Located in north central Utah, Salt Lake City is the cultural and political center of the state. With a metropolitan area of one million residents, Salt Lake City offers varied cultural events and recreational opportunities. The city is part of the Wasatch Front, the name given to the string of cities and suburbs that forms a continuous urban area along the Wasatch Mountains from Ogden to Provo.

The Wasatch Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop to the city and offer extensive recreational opportunities. In winter, “the greatest snow on earth” covers these mountains, and the seven large ski resorts within one hour’s drive of downtown Salt Lake City offer world-class downhill skiing and snowboarding. In summer, the mountains provide varied hiking, camping and mountain biking opportunities.

As the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Salt Lake City area features numerous other winter sports facilities. The Utah Winter Sports Park provides bobsled, luge, and ski jumping facilities, while Soldier Hollow offers 31 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails.
Professional Sports

Salt Lake City is home to the Utah Jazz, an NBA team that plays its games at the downtown Delta Center. Other professional teams include the Salt Lake Stingers, a Triple-A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels, the
Utah Grizzlies of the American Hockey League and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.
Cultural Events

Salt Lake City provides numerous cultural performances and events and is home to the world famous Utah Symphony, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Ballet West and several other professional dance companies. The city hosts music festivals and parades year round.

The Salt Lake City Arts Council sponsors many events such as gallery shows and literary readings and publishes a quarterly cultural events calendar. The council promotes diverse cultural activity in the city, including public art and summer festivals.
Recreation

Numerous recreational opportunities are available in the Salt Lake City area. Hogle Zoo is open year-round, and the city’s parks provide a variety of recreational facilities. The city also owns and maintains golf courses and two Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The downtown Gallivan Center sponsors events and festivals throughout the year, including First Night on New Year's Eve, the Salt Lake Classic on Memorial Day weekend, the Brewer's Festival in August and the Twilight Concert Series in the summer.

Varied recreational opportunities are within driving distance of Salt Lake City. Five national parks in southern Utah are only a four-hour drive from the Salt Lake City area and include some of the nation’s most popular parks: