It is the county seat of Salt Lake County , the most populous county in the state. Salt Lake City is further situated within a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake CityβOgdenβProvo Combined Statistical Area , a corridor of contiguous urban and suburban development stretched along a mile km segment of the Wasatch Front , comprising a population of 2,, as of estimates , [ 13 ] making it the 22nd largest in the nation. With a population of , in , it is the th most populous city in the United States.
Salt Lake City was founded on July 24, , by early pioneer settlers led by Brigham Young who were seeking to escape persecution they had experienced while living farther east. The Mormon pioneers , as they would come to be known, entered a semi-arid valley and immediately began planning and building an extensive irrigation network which could feed the population and foster future growth.
Salt Lake City's street grid system is based on a standard compass grid plan, with the southeast corner of Temple Square the area containing the Salt Lake Temple in downtown Salt Lake City serving as the origin of the Salt Lake meridian.
In , the word "Great" was dropped from the city's name. It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway , the first transcontinental highway, in Two major cross-country freeways, I and I , now intersect in the city.
The city also has a belt route , I Salt Lake City has developed a strong tourist industry based primarily on skiing , outdoor recreation , and religious tourism. It hosted the Winter Olympics and will host the Winter Olympics.
