Draper, Utah - Wikipedia

City in Utah, United States City in Utah, United States

Draper, Utah
City
Draper Historic Park
Location in Salt Lake County and the state of Utah.
Coordinates: 40°30′23″N 111°52′33″W / 40.50639°N 111.87583°W / 40.50639; -111.87583
Country	United States
State	Utah
Counties	Salt Lake, Utah
Settled	1849
Incorporated	1978[1]
Founded by	Ebenezer Brown and his wife Phebe Draper Palmer Brown
Named after	William Draper Jr.
Area[2]
• Total	29.97 sq mi (77.61 km2)
• Land	29.95 sq mi (77.57 km2)
• Water	0.015 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation[3]	4,751 ft (1,448 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	51,017
• Density	1,703/sq mi (657.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code	84020
Area codes	385, 801
FIPS code	49-20120
GNIS feature ID	2410355[3]
Website	www.draperutah.gov

Draper is a city in Salt Lake and Utah counties in the U.S. state of Utah, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. As of the 2020 census, the population is 51,017, up from 7,143 in 1990.[4]

Draper is part of two metropolitan areas; the Salt Lake County portion is in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, 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.[5]

The city is home of 1-800 Contacts and a large eBay campus.

History

[edit]

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 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[6] 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.[7][8]

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

[edit]

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 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 to the south, and Lehi to the southwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.1 square miles (78.0 km2), of which 30.1 square miles (77.9 km2) is land and 0.015 square miles (0.04 km2), or 0.05%, is water.[9]

Climate

[edit]

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 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

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1980	5,521	—
1990	7,257	31.4%
2000	25,220	247.5%
2010	42,274	67.6%
2020	51,017	20.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2016)

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, Draper had a population of 51,017 and a median age of 33.9 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 9.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 108.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 110.1 males age 18 and over.[11]

97.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.8% lived in rural areas.[12]

There were 15,007 households in Draper, of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 65.4% were married-couple households, 12.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 17.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 15,590 housing units, of which 3.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.[11]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[13]

Race	Number	Percent
White	41,599	81.5%
Black or African American	687	1.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	355	0.7%
Asian	2,299	4.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	234	0.5%
Some other race	1,804	3.5%
Two or more races	4,039	7.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	4,728	9.3%

2010 census

[edit]

2010 Census Information[14]

Population	42,272
Median Age	30.7 years
Mean Household Income	$120,088
Median Household Income	$94,852
Estimated Average Household Size	3.38 persons
Total Households	12,287
Owner Occupied	9,708
Renter Occupied	2,579
Median Home Price	$434,450
Median Rental Rate	$1,156

Economy

[edit]

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, and Pluralsight. Draper is also home to Utah's first IKEA, which opened in 2007.[15] The head office of Synchrony Bank is located in Draper, and the Rocky Mountain regional headquarters of Goldman Sachs is located in a nearby plaza.

Top employers

[edit]

According to the city's Popular Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018,[16] the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Utah State Prison	1,000-1,999
2	1-800 Contacts	500-999
3	EMC Corporation	500-999
4	Coca-Cola	500-999
5	City of Draper	250-499

Local media

[edit]

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.[17]

Draper City publishes a bi-monthly city newsletter entitled "Draper Forward." This publication is mailed to all of the residents in Draper City.[18]

Television

Draper is part of the Salt Lake City DMA and is covered by KSL, FOX13, KUTV, and KTVX.

Education

[edit]

The portion in Salt Lake County is in the Canyons School District.[19]

The portion in Utah County is in the Alpine School District.[20]

Joyce University is a school training professionals in nursing and health care.[21]

Notable people

[edit]

• Dia Frampton (born 1987), singer-songwriter; born in Draper[22]
• 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[23]
• 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[24]
• Kealia Ohai Watt (born 1992), soccer player; born in Draper[25]
• Zach Wilson (born 1999), American football quarterback[26]

See also

[edit]

• List of cities and towns in Utah

References

[edit]

1. ^ "City of Draper, Utah Annual Report to our Citizens 2011-2012". Draper City, Utah. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Draper, Utah
4. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Draper City, Utah". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
5. ^ Utah Department of Corrections is Moving to a New Location from the Daily Utah Chronicle, published July 13, 2021, accessed August 26, 2021.
6. ^ "APPENDIX C", 1975 and 1978 Rescue Excavations at the Draper Site, Canadian Museum of History, 1985, pp. 530–541, doi:10.2307/j.ctv16rqc.29, ISBN 978-1-77282-123-9
7. ^ History of Draper City from draper.ut.us accessed August 30, 2015
8. ^ Draper Historical Committee, The History of Draper, Utah, Vol. 2: Sivogah to Draper City 1849-1977, Agreka Books, 2001
9. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Draper city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
12. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
13. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
14. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census
15. ^ "National press releases - IKEA". Archived from the original on April 13, 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2006.
16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
17. ^ The Draper City Journal accessed August 26, 2021
18. ^ Draper Forward from draperutah.gov accessed August 26, 2021
19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Salt Lake County, UT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
20. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Utah Lake County, UT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2 (PDF p. 3/7). Retrieved October 17, 2022.
21. ^ About Joyce University | Nursing & Health Sciences School in Utah
22. ^ "Mom's intervention helped Utah duo Meg & Dia make music together". Deseret News. March 16, 2007. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
23. ^ "GEORGE W. LATIMER, CO-FOUNDER OF LAW FIRM AND FORMER JUSTICE, DIES". Deseret News. May 4, 1990. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
24. ^ "Ex-Rep. Douglas Stringfellow, Who Invented Hero Story, Dies; Utahan Admitted in '54 That Account of Warld War II Mission Was a Hoax (Published 1966)". October 21, 1966. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
25. ^ "Former Alta High School MVPs Kealia Watt, Michele Vasconcelos reunited with Chicago Red Stars". Deseret News. July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
26. ^ "A conversation with Zach Wilson: Former BYU QB on his demotion to NY Jets backup, his girlfriend, his golf game, his summer plans, and more". Deseret News. June 20, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Draper, Utah. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Draper, Utah.

• Official website

Places adjacent to Draper, Utah
South Jordan Sandy Alta Riverton Draper Midway Bluffdale Lehi AlpineHighland

v t e Municipalities and communities of Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
County seat: Salt Lake City
Cities	Bluffdale‡ Cottonwood Heights Draper‡ Emigration Canyon Herriman Holladay Kearns Magna Midvale Millcreek Murray Riverton Salt Lake City Sandy South Jordan South Salt Lake Taylorsville West Jordan West Valley City White City
Towns	Alta Brighton Copperton
CDPs	Granite
Unincorporatedcommunities	Snowbird
Ghost towns	Bacchus Bingham Canyon Garfield Lark
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Utah portal United States portal

v t e Municipalities and communities of Utah County, Utah, United States
County seat: Provo
Cities	Alpine American Fork Bluffdale‡ Cedar Hills Draper‡ Eagle Mountain Elk Ridge Highland Lehi Lindon Mapleton Orem Payson Pleasant Grove Provo Salem Santaquin‡ Saratoga Springs Spanish Fork Springville Vineyard Woodland Hills
Towns	Cedar Fort Fairfield Genola Goshen
CDPs	Benjamin Elberta Hobble Creek Lake Shore Palmyra Spring Lake Sundance West Mountain
Other communities	Birdseye Lakeview Leland Vivian Park
Indian reservation	Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation‡
Ghost towns	Colton Dividend Forest City Kyune Mill Fork Mosida Thistle Tucker
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Utah portal United States portal

Authority control databases
International	VIAF GND WorldCat
National	United States Israel
Geographic	MusicBrainz area
Other	Yale LUX