Last updated on July 1st, 2024
51. The Utah State Rock is coal, symbolizing the importance of the mining industry in the state’s history.
52. The Great Stone Face, a natural rock formation in the Uinta Mountains, resembles a giant human face when viewed from a certain angle.
53. Utah is known for its high-quality snow, and the state boasts of having “The Greatest Snow on Earth” as its official slogan.
54. The Utah State Vegetable is the sweet onion, representing the state’s agricultural heritage.
55. Utah is home to one of the oldest living organisms in the world. Located in the Fishlake National Forest, the trembling giant is a grove of Aspen trees. What makes these trees interesting is that they have a single root system. And this also means that the trees are genetically identical. It is also referred to as Pando. This Latin word means ‘I spread’, and is quite appropriate for the Aspens. The leaves of the trees begin to flutter, even with a slight breeze, and rightly grant the trees their moniker of quaking aspens.
56. The state’s official tree is the blue spruce, and the official bird is the California gull, even though it is not native to the state.
57. The Fremont Indian State Park and Museum in central Utah contain ancient Native American rock art and artifacts. The Fremont Indian State Park and Museum houses artifacts and preserved dwellings from the Fremont people, who inhabited the region from about 700 to 1300 AD.
58. Utah is home to the Tree of Utah, an 87-foot-tall sculpture located in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats along Interstate 80.
59. Utah is home to the largest natural mountain amphitheatre in the United States, the Snowbird Amphitheatre.
60. The town of Beaver, Utah, is known as the “birthplace of the mountain man” due to its proximity to historical fur trapping and trading routes.
61. The largest dinosaur graveyard in the world, known as the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, is found in Utah.
62. Dinosaur Discovery: At Johnson Farm, there is a Dinosaur Discovery Site where the ancient creatures once inhabited. You get a chance to see where they used to roam around. Thousands of dinosaur fossils have been preserved at the Early Jurassic Lake.
63. The largest raptor to be unearthed in the world was in Utah. The 23 foot long predatory dinosaur was named Utahraptor. It had curved claws that were about 24 centimeters long, and a preserved claw that was recovered had a length of 22 centimeters.
64. The Utahraptor was discovered in the state in 1991 and measured around 20 feet (6 meters) in length and standing about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall at the hip.
65. Utah’s state fossil is the Allosaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period.
66. Utah is home to the largest independent film festival in the country, the Sundance Film Festival. In fact, it was originally known as the Utah Film Festival.
67. The Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City stands at an elevation of 4,226 feet above sea level. The Utah State Capitol building was constructed between 1912 and 1916. The building is located on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah.
68. The Salt Lake City and County Building, constructed in the late 1800s, contains a time capsule scheduled to open in 2247.
69. Kraft Foods, the makers of Jell-O, revealed that the residents of Utah consume more Jell-O than any other state in the country. In fact, people here consume twice the national average consumption of the dessert. The lime-flavored product seems to be a crowd-pleaser and is often eaten with shredded carrot. Furthermore, Utahans love ice creams and candy, and consume more than most Americans do.
70. In fact, The Utah State Fair holds an annual competition for the best Jell-O dish, reflecting the state’s love for the dessert.
71. Utah is one of the top states for the production of cherries, particularly tart cherries.
72. The Kentucky Fried Chicken was first sold in Utah, and not in Kentucky. Utahans were the first to buy and get a taste of KFC. It was at the Harman Cafe in Salk Lake City that Colonel Sanders experienced his first success with the fried chicken recipe.
73. Apple Beer, the famous American variant of the German drink- Fassbrause, is produced by The Apple Beer Corporation based in Salt Lake, Utah.
74. Utah is the only state with an official State Cooking Pot: Dutch oven.
75. The nation’s first transcontinental rail road was completed in Utah. The Golden Spike National Memorial Site at Promontory commemorates the event. The project took seven years to complete in 1869, and stretched from Sacramento to Omaha. It was part of the Pacific Railroad, also known as the Overland Route.
76. The Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden showcases historic locomotives, including “Big Boy,” one of the world’s largest steam locomotives.
77. The Hole in the Rock Trail in Utah was a treacherous route used by Mormon pioneers to reach the south-eastern part of the state in the late 1800s.
78. The Pony Express National Historic Trail, used for mail delivery in the mid-1800s, stretched across Utah, and the state has the most remaining original Pony Express stations.
79. The Iron Road of Mount Ogden: The protected Mount Ogden can be explored through the Ferrata route. Elite mountain climbers visit here to get adrenaline rush on a ladder while attached to safety cables. There is no need for knots and ropes. Just carry some hiking boots and enjoy a guided tour whether in a group or solo.
80. Home to North Shore Monster: The Great Salt Lake, located in Salt Lake City supposedly has one or two monsters that were seen in the year 1877. The monster is said to have a head like that of a horse and a crocodile body. Rumours have it that the North Shore Monsters may have been brought by a businessman who introduced two whales into the lake in 1875. The two disappeared without a trace.
81. Salt Lake City hosted the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, 2002. Americans won a total of 34 medals in the event. Utah became the fifth state in the United States to host the Olympic Games.
82. The Utah Olympic Park, built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, features one of only four bobsled tracks in the United States.
83. Layton, a Former Outgrowth of Kaysville: Layton is the biggest city in Davis County, bordered by Wasatch Mountains on one side and the Great Salt Lake on the other. The Mormon pioneers initially settled at Kaysville-Layton. William Kay, John H. Green, and Edward Phillips brought their families in 1850. Other families followed suit and the Kaysville area attained an outgrowth that was not formally planned so it was considered an unincorporated independent community. It was until 1920 that Layton was officially incorporated.
84. The Soccer City: South Jordan is home to an 80,000 square feet soccer facility. The building houses two futsal fields, two indoor fields plus a lounge. Visitors who come to party can rent a designated party area.
About the Flag of Utah
1. Design and Symbolism
The flag of Utah showcases the character of its people, as well as its devotion to the United States.
It features the seal of the state on a navy blue field. The circular seal has a thin gold border. At the bottom is “1896,” the year of Utah’s admission into the Union.
The center has a white shield with bees flying around a hive, surrounded by sego lilies. The flowers represent peace, while the beehive symbolizes hard work. The words “INDUSTRY” and “UTAH, 1847” are also on the shield.
The bald eagle, a symbol of the US, rests at the top to offer protection. Meanwhile, two US flags reiterate Utah’s strong commitment and support to the Union. A total of 45 stars highlight its status as the 45th state.
2. Adoption
Utah adopted the current flag on February 16, 2011. It is a refinement of the original 1903 design with full color and manufacturing corrections.
3. Technical Details
The flag uses a proportion of 5:8. Note that the top of the shield has six arrows representing Native American tribes in Utah. They include the Navajo, Goshute, Shoshone, Paiute, Northern Utes, and White Mesa Utes.
4. History
The 1903 Design
In 1896, the state legislature adopted an official seal designed by Harry Edwards. In 1903, Utah created its first flag featuring this seal on a blue field, just in time for a Missouri exposition. It was a joint project of Gov. Heber Wells and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The 1913 Design
A mistake became part of history. The Sons and Daughters of Utah Pioneers wanted to give a state flag to the new battleship USS Utah. However, the eager manufacturer did not make a faithful copy. It had an extra gold border around a supposedly white shield. The symbols also came in full color. Instead of remaking the flag, a representative named Annie Wells Cannon moved to accommodate the updated design by changing the law.
The 2011 Correction
In 1922, a flag maker stitched “1847” above “1896” instead of the bottom of the shield. It took several decades for someone to point it out. This time, the legislature made the necessary correction that resulted in the current flag. They also marked March 9 as Utah Flag Day.
5. Flag Facts
The sego lily in the flag is the state flower. It is one of the few plants that thrive in the arid climate of the Great Basin. It helped early settlers survive harsh winters.
Many doubted the loyalty of Mormon settlers to the US, delaying Utah’s admission to the Union. Including American flags in the state flag is a continuing reassurance.
6. Other Flags
125th Anniversary Flag
In 2021, Utah celebrated its 125th year of statehood. They approved a commemorative flag with a golden beehive inside a blue circle. A white star under it represents the state. The blue triangle above and the red triangle below illustrate the Utah moniker “Crossroads of the West.” It refers to the vital link of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Point.
The Redesign Initiatives
In 2021, the state legislature passed a bill to assess the necessity of flag redesign. It is the first successful attempt after a series of similar initiatives over the last few years.
In 2022, the Utah government received over 7,000 design submissions from the public. Twenty of these are in the semi-finals, and residents can provide feedback before the final deliberations.
Utah – Quick facts and state symbols
| State Abbreviation | UT |
|---|---|
| State Capital | Salt Lake City |
| Largest City | Salt Lake City |
| State Size | Total (Land + Water): 84,899 sq miles; Land Only: 82,144 sq miles |
| Population | 3,417,734 (Estimate July 1, 2023 from United States Census Bureau) |
| Statehood | January 4, 1896 |
| State rank by population | 30th |
| State rank by date of formation | 45th |
| State rank by area | 13th |
| Number of Counties | 29 |
| Demonym | Utahn or Utahan |
| Bordering States | Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming |
| Official Language | English |
| Highest Point | Kings Peak 13,534 ft (4,120.3 m) |
| Lowest point | Beaver Dam Wash at Arizona border 2,180 ft (664.4 m) |
| Length | 350 miles (560 km) |
| Width | 270 miles (435 km) |
| Governor | Spencer Cox (R) |
| Lieutenant Governor | Deidre Henderson (R) |
| Electoral Votes | 6 |
| State Motto | Industry |
| State Nickname | Beehive State |
| % Water | 3.25 |
| Noble prize Winners | Paul D. Boyer (Chemistry, 1997) |
| Famous people | Steve Young (Pro Football player) John "Cat" Thompson (Basketball player) Roseanne Barr (Actress) Jewel (Singer) |
| State animal | Rocky Mountain elk |
| State Bird | California gull |
| State Cooking Pot | Dutch Oven |
| State Emblem | Beehive |
| State fish | Bonneville Cutthroat Trout |
| State Fossil | Allosaurus |
| State fruit | Cherry |
| State Flower | Sego Lily |
| State gem | Topaz |
| State Insect | Honey Bee |
| State mineral | Copper |
| State rock | Coal |
| State Vegetable | Sugar Beet |
| Longitude | 109° 3′ W to 114° 3′ W |
| Latitude | 37° N to 42° N |
| Time Zone | Mountain Time Zone |
| Website | utah.gov |
| Area Codes | 385, 435, 801 |
| Table last updated | July 1, 2024 |