County outline
Where Salt Lake County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 93.4% of Salt Lake County’s measured area and water for 6.6%. Its combined area converts to 2,086.3 square kilometers or approximately 515,532 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 752.714 | 1,949.52 | 481,737 |
| Water | 52.804 | 136.762 | 33,794.6 |
| Total | 805.518 | 2,086.282 | 515,531.5 |
How Salt Lake County compares
By original Census land area, Salt Lake County ranks #25 of 29 in Utah and #1171 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.31 times the Utah county-equivalent median of 2,427.6 square miles. It accounts for 0.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Utah ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Salt Lake County
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,220,916 people lived in Salt Lake County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #40 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #1 of 29 in Utah. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 1,185,235, the population has grown by 35,681 (+3%), compared with +8.2% for Utah as a whole.
With 752.7 square miles of land, that is 1,622 people per square mile (626 per km²), placing Salt Lake County #107 nationally for density and #1 in Utah. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Utah median is 11. Put another way, there are about 0.395 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 1,187,009 | 1,186,648 | 1,194,746 | 1,205,509 | 1,217,454 | 1,220,916 |
| Change | — | −361 | +8,098 | +10,763 | +11,945 | +3,462 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Salt Lake County
23 incorporated places lie at least partly in Salt Lake County. Together they are home to 1,210,034 people (99.1%); the other 10,882 (0.9%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Salt Lake City city, with 218,428 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Magna city grew fastest since then (+21%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City cityCounty seat | 218,428 | +9.4% | 110.9 |
| West Valley City city | 137,491 | −2% | 35.8 |
| West Jordan city | 116,812 | −0.1% | 32.8 |
| Sandy city | 92,386 | −5.2% | 24.4 |
| South Jordan city | 87,614 | +13.1% | 25.8 |
| Millcreek city | 63,926 | +0.1% | 12.9 |
| Herriman city | 63,282 | +14.7% | 23.2 |
| Taylorsville city | 57,484 | −4.9% | 10.8 |
| Murray city | 53,297 | +5.1% | 12.4 |
| Riverton city | 47,395 | +4.6% | 12.6 |
| Draper cityAlso in 1 other county | 47,159 | −1.2% | 28.3 |
| Midvale city | 36,099 | +0.2% | 5.895 |
| Kearns city | 35,404 | −3.6% | 4.632 |
| Magna city | 35,401 | +21% | 19.9 |
| Cottonwood Heights city | 32,265 | −4% | 9.445 |
Show the other 8 places
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holladay city | 31,162 | −2.5% | 8.506 |
| South Salt Lake city | 26,934 | +0.6% | 6.941 |
| Bluffdale cityAlso in 1 other county | 19,506 | +14.6% | 11.1 |
| White City city | 5,146 | −6.8% | 0.874 |
| Emigration Canyon city | 1,417 | −3.2% | 18.2 |
| Copperton city | 770 | −7.1% | 0.312 |
| Brighton town | 429 | −1.2% | 15.8 |
| Alta town | 227 | −0.9% | 4.516 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Salt Lake County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Salt Lake County is a central county of the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 1,308,377 residents on 7,793 square miles of land; Salt Lake County accounts for 9.7% of the land and 93.3% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #21 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #47 by population. It belongs to the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT-ID Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake County | 1,220,916 | 752.7 |
| Tooele County | 87,461 | 7,040.3 |
ZIP codes
42 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Salt Lake County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
840068400984020840448404784065840708408184084840888409284093840948409584096841018410284103841048410584106841078410884109841118411284113841148411584116841178411884119841208412184123841248412884129841388415084180
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Tooele County (7,040.3 mi²) and the smallest is Davis County (324.9 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Salt Lake County forms a block of 13,779.2 mi² of land, of which it holds 5.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Salt Lake | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tooele County | 7,040.3 | 9.4× larger | Compare |
| Utah County | 2,004.5 | 2.7× larger | Compare |
| Summit County | 1,870.7 | 2.5× larger | Compare |
| Wasatch County | 1,177 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Morgan County | 609.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Davis County | 324.9 | 2.3× smaller | Compare |
How big is Salt Lake County compared with U.S. states?
Salt Lake County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.4 times as much. Utah’s county land could hold about 110 areas the size of Salt Lake County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 27.4 miles (44.2 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Salt Lake County?
Salt Lake County has more land than 2,051 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Salt Lake County at #1,166 nationally by total area, 5 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 6.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 5.4 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Salt Lake County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1170 | Dent County, Missouri | 752.8 | Compare |
| #1171 | Salt Lake County, Utah | 752.7 | This county |
| #1172 | Napa County, California | 752 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 40.667205, -111.921602. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,949,519,819 m²; AWATER: 136,760,850 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Salt Lake County?
Salt Lake County, Utah has 752.7 square miles (1,949.5 km²) of land and 52.8 square miles of water, for a total area of 805.5 square miles. It ranks #1171 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Salt Lake County the largest county in Utah?
No. Salt Lake County ranks #25 of 29 in Utah by land area. The largest is San Juan County, with 7,823.7 square miles of land.
What counties border Salt Lake County?
Salt Lake County shares a land border with Davis County, Utah County, Tooele County, Summit County, Morgan County, and Wasatch County.
What is the population of Salt Lake County?
The Census Bureau estimates Salt Lake County had 1,220,916 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #40 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 1,622 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Salt Lake County?
The county seat of Salt Lake County is Salt Lake City.
What cities and towns are in Salt Lake County?
Salt Lake County has 23 incorporated places. The most populous five are Salt Lake City city, West Valley City city, West Jordan city, Sandy city, and South Jordan city; 10,882 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Salt Lake County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 1,308,377 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Salt Lake County?
42 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Salt Lake County, and 42 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Salt Lake County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.4 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Salt Lake County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 481,737 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 515,532 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.