Moving to Magna, Utah

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, USGS, the Utah State Tax Commission, Magna City and the Magna Water District. Prices move, so ask me for current numbers.

Magna sits on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, between the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. The Census counted about 35,400 people here in 2025. That is up from 29,251 at the 2020 count, and the number has risen every year since. It is one of the faster growing cities in the county since 2020. The city covers about 19.9 square miles of land. All of it is in Salt Lake County, and the ZIP code is 84044.

The homes sit between about 7200 West and 9200 West, from about 2600 South to about 4100 South. West Valley City is east, across about 7200 West. Kearns is southeast. The Oquirrhs rise to the south and west. North of the homes, the city line runs a long way over open lake-shore land. About 17.6 square miles inside the line are water.

Main Street sits at about 4,275 feet. The ground is lowest on the lake flats in the north, near 4,200 feet. It climbs to about 4,600 feet on the south side, close to the foothills. The homes sit between about 4,250 and 4,600 feet.

Some well known places are inside the city line. Great Salt Lake State Park and the Great Saltair concert hall are both here, and so is the spot where the 2020 earthquake began. The outdoors topic and the things to do topic cover the first two. The earthquake section covers the third.

Kennecott’s big plants are not inside the line. The smelter, the refinery and both tailings ponds sit on county land just west and north of town. Tailings are the ground-up rock left after the copper is taken out. The smelter stack is 1,215 feet tall and has stood since the 1970s. It is the landmark on the skyline. The Kennecott neighbor section tells what to check.

How a farm settlement became a copper town

The city says the area was first settled in 1851. In 1868, farmers arrived at the foot of the Oquirrhs and started a community called Pleasant Green. Then copper arrived. In 1906, D.C. Jackling’s Utah Copper Company began building the Magna Mill. The name Magna comes from a Latin word that means great. A second company built another mill nearby in 1909, and the two companies merged by 1911.

The name of the post office changed later. In 1914, Postmaster Renald Woolley asked to rename the Pleasant Green post office Magna, so mail would not get mixed up with Pleasant Grove. The new name took effect on October 19, 1915. Pleasant Green lives on in the cemetery at 9200 West 3500 South and in an elementary school name.

Main Street was built in the mill years. The buildings date from 1904 to 1929. The streets around it once carried names such as Greektown, Japantown, Snaketown and Little Italy. The mills rose and fell with the price of copper from 1915 to 1960. In the 1960s, Magna turned into a suburban town. A rocket-motor plant at Bacchus Works, south of town, helped it grow. A 1961 bond paid for sewer plants, water storage and wells.

A new city, and who serves you

For about a century, Magna was unincorporated, which means it had no city government of its own. On January 1, 2017, it became a metro township, a kind of local government that state law allows. Then H.B. 35, passed by the Utah Legislature in 2024, turned metro townships into cities. Magna City began on May 1, 2024.

Voters elect a mayor at large and five council members, one from each district. The first elected mayor, Mick Sudbury, took office in January 2026. The council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m. The city office is at 8952 West Magna Main Street, and the main line is 385-977-2275. The council approved a general plan in 2021, the first since Magna became a township.

Magna City contracts for its services, so the people you call depend on the job. The table shows who does what. For permits, call the district, not a counter at the city office. The county plows the streets. Magna City levies no property tax of its own, and the taxes topic shows what does appear on a bill.

Source: Magna City’s list of contracted services, its History page, and H.B. 35 (2024). The utilities topic has phone numbers.

Want the street level view of Magna? Magna on The Local has guides to the town. Comparing neighbors? Read the hubs for West Valley City, Taylorsville and West Jordan. I did the homework on Magna, and a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground.

Magna has four true seasons. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold, with steady snow from November through March. Spring and fall are mild. No weather station sits inside the city. These numbers are NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals at Salt Lake City International Airport. The station is about 8.5 miles east-northeast of the city office and about 50 feet lower.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. Summer nights cool off a little. A normal July night drops to about 68°F.

• JanuaryHigh 39°F, low 24°F
• FebruaryHigh 45°F, low 29°F
• MarchHigh 55°F, low 36°F
• AprilHigh 62°F, low 42°F
• MayHigh 73°F, low 50°F
• JuneHigh 84°F, low 59°F
• JulyHigh 94°F, low 68°F
• AugustHigh 92°F, low 67°F
• SeptemberHigh 81°F, low 56°F
• OctoberHigh 66°F, low 44°F
• NovemberHigh 51°F, low 33°F
• DecemberHigh 39°F, low 25°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Salt Lake City International Airport station. Months are rounded to the nearest degree.

Rain and melted snow add up to about 15.5 inches a year. April is the wettest month, with about 2.2 inches. July is the driest, with about 0.5.

Frost dates matter if you garden. The last freeze usually comes around April 8, and the first one around October 31. That leaves about 204 frost-free days. About 21 days a year stay below freezing all day.

Most homes in Magna sit a little higher than the airport, and the south side sits a few hundred feet higher. It can run a little cooler. No station measures how much, so I give no number.

The Cottonwood canyon mouths are 27 to 32 minutes away by car. For the day to day side, see Magna on The Local.

Magna gets about 52 inches of snow in a normal year at the nearest station, the Salt Lake City airport. That is more than Lehi and less than Logan or Tooele. Most of it falls from November through March.

January is the snowiest month, with about 12.7 inches. December brings about 12.1 and February about 10.7. November adds about 7, March about 6, and April about 3. October and May get only a trace. No snow falls from June through September.

Snow cover is short on the low ground. At the airport, the ground holds an inch of snow or more on about 45 days a year.

The south side is higher than the airport and can run a little cooler and snowier. No station measures snow there, so I give no number. The canyons above the valley get far more. The skiing topic covers them.

Summers are hot and dry. A normal July afternoon reaches about 94°F at the airport station, which is the warmest of the four towns below. Nights fall to about 68°F, so the house cools off slowly. June is milder, with highs near 84°F. August is close to July, near 92°F.

Hot days are common. In a normal year, about 62 days reach 90°F or hotter. About 8 days reach 100°F or hotter.

Summer is also a season for poor air. The air quality topic below has the numbers.

Magna sits close to the Great Salt Lake, and the lake has been shrinking. That leaves bare lakebed that can blow. The state says the Wasatch Front lies downwind of the lake and is directly exposed to dust from its dry parts. So on windy days, dust can travel off the lakebed and reach the valley.

Utah’s air division tracks lake dust and calls it a major concern for people in Northern Utah. It gives no count for Magna, and I found no official gust figure for the city. I give no number rather than a guess.

Yes, Magna gets inversions, like the rest of the Salt Lake Valley. An inversion is when cold air gets trapped in a valley under a lid of warmer air. On calm winter days, haze builds in that trapped air. A storm usually clears it out. Summer ozone brings poor air days too.

Winter haze

The air quality index starts at 0. A reading of 50 or less is good. Above 50 is moderate, and above 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups. This table counts December through February days over 50 in Salt Lake County.

Source: EPA AirData, daily air quality index for Salt Lake County. The county figure uses the worst monitor of the day. It is not a Magna reading.

Summer ozone

Ozone is a gas that forms on hot, sunny days. In 2025, Salt Lake County had 15 days that were unhealthy for sensitive groups and 1 that was unhealthy for everyone. Fourteen of those 16 poor days were ozone days, between May and early September.

What the EPA says

Salt Lake County is in the Northern Wasatch Front area for the 2015 ozone standard. EPA lists the area as Serious, so it does not yet meet that standard. For fine particles, called PM2.5, the Salt Lake City area met the federal standard in 2025. That took effect on December 19, 2025, and the area has a plan to keep it that way.

Dust from the Great Salt Lake

Lake dust is a separate worry from haze. The wind topic tells what the state says about it.

Here is what I would do. Check the air each day on the state’s air quality site, the way you check the weather. If air matters to you, visit during a gray winter stretch and a hot summer afternoon before you buy. Car emissions tests are part of the same story. The first 90 days topic covers the test.

Sources: EPA Green Book, the EPA news release on PM2.5, EPA AirData for 2024 to 2026, and the Utah DEQ page on lake dust.

Housing is the big cost in Magna. The glance box at the top of this page shows the latest typical home value, from the U.S. Census. By that same Census count, the typical value here runs well below the county's. It is a five-year average of what owners think their homes are worth, so it trails the market. I do not quote a cost-of-living index for Magna, because none exists for the city alone.

Most other costs follow public rules, and each one has a source. The taxes topic has the details, and the utilities topic covers who sends each bill. The Census says the average trip to work takes about 24 minutes. The economy topic has the commute.

The monthly bills, one by one

These are separate bills, so I do not add them into one total. Rates change, so check each group's page before you budget.

Want a side-by-side with a nearby city? West Valley City is next door to the east, and Taylorsville is close. Ask me and I will run the numbers for the ones you are weighing.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2020 to 2024), the Utah State Tax Commission, Magna Water District, and Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling District. Costs change, so ask me for current numbers.

For general information only. This is not tax or financial advice. Tax rates and home prices change. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Three taxes matter most when you move here: sales tax, state income tax, and property tax. Magna City does not charge a property tax of its own, so the property tax block below explains who does.

Magna City has no property tax

Magna City collected no property tax in 2025. It is also missing from the state's 2026 Truth in Taxation list. That list names every local government that held a public hearing to raise its rate. So the city did not hold one this year.

That does not mean the bill is small. Other groups tax the same home. Fire and police are paid through two county service areas rather than a city levy. The next block shows the full list.

What is on a Magna bill

Every bill carries Salt Lake County and the county library. It also carries Granite School District, the Unified Fire Service Area, and the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area. Those last two are how fire and police are paid for.

Then the bill adds levies by area. Magna Water District and Magna Mosquito Abatement District appear on most areas. The Jordan Valley and Central Utah water districts also appear. Garbage pickup is a fee, not a tax, so it is not on the bill. The tax area code on a notice tells you which ones apply to a home.

Granite School District raised its rate for 2026 after a public hearing on August 18, 2026. Magna Water District says it has not had a property tax increase since 2018. It has also said an increase may come as early as 2027. So a bill for 2026 can differ from the one the last owner paid.

The primary home exemption

Utah gives a tax break to the home you live in. A primary home is taxed on 55% of its market value. Look at your tax notice for the primary home line to see that the break is applied.

Starting January 1, 2027, state law makes an application for the break mandatory when ownership changes. If you buy after that date, put it on your first-month list. The first 90 days topic has the other early steps.

Sources: the Utah State Tax Commission, the Salt Lake County Assessor and tax area records, the 2026 Truth in Taxation list, Granite School District, and Magna Water District. Questions about your own bill go to the county assessor.

For general information only. This is not tax or financial advice. Tax rates and home prices change. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

The glance box at the top of this page shows the latest typical home value for Magna, from the U.S. Census. That number is what owners think their homes are worth, averaged over five years. It is not a sale price. So price any home against recent sales of homes like it nearby.

Magna is mostly single-family houses. By the Census count, about 75% of homes are houses on their own lots. About 8% are townhomes, and about 6% are in buildings of two to four units. Another 9% are in buildings of five or more units, and 3% are mobile homes. The median home has 6.1 rooms.

About 79% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, compared with 66% across the county. Almost none are counted as seasonal, so this is a year-round city. The old town has small blocks. A March 2026 city staff report describes one area near 7372 West 2820 South as mostly 10,000-square-foot lots.

Know the age of the home before you trust the average

The median home was built in 1985. About 9% of homes went up before 1940, in the years when the mill was new. The 1970s are the biggest single decade, at about 20%. Judge every home by its age, its lot, and its street.

What you will see on a tour

The old grid around Main Street has the oldest houses. Mid-century ramblers and 1990s streets fill the middle of town. The newest homes climb the south side toward the Oquirrh foothills. Townhomes stand near 3500 South. The areas topic walks through all five parts of town, and the new construction topic covers what is being built.

Ask me how fast homes like the one you want are selling right now. A partner agent I trust in Salt Lake County can walk through recent sales with you. Prices shift through the year, so a number from last season can mislead.

Shop by price

Shop by kind of home

Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2020 to 2024 and a March 2026 Magna City staff report. Prices shift through the year, so ask me for the latest Magna numbers.

Magna has no neighborhood map and no list of named subdivisions to sort by. So these five areas follow the ground and the roads, from the oldest part of town to the newest. The homes sit between about 7200 West and 9200 West, and from about 2600 South to about 4100 South. They rise from about 4,250 feet in the old town to about 4,600 on the south side.

• The old town and Main StreetAbout 8400 to 9200 West, around 2700 SouthAbout 4,250 to 4,300 feetThis is the mill-era grid, with small blocks. Main Street, the Empress Theatre, the city office, the library, Copper Park, and Brockbank Junior High are here. The oldest homes are here too, and many are brick. The home checks topic explains what to ask about them.
• The middle of townAbout 7200 to 8400 West, 2700 to 4100 SouthAbout 4,300 to 4,450 feetHomes here run from mid-century ramblers to streets built in the 1990s. This part holds the biggest share of the homes. Matheson Junior High is here, along with the shopping at 3500 South and 8400 West. Holmes Homes' Arbor Park townhomes are off 3500 South, on Joshua Tree Lane.
• The south side by the Oquirrh foothillsAbout 8400 to 9200 West, 3500 to 4100 SouthAbout 4,500 to 4,600 feetThis is the highest ground with homes. A D.R. Horton neighborhood from the 2020s sits around Trotter Mine Drive and Cordero Drive. The new Cyprus High campus is at 8575 West Cordero Drive. Pleasant Green Cemetery is here, and views run north over the valley and the lake. The foothills just south and west are private Kennecott land with no public trailhead.
• The southeast corner by Magna Regional ParkAbout 7200 West, 3500 to 4100 SouthAbout 4,500 feetThis corner sits near the West Valley City and Kearns lines. Magna Regional Park, a county park, is here, at 4042 South 7200 West. The 7200 West rebuild from 3500 to 4100 South is in design. The traffic topic has the road work.
• The north edgeRail lines and SR-201, then lake-shore landAbout 4,200 to 4,250 feetRail lines and SR-201 run along the north edge. Beyond them is tailings and lake-shore land, mostly outside the city line. The one long strip inside the line runs out to Great Salt Lake State Park and Saltair. The Kennecott neighbor section explains the industrial ground.

An address near 7200 West can be in West Valley City under the same ZIP code, 84044. So check the city line and the school boundary for any listing near an edge. A partner agent I trust walks the street with you.

Want the story on a certain block? Tell me what you are after. I will get it through the partner agent on the ground. My Magna guides on The Local cover Main Street, the state park, and more.

Locations come from city and county records and map tests. Elevations come from the U.S. Geological Survey. A home's school depends on its exact address, so check with Granite School District.

Not much right now. No large project was selling homes in Magna in October 2026. Most new building now is small, a few homes at a time on lots inside town. Online home sites also blur the map. A search for new homes in Magna may fold in West Valley City and Kearns. So ask which city each address is in.

• A D.R. Horton neighborhoodAround Trotter Mine Drive and Cordero DriveThe south side, from the 2020sThis neighborhood went up in the 2020s. D.R. Horton's Magna page showed no homes for sale in October 2026. Check the builder's page for anything new.
• Arbor Park townhomesHolmes Homes, off Joshua Tree LaneOff 3500 SouthArbor Park is a platted townhome project. The city changed the plat in 2024. I did not find its 2026 sales status, so check the builder.
• Wade ManorA 7-lot single-family subdivision7372 West 2820 South, 2.47 acresThe planning commission approved Wade Manor on May 14, 2026. A May 2026 request to rezone a lot at 7610 West 2820 South would split it into two. I found no outcome for that request.

The Census shows the same story. About 6% of homes were built since 2020. The bigger townhome and single-family projects of the early 2020s have largely sold. A plan on an agenda is not a home for sale yet. Plans change, so check what is actually for sale.

The homework list for a new home

1. Inside Magna or next door? Ask which city the address is in, because portals can blur it.
2. Single-family or townhome? Know the kind of home before you compare prices.
3. Lot grade and drainage Walk the lot and look at where the water goes.
4. The school boundary Check the exact address with Granite School District.
5. The builder's track record Look at homes the builder finished earlier.

Builders often cover the buyer agent fee, and your agent puts that in writing before you sign. Buying new works differently from buying a resale home, so read how it works before you tour. A quick-move-in home and a to-be-built home run on different timelines. Talk to a lender in the same week you talk to a builder.

Sources: D.R. Horton, Holmes Homes, Magna City and Salt Lake County planning records (May 2026), and the Census ACS 2020 to 2024. A project on a page is not a home for sale. Plans change, so ask me for the latest status.

Every town has its own list of things to check. None of these should scare you off. They are the questions I would ask about any home in Magna. A map or a test can answer most of them for a single address, so check them one home at a time.

The 2020 earthquake and older brick

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck at 7:09 a.m. on March 18, 2020. The U.S. Geological Survey put it about 3 miles north-northeast of the old town. That is on lake-shore land inside today's city line. It was about 12 kilometers deep. The Utah Geological Survey calls it the largest along the Wasatch Front since pioneer settlement in 1847. No one died, but some people were hurt, and buildings and homes were damaged. There were 2,343 aftershocks by July 9, 2020.

The cause was likely "a previously unidentified fault" deep underground, the state says. Liquefaction showed up near Saltair and along the Jordan River. The city says several historic buildings with unreinforced brick walls were affected. About 9% of homes here went up before 1940, so the questions below matter on the old grid.

1. Ask for retrofit records. Ask the seller for any seismic work, such as parapet bracing and roof-to-wall ties.
2. Hire a structural inspector. Add one on older brick, alongside the general inspection.
3. Get insurance quotes. Price earthquake coverage during your due diligence, not after closing.
4. Check the program. Salt Lake City's Fix the Bricks is a Salt Lake City program. Do not assume it covers Magna.

The Kennecott neighbor

You will want the facts on the copper operation, so here they are in one place. Rio Tinto says Kennecott "has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903." The operation includes mines, a concentrator, a smelter, a refinery, and a tailings storage facility. Tailings are the leftover rock and water from the ore.

The smelter, the refinery, and the tailings ponds sit outside the city line, just west and north of town. The smelter stack stands 1,215 feet tall and has stood since the 1970s. It is the landmark on the skyline. The economy topic covers Kennecott as an employer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tracks the Kennecott North Zone as a cleanup site. It describes the site as "an industrial area at the north end of the Oquirrh Mountains and the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. It is next to the community of Magna." Its third five-year review found "concern about arsenic and selenium in the groundwater system." The cleanup for two units "is not currently fully protecting the environment." EPA is also studying effects on birds in the wetlands.

EPA is re-checking lead in yard soil near the site under an October 2025 directive. So ask whether the soil in a yard was replaced. The state also tracks dust from the dry Great Salt Lake bed, which windy days can carry. The wind topic has that line. Decide with the full file.

Ask me about any of these on a home you like, and I will tell you what the record shows. Your agent on the ground can set up the radon test and the inspection. The utilities topic covers the water and sewer district.

More on inspections

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: the U.S. Geological Survey, the Utah Geological Survey, the Utah Geospatial Resource Center, FEMA, Rio Tinto, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Have a licensed inspector look at any home before you buy.

Sort the financing before the search. The best first step is to get pre-approved. That means a lender checks your finances and tells you how much you can borrow. It shows what you can spend, and it makes your offer stronger.

Budget around the whole cost of owning a home, not the price alone. Get the full tax bill for a home from the Salt Lake County treasurer, because several groups tax the same home. On an older home, lenders and insurers look at the roof, foundation, and wiring. They also ask the brick questions in the home checks topic. An appraisal is a professional estimate of a home's value, and the lender uses it. An appraiser compares recent sales of similar homes. So plan from day one for repairs an inspection may turn up.

On new construction, timing is the wrinkle. A quick-move-in home and a to-be-built home close on different schedules. Put that question to a lender before you fall for a floor plan.

One loan type does not apply here. USDA loans are for rural homes, and USDA's map does not show any part of Magna as eligible today. All 286 points tested, including the south side, sit inside the ineligible area. Conventional, FHA, and VA loans are the ones to look at. Utah Housing Corporation also runs statewide programs, so ask about current ones.

How my dual role works. I am licensed in both real estate and lending. On any one purchase I take one role. Every role is disclosed, and you are always free to choose your own agent and your own lender. In Magna, a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground. The full explanation is on How I Work. This section is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.

Most people who live in Magna drive out to work. The Census says about 17 in 100 working residents have a job inside the city. The rest commute to other parts of the valley, and about 10 in 100 work from home.

The average trip to work is about 24 minutes (Census, 2020 to 2024). About 73 in 100 workers drive alone, and 15 in 100 carpool. Fewer than 1 in 100 ride transit. The Census also counts about 5,000 jobs held inside the city, so people come in to work here too.

Big employers with a Magna address

The state sorts employers by size band, not by rank. These are the employers with a Magna mailing address in the 2026 state file. A mailing address is not the city line, and some of these sit outside it.

Northrop Grumman’s Bacchus rocket-motor plant is south of town, on West Valley City’s far west edge. It carries a Magna address. FedEx is on 7600 West, and warehouses line SR-201 and the rail lines along the north edge of town.

Kennecott, just west of town

Kennecott is the old employer that built this town. Rio Tinto says Kennecott has mined and processed copper at the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903. It calls its smelter one of only 2 copper smelters in the US. The smelter, the refinery, and the tailings ponds (the waste ponds) sit just west and north of town, outside the city line. Rio Tinto shut its coal-fired power plant in 2019, and its solar plants now total 30 megawatts. I found no head count, so I print none. The Kennecott neighbor section tells what it means to live next to it.

The airport job area is about 18 minutes away. Salt Lake County had about 806,300 jobs in March 2026, and the average weekly wage was $1,666 (BLS). If you work from home, my guide for remote workers in Utah covers what to check before you move.

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024, the Utah Department of Workforce Services employer file (size bands, downloaded October 9, 2026), Rio Tinto, and BLS. Bands are the state’s, not exact head counts.

No. The nearest hospital is Holy Cross Hospital West Valley, about 9 miles and 14 minutes east of Main Street. It has 102 licensed beds, and the state lists it as a Level III trauma center. The state rates trauma centers by level, and Level I is the most complete.

This hospital was Pioneer Valley Hospital for years, until October 2014. It then became the West Valley campus of Jordan Valley Medical Center. CommonSpirit Health bought it in 2023, and it is now Holy Cross.

For a check-up or a sore throat, there is a clinic in town. Exodus Healthcare runs a clinic with urgent care at 3665 South 8400 West, Suite 110. Its site does not post hours, so call ahead, and ask your insurer which clinics are in your network. Three larger hospitals sit farther out.

On military orders? My military PCS guide covers VA loans and timing the move.

Sources: the state hospital license list, the Utah trauma center list (May 14, 2025), news of the 2014 name change, and Exodus Healthcare’s own site. Drive times are map estimates from the city office. Check hours and phone numbers before you go.

Granite School District serves Magna. Eight Granite schools sit inside the city line: five elementary schools, two junior highs, and Cyprus High. One charter school, Entheos Academy Magna, is inside the line too. On October 1, 2025, these nine schools had 7,039 students.

Since fall 2025, the elementary schools here teach kindergarten to grade 5. The junior highs teach grades 6 to 8, and Cyprus High teaches grades 9 to 12. The counts below are from that fall.

Cyprus High

Cyprus High first opened its doors in April 1918. The 2020 earthquake damaged the old school, and Cyprus moved into a new campus on Cordero Drive in fall 2025. The campus is on the higher south side, about 8 minutes from the city office. Pleasant Green Elementary carries the name of the old farm settlement, and the overview tells that story.

Check by address

All of Magna is in the Cyprus High boundary. Brockbank serves most of the city for grades 6 to 8, and Matheson serves the southeast part. The elementary school depends on the street. Granite made no boundary changes for 2026 to 2027. Use Granite’s School Search to see which schools serve an address, and confirm it before you make an offer. A ZIP code does not help here, because 84044 is shared with part of West Valley City.

I do not rate schools, and I would be wary of anyone who says which one is best. The links below go to the district and to independent sites.

Sources: the state school map, the Utah State Board of Education fall 2025 enrollment file (October 1, 2025), Granite School District’s 2025 to 2026 boundary maps, and Granite’s Cyprus High history page. Ratings come from independent third parties, not from me.

No. There is no college campus in Magna. The closest Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) sites are in neighboring cities. Its West Valley Center is at 3460 South 5600 West in West Valley City. Its Taylorsville Redwood Campus is at 4600 South Redwood Road. The West Valley Center offers general education, English as a second language, and college-readiness classes.

SLCC’s trade programs are taught at its Westpointe campus in Salt Lake City and at the Redwood campus. SLCC says it serves nearly 50,000 students across 8 campuses and online. The University of Utah is in Salt Lake City. From the city office, the Redwood and Westpointe campuses are each about 20 minutes away, and the University of Utah is about 27.

Both SLCC sites are in neighboring cities. See West Valley City and Taylorsville for more on the ground around them.

Sources: SLCC’s own location pages and the state campus list. Drive times are map estimates from the city office. Check each campus for programs, hours, and parking.

Most trips from Magna are by car. The average trip to work is about 24 minutes, and the commute depends on where you are headed. Three main roads carry the traffic.

SR-201 runs east along the north side of town. It is the main road out, toward I-215, I-15, and downtown. I-80 runs along the lake shore on the north. It goes east to the airport and west to Tooele, and exit 104 serves Great Salt Lake State Park and Saltair. SR-111, also called 8400 West, runs north and south through the east side of town.

The Mountain View Corridor is a long north-south highway on the valley’s west side. There is no road over the Oquirrh Mountains from Magna. I-80 goes around the north end of the range to reach Tooele County.

From the city office

• Magna Recreation Center~4 min
• Cyprus High~8 min
• Magna Regional Park~11 min
• Great Salt Lake State Park~14 min
• Holy Cross Hospital West Valley~14 min
• Valley Fair Mall~15 min

Road work

The city says its Main Street road rebuild, from 8400 to 9200 West, is substantially complete. Other projects are planned. The 8000 West project adds curb, gutter, sidewalk, and turn lanes from 2500 South to Harker Canyon Drive. The city says it is planned for 2026 and may extend to 2027. A rebuild of 7200 West from 3500 to 4100 South is in design, and the city calls it a large multi-year project. A change to where 2700 South meets 8000 West, with a new sidewalk on the north side, is also planned.

I have no rush hour times for each road. Test your own commute at the hours you would drive it. If a home is near the rail lines or SR-201, ask about noise. The home checks topic covers the north side.

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024, the city’s construction projects page, and map drive estimates in normal traffic. See the economy topic for the commute figures.

By bus, yes. No TRAX rail line reaches the city, and TRAX is Utah’s light rail. Fewer than 1 in 100 workers in Magna ride transit, and most people here drive.

The nearest train

The nearest station is West Valley Central, the southern end of the Green Line. It is about 15 minutes by car from the city office. Green Line trains run to downtown Salt Lake City and the airport. From West Valley Central the ride to City Center downtown takes about 27 minutes, and trains come about every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays.

The bus

UTA’s Route 35 is Magna’s bus line, and it runs every day. It starts at the Magna Senior Center, near Main Street, and runs east on 3500 South. It stops at West Valley Central Station for the Green Line and at Valley Fair Mall. It ends at Millcreek Station, a TRAX stop about 18 minutes from the city office by car.

Buses come about every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and about every 30 minutes on Sundays and in the evening. Check rideuta.com for detours and for the stop nearest an address before you plan around it.

Sources: UTA’s April 2026 Green Line schedule, its fall 2026 Route 35 schedule, Census ACS 2020 to 2024, and map drive estimates. Check rideuta.com before you ride.

Salt Lake City International (SLC) is the airport for the whole valley. It is about 11 miles from the city office, about 18 minutes by car.

• Salt Lake City (SLC)~11 mi · ~18 min

These times are to the terminal area, not the gate. Rush hour and storms change the run the most, so leave extra time.

Sources: map drive estimates in normal traffic.

Magna sits on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, between the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. Downtown Salt Lake City is about 15 miles away.

Lake Point

~11 mi · ~14 min

West Valley City

~11 mi · ~15 min

Kearns

~9 mi · ~16 min

Taylorsville

~14 mi · ~19 min

Salt Lake City

~15 mi · ~21 min

West Jordan

~17 mi · ~22 min

Herriman

~17 mi · ~24 min

Tooele

~23 mi · ~30 min

Here are more drives people ask about, all from the city office on Main Street.

Want any other pair of towns? Look up any Utah drive between 138 towns.

These are map estimates in normal conditions, not official figures. Add time for snow and rush hour, and check your own route. Town times come from the site’s drive table.

Magna has a different mix of service providers from most Utah cities. A water district, not the city, handles water and sewer. The Unified Police Department and Unified Fire Authority serve the city, and Salt Lake County plows the streets. The table shows who to call. The city office is at 8952 West Magna Main Street, and the main line is 385-977-2275.

I add no total here, because your bill depends on how much water you use and where you live. Permits and inspections go through the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, as the new city section explains. The taxes topic tells what each part of a property tax bill pays for. Call 811 before you dig.

For general information only. This is not tax or financial advice. Tax rates and home prices change. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Most of Magna has more than one internet choice. The state broadband map shows 48 test points in town. Google Fiber and Quantum Fiber reach most of them, and UTOPIA Fiber and others reach some streets. Check the address.

Xfinity cable also reports service at most points. The 5 points with no fiber sit on the north edge, along SR-201 and the rail lines. I list who reports service, not speeds or prices.

That is what the companies report, not a promise for a given house. Service can change from one street to the next. For cell service, look at each carrier’s own coverage map for the address.

Sources: the Utah Broadband Center provider data (edited October 1, 2026), tested at 48 points in town. Fixed wireless and satellite may also be reported.

Moving day is only the start. Here is the short list for your first 90 days in Magna, in a sensible order.

1. Turn on the utilitiesSign up with Magna Water District for water and sewer. You need a photo ID and the recorded deed from your closing papers. Then set up garbage with the waste district, power with Rocky Mountain Power, and gas with Enbridge Gas Utah. Do this before you move in.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThe West Valley-Taylorsville Driver License office is at 4315 South 2700 West, Suite 1600, in Taylorsville. It is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The phone is 801-965-4437.
3. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days after you make a permanent home here. The DMV is in the same building, Suite 1200, and the phone is 801-297-7780. Pass the emissions test first. A car titled in Utah for the first time needs a VIN check, unless it is new from a Utah dealer.
4. Get an emissions testSalt Lake County requires one for most cars and light trucks. See the notes below.
5. Register to voteDo it online at vote.utah.gov, or in person with ID. The county runs voting.
6. Check the primary home tax breakIt can cut the tax on the home you live in. A primary home is taxed on 55% of its value. The taxes topic has the rule.
7. Test for radonRadon is a gas from the ground. Test any home you buy. In ZIP code 84044, 41.8% of short-term tests were at or above the action level, against 33.2% across the county. The home checks topic has more.

The emissions test

Salt Lake County is one of five Utah counties that require an emissions test. Davis, Utah, Weber, and Cache are the others. A car less than six years old is tested every two years. An older car is tested every year.

Stations set their own prices. The county also adds a $3.00 air pollution fee when you register a car. The county has proposed a change to its emissions rule, and it is not adopted. Check the county page before you test.

Rules and office hours change. Check each office before you go.

Magna has its groceries and everyday stores. The big-box stores are in West Valley City. 3500 South at 8400 West is the shopping area. Main Street has small shops in the historic blocks.

There is no Target, WinCo, Costco, Harmons, or home store inside Magna. If you want one of those, plan a drive east. Magna also has less shopping close by than the east side of the valley, and that is a plain trade to weigh.

Store lists change. These were checked against store pages in October 2026, and Walmart’s comes from a third-party store list. Check that a shop is still open before you drive over.

Magna has two parks you can reach in a few minutes and a county recreation center. A state park sits on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. The mountains next to town are private land, so there is no trailhead from the streets. The big mountain trails and ski lifts are a drive away, and the ski topic below has the times. Here is what I would check first.

From the city office

• Magna Recreation Center~4 min
• Cyprus High~8 min
• Magna Regional Park~11 min
• Great Salt Lake State Park~14 min
• Holy Cross Hospital West Valley~14 min
• Valley Fair Mall~15 min

Magna Regional Park

Magna Regional Park is a Salt Lake County park at 4042 South 7200 West, on the east side of the city. It covers 62 acres. The first phase opened in October 2021, and about 28 of the 62 acres are built so far. That part has an inclusive playground, a splash pad, a multi-purpose field, walking paths and pavilions. The county plans more phases for the rest of the land. The splash pad is closed for all of 2026.

Magna Copper Park

Magna Copper Park is the city's own park, at 8975 West 2600 South, a block south of Main Street. The city lists a playground, a reservable pavilion, the Magna Skate Park, a sports field, baseball, tennis, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes and a dog park. It is the park for the 4th of July events and the Labor Day picnic, and the events topic has both.

The Magna Recreation Center and pool

The county runs the Magna Recreation Center at 3270 South 8400 West. It has a fitness area, group fitness classes and an indoor track where 14 laps make a mile. The full-size gym is temporarily closed for an improvement project. The center is closed on Sundays. The county does not list child care there.

The county's outdoor Magna Pool has a 25-yard lap pool, two diving boards, two slides and a splash pad. It is closed for the whole 2026 season, and the county says to check back in May 2027. The Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, about 17 minutes away, offers public ice skating.

Great Salt Lake State Park

Great Salt Lake State Park sits inside the Magna city line, about 14 minutes from Main Street, off I-80 at exit 104. It became a state park in 1978. It has a marina, boat tours from the marina, paddleboard and kayak rentals, and views of Antelope Island and Black Rock. Day use costs $10 a vehicle, $5 for a senior vehicle and $2 on foot or by bike. The campground is small, with five RV sites and two tent-only beach sites.

The lake is low. It stood about 1.2 feet above its record low in early October 2026, and the launch ramp ran shallow in September. The state's own words for the ramp were "launch at your own risk." The visitor center keeps seasonal hours, and the park runs ranger programs in summer. Check the park's site before a trip.

The mountains and the river

The foothills just south and west of town are private Kennecott land, with no public trailhead from Magna. The nearest county trails in the Oquirrh Mountains are at Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park on the Herriman side. It has more than 13 miles of trail and opened in 2023. The Jordan River Parkway is about 12 miles east, about 17 minutes away.

Sources: Magna City, Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, and Utah State Parks. Drive times are map estimates from the city office at 8952 West Magna Main Street. Hours, fees, seasons and closures change, so check each site.

No national park is near Magna. The closest ones are a long day or an overnight stay away. These are drive times from the city office in normal traffic.

Zion has more than one entrance, so use the drive tool to measure the one you plan to use. Two closer trips are worth knowing. Antelope Island State Park is a little over an hour away. It is open all year, the fee is $15 a vehicle, and you reach it through Davis County. The Bonneville Salt Flats are about an hour and 40 minutes west on I-80.

Drive times are map estimates from the city office, in normal traffic. Check each park's own site for hours, fees and closures.

There is no ski area in Magna. The Cottonwood canyon mouths are 27 and 32 minutes from the city office. The resorts are 45 to 52 minutes away. Snowbird and Alta sit up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Solitude and Brighton sit up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Park City Mountain's Canyons Village is about 43 minutes east on I-80.

These times assume normal traffic and no storm. Canyon traffic and snow add time. Both Cottonwood roads dead-end at the resorts, and in a storm they can slow down or close. The Utah Department of Transportation posts the traction law, the ski buses and live road status on its Cottonwood Canyons page. Resorts usually open in late November. The same canyons are open for hiking in summer.

Drive times are map estimates from the city office at 8952 West Magna Main Street, in normal traffic. Resorts post their own opening dates each fall. Check road conditions before you go.

There is no golf course in Magna. The nearest public courses are in the next city east, West Valley City, and the county runs more a little farther out. Prices and tee times come from each course.

The first two courses are covered in more detail in the West Valley City guide. The Stansbury Park course is on the other side of the Oquirrh Mountains, so the drive goes west on I-80 and then south. Its season runs from February to December.

Course details come from each course's own site and the county. Drive times are map estimates from the city office. Check each course for current prices, hours and conditions.

Magna has a handful of independent kitchens on Main Street and on 3500 South, plus the usual chains at 3500 South and 8400 West. It is a small list, and I would rather say so than pad it. The six places below each have a record you can check. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed. Groceries and stores are in the shopping topic.

Six places with a record you can check

• VenezuelanLlaneros8979 West Magna Main StreetArepas, cachapas, empanadas and grilled meats.
• BakeryBeardall's Bakery8963 West Magna Main StreetCakes, pastries, breads and doughnuts, a few doors down Main Street.
• MexicanMezquite Mexican Grill8025 West 3500 SouthA Mexican grill on 3500 South.
• Latin grocerRancho Markets8177 West 3500 SouthA Latin grocery with an in-store kitchen, a bakery and an ice cream counter.
• ChineseRed Dragon Express8537 West Magna Main StreetChinese takeout on Main Street.
• BurgersCattleman's Burger Company8979 West Magna Main StreetBurgers and fries, at the same address as Llaneros.

Adam's Islandstyle Grill, at 9071 West Magna Main Street, is on the same street. Chipotle and a few newer chains sit on Arbor Park Drive. For more choice, West Valley City has many more restaurants along 3500 South and 5600 West, about 15 minutes east. Hours change and small places come and go, so call first.

Each place was checked in October 2026 against its own site or its live ordering page.

Main Street and the Empress Theatre are the heart of what to do in Magna. The Great Saltair, the mine overlook and the county library fill out the list, and the big arenas are in the next city east. The events topic has the calendar.

Main Street and the Empress

The Magna Main Street historic district runs along 2700 South. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in January 2021. It holds 38 contributing buildings on 15.33 acres. Most date from the Copper Boom Town Era, 1904 to 1929, and most are one-part commercial block buildings, a plain shop style. Magna is part of the Utah Main Street Program, and the city calls the street a popular filming location.

The county dressed up Main Street with wider sidewalks, lighting and trees from 2006 to 2013. The road itself was rebuilt in 2025, between 8400 West and 9200 West. The street is a short walk from the city office.

The Empress Theatre is at 9104 West 2700 South, about a minute's walk from the city office. It opened in 1916 as a burlesque house for the mill workers. Silent movies began in 1917. It joined the National Register on May 9, 1985. The Oquirrh Hills Performing Arts Alliance reopened it on November 4, 2006, for the first time in 50 years. The group is all volunteer and has staged more than 140 shows. Investors bought the building in 2021, and the group still runs it. Street parking is free.

The Great Saltair

The Great Saltair is at 12408 West Saltair Drive, off I-80 exit 104. It is inside the Magna city line, about 15 minutes from Main Street. The venue calls itself Utah's first entertainment venue. It is a concert and festival hall. The first Saltair opened in 1893, and today's hall is the third. Parking is paid and on site only. Check the venue's calendar for shows.

The Bingham Canyon Mine overlook

The Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience is at 12732 Bacchus Highway in Herriman, about 25 minutes from Magna. No road crosses the Oquirrh Mountains from town, so the drive runs south along the foot of the range on Bacchus Highway. Shuttles leave every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m., and the last one leaves at 2:30 p.m. A ticket is $6 a person, and children under 5 are free. Tickets are limited and not guaranteed at the gate. The visit is open daily in its season. Rio Tinto's Kennecott page lists April to October, weather permitting.

Around town and next door

The Magna Library, a Salt Lake County branch at 2675 South 8950 West, is a block from Main Street. The city's photos show a lighted "C" on the mountain and a Christmas star above town. The Pleasant Green Cemetery is a stop for local history. The big arenas are in West Valley City. The Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre is about 15 minutes away. The Maverik Center is about 17 minutes away, and it hosts the Salt Lake City Stars. Downtown's Delta Center is about 21 minutes away.

Sources: Magna City, the Empress Theatre, the Great Saltair, Rio Tinto and the Salt Lake County Library. Shows, seasons and tickets change. Check each one before you go.

The arts in Magna come down to one stage, and it has been on Main Street since 1916. The Empress Theatre is a volunteer-run house on Main Street, and it carries the town's live theater. The bigger stages are down the valley in Salt Lake City, about 21 minutes away.

The Empress usually stages a fall musical and a holiday show, and it runs the Empress Youth Theatre each summer. The summer program is for students ages 8 to 18. Some shows have a sensory-friendly performance. The theater sells tickets through its own site. The entertainment topic tells its story and gives its address.

Beyond that, the list is thin. The Great Saltair brings touring concerts to the lake shore, and the events topic has the year. For museums, big theaters and galleries, Salt Lake City is the nearest choice.

Shows and seasons change. Check the Empress Theatre's site for what is on.

The 4th of July is Magna's big day, and volunteers run it. Halloween on Main Street is the other one the city plans. The rest of the year, the Empress and the lake shore venues carry the calendar. Dates move each year, so the months below say "usually".

The 4th of July

The day starts at 7 a.m. at Copper Park with a flag raising and a cannon. A community breakfast and a 5K follow. The parade begins at noon at 3100 South and 8400 West, and it turns onto Main Street. Fireworks go off at 10 p.m. at Copper Park.

The Spooktacular

The city's Spooktacular is on Main Street in late October, usually. It has trunk-or-treat, a zombie 5K, a car show and a trick-or-treat trail, with food trucks and live music.

The year in and around Magna

• January to MarchThe Salt Lake City Stars play at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, with games through March.
• April and MayThe Magna calendar is quiet. Check the city events page for spring dates.
• JuneThe Empress Youth Theatre summer show, with performances at the end of June and early July.
• JulyThe 4th of July: flag raising, breakfast, a 5K, the noon parade and fireworks. Bonneville Speed Week at the Salt Flats runs in late July or early August.
• AugustSummer concerts and festivals at the Great Saltair.
• SeptemberA Labor Day picnic and car show at Copper Park, usually.
• OctoberThe Spooktacular on Main Street. The Empress fall musical. The Antelope Island bison roundup, usually in late October.
• NovemberThe Empress holiday show, usually. Ski resorts usually begin to open in late November.
• DecemberA Christmas star above town, and the Empress holiday show.

The Magna in Motion group also hosts a Santa Stroll, a Community Connection Night and a Health and Safety Fair. Magna City posts every date on its events page.

These are the usual months, taken from the city's pages and each venue's site in October 2026. Dates move each year, so check the city calendar before you plan a trip.

Magna sits at the west edge of the Salt Lake Valley. West Valley City is next door to the east, and Kearns is southeast. The Oquirrh Mountains rise to the south and west, and the Great Salt Lake is to the north. Each town below has a guide on this site. Times are from the city office.

Day trips

Snowbird is about 45 minutes east, and the canyons are covered in the ski topic. Park City is about 43 minutes away, at Canyons Village. Great Salt Lake State Park is about 14 minutes away. Antelope Island is a little over an hour away, and the Salt Flats about an hour and 40 minutes. The national parks topic has those times. An address near 7200 West can be in West Valley City. For any address near an edge, the partner agent checks the city line and the school.

Drive times are map estimates from the city office at 8952 West Magna Main Street, in normal traffic. They are close, not exact.