Orem, Utah

Orem, Utah
City
Orem City Center
Flag
Nickname:  Family City USA
Location in Utah County and the state of Utah
Coordinates: 40°17′26″N 111°43′47″W
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Utah
Settled	1877
Town charter granted	May 5, 1919
Named for	Walter C. Orem
Area
• Total	18.57 sq mi (48.10 km^2)
• Land	18.57 sq mi (48.10 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation [2]	4,767 ft (1,453 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	98,129[1]
• Density	5,267.22/sq mi (2,033.67/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Area codes	385, 801
FIPS code	49-57300[3]
GNIS feature ID	2411333[2]
Website	www.orem.org

Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately 45 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and Juab counties. The 2020 population was 98,129,^[1] while the 2010 population was 88,328^[4] making it the 5th most populous city in Utah. Utah Valley University is located in Orem.

History

At one time the area was known as Sharon, a Biblical name for a mostly level strip of land running between mountains and the sea, and the name of the Vermont birth town of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.^[5] Another former name was Provo Bench.^[5] In an apparent attempt to attract more investment to the town and provide an easy way for the large population of farmers with orchards to ship produce, in 1914 it was named after Walter C. Orem, President of the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad in the early 1900s.^[6] Orem was incorporated on May 5, 1919.

Arts and culture

Orem is renowned for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and its Summerfest celebration and parade in June is a popular local attraction.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Orem is situated in a high desert, with an average elevation of 4,756 feet. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.4 square miles (48 km²), all land. The city is located near the eastern shore of Utah Lake, bordering Provo on the east and south, Vineyard to the west, Lindon contiguous to the north, and Mount Timpanogos/Wasatch Mountain range to the east.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	435		—
1900	692		59.1%
1910	1,064		53.8%
1920	1,664		56.4%
1930	1,915		15.1%
1940	2,914		52.2%
1950	8,351		186.6%
1960	18,394		120.3%
1970	25,729		39.9%
1980	52,399		103.7%
1990	67,561		28.9%
2000	84,324		24.8%
2010	88,328		4.7%
2020	98,129		11.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[7][1]

2020 census

Orem, Utah – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[8]	Pop 2010[9]	Pop 2020[10]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	73,076	68,433	68,948	86.66%	77.48%	70.26%
Black or African American alone (NH)	267	524	866	0.32%	0.59%	0.88%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	521	528	485	0.62%	0.60%	0.49%
Asian alone (NH)	1,202	1,688	1,968	1.43%	1.91%	2.01%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	710	856	1,409	0.84%	0.97%	1.44%
Other race alone (NH)	103	162	469	0.12%	0.18%	0.48%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,228	1,913	4,130	1.46%	2.17%	4.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,217	14,224	19,854	8.56%	16.10%	20.23%
Total	84,324	88,328	98,129	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of 2011 the 88,112 residents of Orem had a racial and ethnic composition of 89.3% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander Americans, 4% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% two or more races reported and 14.8% Hispanic, as Orem has a large Mexican American community with other Latinos residing in the city. This contrasts with the census^[3] of 2000, which showed a racial makeup of 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.

The 2000 Census counted 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families. The population density at that time was 4,572.6 people per square mile (1,765.5 people/km²). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 1,310.4 per square mile (505.9/km²). There were 23,382 households, out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,703, and the median income for a family was $59,066. Males had a median income of $42,249 versus $30,742 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,971. About 10.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16% of those under age 18 and 6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2002, over 97% of all church-going citizens of Orem are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^{[11][better source needed]} Due to the high numbers of Latter-day Saints in the area, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple in Orem on October 5, 2019.^[12] The temple is located a half mile south of the Interstate 15 exit at University Parkway on South Geneva Road.

Education

Orem is located in the Alpine School District^[13] and is home to three high schools, three junior high schools, and 14 elementary schools.^[14] Stevens-Henager College is also located in Orem, as is an education center of Utah State University.

Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University campus

Utah Valley University is a public university operated by the state of Utah. UVU is one of the United States' only Open Enrollment Universities offering acceptance to all applicants. As a university, UVU offers a wide variety of bachelor's and master's degrees. UVU is the largest and fastest growing public university in Utah with its attendance of over 43,000 undergraduates.^[15] The campus's notable features include the UCCU Center, the Digital Learning Center library, the Hal Wing Track and Field Complex, and the Woodbury School of Business. The Roots of Knowledge stained glass display is located in the Fulton Library on campus.^[16]

Government

The city of Orem is governed by a council-manager system. The mayor and council members are elected and serve part-time, while the city manager is appointed and serves full-time. There are six city council members that serve alongside the mayor. The mayor and city council are elected to staggered four year terms.^[17]

Name	Position	Elected/Appointed	Year First Elected/Appointed	Number of Terms Served (Includes Current Term)	Current Term Ends
David Young	Mayor	Elected	2021[18]	1	2025[18]
Jenn Gale	City Council	Elected	2023[19]	1	2027[19]
Chris Killpack	City Council	Elected	2023[19]	1	2027[19]
Jeff Lambson	City Council	Elected	2019[20]	2	2027[19]
Tom Macdonald	City Council	Elected	2013[21]	3	2025[22]
LaNae Millett	City Council	Elected	2021[23]	1	2025[23]
David Spencer	City Council	Elected	2013[21]	3	2025[22]
Brenn Bybee	City Manager	Appointed	2023[24]	N/A	N/A

List of mayors of Orem (years served):

• B. M. Jolley (1941-1945)
• J. W. Gillman (1946-1953)
• Ray E. Loveless (1953)
• Leland Jarman (1954-1957)
• Luzell Robbins (1958)
• V. Emil Hansen (1958-1959)
• Melbourne D. Wallace (1960-1961)
• G. Milton Jameson (1962-1965)
• James E. Mangum (1966-1967)
• Winston M. Crawford (1968-1973)
• James E. Mangum (1974-1981)
• Delance W. Squire (1982-1985)
• S. Blaine Willes (1986-1991)
• Joyce Johnson (1991)
• Stella Welsh (1992-1997)
• Joseph Nelson (died in office) (1998-1999)
• Chris Yandow (1999-1999)^[25]
• Jerry C. Washburn (2000-2011)^[26] Died on September 26, 2011, after a long battle with cancer.^[27]
• James T. Evans (2011-2014)
• Richard F. Brunst, Jr. (2014-2021)
• David A. Young (2022-Current)

Economy

A meetinghouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orem set against winter mountain backdrop

Orem has a wide variety of stores and businesses. Orem is also home to University Place, the oldest mall in Utah County, opened in March 1973.^[28]

Top employers

According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[29] the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of employees	Percent of Total City Employment
1	Utah Valley University	3,030	5.9%
2	Alpine School District	1,222	2.4%
3	City of Orem	569	1.1%
4	Timpanogos Regional Hospital	507	1.0%
5	Avetta, LLC	500	1.0%
6	Wal-Mart	499	1.0%
7	Target Corporation	409	0.8%
8	United Parcel Service, Inc.	360	0.7%
9	Costco	350	0.7%
10	U.S. Synthetic Corporation	347	0.7%
	Total	7,793	15.3%

Company startups

Several notable companies started in Orem:

• Blendtec
• Bluehost
• Caldera
• Chess.com
• Fishbowl Inventory
• Flexsim
• Mity-Lite
• Novell (now owned by Micro Focus)
• Omniture (now owned by Adobe Systems)
• PowerQuest
• Wahoo Studios
  • NinjaBee, subdivision of Wahoo Studios
• WordPerfect (now owned by Corel, was first named Satellite Software International, or SSI, and used Orem City Center as its headquarters for a time in offices the city had available in the basement)
• Zuka Juice

Sports

Hootz, the mascot of the Orem Owlz franchise in the Pioneer League

Orem has been home to a number of professional sports teams in addition to being the home to Utah Valley University's Wolverines athletic teams. The Orem Owlz minor league baseball team, a rookie league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, began play in 2005.^[30] The Owlz won 5 championships and had more than 90 major league players as part of the team.^[31] The Owlz played their home games at UCCU Ballpark on the campus of Utah Valley University. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 spectators.^[32] The Owlz competed in the Pioneer League against teams from Colorado, Idaho, Montana and one team in Utah - the Ogden Raptors.^[33] They relocated to Windsor, Colorado, in 2021 and became the Northern Colorado Owlz.^[34]

Orem has also been the home to two indoor football teams as well as a G League professional basketball team. In 1998, the Utah Catzz played their only season in the Professional Indoor Football League as the league only lasted one season. The Utah Flash was an NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers that was established in 2007.

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Established	Concluded	Championships	Notes
Orem Owlz	Baseball	Pioneer League, Baseball	UCCU Ballpark	2005	2020	5	The Pioneer League 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah Catzz	Football	Professional Indoor Football League	UCCU Center	1998	1998	0	The Professional Indoor Football League only operated for one year during the 1998 season.
Utah Flash	Basketball	NBA G League	UCCU Center	2007	2011	0	The Utah Flash was later moved and is now known as the Delaware Blue Coats.
Utah Valley Thunder	Football	American Indoor Football Association	UCCU Center	2009	2009	0	The Utah Valley Thunder returned to the Arena Football League until 2013.

Transportation

Public transit

Several modes of transportation are available in Orem. The Utah Transit Authority operates the Frontrunner train, Utah Valley Express (UVX) bus rapid transit and regular bus service in the city. The Orem station serves Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner train.^[35] The UVX route runs from Orem Central Station through UVU and along University Parkway through Orem's uptown near its southern boundary with Provo, which is where the opposite end of the bus line is located.^[36]

Major highways

The road system includes an Interstate highway, US highways, state highways, and city-maintained roads. Interstate 15 runs through the west side of Orem with four interchanges in the city.^[37] US Highway 89 (State Street) runs northwest–southeast through the middle of the city, while US Highway 189 (University Avenue) passes through a short section of northeast Orem. There are also four state routes that pass through the city - SR-52 (800 North/Canyon Parkway), SR-114 (Geneva Road), SR-241 (1600 North), and SR-265 (University Parkway).^[38]

Notable people

• Alan Ashton - owns land of Thanksgiving Point and is co-founder of WordPerfect
• Ben Cahoon - receiver for the Montreal Alouettes
• William Campbell - California state legislator
• James C. Christensen - fantasy, religious and surrealism artist
• Ally Condie - New York Times bestselling author of the Matched series
• LaVell Edwards - BYU football coach
• Travis Hansen - former guard for Atlanta Hawks; co-founder of Eddy
• Brett Helquist- illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Gary Herbert - former Governor of the State of Utah
• Chelsie Hightower - Professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars
• Allison Holker - So You Think You Can Dance season 2 finalist
• Julianne Hough - actress, professional ballroom dancer on Dancing with the Stars, and singer, born in Orem
• John S. K. Kauwe III - Biologist and president of Brigham Young University–Hawaii
• Paul Kruger - NFL linebacker for the Cleveland Browns
• Chad Lewis - NFL tight end
• Bert McCracken - lead vocals of the rock band The Used, was born in Provo but grew up in Orem
• Donny Osmond - American actor and singer
• Marie Osmond - American actress and singer
• Noelle Pikus-Pace - 2005 overall World Cup Skeleton title winner and silver medalist at 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
• Shauna Rohbock - silver medalist in women's bobsleigh at the Turin 2006 Olympics
• Thomas Sederberg - Creator of the T-spline
• Howard Tayler - author of Schlock Mercenary^[39]
• Erin Thorn - WNBA guard
• Dan Wells - author of the I Am Not a Serial Killer and Partials Sequence

Notable groups include:

• Rock band The Used
• The Aces (indie pop band)

City parks

Scera Park

Orem has more than 20 parks throughout the city. In 2017, the Orem Splash Pad opened at Palisade Park. The Splash Pad uses 1,000 gallons per minute and has a weave spray nozzle as well as 22 other spray nozzles.^[40] The Skate Park opened in 2002 and has a quarter acre of cemented space for extreme sport use.^[41] City Center Park is home to the annual Orem Summerfest as well as concerts and other cultural events.^[42] City parks include:^[43]

• Bonneville Park
• Cascade Park
• Cherry Hill Park
• City Center Park
• Community park
• Foothill Park
• Geneva Park
• Hillcrest Park
• Lakeside Sports Park
• Mt. Timpanogos Park
• Nielson's Grove Park
• Northridge Park
• Orchard Park
• Palisade Park
• Scera Park
• Sharon Park
• Skate Park
• Spring Water Park
• Westmore Park
• Windsor Park

Sister cities

Orem has one sister city in Ürümqi, China, according to the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Sister Cities Coalition.^[44]

See also

• Christeele Acres Historic District
• Cirque Lodge
• List of cities and towns in Utah

References

1. "QuickFacts: Orem city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Orem, Utah
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
5. "10 fun facts about Orem that you may not know". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
6. Rigert, Michael. "Orem founded 90 years ago today". Daily Herald.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
8. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Orem city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
9. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Orem city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
10. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Orem city, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
11. "Orem, Utah (UT) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
12. "Members around the world react to President Nelson's 8 new temples announcement". Church News. October 6, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
13. "Alpine School District". alpine.k12.ut.us. Archived from the original on October 29, 2005. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
14. "www.orem.org". orem.org. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
15. "Utah Valley University Fall Enrollment Tops 43,000 Students". uvu.edu. UVU Content Hub. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
16. "Roots of Knowledge". www.utahvalley.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
17. "Mayor & City Council – City of Orem". orem.org. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
18. Spencer, Megan (November 3, 2021). "Provo and Orem 2021 Election Day Roundup". The Daily Universe. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
19. "2023 Utah County general election unofficial results". heraldextra.com. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
20. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem voters select two new council members, with two incumbents too close to call for the third open seat". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
21. "Municipal election vote tallies". Deseret News. November 6, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
22. "Utah County updates 2017 election results". UtahValley360. November 14, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
23. "2021 Election Day in Utah: Updated results are in. Here's how local races are shaping up". Deseret News. December 20, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
24. "Orem to keep acting city manager in position after interim candidate search". heraldextra.com. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
25. Herald, Reva Bowen-Daily. "Orem will start looking for new mayor next week". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
26. "BYU Magazine: The Magazine of Brigham Young University". BYU Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
27. Orem mayor loses battle with cancer. ksl.com (September 26, 2011). Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
28. Buckley, Jay H. (2010). Orem. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7882-8.
29. "City Finances – City of Orem". orem.org. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
30. "Fowl ball: Orem Owlz look to soar like Provo Angels of old". Deseret News. June 16, 2005. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
31. Coles, Joe (July 14, 2020). "Wait 'til next year: Cancellation of minor league baseball season leaves void in lives of players and fans alike". Deseret News. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
32. "Facilities". Utah Valley University Athletics. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
33. "2019 Pioneer League". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
34. Kirk, Alexander (November 30, 2020). "Orem Owlz announce move to Windsor in 2021". 9 News. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
35. "Station Addresses". www.rideuta.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
36. "New Provo-Orem rapid bus now rivals the ridership of TRAX Green Line". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
37. "All Exits along I-15 in Utah starting near Portage | iExit Interstate Exit Guide". iexitapp.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
38. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem council approves 1600 North ownership transfer to UDOT for $30 million widening". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
39. Tayler, Howard. "Blógünder Schlock » About". Retrieved November 6, 2007. Howard Tayler is the award-winning cartoonist responsible for Schlock Mercenary and the inventor of the "chupaqueso." He's married and lives in Orem, UT[...].
40. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem to open splash pad at Palisade Park in May". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
41. "11 fun things to do in Orem". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
42. Herald, Genelle Pugmire Daily. "Orem's Summerfest postponed". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
43. "City Parks". www.oremrecreation.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014.
44. Andelin, Jennifer (September 10, 2010). "Utah's International & Sister City Partnerships" (PDF). Utah League of Cities and Towns. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.

External links

• Media related to Orem, Utah at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website