Draper 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 of
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 ...
, 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 ...
along the
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a major metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of contiguous cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from Santaquin in the south to Pleasant View in the n ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population is 51,017, up from 7,143 in 1990.
Draper is part of two metropolitan areas; the Salt Lake County portion is in the
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau currently define the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical ...
, while the Utah County portion is in the
Provo-Orem metropolitan area.
Draper has two UTA
TRAX stations (Draper Town Center, 12300/12400 South and Kimball's Lane 11800 South) as well as one on the border with Sandy (Crescent View 11400 South). A
FrontRunner commuter rail station serves the city's west side. The city has around 5 FLEX bus routes connecting neighboring communities and two bus routes to Lehi Frontrunner Station and River/Herriman, connecting at Draper Town Center and the Draper Frontrunner Stations.
The
Utah State Prison was located in Draper from 1951 to 2022, near
Point of the Mountain, alongside
Interstate 15. State politicians voted to condemn the facility, and prisoners were moved to the
Utah State Correctional Facility.
The city is home of
1-800 Contacts and a large
eBay
eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
campus.
History
In the fall of 1849, Ebenezer Brown brought cattle to graze along the mountain stream of
South Willow Creek. The next spring, Ebenezer moved with his wife Phebe ("Phebe Draper Palmer Brown") and their family to settle in Sivogah, the Native American name for the area, which means "Willows." By the end of 1850, residents of the small settlement consisted of Ebenezer Brown and his three children (by a prior marriage), Phebe Draper Palmer Brown and her two children (by a prior marriage), and Phebe's brother,
William Draper Jr. and his large family numbering about fifteen. Consequently, by the end of the settlement's first year, most residents were members of the Draper Family, and William Draper Jr. was soon called to be the presiding elder for
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
in the area. During this time, the Drapers mainly farmed, and Ebenezer Brown ranched and sold cattle to immigrants heading to the gold fields of California along what became the
Mormon Road. More settlers moved to Draper in the next few years. Later the area was called South Willow Creek. By 1852, 20 families lived along the creek. In 1854, the first post office was established with the name Draperville in recognition of William Draper Jr. and its other Draper residents. The town's name in later years was shortened to Draper. (William Draper Sr., father of both William and Phebe Draper, who was older at the time of his family's settlement of Draper is buried in the town cemetery.)
Hostilities with the Native Americans began in 1854, and a fort was established where the local settlers lived during the winters of 1855 and 1856. The fort was never completed, as the feared hostilities did not materialize, and its former location is now the site of the Draper Historical Park and the aptly-named Fort Street.
In the 1940s, Draper was known as the "Egg Basket of Utah." Eggs produced in Draper were marketed from coast to coast, and the co-op furnished eggs for the military troops in the South Pacific during WWII. The poultry business was the single most important economic industry in Draper during this time. One large poultry farm was the Washburn Poultry Farm, run by Bruce D. Washburn, with over 10,000 chickens during the 1950s.
Draper remained a small farming community until the late 1990s when its population began growing exponentially from 7,257 in 1990 to an estimated 47,710 in 2018.
Draper was incorporated as a city in 1978.
Geography

Draper City is nestled in the far southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley, with the
Wasatch Mountain Range on the east and the
Traverse Ridge Mountain on the south. At the Point of the Mountain, Draper is known for being one of the most popular and best wind areas in the country for hang gliding and paragliding.
Draper lies roughly midway between
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 ...
and
Provo. Draper is bordered by
Riverton and
Bluffdale to the west,
South Jordan to the northwest,
Sandy to the north,
Alpine to the southeast,
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
to the south, and
Lehi to the southwest.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.05%, is water.
Climate
Draper's climate is roughly identical to other Salt Lake City suburbs. However, due to being further away from the Great Salt Lake, varied elevation, and from the downtown
urban heat island
Urban areas usually experience the urban heat island (UHI) effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds ar ...
effect, Draper experiences a slightly drier winter and more extremes in temperatures.
The average temperatures in winter and summer, respectively, are 30 °F to 50 °F, and 80 °F to 100 °F. Springs are usually mild and wet, while fall can sometimes become an
Indian summer with drier weather. Monsoonal moisture from the south usually brings afternoon thunderstorms in July and August. Draper falls on the border of the humid continental/subtropical climatic zones and is technically a cool/warm semi-arid desert environment, but with summer monsoonal moisture. Snow usually falls regularly from November through March.
Demographics
2010 Census Information
Economy

Draper is home to the tech call center of
PGP Corporation, the call center of
Musician's Friend, and the headquarters of
1-800 Contacts,
Control4,
HealthEquity
HealthEquity, Inc. is an American financial technology and business services company that is designated as a non-bank health savings trustee by the IRS. This designation allows HealthEquity to be the custodian of health savings accounts regardle ...
, and
Pluralsight. Draper is also home to Utah's first
IKEA
IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services.
IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...
, which opened in 2007. The head office of
Synchrony Bank is located in Draper, and the Rocky Mountain regional headquarters of
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...
is located in a nearby plaza.
Top employers
According to the city's Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018,
the top employers in the city are:
Local media
Newspapers, Magazines, and Newsletter
The Draper City Journal is a tabloid-style newspaper covering local government, schools, sports, and features. Delivered to homes directly monthly by mail.
Draper City publishes a bi-monthly city newsletter entitled "Draper Forward." This publication is mailed to all of the residents in Draper City.
Television
Draper is part of the Salt Lake City DMA and is covered by KSL, FOX13, KUTV, and KTVX.
Education
The portion in Salt Lake County is in the
Canyons School District.
The portion in Utah County is in the
Alpine School District
Alpine School District.
The district was founded in 1915, and includes all grades from kindergarten through high school (K-12). As of 2018, there were 58 elementary schools, 14 junior high schools, 11 high schools, and 9 special purpose sch ...
.
Joyce University is a school training professionals in nursing and health care.
[About Joyce University , Nursing & Health Sciences School in Utah]
Notable people
*
Dia Frampton (born 1987), singer-songwriter; born in Draper
*
Ken Garff (1906–1997), businessman; born in Draper
*
Cody Larsen, American football player
*
Tyler Larsen, American football player
*
George W. Latimer (1900–1990), lawyer; born in Draper
*
Andy Phillips (born 1989), football placekicker; born in Draper
*
Lauritz Smith (1830–1924), Mormon leader and one of Draper's founders
*
Wilson W. Sorensen (1916–2009), president of Utah Technical College; born in Draper
*
Douglas R. Stringfellow (1922–1966), one-term congressman; born in Draper
*
Kealia Ohai Watt (born 1992), soccer player; born in Draper
*
Zach Wilson (born 1999), American football quarterback
See also
*
List of cities and towns in Utah
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Utah
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
Provo–Orem metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1849
1849 establishments in the State of Deseret
Cities in Salt Lake County, Utah
Cities in Utah County, Utah
Mormon Road