in climatic conditions to a cooler, drier period and the movement into the area of ancestors of the Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
, Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
, and Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
, led to the disappearance of the Fremont people. When European settlers arrived, there were no permanent Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
settlements in the Salt Lake Valley, but the area bordered several tribes – the territory of the Northwestern Shoshone to the north, the Timpanogots band of the Utes to the south in Utah Valley
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and...
, and the Goshute
Goshute
The Goshutes are a band of Western Shoshone Native American. There are two federally recognized Goshute tribes today: the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation and Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah of the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.-Name:The name Goshute derived either from...
s to the west in Tooele
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
Valley.
The only recorded trapper to lead a party through the area was Étienne Provost
Étienne Provost
Étienne Provost was a French Canadian fur trader whose trapping and trading activities in the American southwest preceded Mexican independence...
, a French-Canadian. In October 1824, Provost's party was lured into an Indian camp somewhere along the Jordan River north of Utah Lake. The people responsible for the attack were planning revenge against Provost's party for an earlier unexplained incident involving other trappers. Provost escaped, but his men were caught off-guard and fifteen of them were killed.
Early Mormon settlement
On July 22, 1847, an advanced party of the first Mormon pioneers entered the valley and immediately began to irrigate land and explore the area with a view to establishing new settlements. Alexander Beckstead, a blacksmith from Ontario, Canada, moved his family to the West JordanWest Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
area in 1849, and became the first of his trade in the south Salt Lake Valley. He helped dig the first ditch to divert water from the Jordan River, powering Archibald Gardner's
Archibald Gardner
Archibald Gardner was a 19th century pioneer and businessman who helped establish communities in Alvinston, Ontario, Canada, West Jordan, Utah and Star Valley, Wyoming based on flour mills and lumber mills...
flour mill. In 1859, Beckstead became the first settler of South Jordan by moving his family along the Jordan River where they lived in a dugout cut into the west bluffs above the river. The flood plain of the Jordan was level, and could be cleared for farming if a ditch was constructed to divert river water along the base of the west bluff. Beckstead and others created the 2.5 miles (4 km) "Beckstead Ditch", parts of which are still in use as of 2010.
In 1863, the South Jordan LDS Branch was organized as a branch of the West Jordan Ward, giving South Jordan its name. The Branch consisted of just nine families. A school was built in 1864 out of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
and also served as the LDS Meetinghouse for the South Jordan Branch. As South Jordan grew, a new and larger building was constructed in 1873 on the east side of the site of the present-day cemetery. It had an upper and lower entrance with a granite foundation using left-over materials brought from the granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarry at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Little Cottonwood Canyon lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley, roughly 15 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah. The canyon is part of Granite, a CDP and “Community Council” designated by Salt Lake County. The canyon is a glacial trough , carved by...
. The upper story was made of over-sized adobe bricks. The main hall had curtains which could be pulled to section off the hall for classes. The meetinghouse also served as the "ward" school when it was held during the fall and winter months. It came to be known as the "Mud Temple", and was in use until 1908.
In 1876, work was completed on the South Jordan Canal which took water out of the Jordan River in Bluffdale
Bluffdale, Utah
Bluffdale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,700 according to the 2000 census...
and brought it above the river bluffs for the first time. As a result of the new canal, most of the families moved up away from the river onto the "flats" above the river which they could now irrigate. In 1881, the Utah and Salt Lake Canal was completed. It runs parallels to the west side of today's Redwood Road. With the completion of the canal system, greater acreage could be farmed, which led to the area's population increasing.
Twentieth century
In the late 1890s, alfalfaAlfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
hay was introduced and took the place of tougher native grasses which had been used up to that point for feed for livestock. In good years, alfalfa could produce three crops that were stored for winter. Sugar beets were introduced to South Jordan around 1910. Farmers liked sugar beets because they could be sold for cash at the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company
Utah-Idaho Sugar Company
The Utah-Idaho Sugar Company was a large sugar beet processing company owned and controlled by the LDS Church and its leaders, based in Utah. It was notable for providing a valuable cash crop to Utah and surrounding states, and also for being part of the Sugar Trust, leading to antitrust...
factory in West Jordan. Sugar beet farming became so integral to the region, that the region's high school (Jordan High School
Jordan High School (Sandy, Utah)
Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah was established in 1907.-1907 - 1914:Jordan High School took root when a student body of just seven students began meeting in the basement of a church in Midvale. The enrollment numbers quickly grew, and soon it was necessary to move the students and faculty into...
) mascot was named the "beetdigger".
A big celebration was held on January 14, 1914, to commemorate the arrival of electrical power, the addition of a water tank and supply system for indoor pumping and a new park for South Jordan. By the 1930s, the area needed a water tank to store water for residents living further west. The only way to get a federal grant was to incorporate
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
and become a city. Citizens voted to incorporate on November 8, 1935, and immediately issued bonds to obtain money for the water tank. The city was initially governed by a Town Board with responsibilities over parks, water and the cemetery. In 1978, the city moved to a mayor-council form of government and assumed local supervision of police, fire, road and building inspections from Salt Lake County.
One of the worst school bus accidents in United States history occurred on December 1, 1938. A bus loaded with 38 students from South Jordan, Riverton, and Bluffdale crossed in front of an oncoming train that was obscured by fog and snow. The bus was broadsided killing the bus driver and 23 students.
The concern about bus safety from the South Jordan accident led to changes in state and eventually federal law mandating that buses stop and open the doors before proceeding into a railroad crossing. The same railroad crossing was the site of many other crashes in the following years with the last deadly crash occurring on December 31, 1995, when three teens died while crossing the tracks in their car. The crossing was finally closed, but not until crashes occurred in 1997 and 2002.
In 1950, Salt Lake County had 489000 acres (197,891.5 ha) devoted to farming. But by 1992, due to increasing population, land devoted to farming had decreased to 108000 acres (43,706.1 ha). As a result of this urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
, South Jordan's economy went from agrarian to being a bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land began a development in 2004 called Daybreak, which is a 4000 acres (1,618.7 ha) planned community that will contain more than 20,000 homes and includes commercial and retail space. In 1981, the LDS Jordan River Utah Temple
Jordan River Utah Temple
The Jordan River Utah Temple is the 20th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in South Jordan, Utah, it was built with a modern single-spire design....
was completed. In 2009, the LDS Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was completed and became the second temple to be built in South Jordan. The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple and the Jordan River Utah Temple are the only two LDS temples in the world located in the same city.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 21 square miles (54.4 km²), of which, 0.16 square mile (0.4143980976 km²), 0.76 percent, is water. South Jordan is located in the southwestern portion of the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. The city lies between the Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
to the west, West Jordan
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
to the north, the Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
and Sandy
Sandy, Utah
Sandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah....
to the east, Draper
Draper, Utah
Draper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah Counties in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Between 1990 and 2000 Draper was Utah's fastest-growing city over 5,000 people . Its population in 1990 was 7,143 and had grown to 25,220 by the 2000 census...
to the southeast, Riverton
Riverton, Utah
Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 38,753 at the 2010 census. Riverton is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state of Utah, and was ranked by CNN Money Magazine as the 60th best...
to the south, and Herriman
Herriman, Utah
Herriman is a city in southwestern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 21,785 as of the 2010 census. Although Herriman was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a fifth-class city by state law. The city has experienced rapid growth since incorporation in 1999, as its...
to the southwest.
The relative flatness of South Jordan is due to lacustrine sediments of a pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
lake called Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville
Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North America's Great Basin region. Most of the territory it covered was in present-day Utah, though parts of the lake extended into present-day Idaho and Nevada. Formed about 32,000 years ago, it existed until about 14,500 years...
. Lake Bonneville existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago and its peak some 30,000 years ago, the lake reached an elevation of 5200 feet (1,585 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19800 square miles (51,281.8 km²). The elevation of South Jordan ranges from approximately 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) near the Jordan River in the east and rises gently to the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains at 5200 feet (1,585 m). A notable exception is a bluff at the western edge of the Daybreak Community which is an old sandbar of Lake Bonneville.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
estimate of 2006-2008, there were 44,528 people, 11,628 households, and 10,459 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,450 people per square mile (945/km²). There were 12,051 housing units at an average density of 573.9 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. The racial makeup of Salt Lake County was 90.8% White, 1.8% African American, 1.1% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 1.4% Pacific Islander, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race was 16.4%. The racial makeup of Utah was 92.9% White, 1.3% African American, 1.4% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race was 12.0%.
There were 11,628 households out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.1% were non-families. 8.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83 compared to 3.0 for Salt Lake County and 3.13 for Utah.
In the city, the population was spread out with 38.5% under the age of 20, 7.2% from 20 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $94,248, Salt Lake County was $59,168 and Utah was $56,820. Males had a median income of $64,192 versus $38,846 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $28,709. About 1.3% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over. In Salt Lake County, 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line and 9.7 of the population in Utah was below the poverty line. Of those people 25 years and older in the city, 96.6% were high school graduates compared to 86.8% in Salt Lake County and 87.7% in Utah.
There were 21,299 people employed over the age of 16 with 17,297 people working in the private sector, 2,857 in the government sector, 1,127 self-employed and 18 unpaid family workers. The mean travel time to work of 23.7 minutes. There were 3,610 people employed in educational services, health care and social assistance. There were 2,700 people employed in professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services. There were 2,557 people employed in finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing. There were 2,590 people employed in retail trade, 1,956 in construction and 1,899 in manufacturing.
Crime
For the year 2008United States cities by crime rate (40,000 - 60,000)
The following table is based on Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports statistics. The population numbers are based on U.S. Census estimates for the year end. The number of murders includes nonnegligent manslaughter. This list is based on the reporting agency. In most cases the...
, the city had 44 violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
s reported to law enforcement, and 1,118 reports of property crime
Property crime
Property crime is a category of crime that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime only involves the taking of money or property, and does not involve force or threat of force against a victim...
s. The violent crime rate was 86 per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 455 and 222 for Utah. The property crime rate was 2,190 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 3,213 and 3,367 for the State. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) defines violent offenses to include forcible rape, robbery, murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are defined to include arson, motor vehicle theft, larceny, and burglary.
Statistics published by the Utah Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Identification showed a steady trend in the South Jordan crime rate between 2000 and 2008. The rate for index crimes, a group comprising the combined violent offenses and property crimes stated above, was 2,269 per 100,000 in 2000 and 2,277 per 100,000 in 2008. The 2008 rate for index crimes in Salt Lake County was 5,290 per 100,000 and 3,529 per 100,000 for the entire State of Utah.
In 2008, South Jordan had a total of 59 total law enforcement employees for a rate of 1.15 employees per 1,000 residents. City police officers made a total of 1,279 arrests. Total crimes reported were 4,983. Total crimes contain 22 categories that include everything from murder, rape and assault to drug offenses, larceny and prostitution.
Parks and recreation
The city has 27 municipal parks and playgrounds ranging in size from 0.39 acre (0.15782754 ha) Bolton Park in the north-west part of the city to the 59 acres (23.9 ha) Riverfront Park along the Jordan River and the 80 acres (32.4 ha) City Park along Redwood Road. City Park includes baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, soccer, and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
fields, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
courts, tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s and a skate park
Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
. Riverfront Park includes two fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
by the Division of Wildlife Resources and 22 acres (8.9 ha) of natural habitat. Other recreational facilities owned by South Jordan City include the Aquatic and Fitness center
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
, Community Center
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
providing the senior programs, Mulligan's two miniature golf
Miniature golf
Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...
and two nine-hole executive golf cources and an outdoor ice skating rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
next to City Hall.
Two trails meander through South Jordan. The Bingham Creek Trail starts in the northwest part of the city and travels 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) North-East until it reaches the West Jordan border. A 3.5 miles (5.6 km) section of the Jordan River Parkway
Jordan River Parkway
The Jordan River Parkway is an approximately urban park that runs along the Jordan River within the US state of Utah. The parkway follows along the river from Utah Lake in Utah County, through Salt Lake County and onto the Great Salt Lake in Davis County. The majority of a mixed-use trail has...
trail runs through the city from northern edge of the city all the way to the southern edge. The trail has a combined bike and jogging path, plus an equestrian path.
Salt Lake County operates the 120 acres (48.6 ha) Equestrian Park that sits adjacent to South Jordan City Park. The park grounds contain a horse racing track
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, a polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
and dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
field, indoor arenas and stables. The Salt Lake County Fair is held every August at the park.
The 67 acres (27.1 ha) Oquirrh Lake sits inside 137 acres (55.4 ha) of park and wetlands located at the Daybreak Community. Recreational opportunities include fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, sail boating
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
, kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing and canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing. The lake has been stocked with trout, bigmouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, channel catfish, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, and fathead minnow
Fathead minnow
The fathead minnow , is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephales genus of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United...
s. Of the fish they catch, anglers can only keep trout. The lake and the surrounding park land are privately owned, but open to the public, with future plans to turn it over to South Jordan City. In addition to the lake, the Daybreak community includes 22 miles (35.4 km) of trails, community gardens
Community gardening
A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people.-Purpose:Community gardens provide fresh produce and plants as well as satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, pocket park
Pocket park
A pocket park, parkette or mini-park is a small park accessible to the general public. In some areas they are called miniparks or vest-pocket parks....
s and community-only swimming pools.
Privately owned, but open to the public, Glenmoor Golf course is inside city limits. Salt Lake County-owned Mountain View Golf Course is 0.3 mile (0.482802 km) north in West Jordan and Sandy-owned River Oaks Golf Course borders the Jordan River in Sandy.
Government
South Jordan has a council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of government. The council, the city's legislative body, consists of five members and a mayor, each serving a four-year term. The council sets policy, and the city manager oversees day-to-day operations. As of 2010, the mayor is W. Kent Money, and the city manager is John H. Geilmann. The city council meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 PM.
Utah is one of the country's most Republican states and South Jordan follows Utah's trend with only Republican elected officials. Jason Chaffetz
Jason Chaffetz
Jason E. Chaffetz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Provo and includes large portions of central and west-central Utah.-Early life, education and career:...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, represents South Jordan as part of Utah's 3rd congressional district
Utah's 3rd congressional district
Utah's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. It currently covers nearly all of Utah County and the west side of Salt Lake County, in central and west central Utah....
of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Chris Buttars
Chris Buttars
D. Chris Buttars is a former Republican member of the Utah State Senate representing the 10th Utah Senate District...
, a Republican, represents South Jordan as part of the 10th Utah Senate District
10th Utah Senate District
The 10th Utah Senate District is located in West Jordan, Utah and includes Utah House Districts 41, 42, 47, and 50 and 52. The current State Senator representing the 10th district is D. Chris Buttars...
in the Utah Senate. Merlynn Newbold, a Republican, represents South Jordan as part of 50th Utah House District of the Utah House of Representatives
Utah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
.
Education
Jordan School District
Jordan School District was the largest of Utah school districts , It now employs 2,631 teachers and other licensed personnel who educate more than 48,000 students. An additional 2,610 employees provide support services for the system...
. The district has six elementary schools, two middle schools (South Jordan Middle and Elk Ridge Middle) and three high schools (Bingham High School
Bingham High School
Bingham High School, located in the Jordan School District, is one of the oldest schools in Utah. It celebrated its centennial on September 9, 2008. It serves 2,495 students in South Jordan.-Student Government History:...
, Herriman High School and Itineris Early College High School
Itineris Early College High School
Itineris Early College High School is an Independent Public Charter school. It is located in West Jordan, Utah, on the campus of Salt Lake Community College. The school enables those who attend to receive their associate’s degree while earning their high school diploma at the same time...
) serving the students of South Jordan. In addition, there is Paradigm
Paradigm High School
Paradigm High School is a High School in South Jordan, Utah. Its main focus is Leadership.-History:It is an organized as a charter school under the Utah State Department of Education...
public charter high school and three private schools (American Heritage, Mountain Heritage Academy and Stillwater Academy).
Salt Lake Community College's
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
Jordan Campus is located on the boundary between of South Jordan and West Jordan. The Jordan Campus offers general education classes as well as all of the college's health science courses. Jordan School District's Applied Technology Center and Itineris Early College High School are also located on campus. Salt Lake Community College's Miller Campus is located in Sandy next to the border with South Jordan and is home to the college's Culinary Institute, Miller Business Resource Center for corporate training programs, and training facilities for the Utah Department of Public Safety. The private universities in South Jordan are Neumont University
Neumont University
Neumont University was founded in 2003 by Graham Doxey, Scott McKinley, and Marlow Einelund. It is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah. Neumont's South Jordan campus is located in what has been labeled Utah's s between other technology-oriented companies like Ibahn, eBay, Oracle, and...
, which offers courses in computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and the Roseman University of Health Sciences
Roseman University of Health Sciences
Roseman University of Health Sciences is a private, non-profit university located in the city of Henderson, Nevada, with a satellite campus located in South Jordan, Utah. It was founded by Dr. Harry Rosenberg, enrolled its first class in January 2001 and was originally called the Nevada College of...
, which houses schools of pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
.
Transportation
Interstate 15, a twelve-lane freeway, is located on the eastern edge of the city and provides two interchanges inside city limits at 10600 South and 11400 South. Bangerter Highway (State Route 154), a six-lane expressway, traverses the center of the city with interchanges at 9800 South, 10400 South and 11400 South. The Mountain View CorridorMountain View Corridor
The Mountain View Corridor, numerically designated as State Route 85 , is an expressway currently under construction that will run along the western periphery of Salt Lake County and northwest Utah County in northern Utah. A spur of the eventual freeway to Interstate 15 opened in northwestern Utah...
, an eventual ten-lane freeway, will be located on the western edge of the Daybreak Community. Work began in the Spring of 2010.
Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah, United States. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines , and a commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, north of Ogden. UTA is based in...
(UTA) bus system and UTA's TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
Red Line
Red Line (UTA Trax)
The Red Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. It originally opened in December 2001 as the Sandy/University Line, running from the University of Utah to the city of Sandy, and was later rerouted to South Jordan and renamed the Red Line in August 2011...
. The Red Line will connect to the TRAX line running to downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. Two TRAX stations, with park and ride lots, are located inside the Daybreak Community. The Daybreak North Station is located at approximately 10600 South and will has 400 shared park and ride spaces. The Daybreak South Station is located at 11400 South and has 600 park and ride spaces. Two other stations are located inside West Jordan at the city boundary with South Jordan, the 5600 West Station and the 4800 West Station. The travel time between the Daybreak South Station to downtown Salt Lake City is approximately 60 minutes.
UTA's FrontRunner
FrontRunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
commuter rail
Commuter rail in North America
Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis primarily for short-distance travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and...
system is set to be completed in 2012. There will be a station at South Jordan's eastern edge at 10200 South. When completed, Frontrunner will extended north to Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. 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...
and south to Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
.
Infrastructure
Electric service to South Jordan residents is provided by Rocky Mountain Power. Natural gas service is provided by Questar Corporation. Qwest Communications handles local telephone service; long-distance service is available from several providers. ComcastComcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Qwest offers high-speed Internet connections.
South Jordan city owns the water distribution system. Drinking water is provided by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
Primarily a wholesaler of water to cities and improvement districts within Salt Lake County, is a political subdivision of the State of Utah and one of the largest water districts in the state. It was created in 1951 under the Water Conservancy District Act and was called Salt Lake County Water...
. Secondary water, a non-potable water used for landscaping, is provided from the canals running through the city. South Valley Sewer District owns and bills for the sewer system. South Jordan City contracts out to Allied Waste Industries
Allied Waste Industries
Allied Waste Industries was a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. A vertically integrated company that owned and operated solid waste collection businesses, recycling facilities, and landfills, it was a leader in the solid waste industry in the United States...
for curbside pickup of household garbage; recyclables are picked up once a week.
The Intermountain Riverton Hospital, owned by Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Health Care, Inc., DBA as Intermountain Healthcare, and formerly known as Intermountain Health Care , is a non-profit healthcare system and is the largest healthcare provider in the Intermountain West. Intermountain Healthcare provides hospital and other medical services in Utah and...
, is a 58-bed, full-service hospital in Riverton that also includes a satellite facility for Primary Children's Medical Center
Primary Children's Medical Center
Primary Children's Medical Center is a 252-bed children's hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is owned by Intermountain Healthcare and operates in affiliation with the University of Utah...
. Jordan Valley Medical Center, owned by Iasis Healthcare
Iasis Healthcare
IASIS, located in Franklin, Tennessee, is a leading owner and operator of medium-sized acute care hospitals in high-growth urban and suburban markets...
, is a 183-bed, full-service hospital located in West Jordan.
Notable residents
Current resident Apolo Anton OhnoApolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno is an American short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist in the Winter Olympics. He is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time....
was a short track speed skating athlete. Ohno is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time with eight medals. Current resident Edward J. Fraughton
Edward J. Fraughton
Edward J. Fraughton , American artist, sculptor and inventor is primarily known for his epic monumental works and individual collector editions that often relate to the history of the American West. Fraughton's stylistic goals follow the American Neo-classic/Beaux-Arts, impressionistic realism...
is a sculptor of western themes
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and inventor. Fraughton invented technology used in Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B is used for tracking and finding aircraft positions using satellites.
Keven Curtis is a former resident who, as of 2010, is a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Curtis graduated from Bingham High School where he played football and basketball. Denise Parker is a former resident who is a three time Summer Olympic competitor in Archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. Parker was the youngest member of the 1988 U.S Summer Olympic team at age 14 where she won a bronze medal. As of 2010, Parker is Chief Executive Officer for USA Archery, the national governing body for the sport of archery.