Provo, Utah

Provo, Utah Fort Utah
City
Downtown Provo in January 2016
Flag
Motto: "Welcome Home"
Location of Provo in Utah County, Utah
Provo Location within Utah Show map of Utah Provo Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates:40°14′40″N111°39′39″W / 40.24444°N 111.66083°W /40.24444; -111.66083
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Utah
Founded	1849
Incorporated	April 1850
Named for	Étienne Provost[1]
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Michelle Kaufusi(R)
• Council Chair	Katrice Mackay
Area [2]
•City	44.19 sq mi (114.44 km2)
• Land	41.69 sq mi (107.97 km2)
• Water	2.50 sq mi (6.47 km2)
Elevation	4,551 ft (1,387 m)
Population ( 2020) [3] [4]
•City	115,162
• Density	2,762.34/sq mi (1,066.61/km2)
•Urban	588,609 (US: 75th)
• Urban density	3,653.5/sq mi (1,410.6/km2)
•Metro	697,141 (US: 86th)
Time zone	UTC−7(Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6(MDT)
ZIP Codes	84601-84606
Area codes	385, 801
FIPS code	49-62470[5]
GNISID	1444661[6]
Website	www.provo.org

Provo(/ˈproʊvoʊ/PROH-voh) is a city in and thecounty seatofUtah County, Utah, United States. It is 43 miles (69 km) south ofSalt Lake Cityalong theWasatch Front, and lies between the cities ofOremto the north andSpringvilleto the south. With a population at the2020 censusof 115,162,^[3]Provo is thefourth-largest cityin Utah and the principal city in theProvo-Orem metropolitan area, which had a population of 526,810 at the 2010 census.^[7]It is Utah's second-largestmetropolitan areaafterSalt Lake City.

Provo is the home toBrigham Young University(BYU),^[8]a private higher education institution operated bythe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church). Provo also has the LDS Church's largestMissionary Training Center(MTC). The city is a focus area for technology development in Utah, with several billion-dollarstartups.^[9]The city'sPeaks Ice Arenawas a venue for the Salt Lake CityWinter Olympics in 2002.

The Provo area was originally called Timpanogas, aNumic(Ute people) word perhaps meaning "rock river".^[10]The area was inhabited by theTimpanogos.^[11]It was the largest and most settled area in modern-day Utah.^[12]The ample food from the Provo River made the Timpanogos a peaceful people.^{[clarification needed][11]}The area also served as the traditional meeting place for theUteandShoshonetribes and was used as a common location for worship of their creator deity.^{[clarification needed][13]}

FatherSilvestre Vélez de Escalante, a SpanishFranciscanmissionary-explorer, is considered the first European explorer to have visited the area in 1776. He was guided by two Timpanogos Utes, whom he called Silvestre and Joaquín.^[14]Escalante chronicled this first European exploration across theGreat Basin Desert. The Europeans did not build a permanent settlement but traded with the Timpanogos, whom they called Lagunas (lake people) or Come Pescado (fish eaters).^[12]

In 1847, theMormon pioneersarrived in theSalt Lake Valley, which was just north ofTimpanogos Mountain. At first, the Natives were friendly with the Mormons. But, as relations deteriorated with the Shoshoni and Utes because of disputes over land and cattle, tensions rose. Because of the reported stolen goods of settlers by the Utes, Brigham Young gave small militia orders "to take such measures as would put a final end to their [Indian] depredations in future." This ended in what is known as theBattle Creek massacre, in modern-dayPleasant Grove, Utah.

The Mormons continued pushing into Timpanog lands. In 1849, 33Mormonfamilies from Salt Lake City establishedFort Utah. In 1850, Brigham Young sent an army from Salt Lake to drive out the Timpanogos in what is called theProvo War.^[15]Escalating tensions with the Timpanog contributed to theWalker War.^{[citation needed]}Fort Utah was renamed Provo in 1850 forÉtienne Provost,^[16]an earlyFrench-Canadiantrapper who arrived in the region in 1825.

In 1850, the first schoolhouse was constructed in Provo, built within Utah Fort.^[17]

As moreLatter-day Saintsarrived, Provo quickly grew as a city. It soon was nicknamedThe Garden Citywith a large number of fruit orchards and gardens there.^[18]

In 1872, a railroad reached Provo. It was also this year that the Provo Woolen Mills opened. They were the first large factory in Provo and employed about 150 people, initially mainly skilled textile laborers who had emigrated from Britain.^[19]

Provo lies on the eastern bank ofUtah LakeinUtah Valleyat an elevation of 4,549 feet (1,387 m). According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 44.2 square miles (114.4 km²), of which 41.7 square miles (107.9 km²) is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), or 5.66%, is water.^[20]

TheWasatch Rangecontains many peaks withinUtah Countyalong the east side of theWasatch Front. One of them, known asY Mountain, towers over the city. There is a largehillside letterYmade of whitewashed concrete halfway up the steep mountain, built in the early part of the 20th century to commemorate BYU (original plans included construction use of all three letters). Wild deer (and less frequently,cougars, andmoose) still roam the mountains (and occasionally the city streets). The geography allows for hiking,skiing,fishingand other outdoor activities.

Provo's climate can be classified as either ahot-summer Mediterranean climateclassification (KöppenCsa) or as acool semi-arid climate(KöppenBSk). Overall, annual rainfall at the location of BYU is around 17.23 inches or 440 millimetres; however, the western part of the metropolitan area near Orem is substantially drier, receiving only around 13.5 inches or 340 millimetres of precipitation and consequently has acool semi-arid climate(KöppenBSk).^[21]The wettest calendar year in Provo has been 1983 with 37.54 inches (953.5 mm) and the driest 2020 with 7.28 inches (184.9 mm).^[21]

Winters are cold with substantial snowfall averaging 57.2 inches or 1.45 metres and a record monthly total of 66.0 inches (1.68 m) in January 1918, during which the record snow cover of 34 inches or 0.86 metres was recorded on the 17th. Seasonal snowfall has ranged from 127.5 inches (3.24 m) in 1983–84 to 10.1 inches (0.26 m) in 2014–15. Very cold weather may occur when cold air from over theContinental Divideinvades the region: although only four mornings fall to or below 0 °F or −17.8 °C during an average winter and this temperature was not reached at all between 1999 and 2006, during the very cold January 1917 (average temperature 14.9 °F or −9.5 °C), seventeen mornings fell this cold.^[21]By contrast, in several recent winters like 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2004–05, and 2005–06, averages have been above freezing every month.

Temperatures warm rapidly during the spring, with the first afternoon over 70 °F or 21.1 °C on March 21, the last freeze expected on April 29, and the first temperature equal to or hotter than 90 °F or 32.2 °C on May 30. Rainfall is not infrequent during the spring: over 5.10 inches or 130 millimetres was recorded in the Mays of 1995 and 2011, and a total of 12.29 inches (312.2 mm) fell during the four-month span of March to June 2005 – in contrast as little as 2.04 inches (51.8 mm) fell in the same months of 2012.^[21]

Being too far north to gain any influence fromthe monsoonexcept in rare cases like the 4.38 inches (111.3 mm) rainfall of August 1983, Provo's summers are hot and dry, though relatively short – no maxima above 100 °F or 37.8 °C have been recorded outside the range of June 7 to August 27. Monthly maxima average over 91 °F or 32.8 °C in July and August, and precipitation averages under one inch per month with a two-month total in 2016 as low as 0.06 inches or 1.5 millimetres. The hottest month on record is July 2003 with a mean of 81.8 °F or 27.7 °C, and a mean maximum of 99.0 °F or 37.2 °C. The hottest temperature on record is 108 °F (42.2 °C) on July 13, 2002.^[21]

The fall season sees steady cooling and a transition to winter weather, with rare influences of rain systems from further south, as in the record wet month of September 1982, which saw 6.53 inches (165.9 mm) of total precipitation, including 4.15 inches (105.4 mm) over the last six days from a storm moving from Arizona. The last maximum of 90 °F (32.2 °C) can be expected around September 10, and the first morning below freezing on October 14.^[21]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,030		—
1870	2,384		17.4%
1880	3,432		44.0%
1890	5,159		50.3%
1900	6,185		19.9%
1910	8,925		44.3%
1920	10,303		15.4%
1930	14,766		43.3%
1940	18,071		22.4%
1950	28,937		60.1%
1960	36,047		24.6%
1970	53,131		47.4%
1980	74,108		39.5%
1990	86,835		17.2%
2000	105,166		21.1%
2010	112,488		7.0%
2020	115,162		2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]

Provo, Utah – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[25]	Pop 2010[26]	Pop 2020[27]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
Whitealone (NH)	88,311	87,186	81,655	83.97%	77.51%	70.90%
Black or African Americanalone (NH)	432	672	971	0.41%	0.60%	0.84%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH)	703	719	590	0.67%	0.64%	0.51%
Asianalone (NH)	1,903	2,743	2,772	1.81%	2.44%	2.41%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH)	873	1,229	1,655	0.83%	1.09%	1.44%
Other racealone (NH)	141	194	406	0.13%	0.17%	0.35%
Mixed race or Multiracial(NH)	1,790	2,654	5,718	1.70%	2.36%	4.97%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)	11,013	17,091	21,395	10.47%	15.19%	18.58%
Total	105,166	112,488	115,162	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

At the2010 census,^[5]112,488 people, 31,524 households and 21,166 families resided in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 2,697.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,041.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.8%White, 0.7%Black or African American, 0.8%American Indian, 2.5%Asian, 1.1%Pacific Islander, 6.6% fromother races, and 3.4% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoresidents of any race were 15.2% of the population.

There were 31,524 households, of which 34.8% had children under 18 living with them, 55.4% weremarried couplesliving together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of a single individual, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24, and the average family size was 3.41.

In the city, 22.3% of residents were under 18, 36.4% were from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

At the2000 census,^[5]105,166 people, 29,192 households and 19,938 families resided in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 2,653.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,024.4/km²). There were 30,374 housing units at an average density of 766.3/sq mi (295.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.52%White, 0.46%Black or African American, 0.80%American Indian, 1.83%Asian, 0.84%Pacific Islander, 5.10% fromother races, and 2.44% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoresidents of any race were 10.47% of the population.

There were 29,192 households, of which 33.8% had children under 18 living with them, 57.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 11.8% of all households were made up of a single individual, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34, and the average family size was 3.40.

In the city, 22.3% of residents were under 18, 40.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 8.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

Themedian household incomewas $34,313, and the median family income was $36,393. Males had a median income of $32,010 and females $20,928. Theper capita incomewas $13,207. About 12.5% of families and 26.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those aged 65 or over.

The residents of Provo are predominantly members of the LDS Church. According to data taken in 2000 by theARDA, 88% of the overall population, and 98% of religious adherents in the Provo-Orem area are Latter-day Saints.^[28]According to a study in 2015, the Provo-Orem metro area is about as dissimilar to the rest of America as possible. Weighing factors such as race, housing, income, and education, the study ranked Provo-Orem 376th of 381 of the United States' largest cities in terms of resemblance to the country.^[29]

According to the breakdown for Utah County in 2010, most people (90.6%) were Christian, with Latter-day Saints constituting 88.7% of the population.Catholicsconstituted 1.3% andProtestantsconstituted 0.6%. Other religions constituted 0.3% of the population. 9.1% of the population did not adhere to any religion.^[30]

Provo has more than 100restaurants(with over 60 in the downtown area)^[31]and a couple ofshopping centers.The Shops At RiverwoodsandProvo Towne Centre, bothshopping malls, operate in Provo. Several small shops, music venues, and boutiques have popped up downtown, along Center Street and University Avenue. Downtown has also begun to host "gallery strolls" every first Friday of the month that features local artists. There are many dining establishments in and around downtown Provo.

Five Provo companies are listed onInc.com's Inc. 5000list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The largest, DieCuts With a View, is ranked number 1403 and has revenues of $26.2 million.^[32]Other companies on the list are VitalSmarts (ranked 4109, with $41.4 million in revenue),^[33]and Connect Public Relations (ranked 3694, with $6.1 million in revenue).^[34]The global recreation and entertainment companyRyze Trampoline Parks, with locations throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S., is headquartered in Provo.^[35]

Novell, the dominant personal computer networking company from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, was headquartered in Provo and occupied several buildings at the height of its success. It was eventually acquired byThe Attachmate Groupand then byMicro Focus, which still maintains facilities there.

The Food & Care Coalition is a local organization providing services to the homeless and low-income citizens of Provo and Utah Counties. They also providevolunteeropportunities.

• Action Target, a shooting range manufacturer.
• Morinda Bioactives(formerly Tahitian Noni International) is a multi-level marketing health and skin care manufacturer whose products are based on the Tahitian fruit callednoni.
• North American Arms, a firearms manufacturer.
• Nu Skin Enterprises, a multi-level marketing firm for skin care products, was founded in 1984.
• Qualtrics, a private research software company.
• Vivint(formerly APX Alarm Security Solutions) is aresidential securitycompany with customers.

According to Provo's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[36]the top employers in the city were:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Brigham Young University	5,000-6,999
2	Utah Valley Regional Medical Center	3,000-3,999
3	Vivint	3,000-3,999
4	Arm Security	1,000-1,999
5	Revere Health	1,000-1,999
6	Chrysalis Utah	1,000-1,999
7	Qualtrics	1,000-1,999
8	RBD Acquisition	1,000-1,999
9	Frontier Communications	500-999
10	Nu Skin International	500-999

Every July, Provo hostsAmerica's Freedom Festival at Provowhich includes theStadium of Fireat BYU. It is held inLaVell Edwards Stadium, home to BYU'sNCAAfootballteam. The Independence Day festivities are popular among residents and have featured such notable figures asBob Hope,David Hasselhoff,Reba McEntire,Mandy Moore,Huey Lewis and the News,Toby Keith,Sean Hannity,Fred Willard, andTaylor Hicks.^[37]In 2015, the event included performances byJourneyandOlivia Holt, and was hosted by television personalityMontel Williams.^[38][39]

Provo has two other large festivals each fall.Festival Latinoamericanois an annual family-oriented Labor Day weekend event in downtown Provo that offers the community a taste of the region'sHispanicculture through ethnic food, vendors, and performances.^[40]

The city has hosted an annual LGBT Provo Pride Festival since 2013.^[41]

The Covey Center for the Arts,^[42]a performing arts center, is at 425 West Center Street. It features plays, ballets, art showcases, and musical performances throughout the year. The size of the building is a total of 42,000 square feet (3,902 m²). The main performance hall seats 670 people. Three dance studios are furnished with a piano, ballet bars, and mirrors. Another theater, the Brinton Black Box Theater, seats 60 for smaller, more intimate events. There are also two art galleries: the 1,620-square-foot (151 m²) Secured Gallery and the Eccles Gallery in the lower lobby.^[43]

Provo is the location of the church's largest MTC. Each week approximately 475missionariesenter for 3–9 weeks of training before they depart for the mission field, becoming part of more than 58,000 in more than 120 countries. About 1,100 instructors (many of them returned missionaries) teach 62 languages. The MTC in Provo began construction in July 1974 and was completed in July 1976. The MTC was expanded in the early 1990s to become the largest of the 17 such centers than in the world.^[44][45]Additional construction was completed in 2017.^[46][47]

TheProvo City Libraryis a public library that occupies the building of the former Brigham Young Academy, built-in 1892. The building was added to theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1976. Its collection contains over 277,000 media. The library is on University Avenue and 550 North.

With construction finished in 2013, the center provides a location for aquatic recreation next to the Provo Power plant.^[48]

The Provo Utah Temple is at the base of Rock Canyon in Provo. This temple is among the busiest in the LDS Church due to its proximity to BYU and the MTC.^[49]

Located at the corner of University Avenue and Center Street, the Provo City Center Temple serves as another temple for the Provo area's Latter-day Saint population. After a fire in 2010 destroyed the Provo Tabernacle,^[50]Thomas S. Monson, then LDS Churchpresident, announced the site would become the city's second temple.^[51]Renovations were finished and the temple was dedicated in March 2016.^[52]

The Utah Valley Convention Center opened in 2012.^[53]It has 83,578 square feet (7,764.7 m²) of combined meeting, pre-function and garden space.^[54]

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• Brigham Young University Arboretum
• BYU Museum of Paleontology
• LaVell Edwards Stadium- home of theNCAAcollege footballBYU Cougarsas well asStadium of Fire, an annual4th of Julyfireworksshow and concert
• The Marriott Center- home of the NCAAcollege basketballBYU Cougars. The Marriott Center is also used for large university gatherings, such as devotionals, guest lectures, andgraduationceremonies
• Peaks Ice Arena, hockey venue for the2002 Winter Olympic Games
• TheProvo River, a river known for fishing and the Provo River Parkway, a paved bicycle and walking trail adjacent to the river^[55]
• Reed O. Smoot House, aNational Historic Landmark, at 183 East 100 South
• Seven Peaks Water Park, the largest water park in Utah.^[56]
• The Shops At Riverwoods, a center of residences, retail, and entertainment at the mouth ofProvo Canyon
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument
• Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, a national forest on theWasatch Frontbordering the east edge of Provo and Utah Valley
• Utah Lake, a fresh-water lake popular for fishing, boating, and other recreational activities

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Federally, Provo is part ofUtah's 3rd congressional district, represented by RepublicanJohn Curtis, elected in 2017.

Elected officials of Provo City as of 2024
Official	Position	Term ends
Michelle Kaufusi	Mayor	2022-2026
City Council Members
Katrice Mackay	City Wide I	2022-2026
Gary Garrett	City Wide II	2024-2028
Craig Christensen	District 1	2024-2028
George Handley	District 2	2022-2026
Becky Bogdin	District 3	2024-2028
Travis Hoban	District 4	2024-2028
Rachel Whipple	District 5	2022-2026

Provo is administered by a seven-membercity counciland a mayor. Five of the council seats are elected by individual city districts, and two of the seats are elected by the city as a whole. These elected officials serve four-year terms, with elections alternating every two years. Provo has aMayor–council government, which creates two separate but equal branches of government. The mayor is chief executive of the city and the council is the legislative and policy-making body of the city.^[57]The mayor isMichelle Kaufusi, who has been in office since December 5, 2017.

BYUis a private university operated bythe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU is thethird-largest private university in the United States, with more than 34,000 students. It is the flagship of theChurch Educational Systemof higher education. On the campus is theSpencer W. Kimball Tower, the tallest building in Provo.^[58][59]

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionsis a private, for-profit university emphasizing graduate healthcare education. The Northwest Commission accredits the university of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). RMUoHP offers programs in nursing practice, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and health science. RMUoHP will be building Utah County's first new medical school.^[60]

Provo Collegeis a private, for-profit educational institution specializing in career education. The school is accredited by theAccrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools(ACICS). Provo College offers associate degrees and diplomas in fields such as nursing, medical assisting, criminal justice, graphic design, and office administration.^{[61][third-party source needed]}

Almost all of Provo is within theProvo School District.^[62]The school board has seven members, each representing a different district of the city. There are thirteen elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools.Provo High Schoolwas the first school inUtah Countyto be an IB World school. The school has a record of 4A state basketball championships, more state champions than any other school in the state.^[63]Timpview High Schoolhas a record of 4A state football championships.^{[citation needed][when?]}

A small section of the city lies withinAlpine School District.^[62]

Interstate 15runs through western Provo, connecting it with the rest of the Wasatch Front and much of Utah.US-89runs northwest to southeast through the city as State Street, whileUS-189connects US-89 with I-15, BYU, and Orem to the north. At the north edge of the city, US-189 heads northeast intoProvo Canyon, where it connects withHeber.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service toProvo station, operating itsCalifornia Zephyrdaily in both directions betweenChicago,Illinois, andEmeryville,California(in theSan Francisco Bay Area). Provo also can be accessed by Salt Lake Express intercity buses and the extensiveUtah Transit Authority(UTA) bus system. UTA'scommuter railservice, theFrontRunner, opened an extension to Provo from Salt Lake City on December 10, 2012.^[64]TheProvo Intermodal Center, adjacent to the Amtrak station, connects theFrontRunnerwith local bus routes, as well as Greyhound service.

TheProvo Municipal Airportis Utah's second busiest airport regarding the number of aircraft take-offs and landings.^[65]Allegiant Airlineshas been based out of the airport since 2022.^[66]

Provo is home to (or the hometown of) many well-known people, includingThe Osmonds(includingDonny,Marie, and theOsmond Brothers),^[67]LDS ChurchapostleDallin H. Oaks, and NFL and BYU quarterbackSteve Young.^[68]Goodwin Knight, who served as the 35th Governor of California (1947–1953), was born in Provo. The global economistDambisa Moyomoved to Provo following her marriage toQualtricsco-founder Jared Smith.^[69]

Provo has three sister cities designated bySister Cities International:^[70][71]

• Nanning, China
• Chengdu, China
• Meissen, Germany

• List of cities and towns in Utah

• Official website
• Provo historical imagesat the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
• Aerial view of Provo, Utah, MSS SC 2962atL. Tom Perry Special Collections,Harold B. Lee Library,Brigham Young University
• "Provo, Utah".C-SPANCities Tour. July 2016.