West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan, Utah | ||
---|---|---|
City | ||
FIPS code 49-82950[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1434086[4] | |
Website | www |
West Jordan is a city in
Settled in the mid-19th century, the city has developed into its own regional center. As of 2012[update], the city has four major retail centers; with Jordan Landing being one of the largest mixed-use planned developments in the Intermountain West.[7] Companies headquartered in West Jordan include Mountain America Credit Union, Lynco Sales & Service, SME Steel, and Cyprus Credit Union. The city has one major hospital, Jordan Valley Medical Center, and a campus of Salt Lake Community College.
City landmarks include Gardner Village, established in 1850, and
History
West Jordan received its name from Mormon settlers who entered the
One of the first sawmills in the area was built in 1850 in the city by
Early West Jordan relied primarily on agriculture, mills, and mining activity to form the base of its economy. The first leather tannery west of the Mississippi River was constructed in the city in 1851.[citation needed]
Today, West Jordan is one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah. Growth has been phenomenal, beginning in the 1970s and continuing unabated since. The population grew from 4,221 in 1970 to 27,327 in 1980, 42,892 in 1990, and 68,336 in 2000, reaching 103,712 according to the 2010 Census.
Current major construction projects include a new main campus for the Salt Lake Community College, the expansion of Jordan Valley Hospital, and Midvale's current transit-oriented development on the east border in the Jordan River bed.
West Jordan has become a regional center for government services. The Veteran’s Park Area includes City Hall, the Thomas Rees Justice Center that houses the West Jordan Police and Justice Court. Also included in the area is Fire Station 52, the Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah Third District Court, the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, and the Viridian Events Center and Library. The Park also includes a rodeo area, a senior center, and Gene Fuller Recreation Center, name after former boxing great Gene Fullmer.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.9 square miles (80.0 km2), all land.
West Jordan is bordered on the west by the Oquirrh Mountains and on the east by the Jordan River. The western neighborhoods of Welby, Copper Hills, and Jordan Hills are rapidly growing regions located along the lower slopes of the eastern Oquirrh Mountains. The fastest development is currently taking place between 4800 West and State Route 111, a highway that traverses the slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains.
The city lies approximately 18 miles (29 km) southwest of downtown
Government
Elected officials of West Jordan as of January 2022 | ||||
Official | Position | Elected | Term ends | |
Dirk Burton | Mayor | 2019 | 2027 | |
City Council Members | ||||
Pamela Bloom | At-large | 2021 | 2025 | |
Kayleen Whitelock | At-large | 2017 | 2025 | |
Kelvin Green | At-large | 2019 | 2025 | |
Chad Lamb | District 1 | 2023 | 2027 | |
Bob Bedore | District 2 | 2023 | 2027 | |
Zach Jacob | District 3 | 2015 | 2027 | |
Kent Shelton | District 4 | 2023 | 2027 |
West Jordan was incorporated on January 10, 1941. In November 2017, the citizens voted to change the form of government to a council-mayor form beginning at noon on January 6, 2020. The
The mayor and city council members are elected to four-year terms. Four city council members are elected from four districts within the city, while the other three are elected at-large or citywide. The mayor and the four city council members representing a district are elected at the same time while the three at-large council members are elected during an offset two year election cycle. Thus ensuring that at least one city official representing the whole city is voted on every two years. All terms begin on January 1 following their respective election.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1950 | 2,107 | — | |
1960 | 3,009 | 42.8% | |
1970 | 4,221 | 40.3% | |
1980 | 27,192 | 544.2% | |
1990 | 42,892 | 57.7% | |
2000 | 68,336 | 59.3% | |
2010 | 103,712 | 51.8% | |
2020 | 116,961 | 12.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census,[9] 2020[5] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[10] | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
57,688 | 77,360 | 77,760 | 84.42% | 74.59% | 66.48% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
396 | 855 | 1,363 | 0.58% | 0.82% | 1.17% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
323 | 517 | 596 | 0.47% | 0.50% | 0.51% |
Asian alone (NH) | 1,381 | 2,732 | 3,761 | 2.02% | 2.63% | 3.22% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 632 | 1,588 | 2,450 | 0.92% | 1.53% | 2.09% |
Other race alone (NH) | 55 | 190 | 528 | 0.08% | 0.18% | 0.45% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 979 | 2,106 | 4,455 | 1.43% | 2.03% | 3.81% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6,882 | 18,364 | 26,048 | 10.07% | 17.71% | 22.27% |
Total | 68,336 | 103,712 | 116,961 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau,
Education
Most of West Jordan lies in the
Transportation
7800 South enters the city at the Jordan River and runs west through the city until it intersects with Utah Road 111. Redwood Road (State Route 68), a six-lane road, runs through the eastern portion of the city. In the far western extremes of the city, State Route 111, a two-lane road, runs through the developing rural area along the foothills. Development has recently begun to expand beyond SR-111.
In the middle of West Jordan is located the
West Jordan is served by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus system, which runs every half-hour during peak hours. All of the routes running into the city connect to nearby TRAX stations in Midvale and Sandy or to downtown Salt Lake City. Service in the city was increased during the August 2007 redesign of the bus system.[16] A TRAX light rail line also serves the area. This line begins at the Fashion Place West station in Murray and run southwest through West Jordan, with 6 stops in the city, before turning south and terminating at the Daybreak Community in South Jordan.[17] The route was opened on August 7, 2011.[18]
Transportation has been a major issue in city politics. The city's population has expanded from about 4,000 in 1970 to over 100,000 in 2010, outstripping the capacity of roadways and infrastructure. At
Notable people
- Delila Abbotts, Utah state legislator
- Don Fullmer, boxer
- Gene Fullmer, boxer, 1957 world middleweight champion
- Wassef Ali Hassoun, U.S. Marine
- Escape
- Eric Rhead, racing driver
- Sealver Siliga, American Professional Football Player National Football League
In the media
- In the fictional HBO drama Big Love, one of Bill Henrickson's home improvement stores is located in West Jordan.
Sister cities
West Jordan has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:
See also
References
- ^ "Mayor's Office".
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "QuickFacts West Jordan city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Carter; Aug. 13, KSL com | Posted-; P.m, 2021 at 6:58. "Census data: Utah's new top 10 most-populated cities — and other emerging places". www.ksl.com. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "JordanLanding.Net". Archived from the original on April 21, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
- ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the originalon November 3, 2022, retrieved March 26, 2024
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – West Jordan city, Utah". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – West Jordan city, Utah". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – West Jordan city, Utah". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "W. JORDAN VOTES TO ANNEX LAND". Deseret News. February 28, 1996. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "MountainView Corridor Construction". Utah Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ "404". www.rideuta.com.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Utah Transit Authority - Mid-Jordan TRAX line". Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
- ^ Deseret News - UTA setting end dates on TRAX construction. Deseret News. August 9, 2007.
- ^ "Master Transportation Plan prepared for West Jordan" (PDF). 2 January 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2015.