Moving to Smithfield, Utah

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

Smithfield sits at the north end of Cache Valley, on US-91. Summit Creek runs out of Smithfield Canyon at the east edge of town and crosses the old town grid. City Hall is at about 4,610 feet. The city runs from about 4,500 feet at the low west edge to about 5,020 feet on the east hillside. It covers about 6 square miles.

About 15,150 people live here, by the 2025 Census estimate. The 2020 count was 13,571, and the 2010 count was 9,495. That is a rise of 43 percent in ten years. Smithfield is the second-largest city in Cache County, after Logan.

Settlers came in the fall of 1859 and built cabins on Summit Creek. They were Langton and the Thornleys. The town was first called Summit. In 1860 it was renamed for John G. Smith, an early town leader. That same year the settlers laid out the town in blocks of four one-acre lots. They built a fort, and in 1864 they took it down and moved onto their lots. The city got its charter on February 6, 1868.

The Utah Northern railroad, a narrow-gauge line, reached town in 1873. About 1,500 people lived here by 1890. In 1896 the Highline Canal brought Logan River water north, and it became the main water for farms. A Del Monte vegetable cannery and a Carnegie library came later. The old cannery site now holds several warehouse and light-industry firms. Over the years Smithfield has turned from a farm town into a home town for the Logan area.

Today about 43 percent of the land inside the city is still in farm use, and about 51 percent holds homes. The city adopted a new General Plan on May 13, 2026. A General Plan is the document that guides where homes, farms, shops and roads can go. A transportation plan update was finished the same month, and it looks ahead to 2050. A July 2026 council report says Smithfield was accepted into the Utah Main Street program at its first level.

The plan marks the town center as Main Street from 400 South to 200 North. It also lists old buildings to protect. They include the Carnegie Library, the Miles Store (now Smithfield Implement), and the Thornley Barn at 600 South and Main. The list also holds the old tabernacle, now the city Youth Center, the old train station on Center Street, and the Historical Society building.

The city calls itself Utah's Health City, after a May festival that began in 1925. The festivals topic tells that story. Power comes from Rocky Mountain Power, not from a city utility. The utilities topic has the setup steps.

Sources: the Census, USGS, and the Smithfield City General Plan adopted May 13, 2026.

Smithfield on The Local has six guides to the town. My relocating to Utah guide covers the wider move.

Smithfield has four true seasons. Winters are cold and snowy. Summers are warm and dry, and the nights cool off. Spring comes slowly, and fall is clear and crisp.

The numbers below come from a NOAA weather station at Richmond. It sits about 5 miles north-northeast of City Hall and about 70 feet higher, on the same east side of the valley. NOAA's own Smithfield station ran only from 1924 to 1930, so it has no modern averages.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. Notice how far the temperature falls at night. Even in July, a normal night drops to the mid 50s.

• JanuaryHigh 31°F, low 17°F
• FebruaryHigh 37°F, low 20°F
• MarchHigh 49°F, low 29°F
• AprilHigh 58°F, low 34°F
• MayHigh 68°F, low 42°F
• JuneHigh 79°F, low 49°F
• JulyHigh 89°F, low 56°F
• AugustHigh 87°F, low 55°F
• SeptemberHigh 77°F, low 47°F
• OctoberHigh 61°F, low 36°F
• NovemberHigh 45°F, low 27°F
• DecemberHigh 32°F, low 18°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Richmond station, about 4,680 feet.

The Utah State station on the Logan hillside runs a little warmer at night. Its frost-free season lasts about 166 days, against 143 here. It sees about 4 nights a year at zero or below, against about 7 here.

Frost and the growing season

The last spring freeze usually comes around May 11. The first fall freeze usually comes around October 5. That leaves about 143 frost-free days. In about 1 year out of 10, the last freeze lands after June 2. In about 1 year out of 10, the first fall freeze comes before September 21. If you plan a garden, count on frost into late spring.

About 155 nights a year drop to freezing or lower. About 39 days a year never get above freezing. A normal year brings about 20 inches of rain and melted snow. May is the wettest month, and July is the driest.

For the day to day side of it, read Living in Smithfield on The Local.

Smithfield gets about 62 inches of snow in a normal year. That is the most of the four towns in the chart below. NOAA marks the annual total as provisional. The snow comes one storm at a time.

December is the snowiest month, with about 15.4 inches. January brings about 12.9 inches and February about 12.7. Winter adds up to about 41 inches. March still brings about 8.9 inches, and no snow falls from June through September.

Snow does not stay all winter. In a normal year, about 76 days have at least 1 inch on the ground, and about 64 of them fall from December through February. A snowfall of 1 inch or more comes on about 24 days a year. A storm of 5 inches or more comes on about 3 days.

For the bigger picture on snow and water in Utah, read my guide on Utah water and snowpack.

Summers are warm and dry. A normal July afternoon reaches about 89°F. That is a little warmer than Logan and cooler than Ogden or Salt Lake City. A July night drops to about 56°F, so most homes cool off by morning.

Hot days do happen. A normal year has about 44 days at 90°F or hotter. The station has reached 105°F in 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Late summer can bring higher air readings. The air quality topic below has the numbers.

Cache Valley is a calm valley. The wind at Logan-Cache Airport averages 4.4 miles an hour over the year. The airport is about 4 miles from City Hall. The number comes from about 168,000 hourly readings between 2006 and 2025.

Spring is the windiest season at 5.4 miles an hour. Summer averages 4.8, fall 3.8, and winter 3.5. April is the windiest month at 5.8, and January is the calmest at 3.0.

Strong gusts are rare. Gusts of 30 miles an hour or more show up in about 1 hour out of every 100. In spring it is a little more, about 1.6 hours in 100. Dead calm is common instead. In fall and winter, the wind is under 1 mile an hour for about 4 hours out of every 10.

The still winter air is what to watch, more than the wind. See the air quality topic.

An inversion is when cold air gets trapped in a valley under a lid of warmer air. Cache Valley is a bowl with mountains on every side. On calm winter days, cold air sinks to the bottom and stays there. Cold air settles lowest on the flat low ground. Fine particles, which the state calls PM2.5, build up in that trapped air, and the valley turns gray.

Smithfield is a good place to read the valley's air. The state's valley monitor sits at Birch Creek Elementary, at 675 West 220 North. So the official readings for Cache Valley are taken here.

The record shows the air has improved. Here is the history, step by step.

1. 2009EPA said the Logan area did not meet the federal standard for fine particles. The area takes in parts of Cache County and part of Franklin County in Idaho.
2. 2015Monitors began to show the area meeting the standard, EPA said.
3. June 2021EPA approved a maintenance plan for the area. The change took effect June 18 on the Utah side. The Utah plan runs through 2035.
4. TodayCache County is still on EPA's list, as a maintenance area. Better is not the same as over.

Winter days with an air quality index above 50 ran from 43 to 54 a winter from 2019 to 2020 through 2023 to 2024. They fell to 22 in 2024 to 2025 and 21 in 2025 to 2026. The index starts at 0, and above 50 is moderate. No winter day went above 100 in the last three winters. Above 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups. These counts are for Cache County as a whole.

Winter is not the only gray season. Cache County has also had higher readings from July to September, from fine particles and from ozone.

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 winter air matters to you, visit during a gray stretch before you buy.

The state can call a no-burn day when the air is bad. On a mandatory day, you may not use a wood fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, or coal stove. Gas and propane are fine, and so are homes that use wood as their registered main heat. The fine can be up to $150.

Sources: EPA Green Book, the Federal Register (May 2021), EPA AirData, the Utah Division of Air Quality, and the Utah DEQ no-burn page.

Housing is the biggest cost in Smithfield. The glance box at the top of this page shows the Census typical home value. That number is what owners say their homes are worth, averaged over five years. It is not a sale price. Judge any price against recent sales of similar homes nearby.

Against Logan and North Logan, you give up some closeness to the university, the hospital and the main stores. In return you get a quieter address up US-91, and often more house or lot for the money. The big stores are about 9 to 11 minutes south. Against the smaller towns farther up the valley, you are closer to jobs and campus. Ask me for a side by side of the towns you are weighing, and I will run the numbers with you.

Smithfield has no interstate. Anything beyond Logan means a drive, and the traffic topic says how far. Plan a car budget, not just a house budget. Groceries are close, with a full supermarket on Main Street. The shopping topic lists the stores.

Power comes from Rocky Mountain Power, not the city. Sales tax is 7.30%, and groceries are taxed at 3.00%. The taxes topic has every rate.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024; Utah State Tax Commission; Smithfield City utility rates (2026). Rates and fees change, so ask the city office for today's 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, with the rates in effect in October 2026.

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, up to one acre of land. The home must be lived in for 183 consecutive days a year. Second homes and nightly rentals do not qualify, so they are taxed on the full value.

Valuation notices usually arrive in late July. Tax notices usually arrive around November. Questions about your own bill go to the Cache County Assessor.

Where the bill goes

Your property tax bill pays several groups, not just the city. They are Cache County, the Cache County School District, the Cache Water District and a mosquito abatement district. Smithfield's own levy for 2025 was 0.001352, and it pays for city operations. The school district's levy was 0.004636. So the school district is the biggest part of the bill.

The city did not raise property tax in 2026. The budget it adopted on June 24, 2026 carried no increase, and no Truth in Taxation hearing appears in the council's notices. A Truth in Taxation hearing is the public meeting a city must hold before it raises the tax. The city did raise its property tax revenue by 2.25% in 2025 and by 7.55% in 2024.

Car fees and emissions tests

Cache County is one of five Utah counties that require emissions tests. The Bear River Health Department runs the program. Cars under six years old are exempt. Older cars test every two years. Gas cars from 1995 and older, diesel cars from 1997 and older, and electric cars are exempt too. Each test station sets its own price. The cars of employees and students who park at a Cache County college must comply even if they are registered elsewhere.

Sources: Utah State Tax Commission (sales tax rates for October 2026, the 2025 property tax report and levy list); Smithfield City Council minutes (June 24, 2026) and notices; Cache County Assessor; Utah DMV and the Bear River Health Department (emissions). Questions about your own bill go to the 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 Census typical home value. It sits above the typical value in Hyrum. One sale can move a town average, so look at a full year, not one month, and ask me for current numbers. Homes run from old houses on the grid to newer streets on the north and west sides to larger lots on the farm edge.

Four in five lived-in homes are owned by the people in them. The Census counts 3,382 of 4,202 as owner-occupied, about 80%. About 81% of homes are single-family houses on their own lot. About 9% are townhome-style homes. The rest are small buildings of two to ten or more homes, and a few mobile homes. These are Census estimates for 2020 to 2024, and they carry a margin.

Smithfield is an old town with a young edge. The median home was built in 2002. About 55% of homes date from 2000 or later, and about 27% went up in the 2010s. About 7% date from before 1940. County records show most homes have one floor, about 79%, and about 21% have two.

Lots are mid-sized. The county's records show a median lot of about 0.28 acre. About 29% of lots are under a quarter acre, and about half are a quarter to a half acre. About 11% are a half to one acre, and about 9% are an acre or more. Most residential land is zoned R-1, which means single-family homes on quarter-acre lots. RA is a residential-agricultural zone. Check the city code for the lot you want.

Building has picked up. County records show 252 new homes in 2024, the most on the record, and about 980 from 2019 to 2024. The communities topic shows where homes sit in town, and the new construction topic covers what is being built.

Water comes first

Drinking water comes from the city. Yard water is different. Two systems carry it, the Smithfield Irrigation Company and a smaller system the city runs. About 43% of Smithfield homes have no secondary water connection at all. They water their lawns with city drinking water. The east side has no secondary storage. The utilities topic says who runs what and what each costs.

A water share is a piece of ownership in a water company. Shares do not always pass with the deed, and the share rules here are not simple. So get three answers in writing before you make an offer. Which water shares come with the lot? What are the yearly fees? Is the lot on a secondary system at all? Water questions here are title questions. They belong in the contract, not in a handshake.

On the farm edge, the water table can sit only a few feet down, and some lots use a well and septic. A lot on a well needs its water right checked with the state Division of Water Rights.

Shop by price

Shop by kind of home

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 (estimates with a margin). Cache County parcel records, October 2025. Smithfield City General Plan (2026). Ask a title company or the Division of Water Rights about any specific water right.

Smithfield was laid out in 1860 as a grid of one-acre blocks, and the grid still sits at its center. The easiest way to read the town is by place, from the center outward. Each setting has its own lots, its own water and its own checks, so the homes there are not alike.

• Town centerThe old gridMain Street from 400 South to 200 NorthThis is the original grid. Most of the homes built before 1940 sit within about half a mile of City Hall at 96 South Main. The city offices, Summit School and the library are here. Summit Creek crosses about two blocks north of City Hall, and it is mapped as a floodway, so read the before you buy topic first.
• East hillsideCanyon Road and the canyon edgeEast of Main, up toward Mack ParkCanyon Road climbs to Mack Park at the canyon mouth, about 3 minutes from City Hall. Sky View High, Sunrise Elementary, the recreation center and Birch Creek Golf Club sit on this side. Slopes on Canyon Road run from 20 to 80 percent. The East Cache fault, a mapped old landslide and wildfire risk touch this side too. Rezone requests for land near 1300 to 1350 East went to a Planning Commission hearing in September 2026.
• North and northwest sideWhere most new homes wentAbout a mile west and up to a mile north of City HallCounty records put the biggest group of homes built since 2019 on this side. Golden Forest, a Kartchner Homes community, is at 470 North 300 West. Forrester Acres park and Birch Creek Elementary are here too.
• Southwest sideBetween the highway and the railroadSouth and west of City HallIndustry has long sat here, between US-91 and the railroad. Birch Creek Business Park is at 475 West 600 South. The city zones land here for light industry because it comes close to the Logan-Cache Airport.
• Farm edgeThe west bottomsWest edge, down to about 4,500 feetAbout 43% of the land in the city is still farmed. The ground drops toward the Bear River bottoms. The water table can sit only a few feet down, and most of the area's wetlands lie west of town. Parcels run larger here, and some use a well and septic. The cheese plant, covered in the economy topic, sits out on the west farm ground.
• North endToward RichmondNorth of Saddleback RoadThe plan notes homes in the drainage north of Saddleback Road that sit in the 100-year floodplain. The far north end has clay soils. Richmond is about 10 minutes north. Hyde Park is the town line to the south, about 7 minutes to its city office.

What is for sale changes fast. Tell me what you are looking for, and I will pass it to the partner agent on the ground. You can also browse every Smithfield home for sale.

Places come from the Smithfield City General Plan (2026), the city boundary, FEMA flood maps and Cache County parcel records (October 2025), measured from City Hall at 96 South Main. Distances are by car. Rezone dates come from Planning Commission agendas (September 2026).

Not much new building is on the books right now. Golden Forest, by Kartchner Homes, is at 470 North 300 West. In fall 2026 the builder's own site listed it as available. It does not show a lot count or prices, so ask what is open. Kartchner is the only builder confirmed from its own site. Ask who else is building when you shop.

Smithfield Pointe Phase 6 is a project of a nonprofit housing group. An 18-month extension of its preliminary plan was on the Planning Commission agenda on September 16, 2026. So the phase has preliminary approval but is not built. A plat is the map that divides land into lots. A preliminary plat is the first approval, and a final plat follows.

What the city is working on in 2026

No new residential preliminary plat appeared on any 2026 Planning Commission agenda that was posted. Most of the 2026 work is about the rules. The city is writing a new R-2 chapter for single-family homes on smaller lots. It also has a Master Planned Community zone. And it updated its rules for ADUs to follow 2026 state law. An ADU is a small second home on the same lot, like a casita behind the main house. The council vote on that update was set for September 9, 2026. Ask where each rule stands before you buy land.

Building has been steady. County records show 252 new homes in 2024, the most on the record, after 138 in 2023. The new homes went mostly onto the north and northwest side. East of Main, rezone requests for land near 1300 to 1350 East went to a Planning Commission hearing in September 2026. Ask the city planner where they stand.

How a new home gets approved

Building here runs through both the city and the county. The city gives a zoning clearance first. Then Cache County issues the building permit. A new subdivision goes through staff, the Planning Commission, and then the City Council, with a preliminary plat and then a final plat. Builders often cover the buyer agent fee, and your agent puts that in writing before you sign.

1. City water or a well. Find out whether a city water connection reaches the lot, or whether the lot needs a well.
2. Water shares. Ask which secondary water shares come with the lot and what the yearly fees are.
3. Septic. On the farm edge, find out whether the lot can take a septic system.
4. Zoning clearance and permit. Get the city zoning clearance, then the county building permit.
5. Fault, flood and soils maps. Look up the lot on the state and FEMA maps, and ask for a soils report.

Sources: Smithfield City Planning Commission agendas and council minutes (February to September 2026), Kartchner Homes' community page, and Cache County parcel records. Plans change, so ask the city office what is current.

Every town has its own list of things to check. Smithfield has a few, and the fault and Summit Creek lead the list. They are the questions I would ask about any home here, and most have a free map you can look up for a single address.

The fault, the slopes and the soils

The East Cache fault zone runs through the east half of town. The map draws its traces from Mack Park and Canyon Road south to about 400 South. The nearest point is about 0.9 mile east of City Hall. The trace is drawn on a broad map, so it is only a guide for one lot. The state also draws a fault study zone over the far east edge. A lot there may need a fault study before anyone builds on it.

The city plan asks for a soils report on every subdivision. A soils report is an engineer's study of the ground. It also says soils vary a lot from site to site. One small old landslide is mapped on the hillside north of Canyon Road, from a 1970 event. Liquefaction, collapsible soils and shallow groundwater are not mapped for Smithfield. Not mapped does not mean low risk. It means no one has drawn the map.

Flood, groundwater and fire

Summit Creek is a mapped floodway through the middle of town. A floodway is the channel and nearby land that must stay clear to carry floodwater. It runs west past Main Street, about two blocks north of City Hall. FEMA's flood maps for Smithfield are dated May 9, 2023. The city plan counts over 200 buildings in the floodplain, most along the creek. In 1983 the creek rose and sandbags held it. A small Zone A patch, which is the 100-year flood area, sits in the northwest corner. Ask for a flood determination on any lot near the creek.

Groundwater runs from about 300 feet down on the far east side to only a few feet down on the west and southwest. Ask about basements on the west side and along the creek. The regional hazard plan marks the east hillside at moderate to high risk for wildfire. Wetlands lie mostly west of town.

On lots outside the sewer lines, wells and septic are common. A well needs a water right on file with the state. The county health department handles septic. Many subdivisions also have recorded rules called CC&Rs. Read them before your deadline.

Ask me about any of these on a home you like, and I will tell you what the record shows.

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: USGS and the Utah Geological Survey (faults, landslides, special study zones); FEMA flood hazard layer (maps dated May 9, 2023); Smithfield City General Plan (2026); Utah Division of Radiation Control (radon results, 2019). Have a licensed inspector look at any home before you buy.

The best thing you can do before you shop for a home is get pre-approved. That means a lender checks your finances and tells you how much you can borrow. It shows you what you can spend, and it makes your offer stronger when the right home comes up.

Not every home for sale here is a plain subdivision home. A historic home near Main Street can turn up condition items that affect the appraisal. An appraisal is the lender's check on what the home is worth. Acreage on a well and septic, or a parcel where water shares carry real value, takes its own loan steps. Rural or large-lot parcels can also get extra review.

Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans can all work here. USDA has a map of eligible areas. On that map, no part of Smithfield sits in the ineligible area, so USDA rural loans are open to buyers who qualify. That is a map result only. Check any address on the map, because income limits and other rules decide the rest. The loan guides on this site explain each loan type in plain English.

If I am your lender, I can tell you early if a home could be hard to get a loan on. First-time buyers can start with my first-time buyer guide.

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 Smithfield, 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.

Smithfield makes cheese. The Schreiber Foods plant at 2180 West 6550 North turns out natural cheese on the west farm ground, outside the town grid. It has been part of Schreiber since 1996. Schreiber also has a plant in Logan, and its 2026 expansion of 145 jobs over eight years is at that Logan plant.

The state jobs office says Utah State University and the Cache County School District are the county's two largest employers. Smithfield workers reach both. Light industry sits on the southwest side of town, around Birch Creek Business Park. The city itself had 58 full-time workers in June 2026.

Most people who live here work somewhere else. The Census counts about 70 out of every 100 Smithfield workers as working outside the city. About 92 out of 100 work inside Cache County. The county had about 63,800 jobs in 2025, up from about 58,300 in 2020. Making things is the largest private group, with about 12,100 jobs, and food making is about 5,100 of them. The county jobless rate was 3.6% in August 2026, a preliminary number.

If your job is not based in Cache Valley, the internet topic shows what reaches each part of town. My guide for remote workers in Utah covers what to check before you move.

Sources: Schreiber Foods, the Census (2020 to 2024), the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state jobs office, and Smithfield City council minutes.

Smithfield has no hospital. Cache Valley Hospital is in North Logan at 2380 North 400 East, about 9 minutes away. It is run by MountainStar and has an emergency room open at all hours. It is a Level IV trauma center. Trauma levels run from I, the most complete, to V.

Logan Regional Hospital is about 11 minutes away. Intermountain Health runs it. It has 148 beds and an emergency room open at all hours, and it is a Level III trauma center.

The Logan VA Clinic is part of the VA Salt Lake City system. On military orders? My military PCS guide covers VA loans and timing the move.

Sources: Intermountain Health, MountainStar, the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services trauma list, and the VA. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

Smithfield is in the Cache County School District, not the Logan City district. Logan City schools serve only Logan. Four district schools sit inside Smithfield. Summit Elementary is at 80 West Center. Sunrise Elementary is at 225 South 455 East. Birch Creek Elementary is at 675 West 220 North. Sky View High is at 520 South 250 East.

Sky View had about 1,600 students in the 2025 to 2026 school year. From 2026 to 2027 it teaches grades 9 to 12. North Cache Middle School is in Richmond, at 157 West 600 South, not in Smithfield. Check the district map to see which middle school an address feeds.

The district changed its grades for the 2026 to 2027 school year. Elementary schools now teach kindergarten through fifth grade, middle schools teach grades 6 to 8, and high schools teach grades 9 to 12. Two new middle schools opened, Juniper Ridge in Hyde Park and Maple View in Nibley.

The district runs dual language tracks, where students learn in two languages. The Portuguese path starts at Cedar Ridge Elementary, goes on to North Cache Middle, and ends at Sky View High. The nearest charter school is Thomas Edison North in North Logan, which teaches kindergarten through eighth grade.

I do not rate schools, and I would be wary of anyone who says which one is best. Check boundaries and programs yourself, with what matters to you in mind. The links below go to the district and to independent sites.

Counts, addresses, and grades come from the state school list for 2025 to 2026 and the district. Ratings and boundaries come from independent third parties and the district, not from me.

Smithfield is a small town near a big campus. Utah State University, the state's land-grant school, is in Logan, about 15 minutes away. The state chartered it in 1888. In fall 2025, about 29,800 students were enrolled across the whole system, and about 20,600 of them study on the Logan campus.

Bridgerland Technical College is the public technical college. Its main campus is at 1301 North 600 West in Logan. It had about 1,680 students in fall 2024.

Utah State joined the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026, in all sports.

Sources: Utah State University Fast Facts and its fall 2025 enrollment report, and the technical college. Drive times are map estimates.

Main Street is US-91. It is the road to Logan, about 7 miles south. UDOT, the state road agency, maintains Main Street and 100 North from Main to the city line. The city plows its own streets. Drive the road to Logan at the hour you would really commute before you decide.

The Census numbers tell the commute story. The average trip to work takes about 21 minutes. About 68 out of every 100 Smithfield workers drive alone, and fewer than 1 in 100 take transit. About 19 out of 100 work from home. These are estimates for 2020 to 2024, and they carry a margin.

From City Hall

• Mack Park~3 min
• Sky View High~4 min
• Cache Valley Hospital~9 min
• Utah State University~15 min
• Smithfield Campground~15 min
• Cherry Peak~18 min

City leaders have named traffic on Main Street as a top concern. In July 2026, UDOT, Logan, North Logan, Hyde Park, and Smithfield were preparing a joint study of US-91. The city's Transportation Master Plan, finished in May 2026, names 1000 East as a priority and the east hillside as an area of traffic concern.

Cache Valley has no interstate and no commuter rail. To reach I-15, you drive over Sardine Canyon to Brigham City, about 39 minutes from City Hall. The state counted about 22,000 cars a day on the canyon road in 2024, and about one vehicle in four was a truck.

Sources: the Census (2020 to 2024), UDOT, Smithfield City council minutes (July 2026) and its Transportation Master Plan. Drive times are map estimates.

The bus here is free. Connect Public Transit, which people also know by its old name, the Cache Valley Transit District, changed its name in August 2024. Every ride on every route costs nothing. It has run that way since 1992.

Route 15 is named "USU, Smithfield, Richmond." The valley routes run Monday to Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. On Saturday they run 10:15 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. There is no bus on Sunday, and none on major holidays. The route page does not show how often Route 15 comes, so look at the current schedule before you plan around it.

Route 16 runs between Logan, Lewiston, and Preston, Idaho, at weekday peak times only. The on-demand POOL rides do not cover Smithfield. There is no FrontRunner in Cache Valley.

For most errands, plan on a car. A bus can still help if you want to reach campus without parking.

Details come from the Connect Public Transit site. Routes and hours can change, so check before you ride.

There are no airline flights in Cache Valley. Logan-Cache Airport (LGU) is about 4 miles from City Hall, a drive of about 9 minutes. It serves private planes only. For a flight on an airline, you drive to Salt Lake City International (SLC), about 89 miles south. The drive takes about 1 hour 37 minutes.

• Logan-Cache (LGU)~4 mi · no airline flights
• Salt Lake City (SLC)~89 mi · ~1 hr 37 min

Ogden-Hinckley Airport is about 62 minutes away. Check which airlines fly from there today before you count on it. A shuttle van can take you to Salt Lake City without a car. Salt Lake Express runs from Logan to the airport in about 2 hours 5 minutes. Its Logan stops include the Connect transit center, two hotels, and Utah State. Times and fares change, so check the schedule before you book.

Sources: the Logan-Cache Airport master plan and Salt Lake Express. Drive times are map estimates.

Smithfield sits at the north end of Cache Valley on US-91. The road runs south through Hyde Park to Logan and north through Richmond toward Preston, Idaho. To reach I-15, you take US-89/91 over Sardine Canyon to Brigham City. The valley towns are close, as the list below shows.

Hyde Park

~3 mi · ~7 min

Richmond

~7 mi · ~10 min

North Logan

~5 mi · ~9 min

Logan

~7 mi · ~12 min

Lewiston

~12 mi · ~17 min

Preston, Idaho

~20 mi · ~26 min

Brigham City

~33 mi · ~39 min

Ogden

~56 mi · ~1 hr 3 min

Salt Lake City

~90 mi · ~1 hr 36 min

Here are a few more drives people ask about. Mountain roads can add time in snow.

These are map estimates from City Hall, 96 South Main, in normal conditions, not official figures. Add time for snow, and check your own route.

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

Smithfield City bills for most home services on one bill: water, sewer, storm water, garbage, and recycling. Power and gas come from other companies. The city does not run its own power company here. Here is who to call.

The city office is open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Friday. Bills go out by the 1st and are due by the 15th. You can pay at the office, by mail, or online through Xpress Bill Pay. Each address gets a new account number, so service does not transfer from the last owner. Raise any bill question within six months.

What the city bill adds up to

The city's 2026 rates for one home start with a water base of $31 and a sewer charge of $57.75. Storm water is $21. A 60-gallon garbage can is $18.65, recycling is $7.30, and the county dispatch fee is $3.40. Together that is about $139 a month before water use, power, and gas. Water use adds a charge per 1,000 gallons, from $1.10 up to $4.00 for the heaviest use. A 90-gallon can costs a little more, and green waste is $9.40 extra. Treat the total as a rough floor, not a bill.

Water for the yard

Yard water needs a closer look. Secondary water is untreated water for yards and gardens. The Smithfield Irrigation Company serves many lots, and the state lists several other irrigation companies with Smithfield addresses. The city also runs a small secondary system. About 43% of Smithfield homes have no secondary connection at all. They water the lawn with the same city water they drink.

The east side of town has no secondary water storage. Serving it would need pumping. New homes also face lawn limits: no more than half of the front and side yard can be lawn. Ask which water shares come with the lot and what the yearly fees are. The housing market topic has more on lots.

Public Works handles water, sewer, and streets at 740 West Center, (435) 563-4140. Missed garbage pickups go to (801) 627-2680. Household hazardous waste is free at the Logan landfill. The state canal list shows the Smithfield Irrigation Company at PO Box 41, (435) 563-3161. Start with the city's account page for current forms.

Sources: Smithfield City utility, rate, and sewer pages, its 2025 water report, council minutes (2026), its General Plan, and the state canal list. Rates change, so confirm them with the city.

Most of Smithfield can get cable or phone-line internet. Fiber shows in parts of town. Wireless and satellite fill in the rest. What you can get depends on the street, so check the exact address before you buy.

Source: the state's broadband map, checked at six points across Smithfield in October 2026. It lists who reports service, not speeds or prices.

The far west farm ground showed no cable or fiber, only phone-line internet, wireless, and satellite. The city council approved a license for GFiber in March 2025. The state map shows GFiber at three of the six points. If you work from home, check the exact address on the state map before you make an offer.

Moving day is only the start. Here is the short list for your first 90 days in Smithfield, in the order most people do it.

1. Open the city accountSign up at the city office or online for water, sewer, storm water, and garbage. Call Rocky Mountain Power and Enbridge Gas for power and gas. Do this a week before you move in.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThe Driver License Division office is in Logan, at 110 East 700 South. A new resident with an out-of-state license needs an appointment. Bring proof of who you are, your Social Security number, proof of your Utah address, and your current license.
3. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days after you set up a permanent home. The Cache County motor vehicle office is in the courthouse at 179 North Main in Logan. A car that is new to Utah needs a quick VIN check.
4. Get an emissions testCache County requires one for older cars. See the box below.
5. Register to voteDo it online at vote.utah.gov once you have your Utah license or state ID.
6. Claim the primary home tax breakThe county may mail you a form. Send it back within 30 days. The taxes topic in chapter 2 has the full rule.
7. Learn the winter rulesFrom November 15 to March 15, no cars may park on city streets from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Clear the sidewalk and any bus stop by your home down to bare pavement. Do not push snow into the street.
8. License your dog and get a library cardA dog license at the city office is $12 for a spayed or neutered dog and $22 if not. Renew by December 31. The library card is free with a photo ID and proof of address.
9. Register for schoolCheck the boundary map first, then register with the Cache County School District.

The emissions test

Cache County is one of five Utah counties that require an emissions test. The Bear River Health Department runs the program. A car is exempt when it is less than six years old. Older cars test every two years. Cars with an odd model year test in odd years, and cars with an even model year test in even years.

Electric cars are exempt, along with very old gas and diesel cars. You need the test certificate, or proof of an exemption, before you register or renew. Private stations do the tests and set their own prices. A car you park at a college in the county must also pass, even if it is registered somewhere else.

Home businesses need a city business license, renewed by December 31. Nonresidents pay $25 a year for a library card, or $50 for a family. The Smithfield Public Library is at 25 North Main.

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

Smithfield has one full grocery store, and the big shopping trips go south to Logan. Lee's Marketplace is at 850 South Main. It has a pharmacy, a deli, and a scratch bakery. It is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. This store is where the Lee's chain began. Lee and Shari Badger bought Jack's Foodtown in Smithfield in 1981, and the new store opened across the street in 1994.

Ace Hardware sits next to Lee's. Smithfield Implement at 99 North Main has sold boots, hardware, camping gear, and horse tack since 1914. It moved to its corner at 100 North and Main in 1936, and it calls itself a Best of Northern Utah winner. O'Reilly Auto Parts is in town too. For places to eat, see the restaurants topic.

The big stores are 9 to 11 minutes south. Walmart in North Logan, WinCo, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Sam's Club are all about 9 or 10 minutes away. Target opened in Logan on July 26, 2026, on the old mall site, about 10 minutes away. Smith's, Lee's in Logan, and Costco are about 11 minutes away. Lee's also has a store in Richmond, about 10 minutes north.

What Smithfield does not have

This is the honest list. A few big names are not in the valley, so people make a trip to Ogden now and then. The valley's old indoor mall closed in 2024. Here is the nearest one of each.

Store lists change. These were checked against store pages, state market lists, and map drive times in October 2026.

The outdoors begin at the east edge of town. Canyon Road runs from Mack Park up Smithfield Canyon, along Summit Creek, into the national forest. A small campground and a wilderness trail sit above the road. The city also keeps four parks, and the big Cache Valley days out are a short drive away.

From City Hall

• Mack Park~3 min
• Sky View High~4 min
• Cache Valley Hospital~9 min
• Utah State University~15 min
• Smithfield Campground~15 min
• Cherry Peak~18 min

Smithfield Canyon

Smithfield Campground is about 5 miles up Canyon Road, at about 5,500 feet. It usually runs from May to September, and you reserve a site on Recreation.gov. In 2026 the campground listed no water, so bring your own. It has vault toilets. A site costs $27 a night, and a day visit costs $15, so check Recreation.gov for current fees. Bear country food storage rules apply.

Trail 007 leaves from a lot 2 miles higher, on a dirt road that is open from about mid April to December 1. The trail is about 1.3 miles to the Mount Naomi Wilderness line. From there it runs about 4.8 miles more to the Mount Naomi Peak trail. Tony Grove Lake is on the far side of the wilderness. The wilderness covers about 44,000 acres and was set aside in 1984. Treat any creek water before you drink it.

In winter the canyon road gate closes around December 1, and the canyon becomes a route for skis and snowshoes. The Forest Service lists a winter parking pass for the Smithfield trailhead, from December 15 to March 1.

City parks

• Canyon mouthMack Park325 E Canyon RdTwo pavilions with 14 and 9 covered tables, two playgrounds, horseshoe pits and sand volleyball. The Fun Run starts here.
• Town centerCentral Park100 N 25 WA covered picnic area with 12 tables, a splash pad and a skate park.
• West sideHeritage ParkCenter St and 350 WA gazebo, a large grass area and part of the disc golf course. It has no restrooms.
• West sideForrester Acres100 N 500 WBall fields, the Blue Sox field, batting cages, an equestrian park, trails, the rest of the disc golf course and eight lit outdoor pickleball courts.

Logan Canyon, Tony Grove and Bear Lake

Logan Canyon Scenic Byway is the road to Bear Lake. It runs 41 miles from Logan to Garden City. Tony Grove Lake sits at about 8,050 feet off the byway, about 1 hour 4 minutes from City Hall, and its road is not kept open in winter. Bear Lake is about 1 hour 2 minutes away. Hardware Ranch, where elk gather in winter, is about 46 minutes away. Sleigh rides there usually run from early December to mid February, Friday to Sunday.

Also close by

Fees and dates are the 2026 Recreation.gov and Forest Service numbers. Water, gates and road access change, so check before you go. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

No national park sits close to Smithfield. The nearest national park site is Golden Spike, west of Brigham City, where the first railroad across the country was joined in 1869. The two big parks in Wyoming are closer than any Utah park. Plan a park trip as a long day or an overnight.

Closer to home, the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest starts at the top of Canyon Road. The Mount Naomi Wilderness sits inside it. The outdoor recreation topic covers the canyon.

Times are map estimates from City Hall for a drive with no snow or road work. Use each park's own directions and check road and weather alerts.

Smithfield has no ski area of its own. Cherry Peak, near Richmond, is the closest at about 18 minutes. Beaver Mountain is up Logan Canyon, about 52 minutes away. Powder Mountain and Snowbasin are over the mountains toward Ogden, each about an hour and a half.

Ski areas here usually open from late November into December, depending on snow. Trail 007 is listed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The dirt road to it closes about December 1, so plan on a longer approach.

Sources: each resort, Ski Utah, and the site drive tables. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

Smithfield has one golf course in town. Birch Creek Golf Club sits at 550 E 100 N, a few minutes from City Hall. It has 18 holes and a par of 72. The city's website points its course page to the club. Logan has more courses, about 16 minutes south.

Disc golf runs across two parks. One course starts at Heritage Park and finishes at Forrester Acres. The outdoor recreation topic has both parks.

Course details come from the courses and golf directories. Call a course for current rates and hours. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

Smithfield has a few places to eat, and Logan has the rest. In town you will find an Italian bistro, local and chain pizza, and fast food. For a coffee house, ice cream shop or more sit-down choices, most people drive about 12 minutes to Logan.

Food sits in two spots. One is South Main, near Lee's Marketplace. The other is the old Main Street core, around Center Street and 100 North. Groceries and stores are in the shopping topic. Each place below was checked in October 2026, but small places come and go. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed.

In Smithfield

• ItalianCallaway's Bistro54 N MainPasta, steaks, pizza, seafood and a bar, with outdoor seating. It calls itself a local favorite since 1998. Dinner only, from 4:30 p.m.
• PizzaStonefire Pizzeria33 E 600 SLocal pizza, with pickup and delivery from its own ordering site.
• PizzaPizza Stop25 W 100 NLocal pizza, with orders through an online ordering page.
• Take and bakePapa Murphy's840 S MainTake-and-bake pizza on South Main.
• Fast foodWendy's, Subway and McDonald'sSouth Main and MainWendy's and Subway are on South Main, and McDonald's is at 180 N Main.
• Deli and bakeryLee's Marketplace850 S MainThe grocery has a deli and a scratch bakery.

In Logan, about 12 minutes south

• Coffee and cafeCaffe Ibis52 Federal Ave, downtownA coffee house in downtown Logan.
• Ice creamAggie Ice CreamUtah State University campusIce cream on the USU campus.

Hours change, and small places come and go. Check before you drive. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall.

Day to day, the fun in Smithfield is close to home. The city runs a recreation center, a splash pad and a skate park, and a town baseball team plays at Forrester Acres. When you want a bowling alley, a rink or a zoo, North Logan and Logan are a short drive south.

In Smithfield

• GymSmithfield Recreation Center315 E 600 SA weight room, four basketball courts, three racquetball courts, six indoor pickleball courts, a bouldering wall, two indoor tracks and child care. A 2026 adult day pass was $5.50. Sky View High has first use of the weight room and gyms on school days.
• PoolSky View Pool520 S 250 EAn indoor pool, 25 yards long with six lanes, run by the school. Public open swim is weeknights and Saturday afternoons. It costs $2, or $1 for ages 60 and up. Check its hours page before you go.
• Splash padCentral Park splash pad100 N 25 WFree, daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• Skate parkCentral Park skate park100 N 25 WAn 8,500 square foot street-style park, free from dawn to dusk.
• BaseballSmithfield Blue SoxForrester AcresA town baseball team founded in 1896. Its 130th season was 2025, and home games are played at Forrester Acres.
• ShopSmithfield Implement99 N MainA hardware and western store in business since 1914. It sells boots, tack, hardware and camping gear. The shopping topic has more.

Short drives south

• Bowling and gamesCache Valley Fun Park255 E 1770 N, North LoganBowling, roller skating, an arcade, axe throwing and outdoor laser tag.
• GamesThe Rush Funplex151 W 2850 N, North LoganOpened in March 2026, with laser tag, bumper cars, black-light mini golf, bowling and climbing walls.
• Ice skatingEccles Ice Center2825 N 200 E, North LoganPublic skating, hockey, curling and lessons.
• ClimbingElevation Rock Gym1780 N 200 E, North LoganBouldering and rope climbing, plus yoga and fitness.
• ZooZootah419 W 700 S, LoganSeven acres with more than 60 species. December brings Zoo Lights.

Details come from Smithfield Recreation, the school, and the businesses. Prices are the 2026 list. Hours change, so check before you go.

The arts scene in Smithfield is small. It is built around the library, the schools and a few history sites. The bigger stages are in Logan, about 12 minutes south.

Bigger stages in Logan

Logan has the valley's theaters, about 12 to 15 minutes south. The Ellen Eccles Theatre opened in 1923. The Caine Lyric Theatre reopened in June 2026 after a stage renovation. The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art on the Utah State campus is free. The Utah Festival Opera usually plays from June into July.

Library details come from the city. Logan details come from the Logan packs. Hours and shows change, so check each site before you go.

Health Days is the big week. It is held each May and has run since 1925. The city calls Smithfield "Utah's Health City." The 100th celebration was in 2025. Here is how the week usually goes, then the year around it.

Health Days

The Historical Society says Summit School principal Sarah McCracken organized the first Health Day in 1925, after an invitation from President Calvin Coolidge. It has grown into a week of events. The week usually falls in the first full week of May and ends on a Saturday. In 2026 it ran May 2 to 9.

The week opens on the first Saturday with the Fun Run from Mack Park. There is a 10K, a 5K and a Mayor's Mile. Weekday events include a pickleball tournament, chalk art and a Battle of the Bands. The Smithfield City Ambassador Pageant is part of the week.

The last Saturday is the big day. A pancake breakfast comes first. The parade runs down Main Street at 10 a.m., from 300 South to 300 North. After it, the party moves to Forrester Acres. There are booths, music, horse pulls, a Show and Shine car show, and a Blue Sox doubleheader. The Youth Theatre show runs that evening, and fireworks follow at Forrester Acres after dark.

The year around it

• JanuaryAn indoor triathlon at the rec center, with the swim in the Sky View Pool. Hardware Ranch sleigh rides on Friday to Sunday.
• FebruarySleigh rides at Hardware Ranch usually run to mid February. Winter basketball leagues are in the gyms.
• MarchThe Cache Valley Cowboy Rendezvous at the county fairgrounds in Logan.
• AprilThe Chamber Easter egg hunt, on the Saturday before Easter. Glacier lilies start in the canyon.
• MayHealth Days, usually the first full week. A school fundraiser golf tournament at Birch Creek. Black and White Days in Richmond, the week after.
• JuneThe 16 Crossings Trail Run from Mack Park, with creek crossings. Storytimes in the Park at the library.
• JulyNo Smithfield city event is posted for the Fourth. Hyde Park Hometown Days is next door, and Logan has Pioneer Day events.
• AugustThe Cache County Fair and Rodeo in Logan.
• SeptemberFall rec leagues start. Fall color shows in Smithfield Canyon.
• OctoberTrick-or-Treat Street at the rec center, free, in the evening. Pumpkin events in North Logan and Logan.
• NovemberThe Holiday Turkey Trot from the rec center, with a 10K, a 5K and a 1 mile run.
• DecemberThe Chamber Night of Giving at Sky View High. Hardware Ranch sleigh rides begin. The canyon road gate closes about December 1.

These are the usual months. Dates move each year, so check the city and the Chamber before you plan a trip. Health Days history is the Historical Society's account in the Herald Journal, May 2025.

Smithfield sits at the north end of Cache Valley, on US-91. Hyde Park is the next town south, and Richmond is the next town north. Logan, the main city of the county, is about 12 minutes south. The county offices are in Logan.

Day trips

Brigham City is about 39 minutes south, over Sardine Canyon on the way to I-15. Ogden is about 1 hour 3 minutes. Salt Lake City is about 1 hour 36 minutes. The traffic topic tells how winter affects the Sardine Canyon road. Out the other way, Cherry Peak is about 18 minutes. Hardware Ranch is about 46, and Bear Lake is about 1 hour 2 minutes. Golden Spike is about 1 hour 17 minutes.

Town times come from the site drive table. Others are map estimates from City Hall.