Moving to Murray, Utah

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, USGS, the EPA, the Utah State Tax Commission, UTA, and Murray City records. Prices move, so ask me for current numbers.

Murray sits in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley. About 53,300 people live here, by the 2025 Census estimate. The count was 50,637 in 2020. The city covers about 12.3 square miles, which works out to about 4,300 people a square mile. All of it is in Salt Lake County.

Seven cities touch it. Millcreek is to the north and northeast. South Salt Lake meets a short stretch of the north edge, west of State Street. Holladay is to the east. Cottonwood Heights is to the southeast, and Midvale is to the south. West Jordan touches the southwest corner, across the river. Taylorsville lies west, across the Jordan River.

The city is wider than many people expect. The east edge sits near 900 East in the north, from 4300 to 4800 South. Around 5300 to 5600 South it runs out to about 1300 East. Between 6100 and 6400 South it reaches Highland Drive. Wheeler Historic Farm is in that eastern ground. The west edge is the Jordan River, and a strip of the city lies west of the river south of about 5600 South. The north edge is near 3900 to 4100 South. The south edge is near 6600 South.

The ground is gentle. City Hall, at 10 East 4800 South, sits at about 4,300 feet. The river end is near 4,260 feet. The southeast tip near Highland Drive reaches about 4,445. That is a rise of about 190 feet from west to east.

How the city began

A scattered settlement began here in the fall of 1848, when a pioneer group called the Mississippi Saints arrived. The area went by several names, including Cottonwood, Big Cottonwood and South Cottonwood. It stayed farmland until 1869, when ore turned up in Park City and in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Murray had a central spot and the railroad, so the first smelter went up here in 1870. Over the next 30 years the town became home to some of the largest smelters in the region.

The post office changed its name to Murray in 1883, for territorial governor Eli Murray. State Street streetcars linked downtown Salt Lake City to Murray in 1893. Voters chose to become a city on November 18, 1902, and Murray has been a city since January 3, 1903. C.L. Miller was elected mayor by three votes.

In the city’s own words, Murray “provides for most of its own services,” including police, fire, power, water, sewer, library, senior center, and parks and recreation. The city has its own school district too, started in 1906. The schools topic and the utilities topic tell what that means for a home.

Sources: the City of Murray’s history page and its 2017 General Plan, and the EPA’s smelter profile.

From smokestacks to a hospital campus

For about half a century, two smokestacks stood over Murray. They rose off the ASARCO lead smelter near 5200 South State Street. The EPA says ASARCO ran a larger smelter on the site from 1902 until it stopped work in 1949. The stacks were 455 and 295 feet tall. In 1998 voters turned down a $3.4 million bond to save them. Both fell on August 6, 2000. The stacks were crushed and used in the new foundations.

Here is the record, in calm terms. The EPA found contamination on the site in 1986. It proposed the site for the federal Superfund list in 1994, but the site was never listed. ASARCO and the city worked under EPA agreements. The worst waste was hauled away. The less polluted soil was capped on the site, under the new road. The city says the cleanup work was done in 2001. The EPA says groundwater is still watched, with a method it calls “monitored natural attenuation.” That means watching the water clean itself up over time.

The city also wrote a rule for the ground. Its Smelter Site Overlay District controls digging there. Intermountain bought 100 acres between 1999 and 2002, and Intermountain Medical Center opened on October 29, 2007. A TRAX station and a Costco also sit on the old ground.

This is a records item for a buyer, not an alarm. The home checks topic tells what the overlay means when you shop near 5200 to 5300 South State. The healthcare topic tells about the hospital.

Mailing addresses and plans

About half the city is ZIP code 84107. The west side is 84123, the southeast is 84121, and the northeast is 84117. Those three print “Salt Lake City” in the mailing address. A store with a “Millcreek” or “Salt Lake City” address can sit inside Murray. The ZIP never tells you the city, so check the city line for any address.

The city’s 2017 General Plan, adopted March 7, 2017, calls Murray the regional retail hub of Salt Lake County. The Murray North Station Area Plan was adopted on July 16, 2024, with Millcreek, the Wasatch Front Regional Council and UTA. The new construction topic tells what both plans name.

For the street level view, see Murray on The Local. Comparing neighbors? Read the hubs for Midvale, Holladay, Taylorsville and Cottonwood Heights. Millcreek has its own city page. Weighing the whole state? Start with my relocating to Utah guide. I did the homework on Murray. In Murray, a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground.

Murray has four true seasons. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold, with steady snow from November through March. Spring and fall are mild. NOAA has no station in Murray, so no one can give you a figure for one street. These numbers are NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals at Salt Lake City International Airport. The station is about 9 miles north-northwest of City Hall and about 80 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.

The canyon mouths, with fall color in the canyons above them, are a short drive east. The Big Cottonwood park and ride is about 13 minutes from City Hall. For the day to day side, see Murray on The Local.

Murray 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 the gauges in Holladay and Cottonwood Heights. Most of it falls from November through March. Holladay’s in-town gauge reads about 56 inches. The canyon mouth station in Cottonwood Heights reads about 82.

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 city is gentle ground, rising only about 190 feet from west to east.

For the bigger picture on snow and water in Utah, read my guide on Utah water and snowpack. The skiing topic covers the canyons.

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.

Spring brings gusty days to the Salt Lake Valley, and Murray has them too. No official wind figure exists for the city, so I give no gust number rather than a guess.

What I would do is learn how a home sits on its lot. A home on an open lot has less cover than one on an older street with mature trees. Look at the roof, the fences and the trees. Ask the neighbors what the last big wind did.

Yes, Murray 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. The valley is a bowl, with mountains on the east and west. On calm winter days, haze builds in that trapped air. A storm usually clears it out. On many inversion days, the canyons sit above the haze. Summer ozone brings poor air days too. The Salt Lake County Air Quality Bureau has its office in Murray, at 788 East Woodoak Lane.

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 worst days were December 5, 2024 and January 1, 2026, both from fine particles. The county figure uses the worst monitor of the day, so it is not a reading for Murray.

Summer ozone

Ozone is a gas that forms on hot, sunny days. In 2025, Salt Lake County had 121 good days and 228 moderate days. It 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 12 and September 3.

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, EPA ruled that the Salt Lake City area met the standard. That took effect on December 19, 2025, and the area has a plan to keep it that way.

Here is what I would do. Check the air each day on the state’s air quality site, the way you check the weather. The state posts a forecast and calls action days when the air is bad. 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 (current as of September 30, 2026), the EPA news release on PM2.5, and EPA AirData for 2024 to 2026.

Housing is the big cost in Murray. The glance box at the top of this page shows the latest typical home value, from the U.S. Census. In words, that value sits close to the middle for Salt Lake County. Rents change quickly, so check current rents against live listings before you set a budget.

The smaller costs are easier to pin down. Sales tax here is a fifth of a point above most of the county and a full point below Salt Lake City. Utah taxes a primary home on only part of its value, and the next topic walks through each tax. Most monthly bills come from the city, and the city posts its rates.

The city utility rates, one by one

These are the rates the city posts today. I print them one at a time and do not add them into a total, because the mix depends on your address. Most homes get power, water, sewer, and trash through the city, but some east side homes do not. The utilities topic shows who bills what.

Do you want a side-by-side with a nearby city? Murray touches Midvale, Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Taylorsville, and South Salt Lake. Ask me and I will run the numbers for the addresses you are weighing.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2020 to 2024) and the Murray City rate pages for water, sewer, garbage, stormwater, and power. Some schedules are older, 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. Here is each one in plain terms. All of Murray is in Salt Lake County.

Your property tax bill is made of several pieces. Each group that taxes you sets its own rate, and that rate is called a levy. The city and the school district each set theirs. For 2025, the city and library levy was 0.001696, and the Murray school district levy was 0.004528.

The city's own slice is small. In the August 2026 minutes, the city's share was about 17 cents of each property tax dollar for homes in the Murray school district. For homes in Granite's area, it was about 14 cents. The rest goes to schools, the county, and other services.

The city raised its property tax for 2026

Utah requires a public hearing, called Truth in Taxation, before a tax group collects more than it did the year before. The council held one and voted 5 to 0 on August 11, 2026, to raise the rate. The change raises the city's share of the bill by 5.66%. The city put that at about $26 a year on the average home it cited.

The new money pays for one more police officer, pay raises for police officers and firefighters, and overtime. The minutes say the overtime helps the fire department avoid shifts that run at the minimum staff.

The school districts

The Murray school district held no tax hearing in 2026, so its rate did not go up. Homes east of about 900 East are in Granite School District and pay Granite's school levy. The schools topic tells where the district lines run.

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, and other property is taxed on all of it. Look for the primary home line on your tax notice.

Sources: the Utah State Tax Commission, the Murray City Council minutes of August 11, 2026, the state Truth in Taxation list, and the county tax rate report for 2025. 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 Murray, 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.

The Census counts 21,557 homes. About 65% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners, and about 35% are rented. About two in three homes are houses or townhomes, and the rest are apartments and condos.

The median home was built in 1978. The 1970s are the biggest decade, with 26% of all homes. About 52% of the homes went up between 1940 and 1979. Only about 18% date from 2000 or later, and 1% have been built since 2020.

Murray has little open land, so the supply is mostly resales. The table below counts owned houses, detached and attached, by the year they were built.

The median home has 6.0 rooms. About 5% of homes are vacant. Short-term rentals work differently here than in many towns. The city updated its rules in December 2024 and allows only hosted stays, where the owner is present the whole time. They are not allowed in multi-family or commercial zones, or in or beside an ADU. An ADU is a small separate home on the same lot.

Three layers of homes

Read the city by ground and by age, and it sorts into three layers. An average hides how different they are, so judge each home by its street, its age, and its updates.

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 the Murray City planning page. Prices shift through the year, so ask me for the latest Murray numbers.

The city does not publish a neighborhood map. It publishes council districts and a zoning map. The names a buyer meets come from the roads, the parks, and the train stations. So this topic reads the city by area, and the edges are approximate.

State Street runs north and south through the middle of Murray. City Hall sits on it at 4800 South. The Jordan River marks the west edge. The city also runs well past 900 East on its east side, out to about Highland Drive in the south.

• The centerMurray Park and the Vine Street coreAround State Street and 4800 South, with the park to the eastCity Hall, the Murray Theater, and Desert Star Playhouse sit on State Street. Murray Park lies east of State on Little Cottonwood Creek. Two National Register districts mark the old downtown: the Murray Downtown Historic District and the Murray Downtown Residential Historic District.
• EastThe east side, past 900 East toward HolladayTo about 1300 East, and to Highland Drive in the southWheeler Historic Farm sits at 6351 South 900 East. This ground is in Granite School District, so check the district for any address. Some homes here have Rocky Mountain Power and other water, and the utilities topic explains who serves what.
• NorthFireclay and the north endAround the Murray North station, at 71 West Fireclay AvenueThe area touches Millcreek and South Salt Lake. It holds most of the new condos and apartments. The Fireclay section below tells what the city plans.
• SouthFashion Place and the south endFrom the mall south to the Midvale line at about 6600 SouthFashion Place mall sits at 6191 South State, with the Fashion Place West station beside it. The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital sits on Fashion Boulevard.
• WestThe Jordan River sideWest of about 300 West to the riverGermania Park, Willow Pond, the Murray Parkway golf course, and Riverview Junior High sit here. A strip of the city lies west of the river, south of about 5600 South. Most of it is ZIP 84123.
• HospitalThe hospital districtAround 5200 South and Cottonwood StreetIntermountain Medical Center, Murray Central station, and Costco stand on the old smelter ground inside a city overlay. The smelter story tells how it got here.

The ZIP code does not tell you the city

About half of Murray is ZIP 84107. The west side is 84123, the southeast is 84121, and the northeast is 84117. Homes in those three print Salt Lake City in the mailing address. A store that says Millcreek or Salt Lake City can also sit inside Murray. So check the city line for any address. The partner agent can check it and walk 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. The Murray guides on The Local cover Murray Park, the river, and the old smelter ground.

Area names follow the roads, the parks, and the stations. Street edges are approximate. A home's school depends on its exact address, so check with the district.

Here is the straight answer. Murray has almost no open land, so nobody is laying out new streets of detached houses. The Census counts only 183 owned houses built since 2020. New homes come as townhomes, condos, and apartments, mostly at Fireclay and near the stations. If a brand-new detached house is the must-have, the search widens to the newer towns farther out in the valley.

Fireclay and the city center

Fireclay is the area around the Murray North station, at 71 West Fireclay Avenue. The Murray North Station Area Plan, adopted July 16, 2024, says the area has seen more than 2.5 million square feet of commercial building since 2000. It also counts an estimated 2,200 new homes. About 30% of the area's homes sit in apartment complexes of more than 50 units.

The plan names the next sites. They are the bus loop and parking lot, the Atlas Roofing site, the county fleet yard, and the corner of Fireclay Avenue and Main Street. The plan names them. It does not approve them, and it sets no dates.

The city center has its own rules. The council adopted the City Center Form Based Code on June 25, 2025. It sets five districts for the blocks around State Street and 4800 South. The first project under it is Block One, at 4800 South State, with apartments, shops, and a parking structure. The developer is Rockworth Companies, working with the city's redevelopment agency. The code's design review committee recommended it on July 31, 2025. The agenda says some existing buildings on State Street will need to be torn down.

Approved projects and rules

• TownhomesCottonwood Galleria4998 South Galleria DriveThe planning commission approved 76 townhomes here on April 2, 2026, by a 6 to 0 vote. The approval includes an easement for the planned Little Cottonwood Creek Trail. The record names no builder.
• RulesMulti-family zoningCitywideThe city began reviewing its multi-family zones in May 2026. ADUs are allowed by city code, so ask the city what applies to a lot.

A project in a record is not a home for sale, so check what is actually on the market. I have no ownership interest in any Murray development. Builders often cover the buyer agent fee, and your agent puts that in writing before you sign.

Before you commit to a new home

1. For sale or rental? Ask whether each project sells homes at all or only rents them.
2. Phase timeline. Ask when the building is done and what is left to build.
3. The lender review. Ask whether the project has cleared the lender review for condos and townhomes.
4. What the next sites are planned for. An area in the middle of a build changes around you for years.
5. Your school levy. Ask whether the home pays the Murray or the Granite school levy.

Sources: the Murray North Station Area Plan (July 16, 2024), the City Center Form Based Code, Murray City planning commission and design review agendas, and Census ACS 2020 to 2024. 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 Murray. Most come from the river and the creek, the old smelter ground, the freeways, and the rail line. A map or a test can answer each one for a single address, so check them one home at a time.

Four more checks are about the address, not the lot. First, check the school district. About one fifth of the city, east of about 900 East, is in Granite School District. Second, a Salt Lake City mailing address does not mean a home is outside Murray, so check the city line. Third, short-term rentals must be hosted by the owner. Fourth, for a townhome, ask which project and phase is selling.

Near the old smelter ground

Parcels on the old smelter ground, around 5200 to 5300 South State, sit inside the city's Smelter Site Overlay District. Soil work there needs a $500 city permit. The city plans new homes only outside the overlay. If you are buying nearby, ask the city whether the parcel is inside it. The smelter story has the full record.

1. School district. Ask which district serves the address, Murray or Granite.
2. Soil and flood. Look up the liquefaction class and the FEMA zone for homes near the river or a creek.
3. Radon. Order a radon test during the inspection period.
4. The overlay. Ask the city whether a parcel near 5300 South State is inside the smelter overlay.

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.

More on inspections

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: the Utah Geological Survey, the state mapping office (UGRC), FEMA, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and the Murray City planning pages. Have a licensed inspector look at any home before you buy.

Sort the financing before the search in Murray. The homes here are not all alike. A mid-century rambler, a split-level on the east side, and a new townhome each go through their own loan, appraisal, and insurance steps. An appraisal is the lender's check on a home's value.

Condo and townhome projects carry project-level review questions. Those are better asked before you fall for a floor plan. 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.

One loan type does not apply here. USDA loans are for rural homes, and the USDA map shows every Murray point tested as ineligible. Conventional, FHA, and VA loans are the ones to look at. Utah Housing Corporation runs statewide programs for buyers, so ask about current programs.

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 Murray, 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.

Murray is a job center. About 41,400 people work inside the city (Census, 2020 to 2024). Only about 27,000 workers live here. More people work in Murray than live in Murray, so many cars on the main streets arrive from somewhere else each morning.

Big employers

The city’s 2025 financial report lists its principal employers in rank order. They are Intermountain Medical Center, SelectHealth, the Murray City School District, The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Murray City, an Intermountain lab, and Costco. The hospital is the largest by far. The report gives names and ranks, not headcounts.

Intermountain says it has “6,000+ caregivers” at the Medical Center. The city’s report also lists Fashion Place, the mall, as its largest property taxpayer. The healthcare topic tells the hospital story, and the shopping topic covers the mall.

The trip to work

For people who live here, the average trip to work is about 21 minutes. About 64 in 100 drive alone, and about 11 in 100 carpool. About 1 in 5 works from home. Transit carries 2.5 in 100. The traffic topic and the public transportation topic have the roads and trains.

From the middle of the valley, a job in almost any direction is a reasonable reach. Salt Lake County had about 806,300 jobs in March 2026.

City police and fire

Murray runs its own police department, in City Hall on the first floor. The non-emergency number is 801-840-4000. The city also runs its own fire department, which dates back to 1906. It gives emergency medical care and ambulance service from 4848 South Box Elder Street.

Do 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 city’s FY2025 financial report, Intermountain Health, the city’s police and fire pages, and county job counts (March 2026).

Yes. Intermountain Medical Center is inside the city, at 5121 South Cottonwood Street. The state licenses it for 510 beds, and the state lists it as a Level I trauma center. Trauma levels run from I, the most complete, to V.

Beds come from the state licensed facility list (2026). Trauma levels come from the Utah state list dated May 14, 2025. Drive times are map estimates in normal traffic.

The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, known as TOSH, is at 5848 South Fashion Boulevard, about 5 minutes from City Hall. St. Mark’s is in Millcreek, to the north. The University of Utah Hospital is in Salt Lake City.

For everyday care, check which clinics and networks serve your address. I do not name clinics or urgent care centers, because lists like that go stale.

Intermountain Medical Center

Intermountain bought 100 acres here between 1999 and 2002. The Medical Center opened on October 29, 2007. It has five centers: women’s and newborn care, heart and lung care, emergency and trauma care, outpatient care, and cancer care. The land was once a smelter site, and the smelter story tells how it changed.

Living near the hospital can cut both ways. Care is close, and the campus is the largest employer in town. The blocks nearby can see shift-change traffic near the interchange and the train stop. Medical helicopters can fly at any hour. Most of the city hears none of it. If you tour a home within a few blocks of 5300 South and State Street, stand outside for ten minutes and listen.

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

Sources: the Utah licensed facility list (2026), the state trauma list (May 2025), Intermountain Health’s Medical Center page, and map estimates from City Hall.

Most of Murray is in the Murray City School District. The district had about 5,400 students on October 1, 2025 (5,404, state count). It is the smallest of the five districts in Salt Lake County. For comparison, Granite has 54,467 students.

Counts come from the Utah State Board of Education through the state school map layer (fall 2025). The district also runs an Early Childhood Center for preschool at 73 West 6100 South.

Today elementary schools teach kindergarten to grade 6, junior highs teach grades 7 to 9, and Murray High teaches grades 10 to 12. That changes in fall 2027. The district says middle schools will take grades 6 to 8, and Murray High will take grades 9 to 12.

Not all of Murray is in the Murray district

The district line mostly follows the city line. About a fifth of Murray, east of about 900 East, is in Granite School District. The city names Cottonwood High, Twin Peaks Elementary, and Woodstock Elementary as Granite schools inside Murray. Ask for the school district of any address before you write an offer.

A school district of its own

The district was established in 1906, with three founding schools. It calls itself the only city-based school district in Salt Lake County. A board answers to Murray voters, and the district levy on your property tax bill is Murray’s own line. The taxes topic has the 2026 tax facts.

In November 2024, voters approved a $125 million bond. Riverview is being rebuilt, and Murray High is adding a classroom wing. The district says both are scheduled to open for students in August 2027.

The board is also weighing closing Liberty Elementary from fall 2027. A final vote is scheduled for December 10, 2026. Nothing is decided, so check the district’s page for the latest.

The district office is at 5102 South Commerce Drive, and the phone is 801-264-7400. The district’s site has a school locator for any address. Utah Virtual Academy, an online charter school, has its office in the city, at 310 East 4500 South.

I do not rate schools, and I would be wary of anyone who says which one is best. Use the district’s locator to find the school for an address, then read the ratings sites yourself.

Counts come from the state. Plans come from the district’s own pages (September 2025 and October 2026). Ratings and reviews come from independent third parties, not from me.

No college campus sits inside Murray. Several are close, and the train reaches the largest one.

Salt Lake Community College has its Taylorsville Redwood Campus just across the Jordan River, in Taylorsville. It is about 9 minutes by car. Westminster University is about 13 minutes away. The University of Utah is about 19 minutes away by car, and the Red Line train also reaches it.

For program quality, look at third-party sources such as Niche and U.S. News, not at me.

Drive times are map estimates from City Hall in normal traffic.

Murray sits where several main roads cross. I-15 runs along the west side, and I-215 runs across the south and east. State Street and 900 East carry traffic north and south. 4500 South, 5300 South, and 6200 South carry it east and west.

Rush hour slows the freeways and the cross streets near them. The main streets can back up too, because State Street is a working commercial road for long stretches. Trains, the freeways, and the hospital can add noise to nearby blocks. Walk a block at rush hour before you write an offer. The home checks topic has more.

For people who live here, the average trip to work is about 21 minutes (Census, 2020 to 2024). The jobs topic has the full split.

From City Hall

• Murray Central station~3 min
• Intermountain Medical Center~3 min
• Murray Park~4 min
• Fashion Place Mall~7 min
• Jordan River Parkway~7 min
• Wheeler Historic Farm~9 min

The canyon run

Many people head east to the ski resorts. The usual way is 6200 South to the Big Cottonwood park and ride, about 13 minutes from City Hall. The ski topic has the resort times and the canyon rules.

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024 and map estimates in normal traffic. Rush hour and weather change drive times.

Yes. Murray has three TRAX light rail stations, and each one is on both the Red Line and the Blue Line. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) runs them. Weekday trains come every 15 minutes. About 2.5 in 100 workers who live here ride transit to work.

TRAX reaches downtown and the University of Utah without a transfer. A one-way fare is $2.50, and FAREPAY caps what you pay at $5 a day. UTA buses also run along State Street and the main east-west roads, so check rideuta.com for routes.

Three stations and FrontRunner

FrontRunner is the commuter train. From Murray Central, a sample weekday train leaves at 5:46 a.m. and reaches Salt Lake Central at 5:55, about 9 minutes later. Trains run every 30 minutes at peak and hourly in the middle of the day. FrontRunner does not run on Sundays. South of Murray, it goes to Draper and Provo.

Pick the station before you pick the street. Murray North is by the newest apartments and condos, Murray Central is by the hospital, and Fashion Place West is by the mall. Walk from the house to the platform, and visit at commute hour. Train noise and station traffic are part of the deal.

UTA plans to run ski routes 972 and 994 again for the 2026 to 2027 winter. Neither starts in Murray. Route 972 leaves from Midvale Fort Union station, and route 994 leaves from Historic Sandy station. The ski topic has more.

Details come from UTA’s Blue Line (April 2026), Red Line, and FrontRunner (fall 2026) schedules and fare pages. Check rideuta.com before you ride.

No airport sits inside the city. Salt Lake City International (SLC) is about 13 miles from City Hall. By car it takes about 18 minutes in normal traffic.

• Salt Lake City (SLC)~13 mi · ~18 min

The airport has been rebuilt in phases under a program called The New SLC. My airport guide on The Local covers parking and getting to the terminal.

Rush hour and weather change the trip most, so leave extra time.

Sources: map estimates in normal traffic, and the Salt Lake City airport construction updates.

Murray sits in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley. Downtown Salt Lake City is about 13 minutes north, and Lehi is about 23 minutes south. The canyon resorts are 31 to 38 minutes away, and the nearest canyon park and ride is about 13.

Midvale

~4 mi · ~8 min

South Salt Lake

~4 mi · ~8 min

Millcreek

~3 mi · ~9 min

Taylorsville

~4 mi · ~9 min

Holladay

~4 mi · ~9 min

Cottonwood Heights

~6 mi · ~11 min

Salt Lake City

~8 mi · ~13 min

Park City

~31 mi · ~39 min

Here are more drives people ask about. All of them start at City Hall, 10 East 4800 South.

These are map estimates in normal conditions, not official figures. Add time for snow and rush hour, and check your own route. Ski drives are to the resort, and winter storms and canyon closures add time.

The middle of the valley

The city’s 2017 General Plan calls Murray the regional retail hub of Salt Lake County. The overview has more on the plan. For drive times, the middle of the valley is the fact that counts. Downtown is 13 minutes, the airport is 18, Lehi is 23, and the nearest resort is 31.

The trade-off is traffic on the main streets and a State Street that is commercial, not quaint, for long stretches. The streets behind the main roads stay quieter. Growth is going to the Fireclay area and the city center, which the new construction topic covers.

Going somewhere else? Look up any Utah drive between 138 towns.

Murray makes setup simple for most homes. One city account covers power, water, sewer, and garbage, and stormwater is on the same bill. The office is Utility Customer Service, in City Hall, Room 160, at 10 East 4800 South. The phone is 801-264-2626, and the office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can start or stop service by phone.

The east side is different. Homes east of about 900 East can have other providers for power, water, and sewer. Confirm each provider for the exact address before you close.

Confirm each provider for the exact address. Fees and hours change. The cost of living topic has the bigger money picture.

What the city lists on its bill

These are the city’s posted schedules, not a monthly total. Do not add the lines into a bill, because use changes every number. Check the city’s fee pages for the current schedule.

Murray City Power

In the city’s words, Murray City Power is “a publicly owned, municipal electric utility created in 1913.” It serves about 18,000 customers, and 82 in 100 are homes. The utility has 47 employees. The state’s service map shows Murray’s city center on city power, the only one of 18 county city centers checked to show that.

The city sets the rates. By the city’s numbers, about half the power comes from three coal projects and a quarter from hydropower. Landfill gas gives 12 percent, gas turbines 6, and market purchases 7. The monthly Power Cost Adjustment line can add a charge or a credit. Outages: 801-264-9669.

Murray has cable and a lot of fiber. The state broadband map shows who reports service at each spot in the city. It was checked at 139 spots inside the city. The table lists who reports service, not speeds or prices.

Source: the Utah Broadband Center provider data (October 1, 2026), checked at 139 spots inside the city. Xfinity cable is listed too, and fixed wireless and satellite show everywhere.

Murray is a UTOPIA pledging member city, and the city lists UTOPIA among its online services. I do not list prices, because they change.

What a company reports for a spot is not a promise for a given house. Install timing, and whether the line already reaches the house, differ from one address to the next. Cell service differs too, so look at each carrier’s own coverage map for the address.

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

1. Turn on the utilitiesFor most addresses, one call to city Utility Customer Service, at 801-264-2626, sets up power, water, sewer, and garbage. Then start Enbridge Gas Utah. Check first whether the address is on Rocky Mountain Power or another water or sewer provider. Do this a week before you move in.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThree offices are near: West Valley-Taylorsville at 4315 South 2700 West, South Valley at 14555 South Minuteman Drive in Draper, and Fairpark at 1095 Motor Avenue in Salt Lake City. You take a written test, and maybe a driving test. A license from another state is $52 for ages 21 and up and $39 for ages 20 and under.
3. Get an emissions testSalt Lake County requires one for most cars and light trucks before you register. The notes below have the rules.
4. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days after you make a permanent home here. The county adds a $3.00 air pollution control fee when you register.
5. Register to voteDo it online at vote.utah.gov, or in person with ID. Same-day registration is allowed in person.
6. Check your schoolLook up the address in the district’s locator, because part of the city is in Granite. The schools topic has the links.
7. Test for radonRadon is a gas that can seep into homes. Test before you buy. The home checks topic has the numbers by ZIP code.
8. Check the primary home tax breakIt can cut the tax on the home you live in. The taxes topic has the rule.

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. Electric cars are exempt. A passing test counts for 60 days, and you test no more than two months before your registration is due. Stations set their own prices.

The county Health Department has proposed changes to its rules, called Regulation 22. They are a proposal, not final. The county set its public hearing for October 29, 2026, at 788 East Woodoak Lane in Murray. Any change comes after that, so check the county’s page before you test.

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

Murray has the big stores inside its own line. Costco, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Smith’s, and Macey’s are all in the city. The mailing address can fool you. A store with a Millcreek or Salt Lake City address can sit inside Murray, and the ZIP code never tells you the city. Check a store’s street address on a map.

Just outside the line

Murray has no Walmart, Target, Harmons, WinCo, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods inside its line. The Walmart Supercenter and the second Smith’s, at 4500 South and 900 East, are in Millcreek. The nearest Walmart and Target on the west side are in Taylorsville.

The Ivy Place center, at 4700 South 900 East, is inside Murray even though its shops print Millcreek or Salt Lake City. The Highlander Club area on Highland Drive is not in Murray.

Fashion Place and the other stores

Fashion Place, at 6191 South State Street, is the city’s mall. It lists about 145 stores. Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Dillard’s are the big three, and the mall also has Apple and The LEGO Store. Mall hours are posted on its site, and store hours vary. The doors open at 8 a.m. for walkers. It is about 7 minutes from City Hall.

State Street south of the mall has Burlington and sporting goods stores. 900 East between 5300 and 5700 South has Ace Hardware and Big Lots. Lowe’s is on 4500 South.

Grocery food is taxed at a lower rate than restaurant meals, and the taxes topic has the rates. For places to eat, see the restaurants topic.

Store lists change. These were checked against store pages, city maps, and state boundary data in October 2026.

Murray's outdoor life is built around one big park, a river trail and a county farm. All three sit inside the city. The canyons are a drive away, and the trailheads are east of the valley.

From City Hall

• Murray Central station~3 min
• Intermountain Medical Center~3 min
• Murray Park~4 min
• Fashion Place Mall~7 min
• Jordan River Parkway~7 min
• Wheeler Historic Farm~9 min

Murray Park

The city says Murray Park has 63 acres of green space. Little Cottonwood Creek runs through it. It has walking trails, sports fields, an arboretum, a rose garden, five rentable pavilions and a gazebo. The amphitheater is here too, and so is the Armory event center. The arts topic tells about the stage, and the events topic tells about Fun Days.

The Park Center is the city's indoor pool and gym, and it is open all year. It has an eight-lane, 25-yard pool and an activity pool with a lazy river and a 3-story slide. The outdoor pool, with a 4-story slide, is open daily from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. Six lit pickleball courts are open from March 1 to November 30.

The Jordan River Parkway

Murray's part of the Jordan River Parkway runs from 6625 South Murray Bluffs Drive (1200 West) to 593 West 4800 South. That is a paved trail of about five miles, with a marker every tenth of a mile. An equestrian trail crosses it, and there are canoe launches. Five parks sit along it.

• South endWinchester Park6625 S Murray Bluffs RoadA trailhead park with a pavilion.
• TrailheadWalden Park5425 S Murray Parkway AvenueA trailhead park with a pavilion.
• TrailheadGermania Park5243 S Murray Parkway AvenueA trailhead park with a pavilion.
• Fishing pondWillow Pond Park6059 S Murray Parkway AvenueA four-acre fishing pond with an accessible pier, a fish cleaning station, a pavilion that is first come, basketball and a playground.
• North endArrowhead Park593 W 4800 SThe far north end of the Murray trail. It has picnic tables, parking and restrooms.

The Murray Parkway golf course sits beside the trail, and the golf topic tells more.

Wheeler Historic Farm

Wheeler Historic Farm is at 6351 South 900 East, inside the city line. Salt Lake County runs it as a 75-acre working farm and public park. It is open every day in daylight. It has wagon rides, trails, a playground and a farmers market. The county says the Wheelers got the farm in 1887 and built the farmhouse in 1898. The county bought it in 1969, and it opened to the public in 1976.

The canyons

Murray has no trailhead of its own. The Big Cottonwood park and ride is about 13 minutes from City Hall by way of 6200 South. The ski topic covers the roads and the rules for dogs.

Sources: Murray City's park and parkway pages and Salt Lake County's Wheeler Historic Farm pages. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall at 10 East 4800 South. Hours, seasons and trail details change, so check before you go.

No national park is near Murray. The big red rock parks lie to the south and east. Plan each one as a long day or an overnight trip.

Look up the leg you want before you plan a trip. The outdoor recreation topic and the ski topic cover the closer mountain days.

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

Four ski resorts sit up the two Cottonwood canyons east of the valley. From City Hall, Snowbird is about 31 minutes and Alta about 32. Solitude is about 34 minutes and Brighton about 38. Plan on 30 to 40 minutes, more on a powder morning.

The usual way up is 6200 South to the Big Cottonwood park and ride, about 13 minutes from City Hall. The resorts usually open in late November, and each posts its own dates. Both canyon roads are dead ends in winter. Avalanche work can close Little Cottonwood for hours. On powder mornings the traffic can back up.

The ski bus

UTA plans to run ski routes 972 and 994 again for the 2026 to 2027 winter. Neither starts in Murray. Route 972 starts at Midvale Fort Union Station, and route 994 starts at Historic Sandy Station. The transit topic covers the three Murray stations and the fares. UTA posts the stops and times on its change day page.

Canyon rules

When the traction law is on, your vehicle needs rated tires or chains. Big and Little Cottonwood are watersheds. Dogs are not allowed in either canyon, even inside a vehicle. Some trailheads now charge a Forest Service day-use fee.

The state has a plan for the canyon roads. Its first phase adds buses, a parking hub near the mouth of Big Cottonwood and winter tolls. UDOT aims to have it running in 2028, and nothing changes for winter 2026-27. The gondola is a later phase. It is not fully funded and faces lawsuits.

Drive times are map estimates from City Hall. Resort acreage comes from each resort and is rounded. Check road conditions before you go.

Murray has two golf courses inside the city, and both sit close to City Hall. One is run by the city and one by Salt Lake County.

• 18 holesMurray Parkway Golf Course6345 S Murray Parkway AvenueA city course on the Jordan River, about 9 minutes from City Hall. It has 18 holes, par 72 and 6,900 yards from the longest tees. It opened in 1986 and was designed by Robert Muir Graves. The city planned to move its driving range to new artificial turf in September 2026.
• 9 holes plus par 3Mick Riley Golf Course421 E Vine StreetA Salt Lake County course, about 3 minutes from City Hall. It has a 9-hole executive course, a 9-hole par-3 course and a driving range.

Two more courses sit just over the line. Old Mill is a county course in Holladay, and River Oaks is a city course in Sandy. Call before you plan a round, since hours and prices change.

Course details come from Murray City and Salt Lake County. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall. Seasons and prices change, so call first.

Murray has dozens of places to eat, and they sit in four main areas. State Street north of City Hall, from 4400 to 5300 South, has Asian food, pizza and breakfast places. State Street by Fashion Place has sit-down chains, Brazilian food, ramen, hot pot and tacos. 900 East has Italian, Mexican, Indian, Japanese and Greek food, including the shops at Ivy Place, 4700 South 900 East. The west side exits at 4500 and 5300 South have Thai food, coffee and a steak house. Fireclay, by the Murray North station, has coffee.

Six places with a record you can check

• SubsEast Coast Subs6056 S State StreetIt has served subs and sandwiches since 1991.
• CoffeeFueled Coffee47 W Fireclay AvenueA coffee house in the Fireclay area. It roasts single-origin coffee in house and runs a gluten-free cafe.
• TacosLa Lola Taco6356 S State StreetA Mexican taco shop on State Street, open Monday to Saturday.
• ThaiAroon Thai Kitchen548 W 4500 SIt opened in 2021 on the west side. A second store is in Cottonwood Heights.
• PizzaPier 49 Pizza5221 S State StreetA pizza shop on State Street with online ordering.
• Hot potHappy Lamb Hot Pot6562 S State StreetA hot pot restaurant. The chain lists this as its only Utah store.

The ZIP code on a store's address does not tell you the city. Some Murray shops print Salt Lake City or Millcreek in their address. The areas topic covers the mailing address trap.

Each place is listed from its own site or a 2026 record. Hours change, and small places come and go. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed. Restaurant food is taxed at the rate in the taxes topic. For groceries and stores, see the shopping topic.

Murray has two live stages on State Street, a restored 1938 theater and a free museum, all within a few minutes of City Hall. Fashion Place adds games and escape rooms. Bigger venues are a short ride away in Salt Lake City.

• Live comedyDesert Star Playhouse4861 S State StreetAbout 2 minutes from City Hall. It has staged original musical comedy spoofs since 1989, with a variety show after. Food comes to your table. It is open all year, with five shows a year.
• TheaterMurray Theater4961 S State StreetAbout 3 minutes from City Hall. It opened October 28, 1938, closed in 2017, and reopened on September 26, 2025. It has 333 seats and is an Art Moderne building on the National Register of Historic Places. The city shows plays, films and concerts through the year.
• MuseumMurray Museum4872 S Poplar StreetIn the Cahoon Mansion, across the street from City Hall. It reopened on May 2, 2025, and admission is free. Hours are short, so call ahead. The main exhibit, Land, Lead, and Leadership, tells how Murray went from a farm town to a smelter town.
• GamesFashion Place6191 S State StreetThe mall has games and escape rooms. The shopping topic tells more about the stores.

The park amphitheater and Arts in the Park are in the arts topic. Wheeler Historic Farm and Murray Park are in the outdoor recreation topic.

Bigger stages

Downtown Salt Lake City is about 13 minutes north. It has the Delta Center, the Eccles Theater and Abravanel Hall. TRAX runs there from the Murray stations without a transfer. The Salt Lake City page tells more.

Sources: each place's own site and Murray City's pages. Hours and shows change, so check before you go. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

Murray's arts life centers on State Street and Murray Park. The city's Cultural Arts group puts on shows at the Murray Theater, and the park has an outdoor stage. Desert Star and the museum are in the entertainment topic.

The park amphitheater

The Murray Park Amphitheater is at 495 East 5300 South, between the cottonwoods and the creek. The Murray Arts Council formed in 1977. Its first musical, South Pacific, ran on a temporary stage in 1980. The amphitheater was built by 1985, and a remodel in 2016 and 2017 added the stage roof. New stadium seats came in 2023.

The amphitheater usually has a ticketed summer season of musicals and concerts, from early summer into September. The city posts the lineup in spring. Shows change each year, so check the city's cultural arts page.

Free summer music

The Arts in the Park series is free. It has Tuesday lunch concerts and Thursday matinees for children in June and July. Monthly Family Night concerts are held at the Senior Recreation Center, 10 East 6150 South, on the second Monday of the month.

Sources: Murray City's amphitheater, cultural arts and Arts in the Park pages. Seasons and shows change each year, so check before you go.

The city runs most of Murray's events, and many are free. Dates move each year, so the months below are the usual ones.

Fun Days

Fun Days has been Murray's Fourth of July tradition since 1958. The day usually starts with a sunrise service and a Rotary breakfast. A 5K runs in the morning. The parade lines up at the northwest corner of Fashion Place, at 6100 South State. It goes north on State Street to Vine Street and into Murray Park. Chalk art and plein air contests, a car show, food trucks and free movies at the Murray Theater fill the day. An evening concert and fireworks at 10 p.m. in Murray Park end it. Homes along the route can fill with guests, and parking can be a puzzle.

Markets, pumpkins and lights

The Murray Park farmers market usually runs Fridays and Saturdays, from late July to the end of October. The Wheeler Farm Sunday Market usually runs from mid May to mid October. Pumpkin Days at Wheeler Farm usually run from late September to Halloween. The Park Center holds a Trunk or Treat in October. The city holds a Christmas tree lighting at City Hall in late November, with Santa and a holiday market.

The year in Murray

• JanuarySki season up both Cottonwood canyons. Desert Star has a winter show.
• FebruaryFamily Night concerts start at the Senior Recreation Center.
• MarchThe pickleball courts open on March 1.
• AprilDesert Star has a spring show, and the city posts the amphitheater lineup.
• MayThe Wheeler Farm Sunday Market opens in mid May. The outdoor pool opens Memorial Day weekend.
• JuneFree lunch concerts and matinees begin in Murray Park, and the amphitheater season starts.
• JulyFun Days on the Fourth. The Murray Park farmers market starts late in the month.
• AugustAmphitheater shows, the Wheeler Farm market, and the outdoor pool until Labor Day.
• SeptemberThe amphitheater season ends. Pumpkin Days start at Wheeler Farm late in the month.
• OctoberPumpkin Days, a fall show at the Murray Theater, and Trunk or Treat. The markets close.
• NovemberThe pickleball courts close on November 30. Resorts usually open late in the month. The tree lighting is at City Hall.
• DecemberUTA plans its winter ski buses to start. Desert Star has a holiday show.

These are the usual months, taken from Murray City, Salt Lake County and UTA pages. Dates move each year, so check the city's calendar before you plan a trip.

Murray sits in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley, so many places are close. Seven cities touch it, and Millcreek is the one to the north and northeast. The county offices are in Salt Lake City. Times below are from City Hall.

Day trips

The Big Cottonwood park and ride is about 13 minutes away, and the four ski resorts are 31 to 38 minutes away. Capitol Reef is about 3 hours 42 minutes. The outdoor recreation, national parks and ski topics cover each trip.

Weighing the wider valley before you commit? Start with the Relocating to Utah guide.

Drive times are map estimates from City Hall at 10 East 4800 South, in normal traffic. Town to town times come from this site's drive table. They are close, not exact.