Alta, Utah
| Alta, Utah | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 40°34′51″N 111°38′14″W / 40.58083°N 111.63722°WCoordinates: 40°34′51″N 111°38′14″W / 40.58083°N 111.63722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Salt Lake |
| Settled | 1865 |
| Incorporated | 1970 |
| Named for | Spanish for 'high' |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.1 sq mi (10.5 km2) |
| • Land | 4.1 sq mi (10.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 8,560 ft (2,610 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 370 |
| • Density | 91.4/sq mi (35.3/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 84092 |
| Area code(s) | 385, 801 |
| FIPS code | 49-00650[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437483[2] |
| Website | www.townofalta.com |
Alta is a town in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 370 at the 2000 census, a slight decrease from the 1990 figure of 397.
Alta is also a ski resort that has 500,000 visitors a year. It is known for its powder skiing and its refusal to allow snowboarding.
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[edit] History
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2010) |
Alta was founded about 1865 to house miners from the Emma mine, the Flagstaff mine, and other silver mines in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Sensationally rich silver ore in the Emma mine enabled its owners to sell the mine at an inflated price to British investors in 1871.[3] The subsequent exhaustion of the Emma ore body led to the recall of the American ambassador to Great Britain, who was a director of the company, and Congressional hearings in Washington.[4]
An 1878 fire and a 1885 avalanche destroyed most of the original mining town, though some mining activity persisted into the 20th century. By the 1930s, only one resident, George Watson, remained in the town. Facing back taxes on mining claims he owned, Watson donated much of the land in Alta to the U.S. Forest Service. Watson stipulated that the Forest Service use the land to construct a ski area. In 1935, Norwegian skiing legend Alf Engen was hired to help develop the area, and Alta opened its first ski lift in 1938.
Today, Alta is a small town, centered around the Alta Ski Area.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.5 km2), of which, 4.1 square miles (10.5 km2) of it is land and 0.25% is water.
At 8,560 feet (2,610 m), Alta is the highest city in Utah, and one of the highest in America.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 93 |
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| 1980 | 381 | 309.7% | |
| 1990 | 397 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 370 | −6.8% | |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 370 people, 67 households, and 36 families residing in the town. The population density was 91.4 people per square mile (35.3/km2). There were 242 housing units at an average density of 59.8 per square mile (23.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.86% White, 1.08% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 1.35% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.32% of the population.
There were 67 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, and 44.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.62.
In the town the population was spread out with 6.2% under the age of 18, 30.5% from 18 to 24, 44.6% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 252.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 285.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $81,250, and the median income for a family was $94,654. Males had a median income of $32,639 versus $18,889 for females. The per capita income for the town was $66,566, the wealthiest of any incorporated city in Utah. None of the families and 19.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
[edit] See also
- Twister (limber pine) - located near Alta
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Emma Mine". mineswindles.com. http://www.miningswindles.com/html/emma_mine.html.[unreliable source?]
- ^ Dan Plazak, A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-87480-840-7, p.39-77.
[edit] External links
- Town Of Alta Official Website
- Alta Ski Area Official Website
- Alta Community Enrichment, the Alta Arts Council
- Wild old Bunch
- AltaCam Ski Forum
- Alta Visitors Bureau
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