Orem, Utah

Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about 45 miles (72 km) south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and Juab counties. The 2019 population estimate was 97,828, while the 2010 population was 88,328[5] making it the fifth-largest city in Utah. Utah Valley University is located in Orem. The Orem Owlz of the minor league baseball Pioneer League play their home games at the college.

Orem, Utah
City
Orem City Center
Nickname(s): 
Family City USA
Location in Utah County and the state of Utah
Coordinates: 40°17′56″N 111°41′47″W
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyUtah
Settled1877
Town charter grantedMay 5, 1919
Named forWalter C. Orem
Government
 • MayorRichard Brunst
 • SpokesmanSteven Downs
 • City ManagerJames P. Davidson
Area
 • Total18.57 sq mi (48.10 km2)
 • Land18.57 sq mi (48.10 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
4,774 ft (1,455 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total88,328
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
97,828
 • Density5,267.22/sq mi (2,033.67/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
Area codes385, 801
FIPS code49-57300[3]
GNIS feature ID1444110[4]
Websitewww.orem.org

Orem uses the slogan "Family City USA." In 2010 Forbes rated it the 5th best place to raise a family.[6] Time magazine rated the Provo-Orem area as the best place to live for spiritual well-being, due to a high population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[7]

History

At one time the area was known as Sharon, a Biblical name for a mostly level strip of land running between mountains and the sea, and the name of the Vermont birth town of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.[8] Another former name was Provo Bench.[8] In an apparent attempt to attract more investment to the town and provide an easy way for the large population of farmers with orchards to ship produce, in 1914 it was named after Walter C. Orem, President of the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad in the early 1900s.[9] Orem was incorporated on May 5, 1919.

Arts and culture

Orem is renowned for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and its Summerfest celebration and parade in June is a popular local attraction.

Geography

Orem is located at 40°17′56″N 111°41′47″W (40.298753, -111.696486).[10] Situated in a high desert, with an average elevation of 4756 feet. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.4 square miles (48 km2), all of it land. The City is located near the eastern shore of Utah Lake. Bordering Provo, Utah on the east and south, Vineyard, Utah on the west, Lindon, Utah contiguous to north, and Mount Timpanogos/Wasatch Mountain range to the east.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1890435—
190069259.1%
19101,06453.8%
19201,66456.4%
19301,91515.1%
19402,91452.2%
19508,351186.6%
196018,394120.3%
197025,72939.9%
198052,399103.7%
199067,56128.9%
200084,32424.8%
201088,3284.7%
Est. 201997,828[2]10.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of 2011 the 88,112 residents of Orem had a racial and ethnic composition of 89.3% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islanders, 4% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% two or more races reported and 14.8% Hispanic, as Orem has a large Mexican American community with other Latinos residing in the city. This contrasts with the census[3] of 2000, which showed a racial makeup of 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.

The 2000 Census counted 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families. The population density at that time was 4,572.6 people per square mile (1,765.6/km2). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 1,310.4 per square mile (506.0/km2). There were 23,382 households, out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,703, and the median income for a family was $59,066. Males had a median income of $42,249 versus $30,742 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,971. About 10.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2002, over 97% of all church-going citizens of Orem are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[12] Due to the high numbers of Latter-day Saints in the area, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple in Orem on October 5, 2019.[13] The temple will be located a half mile south of the Interstate 15 exit at University Parkway on South Geneva Road.

Education

Orem is located in the Alpine School District[14] and is home to three high schools, three junior high schools, and 14 elementary schools.[15] Stevens-Henager College is also located in Orem, as is an education center of Utah State University, and a campus of Broadview University (closed as of summer 2016).

Utah Valley University
Utah Valley University campus

Utah Valley University is a public university operated by the state of Utah. UVU is one of the United States' only Open Enrollment Universities offering an acceptance to all applicants. As a university, UVU offers a wide variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. UVU is the largest and fastest growing public university in Utah with its attendance of over 34,000 undergraduates.[16] The campus's notable features include the UCCU Center, the Digital Learning Center library, the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, and the Woodbury School of Business. The Roots of Knowledge stained glass display is located in the Fulton Library on campus.[17]

Government

The city of Orem is governed by a council-manager system. The mayor and council members are elected and serve part-time, while the city manager is appointed and serves full-time. There are six city council members that serve alongside the mayor. The mayor and city council are elected to four year terms.[18]

Name Position Elected/Appointed Year First

Elected/Appointed

 Number of Terms Served

(Includes Current Term)

 Current Term Ends
Richard Brunst Mayor Elected 2013[19] 2 2021[20]
Jeff Lambson City Council Elected 2019[21] 1 2023[22]
Debby Lauret City Council Elected 2015[23] 2 2023[22]
Tom Macdonald City Council Elected 2013[19] 2 2021[20]
Terry Peterson City Council Elected 2019[21] 1 2023[22]
David Spencer City Council Elected 2013[19] 2 2021[20]
Brent Sumner City Council Elected 2009[24] 3 2021[20]
Jamie Davidson City Manager Appointed 2013[25] N/A N/A

List of mayors of Orem (years served):

  • B. M. Jolley (1941-1945)
  • J. W. Gillman (1946-1953)
  • Ray E. Loveless (1953)
  • Leland Jarman (1954-1957)
  • Luzell Robbins (1958)
  • V. Emil Hansen (1958-1959)
  • Melbourne D. Wallace (1960-1961)
  • G. Milton Jameson (1962-1965)
  • James E. Mangum (1966-1967)
  • Winston M. Crawford (1968-1973)
  • James E. Mangum (1974-1981)
  • Delance W. Squire (1982-1985)
  • S. Blaine Willes (1986-1991)
  • Joyce Johnson (1991)
  • Stella Welsh (1992-1997)
  • Joseph Nelson (died in office) (1998-1999)
  • Chris Yandow (1999-1999)[26]
  • Jerry C. Washburn (2000-2011)[27] Died on September 26, 2011 after a long battle with cancer.[28]
  • James T. Evans (2011-2014)
  • Richard F. Brunst, Jr. (2014-Current)

Economy
LDS Church in Orem set against winter mountain backdrop

Orem has a wide variety of stores and businesses. Orem is also home to the oldest mall in Utah County, opened in March 1973.[29]

Top employers

According to the City's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[30] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of employees Percent of Total

City Employment

1 Utah Valley University 2,969 7.4%
2 Alpine School District 1,540 3.8%
3 U.S. Synthetic Corporation 940 2.3%
4 City of Orem 538 1.3%
5 Timpanogos Regional Hospital 498 1.2%
6 Clearlink Technologies, LLC 443 1.1%
7 Wayfair 442 1.1%
8 Wal-Mart 375 0.9%
9 United Parcel Service, Inc. 356 0.9%
10 Mity-Lite, Inc. 355 0.9%
Total 8,456 21.1%

Company startups

Several notable companies started in Orem:

Sports
Hootz, the mascot of the Orem Owlz franchise in the Pioneer League

Orem has been home to a number of professional sports teams in addition to being the home to Utah Valley University's Wolverines athletic teams. The Orem Owlz minor league baseball team, a rookie league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, has been located in Orem since 2005.[31] The Owlz have won 5 championships and have had more than 90 major league players as part of the team.[32] The Owlz play their home games at UCCU Ballpark on the campus of Utah Valley University. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 spectators.[33] The Owlz compete in the Pioneer League against teams from Colorado, Idaho, Montana and one team in Utah - the Ogden Raptors.[34]

Orem has also been the home to two indoor football teams as well as a G League professional basketball team. In 1998, the Utah Catzz played their only season in the Professional Indoor Football League as the league only lasted one season. The Utah Flash was an NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers that was established in 2007.

Club Sport League Venue Established Concluded Championships Notes
Orem Owlz Baseball Pioneer League, Baseball UCCU Ballpark 2005 Active 5 The Pioneer League 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah Catzz Football Professional Indoor Football League UCCU Center 1998 1998 0 The Professsional Indoor Football League only operated for one year during the 1998 season.
Utah Flash Basketball NBA G League UCCU Center 2007 2011 0 The Utah Flash was later moved and is now known as the Delaware Blue Coats.
Utah Valley Thunder Football American Indoor Football Association UCCU Center 2009 2009 0 The Utah Valley Thunder returned to the Arena Football League until 2013.

Transportation

Several modes of transportation are available in Orem. The Utah Transit Authority operates the Frontrunner train, Utah Valley Express (UVX) bus rapid transit and regular bus service in the city. The Orem station serves Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner train.[35] The UVX route runs from Orem Central Station through UVU and along University Parkway through Orem's uptown near its southern boundary with Provo, which is where the opposite end of the bus line is located.[36]

The road system includes an Interstate highway, US highways, state highways and city maintained roads. Interstate 15 runs through the west side of Orem with four interchanges in the city.[37] US highway 89 (State Street) runs northwest/southeast through the middle of the city, while US highway 189 (University Avenue) passes through a short section of northeast Orem. There are also four state routes that pass through the city - SR-52 (800 North), SR-114 (Geneva Road), SR-241 (1600 North), and SR-265 (University Parkway).[38]

Notable people

Notable groups include:

City parks
Scera Park

Orem has more than 20 parks throughout the city. In 2017, the Orem Splash Pad opened at Palisade Park. The Splash Pad uses 1,000 gallons per minute and has a weave spray nozzle as well as 22 other spray nozzles.[40] The Skate Park opened in 2002 and has a quarter acre of cemented space for extreme sport use.[41] City Center Park is home to the annual Orem Summerfest as well as concerts and other cultural events.[42] City parks include:[43]

  • Bonneville Park
  • Cascade Park
  • Cherry Hill Park
  • City Center Park
  • Community park
  • Foothill Park
  • Geneva Park
  • Hillcrest Park
  • Lakeside Sports Park
  • Mt. Timpanogos Park
  • Nielson's Grove Park
  • Northridge Park
  • Orchard Park
  • Palisade Park
  • Scera Park
  • Sharon Park
  • Skate Park
  • Spring Water Park
  • Westmore Park
  • Windsor Park

Sister cities

Orem has one sister city in Ürümqi, China according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Sister Cities Coalition[44]

gollark: I don't think it's conductive, so you shouldn't short anything.
gollark: Submerge it in liquid nitrogen.
gollark: I think it might cost a bit depending on country.
gollark: You can do both.
gollark: Just communicate telepathically...

See also

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  6. Levy, Francesca (June 7, 2010). "America's Best Places to Raise a Family". Forbes.
  7. "10 Of The Healthiest Places To Live In America". Huffington Post. August 6, 2014.
  8. "10 fun facts about Orem that you may not know". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  9. Rigert, Michael. "Orem founded 90 years ago today". Daily Herald.
  10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. "Orem, Utah (UT) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  13. "Members around the world react to President Nelson's 8 new temples announcement". Church News. October 6, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. "Alpine School District". alpine.k12.ut.us. Archived from the original on October 29, 2005. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  15. "www.orem.org". orem.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  16. "UVU At a Glance". The College Board. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  17. "Roots of Knowledge". www.utahvalley.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  18. "Mayor & City Council – City of Orem". orem.org. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  19. News, Deseret (November 6, 2013). "Municipal election vote tallies". Deseret News. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  20. "Utah County updates 2017 election results". UtahValley360. November 14, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  21. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem voters select two new council members, with two incumbents too close to call for the third open seat". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  22. Romney, Ginny (November 6, 2019). "Here are the unofficial vote tallies from Utah's general and municipal elections". Deseret News. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  23. HERALD, Genelle Pugmire DAILY. "Orem voters send big message with election results". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  24. Lenz, Sara (November 4, 2009). "Election 2009: Orem mayor wins a 4th term". Deseret News. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  25. Herald, Genelle Pugmire-Daily. "Davidson chosen to manage Orem". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  26. Herald, Reva Bowen-Daily. "Orem will start looking for new mayor next week". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  27. "BYU Magazine: The Magazine of Brigham Young University". BYU Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  28. Orem mayor loses battle with cancer. ksl.com (September 26, 2011). Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  29. Buckley, Jay H. (2010). Orem. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7882-8.
  30. "City Finances – City of Orem". orem.org. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  31. News, Deseret (June 16, 2005). "Fowl ball: Orem Owlz look to soar like Provo Angels of old". Deseret News. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  32. Coles, Joe (July 14, 2020). "Wait 'til next year: Cancellation of minor league baseball season leaves void in lives of players and fans alike". Deseret News. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  33. "Facilities". Utah Valley University Athletics. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  34. "2019 Pioneer League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  35. "Station Addresses". www.rideuta.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  36. "New Provo-Orem rapid bus now rivals the ridership of TRAX Green Line". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  37. "All Exits along I-15 in Utah starting near Portage | iExit Interstate Exit Guide". iexitapp.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  38. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem council approves 1600 North ownership transfer to UDOT for $30 million widening". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  39. Tayler, Howard. "Blógünder Schlock » About". Retrieved November 6, 2007. Howard Tayler is the award-winning cartoonist responsible for Schlock Mercenary and the inventor of the "chupaqueso." He's married and lives in Orem, UT[...].
  40. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem to open splash pad at Palisade Park in May". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  41. "11 fun things to do in Orem". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  42. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem's Summerfest postponed". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  43. http://www.oremrecreation.com/index.php/parks/city-parks
  44. Andelin, Jennifer (September 10, 2010). "Utah's International & Sister City Partnerships" (PDF). Utah League of Cities and Towns. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
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