Car hire Salt Lake City

Introduction

Salt Lake City is the capital of the American state of Utah. The city is often indicated like SLC or Salt Lake and was founded by the Mormon leader Brigham Young in the middle of the nineteenth century. Nowadays almost half the population is Mormon. The city is a good operating base for outdoors sports in the surroundings, especially during winter months when the ski resorts east of town attract many skiers.

Population

The city itself has approximately 180,000 inhabitants, but over 1 million people live in the entire urban area.

Location

Salt Lake City is located in the west of the United States, on the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The Great Salt Lake lies northwest of town and the Utah Lake south of it. In between these two lakes flows the Jordan River, on which Salt Lake City was built. The highest mountain top visible from the city is Twin Peaks (3454 meters).

Economy

There used to be a lot of heavy industry in the city including mining, steel factories and oil refineries. This heavy industry has almost disappeared. Nowadays, the government, utility companies, business services and the transportation sector create most employment. Since the 2002 Winter Olympics, tourism has increased significantly. The city also profiles itself as a conference and convention center.

Airports

Salt Lake City International Airport is situated only 6 kilometers west of the city center. It's easily reachable by rental car via the I-80 W, in the direction of Reno. The exit to the airport (115A) is clearly signposted.

Public Transport

The city has excellent public transport, exploited by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). There are two streetcar lines and from every streetcar station there are bus connections with other destinations within the city and further out. Both streetcars run through Main Street, the center of Salt Lake City. In winter months, there are bus connections with the ski resorts in the Wasatch Range, east of town.

Traffic and Parking

Salt Lake City is a car-friendly city with wide, orderly arranged, streets. The city has sufficient parking facilities, also around the center. Freeway I-215 forms a beltway around Salt Lake City, making it quick and easy to get from one part of the city to another. A rental car is an ideal means of transportation to discover the surrounding area, Salt Lake Valley.

Hotels

Many hotels were built for the 2002 Winter Olympics. This wasn't an investment for a single event; ever since, many practitioners of winter sports have discovered Salt Lake City. Although there are many hotels and other accommodations, we therefore advise booking your room well in advance if you want to visit the city in winter months.

External Sources

For more information about Salt Lake City, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Salt Lake City
• Official website Salt Lake City
• Tourist Information Salt Lake City