Saratoga Springs is a city in Utah County,

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 ...

, United States. The elevation is 4,505 feet. It is part of the Provo– Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is a relatively new development along the northwestern shores of

Utah Lake Utah Lake is a shallow freshwater lake in the center of Utah County, Utah, United States. It lies in Utah Valley, surrounded by the Provo- Orem metropolitan area. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Sa ...

. It was incorporated on December 31, 1997 and has been growing rapidly since then. The population was 37,696 at the 2020 Census. Saratoga Springs became a city in 2001.

Geography

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 16.61 square miles (26.8 km²), of which 16.51 square miles (26.4 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (1.26%) is water. (This water is mostly Utah Lake.)

History

The natural hot springs near the source of the

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan (, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; , ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' (), is a endorheic river in the Levant that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and drains to the Dead ...

inspired early European-American settlers to create a resort known as Beck's Saratoga Springs, named after the original New York resort and owner John Beck. The Beck family opened their resort in 1884 and used it as their residence. With several lodge buildings and amusement park facilities, the resort became a popular location for tourists and visitors. The original buildings were taken down. The resort area has now been redeveloped privately, containing an outdoor pool, clubhouse, bowery, and kitchen facility for groups and parties. In the early 1990s, landowners began to investigate the possibilities of developing the land around the hot springs and in the foothill locations of the nearby Lake Mountains range. The Utah County land development ordinances were not sufficiently urban in nature, so several landowners sought incorporation as a town. Subsequently, Saratoga Springs incorporated in December 1997. Several hundred acres have since been annexed into the City limits and the City now occupies a somewhat narrow strip running north and south between Utah Lake and the Jordan River on the East and the foothills to the west. The City contains over twenty-one square miles and runs from Pelican Point on the west side of

over eleven miles north to the Camp Williams US Army facility in the foothills between Utah and Salt Lake Counties. On April 2, 2017, Thomas S. Monson, then president of

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 ...

, announced that a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

of the church would be built in Saratoga Springs. The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple's open house was held April to July 2023, and was dedicated on August 13, 2023. On June 28, 2020, a wildfire known as the Knolls Fire forced the evacuation of around 13,000 people in 3,100 homes in Saratoga Springs.

Government

Saratoga Springs has a manager-by-ordinance form of government. A professional manager is appointed by the City Council to oversee the daily operations of the city.

Schools

Saratoga Springs is part of 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 ...

, which covers all of Utah County from Orem northward. Due to rapid population growth since the early 2000s, the school district built several elementary schools in Saratoga Springs, followed by two middle schools and a high school.

Elementary schools

* Harbor Point Elementary School (autumn 2021) * Mountain Sunrise Academy K-8 (autumn 2020) * Springside Elementary School (autumn 2016) * Riverview Elementary School (autumn 2011) * Thunder Ridge Elementary School (autumn 2011) * Horizon School (autumn 2011) * Sage Hills Elementary School (autumn 2009) * Harvest Elementary School (autumn 2006) * Saratoga Shores Elementary School (autumn 2004)

Middle schools

* Vista Heights Middle School (autumn 2010) * Lake Mountain Middle School (autumn 2019) * Lakeview Academy K-9 (charter school combining elementary and middle school; autumn 2006)

High schools

* Westlake High School (autumn 2009) * The New Haven School opened in the city in 1996 as a private in-patient therapeutic school for girls aged 14–18.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census Saratoga Springs had a population of 17,781 in 4,387 households and 4,022 families. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 89.4% non-Hispanic white, 0.5% African-American, 0.9% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 0.2% non-Hispanics from some other race, 0.3% Native American, 2.8% from two or more races, and 5.8% Hispanic or Latino. The median age in 2010 was 21.6. 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 2000, there were 1,003 people, 271 households, and 249 families residing in the town. 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 98.2 people per square mile (37.9/km²). There were 301 housing units at an average density of 29.5 per square mile (11.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.72%

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 ...

, 0.60% black, 0.10% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.50%

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 ...

, 0.90% from other races, and 2.19% 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 3.99% of the population. There were 271 households, out of which 57.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 84.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 8.1% were non-families. 6.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.70 and the average family size was 3.88. In the town the population was spread out, with 38.3% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $62,212, and the median income for a family was $61,923. Males had a median income of $44,464 versus $36,739 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,304. About 3.8% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

Library

Saratoga Springs is one of the few American cities in the 21st century to have started a municipal library with a majority of donations from volunteers.
City of Saratoga Springs website In 2010, the city council authorized $10,000 in seed money to fund the start of a city library. In 2013, the library had grown so popular that the city council recognized the need for a full-time library and authorized it. As of August 2022, the library has over 8,000 cardholders and a collection of more than 24,000 items. The library also provides additional programs for residents including science nights, story times, Wiggle Worms, a literacy center, and test proctoring. On January 1, 2014, the city library began operating under new full-time hours.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Utah County, Utah Cities in Utah Provo–Orem metropolitan area Populated places established in 1997 1997 establishments in Utah Hot springs of Utah