Provo, Utah

Provo is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about 43 mi south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and is the largest city in Utah County. It lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south. With a population at the 2010 census of 112,488, Provo is the principal city in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area, which had a population of 526,810 residents at the 2010 census. It is the third-largest metro area in the state behind Salt Lake City and Ogden-Clearfield.

The city is home to Brigham Young University, one of the largest private higher education institutions in the United States, which is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Provo is also home to the largest Missionary Training Center for the LDS Church. The city is a key operational center for Novell and has been a focus area for technology development in Utah. The city is also home to the Peaks Ice Arena, which served as a venue for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002. Sundance Resort is located 13 mi northeast at Provo Canyon.

In 2009, Provo was listed in Where to Retire magazine as an "enticing city for new careers." Provo was also listed in National Geographic Adventure magazine's "where to live and play" as a cultural hub. In 2010 Forbes rated Provo one of the top 10 places to raise a family.

History
Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante, a Spanish Franciscan missionary-explorer, is considered the first European explorer to have visited the area, in 1776. Escalante chronicled this first European exploration across the Great Basin desert. Provo was originally called Fort Utah when it was settled in 1849 by 33 Mormon families from Salt Lake City, but was renamed Provo in 1850 for Étienne Provost, an early French-Canadian trapper who arrived in the region in 1825. The Battle of Fort Utah was fought at Provo in 1850.

Geography


Provo lies in the Utah Valley at an elevation of 4549 ft. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 114.4 km2, of which 107.9 km2 is land and 6.5 km2, or 5.66%, is water.

The Wasatch Range contains many peaks within Utah County along the east side of the Wasatch Front. One of these peaks, known as Y Mountain, towers over the city. There is a large hillside letter Y made of whitewashed concrete halfway up the steep mountain, built in the early part of the 20th century to commemorate Brigham Young University (original plans included construction of all three letters: BYU). Wild deer (and less frequently, cougars and moose) still roam the mountains (and occasionally the city streets). The scenery is generally considered enjoyable and allows for hiking, skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities.

Politics
According to a study released by the Bay Area Center for Voting Research, Provo is the most conservative city in the United States with a population over 100,000. Local discussion of national politics tends to fall within the spectrum of moderately conservative to arch-conservative thought. However, Utah's 3rd Congressional District, of which Provo is a part, elected Democrat Bill Orton to three consecutive terms during the 1990s.

Federally, Provo is part of Utah's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Jason Chaffetz, elected in 2008.

The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Republican Orrin Hatch, elected in 1976. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Republican Mike Lee, elected in 2010. The Governor of Utah is Republican Gary Herbert, who took office in 2009 following the resignation of Republican Jon Huntsman to be US Ambassador to China and was elected in 2010.

Current Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and political commentator Glenn Beck frequently visit Provo, as the city serves as a center of both political and religious movements in Christianity, Protestantism, Evangelicalism and Mormonism alike.

City administration
Provo is administered by a city council of seven and a single mayor. Five of the council seats are elected by individual districts of the city while two of the seats are elected by the city as a whole. These elected officials serve a term of four years, with elections alternating every two years. Provo City has what's called a "mayor council." That means that the mayor and the council are separate but equal branches of government. The mayor is equal to the executive as the council is equal to the legislative branch. The seats of council members Midge Johnson, Cynthia Dayton, and Sherrie Hall Everett were up for election in 2011. No incumbents were seeking re-election.

The current mayor of Provo is John Curtis, having been in office since January 5, 2010. In addition, Laura Cabanilla, Rick Healey, and Sterling Beck were elected to the council. Shortly after being elected, Council Member Cabanilla was deployed to active duty, leaving the council operating with six members.

Mayor John Curtis was a partner and the COO of Action Target, a Provo-based company which provides firearm training and products to police departments and military bases throughout the United States. His previous employers include OC Tanner and the Citizen Watch Company. He has also served on a number of community and advisory boards including the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce (now Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce), the Mountain Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Utah National Parks Council of the Boys Scouts of America, and the Utah Valley Healthcare Foundation.

Former police chief J. Craig Geslison, a 31-year veteran of the Provo Police Department, announced during an external investigation of the Provo Police Department, that he would be retiring effective January 3, 2011. After a nationwide search for a new chief, Rick Gregory was selected and sworn in on June 28, 2011.

Higher education


Brigham Young University is a private university operated by the LDS Church. BYU is the third-largest private university in the United States, with more than 34,000 students. It is the flagship of the LDS Church Educational System of higher education. The campus is home to the Spencer W. Kimball Tower, the tallest building in Provo.

Provo College is a private, for-profit educational institution that specializes in career education. The school is accredited by the Accrediting 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.

Public schools
All public schools in Provo are run through the Provo School District. The school board is composed of seven members, each representing a different district of the city. There are thirteen elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools. Provo High School was the first school in Utah County to 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. Timpview High School has a record of 4A state football championships.

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

LDS Missionary Training Center
Provo is home to the LDS Church's largest Missionary Training Center. Each week some 475 LDS missionaries enter for 3–12 weeks of training before they depart for the mission field, becoming part of more than 52,000 in more than 120 countries. Currently about 1,100 instructors (many returned missionaries) teach 62 languages. The center 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 17 such centers in the world.

Provo City Library at Academy Square
The Provo City Library is a public library which occupies the building of the former Brigham Young Academy built in 1892. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its collection contains over 277,000 media. The library is located on University Avenue and 550 North.

Provo Tabernacle
The Provo Tabernacle was an LDS tabernacle completed in 1898 that is owned by the LDS Church. It was destroyed by fire December 17, 2010. The brick skeleton of the Provo Tabernacle remains at the corner of 100 South and University Avenue. On October 1, 2011, Thomas S. Monson, president of the LDS Church, announced that the Provo Tabernacle would be rebuilt using the surviving original exterior to serve as a second LDS temple called the Provo City Center Temple in Provo. The completion of the new temple will make Provo only the second city with two temples within its city limits, the other being South Jordan, Utah. It is also only the second instance of a tabernacle being repurposed as a temple, the first being the Vernal Utah Temple.

Provo Utah Temple
The Provo Utah Temple is located at the base of Rock Canyon in Provo. This temple is among the busiest the LDS Church operates due to its proximity to Brigham Young University and the Missionary Training Center.

Utah Valley Convention Center
The Utah Valley Convention Center's groundbreaking occurred on June 15, 2010. The convention center is located at 220 West Center Street. It will play host to conventions, meetings, parties, and other social events. It is scheduled to open spring of 2012.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, 112,488 people, 31,524 households, and 21,166 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,697.6 people per square mile (1,042.5/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% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.2% of the population.

There were 31,524 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living 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.

22.3% of residents are under the age of 18, 36.4% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who 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 age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, 105,166 people, 29,192 households, and 19,938 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,653.2 people per square mile (1,024.3/km²). There were 30,374 housing units at an average density of 766.3 per square mile (295.8/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% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.47% of the population.

There were 29,192 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living 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.

22.3% of residents are under the age of 18, 40.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 8.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who 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 age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,313, and the median income for a family was $36,393. Males had a median income of $32,010 versus $20,928 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,207. About 12.5% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

The residents of Provo are predominantly members of the LDS Church, commonly described as Mormons. According to data taken in 2000 by the ARDA, 88% of the overall population, and 98% of religious adherents in the Provo-Orem area are LDS.

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

Public Transit
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Provo station, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco. Provo also can be accessed by Greyhound Bus Lines and the extensive Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus system. UTA's commuter rail service, FrontRunner, is expected to be extended to Provo from Salt Lake City by 2012. Currently there is work going on for the Provo Intermodal Hub through UTA. This will connect Frontrunner South, UTA's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Local bus routes all together.

Air transportation
The Provo Municipal Airport is Utah's second busiest airport in terms of the number of aircraft take-offs and landings. Starting in June 2011, Frontier Airlines offers daily commercial flights to Denver. Salt Lake City International Airport is the closest airport with commercial airline services to multiple cities.

Local companies
Provo is home to more than three dozen restaurants, and a couple of shopping centers. The Shops At Riverwoods and The Provo Towne Centre, both shopping malls, operate in Provo. Within the past two years, a number of small shops, music venues, and boutiques have popped up in downtown, along Center Street and University Avenue. Downtown has also begun regularly hosting "gallery strolls", held every first Friday of the month, featuring local artists. There are many different dining establishments in and around downtown Provo. A few exclusively downtown Provo examples include A Beuford Giffords, aka ABGs, one of only three bars in all of Provo and the only bar to host live music every weekend; Sammy's, a popular local cafe among BYU and UVU students, renowned for their sweet potato fries and shakes; and Tommy Burger, a burger stand noted for burgers and Chicago-style hot dogs.

Five Provo companies are listed on Inc.com's Inc. 5000 list 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. Other companies on the list are VitalSmarts (ranked 1501, with $17.9 million in revenue),, and Connect Public Relations (ranked 3694, with $6.1 million in revenue).

MediaWorks Inc., one of Utah's premiere film and video production companies, was founded in Provo in 1998 and continues to provide production services to companies throughout the United States.

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

International companies

 * Action Target, a shooting range manufacturer
 * Ancestry.com is a genealogy and family networking company.
 * Vivint formally known as APX Alarm Security Solutions is a residential security company with customers throughout the United States and Canada. The company is an active sponsor of many local establishments and provides jobs to thousands of Provo residents.
 * Nature's Sunshine Products, a direct-selling company, manufactures and markets tablets and encapsulated herbal products, high-quality natural vitamins, food supplements, and skin care and other complementary products.
 * Novell is a software corporation specializing in network operating systems such as Novell NetWare and SUSE Linux, secure identity management products, and application integration and collaboration solutions. Together with WordPerfect, Novell was instrumental in making Utah Valley a focus for high-technology software development. Today this area has many small companies whose employees have previously worked at Novell. Novell continues to operate and employ around 2,000 people at its Provo facility.
 * Nu Skin Enterprises, a multilevel marketing firm for skin care products, was founded in 1984. In 2005, some 82 percent of revenues for the $1.5B USD company were generated through markets in Asia.
 * Qualtrics
 * Morinda Bioactives, formerly Tahitian Noni International, is a health and skin care manufacturer whose products are based on the Tahitian fruit called noni.

Top employers
According to Provo's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Special events
Every July, Provo hosts America's Freedom Festival at Provo which includes the Stadium of Fire at BYU. It is held in LaVell Edwards Stadium, home to Brigham Young University's NCAA football team. The Independence Day festivities are quite popular among local residents and have featured such notable figures as Bob Hope, David Hasselhoff, Reba McEntire, Mandy Moore, Huey Lewis and the News, Toby Keith, Sean Hannity, Fred Willard, and Taylor Hicks. In 2008 the Blue Man Group, Glenn Beck, and Miley Cyrus performed. The Jonas Brothers and Glenn Beck appeared in 2009.

Provo is also home to two other large festivals each fall. Festival Latinoamericano is an annual family-oriented Labor Day weekend event in downtown Provo that offers the community a taste of the region's Hispanic culture through ethnic food, vendors, and performances. The Sego Festival, highlights musicians, artists, and filmmakers based in Utah County.

National attention
Provo was city-ranked 1st for community optimism (2012), 1st for volunteerism (2008), 2nd for business/careers (2010), and 4th in health/well-being (2011). Its metro area was projected to have the greatest population increase in the 2010 United States Census (47%).

Points of interest

 * Brigham Young University Arboretum.
 * BYU Stadium - home of the NCAA college football BYU Cougars and was the former site of the Provo Strikers of the North American Soccer League in the mid 1980's.
 * BYU Coliseum - home of the NCAA college basketball BYU Cougars and was the former site of the Utah Flash of the NBA D-League in the late 2000's.
 * Peaks Ice Arena, hockey venue for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and formerly the Twin Peaks named for the former minor league ice hockey team "Utah Twin Peaks" representing the Twin cities of Provo and Orem, Utah.
 * The Provo River, a river known for fishing and the Provo River Parkway, a paved bicycle and walking trail adjacent to the river.
 * Bridal Veil Falls (Utah), Provo Canyon, Utah County, Utah - A scenic waterfall located 10 miles Northeast of Provo.
 * (Mount Timpanagos) Timpanagos Peak - The mountain shaped like a "Lady" lies on her back forms the Northern horizon of Provo.
 * Reed O. Smoot House, a National Historic Landmark, located at 183 East 100 South.
 * Seven Peaks Water Park, the largest water park in Utah.
 * The Shops At Riverwoods, a center of residences, retails, and entertainment located at the mouth of Provo Canyon.
 * Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, a national forest on the Wasatch Front bordering the east edge of Provo and Utah valley.
 * Utah Lake, a fresh-water lake popular for fishing, boating, and other recreational activities.
 * Crandall Historical Printing Museum, located at 275 East Center Street. This museum focuses on different priting methods and impact on society.

Sister cities
Provo City has two Sister Cities designated by Sister Cities International

Notable residents

 * Dallin H. Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Kurt Bestor, award-winning composer, performer and host of morning radio/talk show KUTR 820 AM
 * Robbie Bosco, former BYU football player
 * Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
 * LaVell Edwards, former BYU and NCAA Football Hall of Fame coach
 * Paul Engemann, pop musician best known for his 1983 song "Scarface (Push It to the Limit)"
 * Avard Fairbanks, American sculptor
 * Tom Holmoe, former BYU football and San Francisco 49er player; current BYU Athletic Director
 * Julianne Hough, professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars and singer
 * Vance Law and Vern Law, Major League Baseball players
 * Bert McCracken, born in Provo, lead singer of Utah-based band The Used
 * Neon Trees, New Wave, synthpop-rock band
 * The Osmonds, raised all nine children in Provo, and continue to live there
 * Donny Osmond, singer/musician/actor
 * Marie Osmond, singer/author/actress
 * The Osmond Brothers, vocal group/band
 * Jack Paepke, baseball player, coach, manager and scout
 * Janice Kapp Perry, songwriter/composer/LDS musician
 * Fred Roberts, NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks,
 * Josh Rohatinsky, former BYU cross-country national champion, professional runner
 * Brandon Sanderson, award-winning author
 * Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, musicians/band/songwriter; "Dream Big"
 * Beatrice Sparks, psychologist and author
 * Grant Speed, sculptor
 * Branden Steineckert, born in Provo, former drummer of Utah-based band The Used; current drummer for the band Rancid
 * Will Swenson, Tony-nominated actor
 * Steve Young, MVP of Super Bowl XXIX and Inductee of Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, record-breaking quarterback for BYU & San Francisco 49ers
 * Lindsey Stirling, hip-hop violinist
 * Merrill Jenson, award winning composer