Draper, Utah

History

In the fall of 1849, Ebenezer Brown brought cattle to graze along the mountain stream of South Willow Creek. The next spring, he brought his family and sold his cattle to immigrants heading to the gold fields of California along what became the Mormon Road. More settlers came in the next few years to the new settlement first known as Sivogah, meaning Willows, the Indian name for the area, then later as South Willow Creek. At the end of 1852, 20 families lived along South Willow Creek. In 1854, the first post office was established with the name Draperville for William Draper III, the first presiding elder of the town's Mormon congregation. The name of the town in later years was shortened to Draper.

Hostilities with the Native Americans began in 1854, and a fort was established were 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.

Geography

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.

The winds on Traverse Ridge make it a popular area for hang gliding and paragliding. In 2004, Draper citizens voted for a tax increase that would pay for the purchase of key pieces of property in the Corner Canyon area. The aim of this measure was to protect and preserve the Corner Canyon area for the future enjoyment of citizens of the city and the Salt Lake Valley area. In the fall of 2005, 1,021 acres (4.13 km²) of property were identified and purchased for the development of Corner Canyon Regional Park, which will consist of parks, trails, and other recreation areas.

Climate

Draper's climate is roughly identical to that of 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 quite regularly from November through March.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the city was 91.25% White, 1.52% African American, 0.75% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.36% Pacific Islander, 2.71% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.82% of the population.

In 2000, there were 6,305 households out of which 54.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.8% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 10.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.69.

In the city at the 2000 census, the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 129.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 141.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city as of the 2000 census was $72,341, and the median income for a family was $76,858 (these figures had risen to $80,524 and $89,871 respectively as of a 2007 estimate. Males had a median income of $50,915 versus $31,742 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,747. About 1.8% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Utah Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Draper. Draper fields its own police department that covers the city limits. It was established in 2003, and fields about 40 officers. Fire is covered by the Unified Fire Authority.

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, and HealthEquity. Draper is also home to Utah's first IKEA, which opened in spring 2007.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constructed a temple in Draper that was dedicated on March 20, 2009.

Top employers

According to the City's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

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