Bluffdale is a city in

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

and

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

, located about south of

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 17,014.

History

Bluffdale, named for its geography of bluffs and dales, was first settled in 1848–1849, when the area was originally part of West Jordan. On July 29, 1858, Orrin Porter Rockwell paid five- hundred dollars to Evan M. Green for sixteen acres of land near the Crystal Hot Lakes (adjacent to the present Utah State Prison). This land included Hot Springs Hotel and Brewery with dining facilities, a stable brewery, and a pony express station. As the community expanded, the Bluffdale area became part of South Jordan, then Riverton. In 1883 the Bluffdale School Precinct was formed from parts of Herriman, South Jordan, and Draper. On August 1, 1886, the Bluffdale Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized with Lewis H. Mousley as Bishop. For a short time, the town was called Mousley. Seven irrigation canals originate at the Jordan Narrows in the Bluffdale area and serve the Salt Lake Valley. One of the earliest was Utah, and Salt Lake Canal started in 1862. Some of the early buildings included an adobe church, built in 1887–1888, a tithing house, and a three-room schoolhouse constructed in 1893. The city was incorporated in 1978.

Geography

Bluffdale has an area of 10.22 square miles (26.47 km) and an average elevation of 4,436 feet (1,352 m) above sea level. Bluffdale is predominately located in Salt Lake County, though a portion of the city is in Utah County. Bluffdale shares city borders with Herriman to the west, Riverton to the north, Draper to the east, and Lehi to the south. Bluffdale is surrounded by wide open spaces with dramatic views of the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain Ranges. The Salt Lake Valley floor is the ancient lakebed of Lake Bonneville, which existed at the end of the last Ice Age. Several Lake Bonneville shorelines can be distinctly seen on the foothills or benches of nearby mountains. The Jordan River flows through the city and is a drainage of Utah Lake that empties into the Great Salt Lake.

Climate

The climate of Bluffdale is semi-arid. Under the Köppen climate classification, Bluffdale has a

hot-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Dfa) with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

Parks

The largest park in Bluffdale is Wardle Fields Regional Park, part of the Salt Lake County Parks system. At 40 acres, the park caters to the recreational needs of the region by providing a splash pad, a 25-foot tall watchtower,

pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...

and basketball courts, bouldering walls, zip lines, and other amenities.

City Parks

Bluffdale has a system of 13 parks. Some of the most notable are: * Bluffdale City Main Park (22.37 acres) is the city's largest park and features two pavilions, 16 picnic tables, a trail, sports fields and restrooms. * Vintage Park (6.37 acres) is one of the city's newest parks and features pavilions and picnic tables, open grass areas, two pickleball and two tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a splash pad. * Independence Park (5.73 acres) features a splash pad, three pavilions, restrooms, and a variety of play equipment. * Parry Farms Park features a pavilion, restrooms, four pickleball courts, a basketball court, a sledding hill, and play equipment. The parking lot on Jordan Parkway Trail. (5.63 acres) * Parry Farms Baseball Fields has two little league size fields (7.22 acres) * Phillip Gates Memorial Park a pavilion, restrooms, play equipment and walking trail(4.54 acres) * Mount Jordan Park features open grass area, two pavilions, playground equipment and restrooms(3.69 acres)

Trails

The City hosts a variety of beautiful and well-maintained trails weaving through and around the city. A significant portion of the Jordan River Parkway Trail, a 40-mile trail crossing three counties, goes through Bluffdale. The City's trail system includes cycling, pedestrian, and equestrian routes.

Demographics

Bluffdale is part of the

, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 7,598 people, 1,966 households, and 1,719 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 743.5 people per square mile. There were 2,059 housing units at an average density of 201.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.4% of the population. There were 1,966 households, out of which 57.8% had children under 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% were non-families. Of all households, 9.8% were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.86, and the average family size was 4.15. In the city, the population was spread out, with 38.2% under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. The average household income in the city was US$67,392, and the average family income was US$78,180.

Government

Bluffdale is part of

Utah's 4th congressional district Utah's 4th congressional district is a congressional district created by the state legislature as a result of reapportionment by Congress after the 2010 United States census, 2010 census showed population increases in the state relative to other ...

represented by Republican

Burgess Owens Clarence Burgess Owens (born August 2, 1951) is an American politician and former professional football player serving as the U.S. representative for Utah's 4th congressional district since 2021. He played safety for 10 seasons in the Nati ...

(2020).

City Administration

Natalie Hall was elected Mayor in 2026.

Economy

Camp Williams is located south of Bluffdale. It contains the Utah Data Center for the

United States Intelligence Community The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a group of separate US federal government, U.S. federal government intelligence agencies and subordinate organizations that work to conduct Intelligence assessment, intelligence activities which ...

Education

Schools

Bluffdale is in the Jordan School District. Within the city, there are five traditional public and four charter public schools. Bluffdale Elementary offers a Portuguese Dual Immersion program, while South Hills Middle School has been designated as a "School to Watch" by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. Traditional Public * Bluffdale Elementary School * Mountain Point Elementary School * South Hills Middle School--(located in Riverton City) * Hidden Valley Middle School * Riverton High School--(located in Riverton City) Charter Public * North Star Academy (K-9) * Summit Academy (Independence) * Summit Academy (14400 South) * Summit High School

Transportation

Roads

Bluffdale lies at the convergence of one major and two minor freeways: I-15, which runs north-to-south to the east of the city; Bangerter Highway, which runs east-to-west between Bluffdale and Riverton; and Mountain View Corridor, which runs north-to-south to the west of the City. Porter Rockwell Boulevard is a five-phase road project that serves as an I-15 and Mountain View Corridor connection, the only east-to-west connection in the county.

Public transportation

Bluffdale has no public transportation system. The commuter rail system, ''

FrontRunner ''FrontRunner'' is a Commuter rail in North America, commuter railway operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) that runs along the Wasatch Front in north-central Utah with service from Ogden Central station in central Weber County, Utah, ...

'', passes Bluffdale but does not have a stop there.

Air transportation

Salt Lake City International Airport is approximately north of Bluffdale.

References

External links

City of Bluffdale
{{Authority control Cities in Salt Lake County, Utah Cities in Utah County, Utah Salt Lake City metropolitan area Populated places established in 1886 Cities in Utah 1886 establishments in Utah Territory Provo–Orem metropolitan area