Moving to Tooele, Utah

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

Tooele is the main city of Tooele County, and the county offices are here. About 42,300 people live in Tooele, by the 2025 Census estimate. The city covers about 24 square miles. City Hall sits at about 5,030 feet. The city runs from about 4,440 feet at its north edge to nearly 8,000 feet, where its limits climb the Oquirrh slopes. The Oquirrh Mountains rise on the east and split this valley from the Salt Lake Valley. The Stansbury Mountains stand to the west, and the Great Salt Lake closes the north end.

Main Street is also SR-36, the state highway. Downtown Salt Lake City is about 40 minutes east when the roads are clear. The drive runs north on SR-36 to I-80, then over the hill. Erda is a city just to the north now, and Stansbury Park and Lake Point sit between Tooele and the freeway.

Three families settled on a small stream south of today's town on September 4, 1849. The city became a city on January 21, 1853, and the county offices came to Tooele in 1861. The city says the origin of the name has been disputed for decades. No one knows for sure.

Mining came next. Tooele had about 1,200 people in 1900 and about 5,000 by 1930. A smelter opened east of town in 1910. The seven-mile Tooele Valley Railroad, finished in 1909, ran from the smelter west to the Union Pacific line. The copper smelter ran until 1946, and the lead smelter until early 1972. Then in 1942 the Army built the Tooele Ordnance Depot on 25,000 acres southwest of town. Almost 2,000 civilians worked there in 1944. The jobs topic has the depot today.

Tooele is also the only one of Utah's 244 cities and towns still run under a charter, the general plan says. A charter is a city's own written rules for how it is run. Two movies have filmed here. Whiffs (1975) was filmed largely in Tooele, and parts of The Stand (1994) were too.

How fast Tooele is growing

Tooele has grown a lot. The city had 22,502 people in 2000 and 35,742 in the 2020 count. The 2025 estimate is 42,270, which is up about 18 percent since 2020. Tooele County was Utah's fastest-growing county from 2020 to 2025, at about 20 percent. Most of that growth, about 78 percent, came from people moving in.

The city's general plan, adopted December 16, 2020, says Tooele was roughly half built as of 2019. It says the city could grow to about 90,000 people when every lot is used. It also says the middle of the city will shift north over time. The housing market topic covers what is being built.

Sources: the Census, the Tooele City history page, the Tooele City General Plan (adopted December 16, 2020), and USGS elevation data.

Want the street level story? Tooele on The Local has guides to the town. My relocating to Utah guide covers the wider move.

Tooele has four seasons. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold and snowy. Spring is cool and changeable, and fall is clear and mild.

Tooele has its own weather station, in town. It sits about a mile west of City Hall, near USU Tooele, and about 130 feet lower. The numbers below are the official NOAA normals for that station, from 1991 to 2020. Homes up the east hillside sit higher than the station.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. A normal January low is about 21°F, and a normal July high is about 91°F.

• JanuaryHigh 39°F, low 21°F
• FebruaryHigh 44°F, low 24°F
• MarchHigh 54°F, low 32°F
• AprilHigh 61°F, low 38°F
• MayHigh 71°F, low 46°F
• JuneHigh 82°F, low 56°F
• JulyHigh 91°F, low 64°F
• AugustHigh 90°F, low 63°F
• SeptemberHigh 79°F, low 52°F
• OctoberHigh 64°F, low 40°F
• NovemberHigh 49°F, low 29°F
• DecemberHigh 39°F, low 21°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Tooele station (USC00428771), in town.

Frost and the growing season

The last spring freeze usually comes about May 2. The first fall freeze usually comes about October 16. That leaves about 165 frost-free days. A night at 28°F or colder usually ends around April 16 and starts again around October 27. The USDA plant zone for this ZIP code is about 7a. NOAA marks the freeze dates as estimates, because they rest on fewer years of records.

About 128 nights a year drop to freezing or lower. About 16 days a year never get above freezing. A night at 0°F or lower is rare, at about one night every other year.

A normal year brings about 18.4 inches of rain and melted snow, which is more than Salt Lake City's airport station at about 15.5 inches. April and May are the wettest months, at about 2.3 inches each. August and July are the driest, at about 0.7 and 0.8 inches.

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Tooele station, and the USDA plant hardiness zone map.

Snow and summer heat have their own topics below. The snow topic and the summer topic have the numbers. The wind and the air come after them.

Tooele gets about 75 inches of snow in a normal year. That is more than Salt Lake City's airport, which gets about 52 inches. It is also far more than Grantsville, which gets about 33 inches. Grantsville sits on the flat low ground about 8 miles west.

Two things help explain it. First, Tooele sits at the foot of the Oquirrh Mountains, about 400 to 500 feet higher than Grantsville. Second, a northerly wind can push a band of lake-effect snow off the Great Salt Lake over the Tooele Valley, the National Weather Service says. No one has worked out how much each one adds.

December is the snowiest month, with about 17.2 inches. February brings about 14.6 and January about 14.0. Winter, from December through February, adds up to about 45.8 inches. Spring adds about 17.4 inches, and fall about 12.1. March still averages 11.1 inches, and November 10.2. Little snow falls in May and October.

About 22 days a year bring an inch or more of new snow. Snow lies on the ground, at an inch or more, about 69 days a year. For a home on the east hillside, ask about plowing, the driveway and the drive out in winter.

Sources: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, and the National Weather Service Salt Lake City office on lake-effect snow.

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

Summers are hot and dry. A normal July afternoon reaches about 91°F at the Tooele station. That is about 3 degrees cooler than Salt Lake City, by the rounded figures below. The nights cool off, with a normal July low near 64°F.

Hot days are common. A normal year has about 56 days at 90°F or hotter. About 4 or 5 days a year reach 100°F. July and August are the driest months, at about 0.8 and 0.7 inches of rain.

Settlement Canyon Reservoir is about 7 minutes from City Hall. The outdoor recreation topic covers the canyons. The wind and the air have their own topics. The wind topic and the air quality topic cover them.

Tooele has no long wind record of its own. The nearest one is at the Tooele Valley Airport, about 5 miles northwest of City Hall, in Erda. Its wind averages about 8 miles an hour over the year. Spring and summer are the windiest seasons.

The wind runs up and down the valley. It blows most often from the south, and north comes next. No one has measured the wind at the mouths of Middle or Settlement canyons, so this page makes no claim about them.

Wind can also lift dust off dry ground. The air quality topic covers that.

An inversion is when cold air gets trapped in a valley under a lid of warmer air. Pollution builds up in the trapped air, and the valley turns hazy. A storm usually clears it out. Tooele Valley shares the Wasatch Front pattern of winter inversions.

Tooele City sits inside two federal air areas, the same ones that cover Salt Lake County. The first is the Northern Wasatch Front area for ozone, which the EPA lists as nonattainment. Nonattainment means the air has not met the federal ozone limit. The second is the Salt Lake City area for fine particles (PM2.5). The EPA moved that one to maintenance status on December 19, 2025.

Dust is the other concern. The Great Salt Lake has exposed over 800 square miles of lake bed. The state says winds over 25 miles an hour can carry that dust to Tooele County in under an hour. Dust events usually come in spring, from March to May. The state lists metals in the lake sediment, but says the amount in airborne dust is unclear. No one has measured it in Tooele itself, and no count of dust days exists.

Here is what I would do. Check the air on the state's air quality site the way you check the weather. If air matters to you, visit on a still winter morning and on a windy spring day before you buy.

Sources: EPA nonattainment areas, 40 CFR 81.345, the Utah Division of Water Resources, and the Utah DEQ.

Housing is the biggest cost in Tooele. 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. Check recent sales of similar homes nearby before you set a budget.

Many buyers weigh Tooele against towns over the hill in Salt Lake County. Compare recent sales in both places, and count the drive as a cost. The mean trip to work is 30.8 minutes, and the traffic topic explains what that includes.

Other costs are plain. Tooele City runs water, sewer, trash and storm drains, so those fees come on one city bill. Power comes from Rocky Mountain Power and gas from Enbridge Gas. The utilities topic lists who serves what and what each costs. Sales tax is 7.00%, and the taxes topic covers the rest.

Set Tooele next to the other towns you are weighing. Next door, Erda and Stansbury Park trade a different mix of lot size and services. Ask me for a side by side, and I will run the numbers with you.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2020 to 2024); Utah State Tax Commission; Tooele City.

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, 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. Second homes and nightly rentals do not qualify, so they are taxed on the full value.

The Tooele County Assessor's office is at 47 South Main Street in Tooele. You can call it at 435-843-3103. The county asks for a Residential Property Declaration within 30 days of its notice. It then sends a second 30-day notice before it removes the exemption. The exemption shows on the valuation notice, usually at the end of July, and on the tax notice, usually near the start of November. From January 1, 2027, Utah law requires an application when a home changes owners. Ask the assessor how and when to apply.

Your tax bill has several parts

A Tooele City bill adds the rates of a few groups. They are Tooele County, the Tooele County School District and the city. The school district takes much the largest share. The city's own levy is small. In the main city tax area, the 2025 rates add up to about 0.66% of market value on a primary home. Treat that as an estimate, because your tax notice is the final word.

Some areas add lines. Some north-side subdivisions sit in a small special service district with its own tax line. Some newer subdivisions sit in a public infrastructure district, which adds a tax line every year. Ask for the tax notice on the exact home. The 0.67% figure is a county average.

Car fees

Tooele County has no emissions test. Salt Lake County next door does test, so this is one thing you may save on. Utah charges a fee when you register a car, and it depends on the car's age. In 2026 it runs from $150 for the newest models down to $10 for cars from 2014 or older.

Sources: Utah State Tax Commission (sales tax rates, October 1, 2026; 2025 property tax report and approved rates); Utah Code 59-2-103.5; S.B. 60 (2026); Utah DMV; Tooele City fee schedule; Tooele County Assessor. 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. Tooele is a city of about 12,700 homes, and it keeps growing north. The city's general plan said Tooele was roughly half built in 2019. It said the city could grow to nearly 90,000 people when it fills in. The plan names two drivers: the Salt Lake commute and the land. Ask me for current numbers, because recent sales tell you more than any one figure.

Most homes here are owned by the people who live in them. The Census counts about 79% as owner-occupied. About 78% are single-family houses on their own lot, and 4% are townhome-style homes. About 15% sit in buildings of two or more units, and about 4% are mobile homes. These are Census estimates for 2020 to 2024, and they carry a margin.

The median home was built in 1994. About 39% of homes were built in 2000 or later, and about 17% date from the 1950s or earlier. So the city has a mix of old blocks near downtown and long runs of newer streets.

Lot size depends on the zone. The general plan says single-family lots run at least 7,000 to 8,000 square feet. The biggest zone is R1-7, the 7,000-square-foot lot, and it holds about 2,200 vacant acres. The east hillside has R1-12 and R1-14 zones with larger lots. Rural residential zones, RR-1 and RR-5, allow one-acre and five-acre lots. Check the zone on any lot before you plan around it.

Water rules changed for new homes in 2026. In May the city banned sod in all park strips and kept natural lawn to half of the front and side yards on lots in subdivisions approved after April 1, 2023. In October it changed how much water right a builder must turn over for new building. Ask the city what applies to a lot.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2020 to 2024, estimates with a margin); Tooele City General Plan (adopted December 16, 2020, posted revision 2025); Tooele City Planning Commission agendas, 2026.

Tooele has no named community pages, so the easiest way to read it is by area, from the middle outward. The city spans about 24 square miles and climbs from the flat north edge up the slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains. Zones and names come from the city's general plan and planning commission records.

• DowntownMain Street and the 1850s gridAround City Hall at 90 N MainMain Street is also SR-36, so the old streets carry through traffic. The homes here are the oldest in town, on smaller lots. Zoning is mostly R1-7, with mixed-use strips along Broadway and Main.
• OverlakeThe planned district on the northwest sideNorthwest of downtownThe city planned Overlake in the late 1990s. The general plan counts its single-family and multi-family land as fully used, so it is largely filled in. A builder still lists a few Overlake lots.
• North end and Copper CanyonNewer streets along SR-36Around Copper Canyon Elementary, 1600 N BroadwayThe plan expects the city's center to shift north. Mountain West Medical Center is at 2055 N Main. D.R. Horton's Western Acres townhomes are planned near 1600 North and Copper Canyon Drive.
• Compass PointThe far north, from 2400 North upAlong SR-36 and 400 WestPerry Homes builds here. In September 2026 the City Council approved the Compass Point Commercial Special District, about 398 acres in four areas on the north end. It opens the land to regional shopping, but a plan is not a store, so ask what is built before you count on stores close by.
• The east hillsideStreets climbing toward Middle CanyonEast of Main StreetZones here include R1-12 and R1-14, with larger lots. The mouth of Middle Canyon sits about 300 feet above City Hall. Flood strips run along the canyon drainages, so check the map for any lot near a wash.
• The south endToward Settlement CanyonSouth of downtownSettlement Canyon Reservoir is about 7 minutes from City Hall. The state maps a high-risk wildfire zone along the south and southeast edges, near the canyon mouths. Tooele Army Depot lies on the city's southwest edge.
• England AcresA park and trail nameThe northeast part of townEngland Acres is a park and trail in the northeast quarter of the city. Treat it as a place name, not a builder's project. Ask an agent which streets near it have homes for sale today.

Next door are separate places. Stansbury Park is about 12 minutes north, and Stockton is about 11 minutes south. Erda, a city since 2022, is about 12 minutes to its office. Grantsville is about 15 minutes west, and Lake Point is about 16 minutes north. Pine Canyon lies northeast of town, outside the city. See Erda, Grantsville and Lake Point for their own pages.

Boundary lines decide taxes, school assignments and services, so check the exact address. Tell me what you are after, and I will pass it to the partner agent on the ground. You can also read the Living in Tooele guide on The Local.

Sources: Tooele City General Plan; Tooele City Planning Commission agendas (2026); Tooele City zoning map; drive times from City Hall (router estimates, off-peak).

New homes in Tooele go up mostly on the north end. Four builders show up in city records and on their own sites. Perry Homes builds at Compass Point, in the far north. On September 23, 2026 the planning commission approved the preliminary plan for Compass Point Village 5, 181 lots on about 22 acres at 3072 North 400 West. The townhome part still needs its own site plan review before building starts. A plan is not a finished street, so ask what is approved today.

D.R. Horton has a townhome plan at Western Acres, near 1600 North and Copper Canyon Drive. SandRock Development has a townhome plan at Millennial Park, near 400 North and 300 West. Both came before the planning commission in 2026. GTM Builders, a Tooele County builder, lists lots in Overlake on its site.

Bach Homes' Fields at Copper Canyon is sold out. Its page says the current phase is sold and invites buyers to join an interest list for later phases. Ask your agent which communities have homes open now, because plans and inventory change.

Buying new works differently from buying resale. Builders often cover the buyer agent fee, and your agent puts that in writing before you sign. The buying new construction guide walks through the contract, the inspections and the timeline.

The new-home checklist

1. Phase and timeline. Which phase is the lot in, and when will the street and the neighbors be finished?
2. Zone and what is next door. Check the zone on the lots around yours. The plan expects building to keep moving north.
3. Water and landscape rules. Ask what the city requires for yards today. The rules changed in 2026.
4. Tax lines. Ask for the tax notice on a similar home. Some newer subdivisions add a district line.
5. The ground. Lots on the east hillside may need a fault study. Ask the builder what was done.

Sources: Tooele City Planning Commission agendas (June to September 2026); Bach Homes; GTM Builders; Tooele City General Plan.

A few checks matter more in Tooele than in most towns. The city sits at the foot of a mountain range with two canyons, so ground and water come first. Utah law does not require agents to check or disclose geologic hazards, and home insurance usually leaves out losses from them. So the checks are yours to ask for, and I can point you to each one.

Faults and ground

The Oquirrh fault zone runs along the range front. The Utah Geological Survey maps study zones for fault breaks on the east side. A lot inside one needs a fault study before building. The state map puts the area near Mountain West Medical Center, and 2000 North at 1000 West, inside a study zone. City Hall, Overlake and the east hillside at 700 East sit outside. Check the state hazard map for any lot.

The state map also shows an old debris flow at the northeast edge of the city, where the Oquirrh front rises. Other state hazard layers show nothing for the city. A blank map does not mean there is no risk.

Flood maps

Most of the city is in FEMA Zone X, which means minimal flood risk. Narrow strips of higher risk, Zones A and AE, run along the drainages from Settlement Canyon and Middle Canyon through town. Some of the east hillside and the north end is Zone D, which means the area was never studied. The maps date from 2009. Ask for a flood determination on any lot near a wash.

Radon

Radon is a gas that seeps up from the ground. In ZIP code 84074, about 36% of 1,399 short-term tests were at or above the action level of 4 pCi/L. That is the Utah state record through 2019. Test every home you buy.

Cleanup sites

Two federal cleanup sites sit near town. Federal cleanup sites are called Superfund sites. The International Smelter site covers about 1,200 acres near the mouth of Pine Canyon, about 2 miles northeast of Tooele. The old smelter left arsenic and lead in the soil. Homes there were cleaned up, and Tooele County says it may ask developers for more sampling when land use turns residential. Check the EPA site record for any lot near it.

The second is Tooele Army Depot's North Area, south and west of town. EPA's listing describes a plume of solvents, TCE, in the groundwater. The plume had moved about 2 miles downhill by 1990, with its edge just past the depot fence. That record is old. If you plan to drill a well near the south or west edge, ask the state for the current record first.

Fire and other checks

Homes on the south and southeast edges, near the canyon mouths, sit in the state's mapped high-risk wildfire zone. Look up any address on the Utah Wildfire Risk Portal. For the east hillside, ask the seller and the agent what snow, steep driveways and wildlife do on that street.

Sources: Utah Geological Survey; FEMA flood maps (panel effective November 18, 2009); Utah DEQ radon results (2019); Tooele County Health Department; EPA (Tooele Army Depot listing, 1990). Not every hazard is mapped.

Buyers do better when they sort out the financing before the search, because the homes here are not all alike. An older home on the original grid, a new townhome and a hillside home can each face different loan rules. Lenders look closely at the home and the appraisal. An appraisal is the lender's check on what a home is worth.

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 you what you can spend, and it makes your offer stronger.

Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans are all worth asking about. USDA has a map of eligible rural areas. On that map, Tooele City sits inside the ineligible area, so USDA rural loans do not cover homes in the city. Erda, Stansbury Park and Grantsville next door are on the rural map. Check any address on the map.

If you serve in the military or hold a federal job, some programs have their own rules. Utah Housing Corporation also runs homebuyer programs across the state. Ask about current programs, because the rules change.

I am licensed in both real estate and lending. On any one purchase I take one role. If I am your lender, I can tell you early if a home could be hard to get a loan on. In Tooele, a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground.

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 Tooele, 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.

Tooele is a place to work and a place to leave for work. About 45 out of 100 working residents have a job inside the city. The other 55 work somewhere else. For the whole county, about 39 out of 100 workers have a job outside Tooele County (Census, 2020 to 2024).

The county had about 20,571 jobs covered by unemployment insurance in March 2026. The average weekly wage was $1,018, against $1,415 for Utah as a whole (BLS). Many Tooele paychecks are earned over the hill in the Salt Lake Valley. The traffic topic has the commute numbers.

Tooele Army Depot

The depot opened in 1942 as the Tooele Ordnance Depot. In 1944 it had almost 2,000 civilian workers. It sits on the city’s southwest edge. The Army calls it “America’s Depot” and says it is part of Army Sustainment Command.

The Army describes the job as ammunition logistics. The depot stores, receives, issues, inspects, maintains, distributes, and demilitarizes conventional ammunition. Demilitarizes means taking it apart safely. The depot is also a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for ammunition equipment. The Army’s 2025 fact sheet lists 479 people working there.

Other employers

Mountain West Medical Center calls itself “one of the largest employers in the Tooele area.” Tooele County School District is on the state’s list of the largest employers in Utah. The county offices are in Tooele, and so are Tooele Technical College and USU Tooele. Smith’s hired about 260 people when its new store opened in December 2025, and the company said 95 out of 100 came from Tooele County.

Some big work sites sit outside the city. Walmart runs a regional distribution center on Highway 138 near Grantsville. A 2025 state plan says it employs more than 1,000 people. Lakeview Business Park is in Grantsville too.

Two names on older lists are gone. Purple closed its Grantsville mattress plant in 2025. US Magnesium, on the far west shore of the lake, is being wound down in bankruptcy.

Working from home? My guide for remote workers in Utah covers what to check before you move.

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024, BLS county jobs (first quarter 2026), the Army (depot pages and 2025 fact sheet), the Utah Inland Port Authority (2025), Walmart, Purple’s SEC filings, Workforce Services, and the hospital.

Yes. Mountain West Medical Center is at 2055 North Main Street, about 6 minutes from City Hall. It is affiliated with University of Utah Health. The state trauma list names it a Level IV trauma center. Trauma levels run from I, the most complete, to V.

Intermountain’s old InstaCare at 777 North Main is gone. The nearest walk-in urgent care with weekday hours is the University of Utah Health Stansbury Health Center, at 220 Millpond Road in Stansbury Park. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is closed Sunday.

For the most serious injuries, the Level I centers are in Salt Lake County. They are University Hospital, Intermountain Medical Center, and Primary Children’s. University Hospital is about 47 minutes from City Hall, and Intermountain Medical Center is about 44. St. Mark’s is the nearest Level II center. That is the trade in a valley town. A hospital sits in town for urgent care, and the rarest care takes a drive over the hill.

Hospitals and clinics take some plans and not others. Check your plan by the name of the hospital and the clinic before you count on either.

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

Sources: the hospital and clinic websites, the Utah Bureau of EMS trauma list (May 2025), and Tooele City’s service directory. Hours change, so call before you go. Drive times are map estimates.

Tooele is served by Tooele County School District, which covers the whole county. The district office is at 92 Lodestone Way. The district had 15,737 students in kindergarten through grade 12 on October 1, 2025. Elementary school is kindergarten to grade 6, junior high is grades 7 and 8, and high school is grades 9 to 12.

Inside the city there are seven district elementary schools, two junior highs, and two high schools. They are Tooele High and Deseret Peak High. Deseret Peak opened in 2025 and had grades 9 to 11 in its first year. The district also runs Blue Peak High, an alternative high school, and the Digital Education Center, an online school.

Student counts come from the Utah State Board of Education, October 1, 2025. Addresses come from each school and the state schools map.

West Elementary has a German dual-language program on its site. For City Hall’s address, the 2025-26 boundary map shows Northlake Elementary, Tooele Junior High, and Tooele High. Some north Tooele addresses may go to Deseret Peak High. Boundaries moved in 2024 and 2025, and they can move again.

Charter and private schools

The state list shows Scholar Academy, a charter school for kindergarten to grade 8, at 928 North 100 East. It had 680 students on the state’s 2026 school-year list. It also names St. Marguerite Catholic School, for preschool to grade 6, at 15 South 7th Street. Private schools do not publish student counts.

Stansbury Park, Erda, and Grantsville have their own district schools, and they are not in the table. Confirm the school for any address with the district, and do not guess from a listing. I do not rate schools, and I would be wary of anyone who says which one is best.

Ratings and boundaries come from independent third parties and the district, not from me.

Not a college town, but Tooele has two schools for adults inside the city. Tooele Technical College is at 88 South Tooele Boulevard. It offers certificate programs, which are short courses that lead to a job skill. USU Tooele is a Utah State University campus at 1021 West Vine Street.

USU Tooele lists more than 85 degree and certificate programs, and more than 25 graduate programs. It teaches some classes in person and some in hybrid form. It gives the same diploma as other Utah State campuses. For a university campus in the Salt Lake Valley, plan on a drive of about 40 minutes or more over the hill.

Times are map estimates in normal traffic.

Tooele has one main road to Salt Lake: SR-36. It is Main Street in town. It runs north through Stansbury Park and Lake Point to I-80 at Exit 99, about 18 minutes from City Hall. From there, I-80 runs east over the hill to Salt Lake City. From City Hall, downtown Salt Lake City is about 39 to 40 minutes when traffic is light.

The Census says the average trip to work for a Tooele resident is about 31 minutes (2020 to 2024). About 1 commuter in 3 travels 45 minutes or more. About 67 in 100 drive alone, and about 14 in 100 carpool. About 14 in 100 work from home. Only about 1.6 in 100 ride public transit.

UDOT has added road. A third northbound lane on SR-36 runs from Stansbury Park to I-80. An eastbound auxiliary lane on I-80 runs from SR-36 to the SR-201 exit. UDOT’s project page says all lanes are now open. Southbound SR-36 also went to three lanes in summer 2025, from Sunset Road to Stansbury Parkway.

The Midvalley Highway, SR-179, opened in October 2021. It joins I-80 to SR-138 on the west side of the valley, with one lane each way. A study for an extension from SR-138 to SR-36 was finished in February 2024. The extension is studied, not funded. UDOT lists funding, then design, as the next steps.

From the center of town

• Settlement Canyon Reservoir~7 min
• Mountain West Medical Center~6 min
• The Peak complex~9 min
• Stansbury Park~12 min
• I-80 at Exit 99~18 min
• Great Salt Lake State Park~25 min

Before you write an offer, drive your real commute at the hours you would make it. Do it in both directions, and do it on more than one day. A map time cannot tell you how the road feels on a Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024 (Tooele City), UDOT project pages, and the UDOT Midvalley Highway page. Drive times are map estimates in light traffic.

Yes, by bus. There is no train. FrontRunner and TRAX do not reach the Tooele Valley. Two UTA bus routes run on weekdays only, and a van service fills in around town.

No other fixed bus route runs in the county. Only about 1.6 in 100 Tooele commuters ride transit. Route 451 also stops in Stansbury Park and Lake Point on its way to I-80. The traffic topic covers the drive.

Details come from the UTA schedule feed for fall 2026 and the UTA On Demand pages. Routes and times change, so check rideuta.com before you ride.

No airline airport is in Tooele. Salt Lake City International (SLC) is the airport for the valley. It is about 31 miles and 37 minutes from City Hall. The drive is east on SR-36 and I-80.

• Salt Lake City (SLC)~31 mi · ~37 min

Bolinder Field-Tooele Valley Airport is about 5 miles northwest of Tooele, in Erda. Salt Lake City’s airport department owns it. It has one runway about 6,100 feet long and no airline flights. It is a small airport for private planes.

The Salt Lake City run changes most with rush hour and weather. Leave extra time on a snowy day.

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

Tooele sits at the end of one valley. The Oquirrh Mountains rise on the east, and the Great Salt Lake lies to the north. Most trips start on SR-36, and SR-138 leads west to Grantsville.

Erda

~8 mi · ~12 min

Grantsville

~10 mi · ~15 min

Lake Point

~11 mi · ~16 min

Magna

~23 mi · ~31 min

West Valley City

~32 mi · ~37 min

Salt Lake City

~34 mi · ~39 min

Here are more drives people ask about, all from City Hall.

These are map estimates in normal conditions, not official figures. Add time for snow and rush hour, and check your own route. No ski area is in Tooele County.

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

Tooele City runs water, sewer, garbage, and storm drainage. Sign up online through Municipal Online Payments. Email proof of ownership to [email protected]. A closing disclosure, settlement statement, or deed works. You can also go in person with an ID. The phone is 435-843-2150.

Plan for a $20 refundable security deposit and a $30 new account fee. A water turn-on costs $15. For a water emergency after hours, call dispatch at 435-882-5600. City Hall is at 90 North Main Street. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The phone there is 435-843-2100.

Other places you may need

The county landfill is at 2830 South Bauer Road. The county health department, at 151 North Main, also takes household hazardous waste. Workforce Services is at 305 North Main, Suite 100, and the county senior center is at 59 East Vine.

Rates come from the Tooele City fee schedule, current as of July 2026. Fees change, so check the city site.

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.

Tooele has cable, phone-line internet, and fiber. The state broadband map was checked at eight spots across the city: City Hall, Overlake, Copper Canyon, Middle Canyon, Settlement Canyon, the east hillside, Deseret Peak High, and West Elementary. Xfinity cable and CenturyLink phone-line internet showed at all eight. Fiber showed at every spot too. Fixed wireless and satellite are also reported.

Source: the Utah Broadband Center provider data, checked October 2026. I list who reports service, not speeds or prices.

What you can get still depends on the street. Check the exact address before you make an offer. For cell service, look at each carrier’s own coverage map for that address.

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

1. Turn on the utilitiesSign up with Tooele City for water, sewer, and garbage. Start Rocky Mountain Power and Enbridge Gas Utah on your own. Do this a week before you move in.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThe office is at 1929 North Aaron Drive, Suite G. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moving from another state takes an appointment, a written test, and maybe a driving test.
3. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days after you make a permanent home here. The DMV is in the county building at 47 South Main, on the second floor. Tooele County has no emissions test. A car titled in Utah for the first time needs a quick VIN check.
4. Register to voteDo it online at vote.utah.gov, or at the Tooele County Clerk’s office. The phone is 435-843-3140.
5. Sign up for schoolConfirm the school for your address with Tooele County School District, then register.
6. Claim the primary home tax breakThe county assessor asks you to return a form. The taxes topic has the rule.

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

Tooele has four full supermarkets, and all four are on or near North Main. The big stores run up North Main from about 700 North to 2400 North. Downtown, near Vine Street, is where the older local shops sit. For the places to eat, see the restaurants topic.

Founders Pointe, near 1000 North on Main, opened in 2025. Ross, TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Five Below, Sierra, and Bath & Body Works are there, along with Hobby Lobby at 953 North Main. The Home Depot is at 222 East 2400 North.

Downtown, the Tooele Marketplace at 140 East 200 South holds more than 40 small, locally owned shops. A vendor market runs there the first Saturday of every month, outdoors in spring and summer. CAL Ranch, at 862 North Main, carries farm and ranch goods. The state liquor store is at 439 North Main.

What Tooele does not have

Tooele has no Costco, Target, or Lowe’s. The nearest ones are in West Valley City, about 37 minutes away. A mall and department stores are also in the Salt Lake Valley. A WinCo is planned at 200 West and 1000 North. It is not open.

Store lists change. Addresses and hours come from each store, the company, and local news, so check them before you drive out.

Tooele sits right at the foot of the Oquirrh Mountains. Two canyons open on the edge of town, and Tooele County runs both. The Stansbury Mountains rise across the valley, and the Great Salt Lake lies to the north. These four places show the range.

From City Hall

• Settlement Canyon Reservoir~7 min
• Mountain West Medical Center~6 min
• The Peak complex~9 min
• Stansbury Park~12 min
• I-80 at Exit 99~18 min
• Great Salt Lake State Park~25 min

The canyons keep seasonal gates, so the dates move with snow. The Middle Canyon road once linked to Herriman through Butterfield Canyon. A flash flood in July 2026 washed out part of that road in Salt Lake County, and barricades closed it. Middle Canyon itself stayed open on the Tooele County side. The county also opened a snowmobile access point in Middle Canyon for winter 2025 to 2026, available once snow allows. Riders go at their own risk.

Trails and city parks

Tooele City runs more than a dozen parks. Dow James Park has a skate park and an 18 hole disc golf course. Elton Park has pickleball courts and a 9 hole disc golf course. Four city trails are marked. Skyline Ridge Trail runs 4.5 miles along the mountain from Wigwam Park to Settlement Canyon, for walkers, bikers, and horses. Copper Canyon Trail is paved. England Acres Trail is 1 mile, and Droubay Road Trail is 0.62 mile.

The county's trails page also points to the Stansbury Front Trail, the Five Mile Pass and Knolls recreation areas on federal Bureau of Land Management land, or BLM land, and the Pony Express Trail. Knolls is for off-highway vehicles, or OHVs. Confirm that a route is legal before you plan around it. Across the valley, Grantsville Reservoir and Ophir Creek are also stocked with trout. County camping at Ophir Canyon and Grantsville Reservoir is $20 a vehicle a night and stays open all year. Stansbury Island, on BLM land in the lake, is reached by a gravel causeway. Spring and late fall are the best seasons for its rocky trail. For hunting, check the state's current rules for the Stansbury and Oquirrh units.

Sources: Tooele County Parks and Recreation, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocking report, Tooele City, the Forest Service, and KSL. Drive times are map estimates from City Hall with no traffic.

No national park is close to Tooele. The nearest, Capitol Reef, is about 231 miles away, about 4 hours 15 minutes by the city finder's map estimate. Plan it as an overnight trip. The public land close by is a state park on the lake, a national forest wilderness, and BLM land.

Speed Week at the Salt Flats usually runs from late July into early August. Wendover, on the Nevada line, is about 1 hour 38 minutes west. Antelope Island State Park sits in the lake and is reached through Davis County, not from Tooele Valley.

Drive times are map estimates from City Hall with no traffic; the Capitol Reef figure is the city finder's. Check each park's own site for hours, fees, and closures.

There is no ski area in Tooele County. The Cottonwood Canyon resorts and Park City are over the mountains, about an hour to an hour and a quarter away. Woodward Park City is the quickest, and Park City Mountain is about 1 hour 5 minutes.

Snowbird is about 1 hour 7 minutes. Alta and Solitude are a little past it, and Brighton is about 1 hour 15. Snowbasin, in Weber County, is about 1 hour 20. Canyon roads slow down on storm days, so add time. The county's winter snowmobile access in Middle Canyon is the closest snow play, and it depends on snowpack.

Drive times are map estimates from City Hall with no traffic, from the city drive table and the city finder.

Tooele has two 18 hole courses of its own, and Stansbury Park has a third. The city also runs disc golf at two parks.

Dow James Park has an 18 hole disc golf course, and Elton Park has 9 holes.

Sources: Tooele City, the Stansbury Service Agency, and golf tee time listings. Hours, rates, and range closures change, so call a course before you go.

Nearly all of Tooele's food sits on Main Street, which is SR-36. The older independent places are downtown, from Vine Street to about 500 North. The chains run up North Main from about 700 North to 2400 North, near the four supermarkets. The groceries and shopping topic covers the stores.

Six places people know

• BrewpubBonneville Brewery1641 N MainTooele brewpub, brewing since 2012. It has a dining room, an upstairs patio, and a 21 and over bar. Burgers, pizza, salads, and slow-smoked brisket and pulled pork.
• DinerSpiro's All Day Diner281 N MainA home-style diner with all-day breakfast. It was Jim's Family Restaurant until July 2026, with the same owner, and has run 23 years at this address.
• IndianMumbai HouseNorth MainOpened in November 2024, the third location of a Salt Lake restaurant that dates to 1993. The county chamber gave it a customer service award in January 2026.
• BurgersAmerican Burgers490 N MainA burger and gyro counter on North Main. There is a second store in Grantsville.
• HawaiianMo' Bettahs720 N MainHawaiian plate lunch, open daily from 10:30 a.m.
• 24 hour dinerDenny's925 N MainOpen 24 hours a day.

These are well known and open in 2026. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed. Hours change and small places come and go, so check before you drive.

More on the list

Sources: each restaurant's own page or store locator, the Tooele Transcript Bulletin, and the state places layer. Hours change, so check before you go.

Tooele's own scene is compact, with history and engines at the center. The museum and the Ritz are downtown. The county's big venues sit northwest of town, inside Grantsville's limits. For arena concerts and pro games, Salt Lake City is about 39 minutes east.

• MuseumTooele Valley Museum and Historical Park35 N Broadway, about 3 minutesFree, on more than three acres of the old Tooele Valley Railroad complex, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is built around Locomotive No. 11. The 2026 season ran from late May to late September, Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• County complexThe Peak2930 W Highway 112, about 9 minutesTooele County's events complex. It was called the Deseret Peak Complex until the county renamed it in February 2025. It opened in 1999 on 206 acres, with indoor and outdoor arenas, a motocross track, a BMX track, soccer and ball fields, and RV hookups. The Bit N' Spur Rodeo and Heritage Days are held here.
• Outdoor poolEnergySolutions Aquatic CenterAt The PeakRebuilt, and reopened on June 1, 2026 with a lap pool, a leisure pool, two slides, and a diving well. It is a summer pool, open from early June to Labor Day.
• MuseumUtah Firefighters MuseumAt The PeakMore than 50 restored fire trucks in a 37,000 square foot building. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• RacetrackWest Desert512 Sheep Ln, about 16 minutesThe road course that opened in 2006 as Miller Motorsports Park. It reopened to the public on September 19, 2026, with karting and track days.
• Indoor poolPratt Aquatic Center55 N 200 W, about 2 minutesA city-owned indoor pool with an eight lane competition pool and a leisure pool with a slide and a current river. It is open all year.
• MoviesUEC Tooele1600 N Pine Canyon Rd, about 5 minutesThe first-run movie theater. The Ritz downtown shows classic movies.

The city's Community Center at 102 N 7th St has an indoor pickleball court and monthly skate nights. The Tooele City Library is at 128 W Vine. Next door in Stansbury Park, the county-run Benson Grist Mill, built in 1854, hosts a Saturday farmers market and seasonal events, and the Stansbury Park Observatory holds public star parties from spring into early fall. The events topic has the dates.

Games and shows in Salt Lake

The Utah Jazz and the Utah Mammoth play at the Delta Center, about 39 minutes from City Hall. Real Salt Lake plays in Sandy, the Salt Lake Bees in South Jordan, and the Salt Lake City Stars in West Valley City. The Great Saltair, a concert hall on the lake shore at I-80 Exit 104, books touring acts by the season.

Sources: Tooele City, Tooele County Parks and Recreation, Utah Business, the team sites, and the Great Saltair. Hours, seasons, and prices change, so check each place before you go. West Desert is named here without a link.

The arts in Tooele are small and run by volunteers and the city. The main stage is the Ritz on Main Street. For a big hall, Salt Lake City is about 39 minutes east.

• TheaterThe Ritz Theater111 N MainThe Tooele City Arts Council runs it. It was donated to the council in December 2023, and the council is renovating it while it shows movies, concerts, trivia nights, and live theater, most weeks.
• Community theaterTooele Valley TheatreTooeleAn active community theater that stages its own shows, including a cabaret at the Ritz in July 2026.
• Summer concertsFridays on VineAquatic Center Park, 55 N 200 WThe arts council's free summer concerts, on Friday nights at 7 p.m. from June to early August. The 2026 season ran eight concerts and ended August 7. The council says the series returns in summer 2027. Food trucks come on concert nights.
• FestivalTooele Arts FestivalTooele City Park, 200 W VineA separate nonprofit festival, going since 1985, usually held in June. Admission is free, with an art yard for children and a plein air painting competition.
• ClassesArts Council classesTooeleA kids craft class and an adult class most Wednesdays.

Sources: the Tooele City Arts Council, the Tooele Arts Festival, and Tooele City. Dates and hours change, so check before you go.

Tooele has a full calendar, and most of it is free. The Fourth of July is the biggest week. It runs from a Chamber breakfast and a 5K at Settlement Canyon to a parade down Main Street, a park day, a rodeo at The Peak, and a concert and fireworks at the high school stadium.

Tooele County Heritage Days, the county fair, is held at The Peak in late July. It runs from a livestock show and auction to a demolition derby and a rodeo. In 2026 it ran July 30 to August 1. Stansbury Days is held in mid August in Stansbury Park. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Merry Mainstreet brings a Santa parade, cookies and carols at the Ritz, and a tree lighting at Veterans Memorial Park.

• JanuarySki season is in full swing, about an hour away. The indoor pool and the Community Center skate nights run all winter.
• FebruaryThe Stansbury Park Golf Course usually opens, and the Community Center holds a Valentine skate night.
• MarchGrantsville holds the Old Folks Sociable, a town tradition since 1884. Skate nights continue.
• AprilSettlement Canyon opens around April 1. City park restrooms and pavilions open around April 15. The county holds a Ready to Play Festival at The Peak, and star parties start at the Stansbury Park Observatory.
• MayLoop Campground below Deseret Peak and the Tooele Valley Museum open. Middle Canyon usually opens on Memorial Day weekend.
• JuneThe Peak pool opens. The Tooele Arts Festival is held, the Benson Grist Mill farmers market starts on Saturdays, and the Fourth of July week begins.
• JulyThe Fourth of July parade, rodeo, concert, and fireworks. Heritage Days runs in late July, and Speed Week starts at the Salt Flats.
• AugustHeritage Days wraps up. Stansbury Days is held in mid month, and the summer concert series winds down.
• SeptemberThe pool closes on Labor Day. The Renaissance Faire is held at the grist mill, and the museum season ends late in the month.
• OctoberThe mill's Fall Festival, a haunted night at the museum, and downtown trick-or-treat on Main Street. Settlement Canyon closes at month end.
• NovemberThe canyon gates close. Merry Mainstreet is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the mill has a Christmas lighting.
• DecemberThe ski areas open. The Arts Council holds a holiday concert, and the Ritz shows holiday movies.

These are the usual months. Dates move each year, so check each event's own site before you plan a trip.

Tooele is the main city of its valley. Erda, Stansbury Park, and Lake Point lie to the north. Grantsville is to the west, and Salt Lake City is over the hill to the east. These are the drives people make most.

Stockton, a small town, is about 11 minutes south. Winter storms and rush hour can add time on SR-36 and I-80. The airports topic covers flights, and the traffic topic covers the commute. For more day trips, the Tooele day trips guide on The Local has the overlook, Ophir, and the salt flats.

Drive times are map estimates from Tooele City Hall with no traffic.