Davis County, Utah

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Davis County, Utah
Map
Map of Utah highlighting Davis County
Location in the state of Utah
Map of the U.S. highlighting Utah
Utah's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 1852
Seat Farmington
Largest city Layton
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
634 sq mi (1,641 km²)
304 sq mi (789 km²)
329 sq mi (853 km²), 51.95%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density
238,994
Named for: Daniel C. Davis
Panorama of Davis County from Fernwood Park in Layton
For the Davis County Cooperative Society, see Latter Day Church of Christ.

Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In land area it is the smallest county in Utah. In 2000 the population was 238,994 and by 2006 was estimated at 276,259. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county is part of the Ogden-Clearfield metropolitan area, but, geographically, the southern half of the county has more in common with Salt Lake City than with Ogden. Its county seat is Farmington and its largest city is Layton[1].

Davis County also contains the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, the main amusement park serving the Wasatch Front.

Contents

[edit] History

Davis County was created by the territorial legislature in 1852, with Farmington designated as its county seat, because of its geographic location midway between boundaries at the Weber River on the north and the Jordan River on the south. During its first 50 years, Davis County grew slowly. With the advent of the Utah Central Railroad in 1870, a transition to mechanized agriculture and a surge of commerce, banking, improved roads, new water systems, and electrification of homes began. However, by 1940, the population was barely 16,000.

With the establishment of Hill Air Force Base in northern Davis County, there was a surge of civilian employment after World War II. The county doubled in population between 1940 and 1950, and doubled again between 1950 and 1960 as part of the nationwide suburb boom that was occurring at the time. By 1990 there were 188,000 residents, and in 2000, there were 239,000. By 2030, the county is expected to have a population of about 360,000.

Today, most of the population resides in Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville, and Clearfield while most of the growth is concentrated in the northwest, northeast, and southwest portions of the county, and especially in such cities as Syracuse, Clinton, West Point, South Weber, and Woods Cross.

[edit] Law and Government

Further information: 18th Utah Senate District, 21st Utah Senate District, 22nd Utah Senate District, and 23rd Utah Senate District

A three-member board of commissioners is the county's governing body. Each of these commissioners serve four-year terms, which overlap for the sake of continuity. They are responsible for all county services and operations. They approve, adopt, and amend the budget; they also serve as the legislative body and regulate business licensing in the county's unincorporated areas. The current county commissioners are Alan Hansen, Louenda Downs, and Bret Millburn, with Commissioner Hansen currently serving as Commission Chair.

The assessor is responsible for the valuing of all real property in the county. The current assessor is James B. Ivie.

The clerk/auditor serves as the county's chief financial and budget officer. The current Clerk/Auditor is Steve Rawlings.

The treasurer is responsible for collection and investing of county funds. The current Treasurer is Mark Altom.

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 634 square miles (1,641 km²), of which, 304 square miles (789 km²) of it is land and 329 square miles (853 km²) of it (51.95%) is water. It has the least land area of any county in Utah.

The county lies generally between the Great Salt Lake on the west and the Wasatch Range on the east, which rises to a height of 9,707 ft (2,959 m) in the county at Thurston Peak. The Great Salt Lake in the west, which is surrounded by marshland and mudflats, lies at an average elevation of approximately 4,200 ft (1,280 m), varying depending on the water level, which can lead to drastic changes in the lake size due to its shallowness. The lake includes Antelope Island, which is the largest island in the lake. The entire island is a state park, designated to protect natural scenery and especially wildlife on the island, which includes bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and a bison herd. The narrow, populated portion that lies between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Range is a portion of the Wasatch Front, which is very narrow at this point, complicating north-south transportation in the county.

Davis County borders Weber County on the north, Salt Lake County on the south, Tooele County on the west, Morgan County on the east, and Box Elder County on the northwest corner in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. You must travel through Weber County to access it, however, and you must travel through Salt Lake County to access Tooele County. It should be noted that Davis County shares land borders with only Salt Lake, Morgan and Weber counties; all other borders are water.

Davis County lies in a semiarid climate zone. Snow is frequent during winter, with up to 90 in (230 cm) annually on high bench areas in the east and at least 60 inches (150 cm) on the valley floor. Annual precipitation averages between 18 and 25 inches (450 to 650 mm) in the county, with spring being the wettest season and summer the driest. Summers are hot, with several days each year averaging above 95°F (35°C). However, the humidity is low, making for comparatively comfortable temperatures. In winter, temperatures sometimes drop below 0°F (-18°C), but rarely for extended periods of time. Compared to Salt Lake County to the south, the weather in Davis County is extreme. Lake-effect snows hit the southern county harder, and even in non-lake-effect storms, the lack of a rain shadow in Davis County (much of Salt Lake County lies in the rain shadow of the Oquirrh Mountains) means that storms hit harder here. In addition, canyon winds from the east hit this county very hard, and wind gusts above 100mph (160 km/h) have been reported. This occurs when a powerful high pressure system situates itself over Wyoming, and are a common local occurrence. Extreme wind events, however, have seemed to decline in frequency in recent years.[1]

[edit] Transportation

The most important road in the county is Interstate 15, which runs north-south through the center of the county. U.S. 89 enters parallel to I-15 from Salt Lake County to the south and runs north through North Salt Lake and Bountiful as a city road before merging with I-15. It re-emerges again in Farmington near the Lagoon Amusement Park, heading along the eastern benches on the slopes of the Wasatch Range, entering Weber County near South Weber. US 89 will eventually be upgraded to a freeway through eastern Layton north to its interchange with Interstate 84 near the Weber County border. Due to the narrowness of the Wasatch Front through the county, congestion is a major problem, especially since many people within the county commute south into Salt Lake County.

To relieve congestion in the county, the Legacy Parkway portion of the Legacy Highway began construction in March 2006. Construction began near the US 89/I-15 interchange in Farmington in 2004, but was soon halted due to a lawsuit filed by environmentalists over the completeness of the environmental impact statement. Environmentalists were concerned that the road would impact marshlands along the eastern edge of the Great Salt Lake. A settlement was finally reached in November 2005 and the final injunction was lifted in February 2006. This portion of the Legacy Highway will run southward from the US 89/I-15 interchange in Farmington, along the west end of the valley, and connecting into Interstate 215 near the border with Salt Lake County. Construction is expected to finish in 2008.

The Utah Transit Authority in August 2005 began construction on FrontRunner, a commuter rail line to link Salt Lake City with Davis and Weber counties. Extending to Pleasant View, north of Ogden in Weber County, the line was completed and opened for regular service on April 28, 2008. In Davis County, stations were constructed in Woods Cross, Farmington, Layton, and Clearfield. All of these stations have prompted plans for transit-oriented development (TOD).

[edit] Major Highways

[edit] Economy

Davis County is often characterized as a bedroom community. According to the US Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, 42.3% of the population work in another county.[2] South Davis County commuters who work in Salt Lake County frequently encounter commuting time traffic bottlenecks between Davis and Salt Lake Counties. The Legacy Highway and Commuter Rail FrontRunner projects are under construction to ease this problem.

Davis County's largest employer is Hill Air Force Base. Hill AFB is a dominant feature of the economy of Davis County. Earnings of civilians at Hill AFB are almost double the state average. Hill AFB accounts for about 12% of the economy of Davis County and about 2.6% of the economy of Utah.[3] Hill AFB provides employment for nearly 23,000 military and civilian personnel (approximately 4,500 active duty, 1,200 reservists, 13,000 federal civil servants, and 4,000 civilian contractors).[4] Other large employers include Davis School District, Lagoon Amusement Park, and Lifetime Products.[5]

[edit] Education

Public education in Davis County is served by the Davis School District. There are currently 53 elementary schools, 14 junior high schools, and 8 high schools in the school district. The high schools are as follows:

The Utah College of Applied Technology operates a campus in Kaysville known as the Davis Applied Technology College (DATC).

Weber State University operates a campus in Layton.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 238,994 people, 71,201 households, and 59,239 families residing in the county. The population density was 785 people per square mile (303/km²). There were 74,114 housing units at an average density of 243 per square mile (94/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.26% White, 1.09% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 5.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2005 88.6% of Davis County's population was non-Hispanic whites. 1.2% of the population was African-American. 1.8% of the population was Asian. 6.6% of the population was Latino.

There were 71,201 households out of which 49.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.80% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.80% were non-families. There are 1,636 unmarried partner households in Davis County: 1,410 heterosexual, 132 same-sex male, and 94 same-sex female. 13.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.67.

In the county, the population was spread out with 35.10% under the age of 18, 12.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 17.10% from 45 to 64, and 7.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,726, and the median income for a family was $58,329. Males had a median income of $40,913 versus $25,904 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,506. 5.10% of the population and 4.00% of families were below the US Federal poverty line. 5.90% of those under the age of 18 and 4.10% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

By 2006 276,259 people lived in Davis County, representing a growth of 15.6% since the last census, slightly more than the growth rate for Utah overall.[3]

[edit] Cities and towns

[edit] References

  1. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Davis County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Davis County, Utah
County seat: Farmington
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Coordinates: 41°01′N 112°07′W / 41.01, -112.12