Provo, Utah – Making Life Better

Located approximately 44 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, the city of Provo is proud to be the home of Brigham Young University (BYU), which is among the biggest privately operated universities in the nation. As the third largest city in the state of Utah, Provo is the principal city of the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. Provo is a known leader in high technology having the second largest concentration of computer software companies in the nation. Provo is also one of the largest producers of Iron and steel. Other notable businesses in Provo are in the agricultural industry. Forbes magazine ranked Provo as the sixth “Best Place for Business and Careers” in their 2004, and in 2009, Retire magazine called Provo “an enticing city for new careers”. Provo residents enjoy the abundance of outdoor activities available. There are several ski resorts, state parks, campgrounds, rivers and lakes located within minutes of the city.

Porvo History

The location of Provo, Utah was first visited in 1776 by two Franciscan Friars from Spain named Francisco Dominguez and Silvestre de Escalante. The Friars traveled from Santa Fe, New Mexico to the Provo area.

They were trying to locate a route that would deliver them to Monterey, California. Upon his arrival to the Provo area, Father Escalente wrote about the land, describing it as a place of a comfort with good weather and beautiful land that was as fertile as any land in Spain. The Spanish priests taught the Native Americans of the area about Christianity during their stay.

Then, in 1825, a French Canadian trapper named Etienne Provost along with a group of trappers visited the Provo area. The group was involved in a fight with the Native Americans, and all were killed except Provost and three others who escaped into the mountains. 

The next people to visit the Provo area were the Mormon pioneers who were in route from Illinois to flee religious persecution. Led by Brigham Young, the pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and built a permanent settlement in Provo in 1849. 

In 1850, the Provo area was founded as Fort Utah. The name was in honor of the Ute tribe of the region. Sometime later, the name became Fort Provo in honor of Etienne Provost.
As the area around Fort Utah began to be settled by the Mormon pioneers, the railroad was building connections from Salt Lake City and Scofield. Both were finished by 1878 and Provo quickly became a shipping point for mines in the area.

Life in Provo

The Provo/Orem metropolitan area is ranked as one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country with a population growth of 40% in recent years. Provo is also ranked as one of the nation's most “Stress-Free Cities”.

Art and culture play a big part in Provo's city life. There are literally hundreds of events to attend including concerts, plays, classes, art shows, and museum exhibits. An impressive collection can be seen at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art where the BR Larson Gallery and the Brownstone Gallery showcase pieces by many well known artists. Near Provo is the Sundance Institute, which is known for its annual international film festival. The institute also presents many film, performing art, and visual art events throughout the year. International music acts and performances are held throughout the year at the Latter Day Saints Tabernacle in Provo. The Utah Valley Symphony also plays regularly at this venue.

The best and largest Independence Day celebration in the country takes place in Provo each year in July. America's Freedom Festival is a tree week-long event that includes everything from parades and dances, to 10K runs and balloon festivals.

WinterFest in Provo is a highly anticipated yearly event that takes place each December. The entire town elaborately decorates for the holidays and a parade with a lighting ceremony is held. There is also a concert and a living nativity.

Provo Job Market

In 2010, Forbes Magazine ranked Provo second for the best place to establish a business or career. Many local, national, and international companies call Provo home and employ its residents.

• Ancestory.com is a large family networking business that specializes in genealogy.
• Nature's Sunshine Products is a international corporation that manufactures and markets natural vitamins, skin care, food products and supplements.
• Novell is a well known international corporation that designs and manufactures network operating systems. Their facility in Provo employs over 2000 workers.
• Heritage Web solutions is a locally owned company that was ranked by n Inc.com as the 22nd fastest growing private companies in the Nation.
• MediaWorks is a film and video production company that was founded in 1998 in Provo and employs a large number of local residents.
• APX Alarm Security Solutions is an international company that provides residential security to customers in the U.S. and Canada. The company provides jobs for thousands of Provo residents.

Provo Dining

In the Provo/Orem area you will find a large variety of cuisine. There are more than 200 different restaurants to choose from. Fares include American, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. There are also several choices for vegetarian food and many fast food restaurants. Here is a selection of what you will find:

• Bombay House offers East Indian cuisine that is affordable and delicious, with authentic Indian music and decor.
• Burgers Supreme serves a great burger with all the fixings. A local favorite!
• La Dolce Vita is a highly rated home-style Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is casual and meals are reasonably priced.
• Magleby's Restaurant offers a complete American menu with chicken, steak, and seafood. Standard steakhouse pricing in a casual environment.
• Demae Japanese Restaurant is authentic Japanese food in a clean and friendly environment. Sushi Tuesdays is a favorite with the locals.
• The Tree Room at the Sundance Resort is an elegant restaurant with a romantic candlelit atmosphere.
• The Foundry Grill Room, also at the Sundance Resort, serves lighter food in a bistro setting.

Provo Attractions

Seven Peaks Resort – This resort is a waterpark that dwarf's other waterparks. It is located at the base of Maple Mountain and provides visitors a large selection of water activities including a wave pool, various children's activities, and the tallest water slides in the world. Seven Peaks also has acres of beautiful lawns with pavilions that make it a favorite place for picnics.

Sundance Resort – Just to the northeast of Provo, you will find Robert Redford's Sundance Resort. Not only does the Sundance have some of the best snow skiing, fine dining, and spa treatments, it also conducts nature workshops, art exhibits, and theater performances in the off season.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument – A 1.5 mile trail leads you to explore three limestone caves with colorful helictites, stalactites, and stalagmites. The trail is a bit of a hike and gets a little steep at some points, but seeing the caves is well worth the work.

Provo Tabernacle – The Provo Tabernacle is a historic church in downtown Provo that took six years to complete. The building was completed in 1898 and is still in operation today.

Provo Nightlife

Provo has a large number of college students. Therefore, many of the city's nightclubs cater to this crowd. Of course, you can still find a traditional, quite pub here and there. Here are a few of Provo's hot spots:

• Salsa Chocolate Latin Nightclub is a high energy 18 and older club that features live music and dancing. You can even take Salsa lessons! The club is non-alcoholic but has some delicious and interesting drinks at the alcohol free bar.
• The Loft Dance Club is an alcohol free club for the 18 and older crowd. There are two dance floors and a fantastic sound system. The beverage bar serves alcohol free concoctions and there are two VIP rooms.
• The Utah Country Dance is a country western club where you can two-step, line dance, and swing the night away. There are dance lessons available as well.
• Johnny B's Comedy Club is the best comedy club in Provo. Laughing the night away is always a great way to spend an evening!

Provo Shopping

Shopping in Provo can be done at the big malls where you will find the nationally known department stores, or you can peruse the smaller shopping centers where smaller boutiques for unique finds. The downtown historic area also has some great shopping. Here are some of the best shopping places in Provo:

• Provo Towne Center Mall includes national chains as well as locally owned shops. Here you will find old favorites such as Dillard's, JCPenney, and Sears.
• The Shops at Riverwoods is an upscale mall with specialty shops. The setting is quaint and the pace is slower than a large mall.
• Provo Town Square is located in the heart of Prov. The mall is made up of restored historic buildings and houses many specialty shops and restaurants.
• Provo University Parkway is a major shopping area that provides several of the larger department stores. There are also many small boutiques and shops. 
• University Mall is located in the University Parkway corridor in Orem. This mall has almost 200 stores, restaurants, and entertainment facilities.

Provo Healthcare

There are three major hospitals in the Provo/Orem area. Located in Provo is the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center (UVRMC). The hospital has 330 beds and an acute care division. UVRMC also specializes in computerized tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging. Other specialty areas of the hospital include intensive care and coronary care, laser technology, cancer services and the newborn intensive care unit. There are also two full service hospitals in the Orem area; Orem Community Hospital and Timpanogos Regional Hospital.

UNRMC and Orem Community Hospital are both operated by Intermountain Health Care (IHC). Timpanagos Regional Hospital is operated by Mountain Star Health. Both health care providers provide many free or low cost services to the community such as screenings, tests, seminars on health issues, and informational services.

IHC also operates the Utah Valley Heart Center and the Utah Valley Rehabilitation Center in Provo. There are also two surgical centers located in Provo; Central Utah Surgical Center and Health South Provo Surgical Center. Mental health services are available at several hospitals and health care centers in the city.

Provo Hospitality

• Sleep Inn – Located close to the Provo Towne Center and Brigham Young University. The East bay Golf Course is close enough to walk to and the hotel is quite and comfortable.
• Comfort Inn Suites – Just off Interstate 15 and a short drive to Brigham Young University. Amenities include large suites with free breakfast, internet access, a fitness center, and an indoor heated pool and hot tub.
• Quality Inn – A tried and true stay in a clean and friendly hotel. Close to Sundance Ski Resort and Timpanogos Cave National Monument. The hotel has several restaurants, lounges, and a variety of recreational activities are only minutes away.
• Best Western Cotton Tree Inn – Located within minutes from Provo's most popular attractions Best Western's Cotton Tree Inn has nice quiet rooms that are spacious and clean. Prices are affordable for all the amenities.

Provo Education

Public education in Provo is governed by the Provo School District. Grades K through 12, as well as pre-school children and physically challenged students take part in the district's many programs. The Provo School District also provides a special school for children with severe mental and physical challenges.

Offspring magazine (owned by the Wall Street Journal) rated Provo School District as one of the top 100 school districts in the nation in 2000. Provo's students consistently rank higher on college entrance exams than the state of Utah and national averages.

There are approximately 14,000 students in the Provo School District who attend 13 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools. Additional schools include an alternative high schools, a special needs school, an adult high schools and a year round school.

Public education is highly regarded in Utah. Due to the state's diligence in providing outstanding education, there are only a few private schools in Provo. Among those are the Challenger School, Provo Canyon School, and Montessori Schools.

Brigham Young University (BYU) is the largest private university in the nation having an average of 33,000 students. BYU is noted for advanced programs in business administration, broadcasting and journalism, and law and engineering.

Utah Valley State College has 26,000 students who earn bachelor's degrees in most standard schools of learning.
Provo College and Stevens Henager College of Business are also located in Provo. These colleges train students in specialties and entry-level skills.

Getting Around in Provo

Provo is an hour drive from Salt Lake City International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. There are almost 1000 flights per day that serve around 90 different cities in the United States. There is also a smaller municipal airport in Provo called the Provo Municipal Airport.

Provo's highway system consists of four US Highways and one Interstate; Highway 50, 89, 91, and 189, and Interstate 15.

Interstate 15 is located on the west side of Provo and connects with the Wasatch Front (the cities along the Wasatch mountain range) to all the major connections of Utah. US Highway 89 is the second busiest freeway connecting with Interstate 15. US Highway 189 provides access to the Provo Canyon and connects with Heber.

Provo's mass transit is provided by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). There is daily service to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area and the Provo/Orem metropolitan area.

Train services are provided by the national passenger rail system Amtrack from the Provo Station. Bus services are available through Greyhound Bus Lines and the Utah Transit Authority bus system. A new commuter rail service called Front Runner is planned for completion in 2012. The Front Runner will run from Salt Lake City to Provo.

Provo Sports

Spectator sports are plentiful in Provo. The Marriott Center Arena seats over 23,000 fans and is usually full to capacity when Brigham Young University's (BYU) basketball team plays. BYU's football team, the Cougars, play home games in the campus' 65,000 seat stadium. The McKay Center is located in Orem and is the home of the Utah Valley State Wolverines basketball.

BYU and Utah Valley College also hold many other sporting events such as track, volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, and swimming.

If you would rather participate in sports, you have many options in Provo. There are 28 different parks, 4 public swimming pools,2 ice skating rinks, 35 tennis courts, 10 golf courses, 1 soccer field, and 7 baseball fields.

Outdoor sports of the area include rifle and pistol shooting, most of which takes place at the city's year-round shooting range.
In less than an hour drive from Provo you will find skier's paradise. There are several ski resorts including the popular Robert Redford's Sundance Resort and Park City Resort. The resorts also offer excellent mountain bike and hiking trails.

Water skiing, boating, fishing, canoeing, camping are close by as well at Deer Creek Reservoir and Utah Lake State Park. Additionally, the Provo River area is known for its great fly fishing and hunting.