Tooele, Utah
Encyclopedia
Tooele is a city in Tooele County
in the U.S. state
of Utah
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat
of Tooele County
. The city is well known for Tooele Army Depot
, privately-owned waste-disposal facilities west of Tooele Valley, and TOCDF
, a government-owned chemical weapons incinerator south of Tooele Valley.
, the city has a total area of 21.2 square miles (54.8 km²), of which 21.1 square miles (54.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) (0.09%) is water.
Tooele is located on the western slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains
in the Tooele Valley, the next valley west of the well-known Salt Lake Valley
. Many popular camping and picnic areas surround the city.
The unusual name for the town is thought by some to have evolved from an old Ute Indian
word for tumbleweed
. This is only one of many unverified explanations, as the name's usage predated the introduction of the Russian thistle
to the United States. Other explanations include that the name derives from a Native American chief, but controversy exists about whether such a chief lived. Others hypothesize that the name comes from "tu-wanda", the Goshute
word for "bear", or from "tule", a Spanish
word of Aztec
origin, meaning "bulrush
".
of 2000, there were 22,502 people, 7,459 households, and 5,825 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,064.4 people per square mile (411.0/km²). There were 7,923 housing units at an average density of 374.8 per square mile (144.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.96% White, 0.74% African American, 1.32% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races
, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.09% of the population.
There were 7,459 households out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,862, and the median income for a family was $48,490. Males had a median income of $37,373 versus $24,175 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,580. About 5.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
and an extension of Salt Lake Community College
within city boundaries.
For the first several years of its existence the Festival was held near the end of May, but it seemed to coincide with late-spring cold spells, which were disastrous since all the Festival's activities are held out of doors. Due to this unpredictability, sponsors finally decided to move it into June, although this decision puts it in direct competition with the much larger Utah Arts Festival, held in Salt Lake City on the same dates.
.
: Kambarka
, Russia
La Bañeza
, Spain
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is part of the Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Utah, anchored by Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 968,858. As of July 1, 2009 the U.S...
. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Tooele County
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 40,735 and by 2005 was estimated at 51,311. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele....
. The city is well known for Tooele Army Depot
Tooele Army Depot
Tooele Army Depot is a United States Army post located in Tooele County, Utah. It serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition. The depot stores, issues, receives, renovates, modifies, maintains and demilitarizes conventional munitions...
, privately-owned waste-disposal facilities west of Tooele Valley, and TOCDF
Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
The Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility or TOCDF, is a U.S. Army facility located at Deseret Chemical Depot in Tooele County, Utah and is used for dismantling chemical weapons. Destruction is a requirement under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is monitored by the Organisation for the...
, a government-owned chemical weapons incinerator south of Tooele Valley.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 21.2 square miles (54.8 km²), of which 21.1 square miles (54.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) (0.09%) is water.
Tooele is located on the western slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
in the Tooele Valley, the next valley west of the well-known Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. Many popular camping and picnic areas surround the city.
The unusual name for the town is thought by some to have evolved from an old Ute Indian
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
word for tumbleweed
Tumbleweed
A tumbleweed is the above-ground part of a plant that, once mature and dry, disengages from the root and tumbles away in the wind. Usually, the tumbleweed is the entire plant apart from the roots, but in a few species it is a flower cluster. The tumbleweed habit is most common in steppe and desert...
. This is only one of many unverified explanations, as the name's usage predated the introduction of the Russian thistle
Russian thistle
Russian thistle is a common name that can refer to:*Echinops exaltatus, Russian globe thistle*Salsola, some species, including:*Salsola kali, also known as prickly saltwort*Salsola soda, oppositeleaf Russian thistle...
to the United States. Other explanations include that the name derives from a Native American chief, but controversy exists about whether such a chief lived. Others hypothesize that the name comes from "tu-wanda", the Goshute
Goshute
The Goshutes are a band of Western Shoshone Native American. There are two federally recognized Goshute tribes today: the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation and Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah of the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.-Name:The name Goshute derived either from...
word for "bear", or from "tule", a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word of Aztec
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
origin, meaning "bulrush
Schoenoplectus
Schoenoplectus is a genus of about 80 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus Typha...
".
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 22,502 people, 7,459 households, and 5,825 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,064.4 people per square mile (411.0/km²). There were 7,923 housing units at an average density of 374.8 per square mile (144.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.96% White, 0.74% African American, 1.32% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.09% of the population.
There were 7,459 households out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,862, and the median income for a family was $48,490. Males had a median income of $37,373 versus $24,175 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,580. About 5.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tooele is located in the Tooele County School District. That district contains 16 elementary schools (Anna Smith, Copper Canyon, Dugway, East, Grantsville, Harris, Ibapah, Middle Canyon, Northlake, Overlake, Rose Springs, Settlement Canyon, Stansbury Park, Vernon, West and Willow), three junior high schools (Grantsville, Tooele and Clarke N. Johnsen) and six high schools (Grantsville, Tooele, Blue Peak, Dugway, Stansbury, and Wendover.) There is also a regional campus of Utah State UniversityUSU-Tooele
Utah State University Tooele Regional Campus is a part of the Utah State University Regional Campuses and Distance Education system located in Tooele, Utah offering a number of Associate, Bachelor and Masters degrees as well as certificate programs and a Doctor of Education program. Classes are...
and an extension of Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
within city boundaries.
Industry
- A major private employer in the area is Kennecott Utah CopperKennecott Utah CopperKennecott Utah Copper Corporation , a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah, USA. Kennecott operates one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah. ...
which operates the Kennecott Bingham Copper MineBingham Canyon MineThe Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is the deepest open-pit mine in the world. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an...
, the world's largest open-pit excavation mine on the other side of the Oquirrh Mountains from Tooele's location. 240- and 320-tonShort tonThe short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...
capacity trucks deliver copper ore to the in-pit crusher, where the material is reduced to the size of soccer balls before being loaded onto a five-mile (8 km) conveyor that carries the ore to the Copperton ConcentratorBingham Canyon MineThe Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is the deepest open-pit mine in the world. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an...
. - EG&GEG&GEG&G, formally known as Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Inc., is a United States national defense contractor and provider of management and technical services. The company was involved in contracting services to the United States government during World War II, and conducted weapons research and...
, the company which operates TOCDF in Rush ValleyRush Valley, UtahRush Valley is a town in Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 453 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rush Valley is located at ....
, south of Tooele Valley - Energy Solutions (formerly known as Envirocare), a waste-storage facility in Clive, west of Tooele Valley.
- Federal governmental agencies
- State government agencies
- Tooele county governmental agencies
- Tooele Industrial Depot - A portion of the previous Tooele Army Depot has been turned back to the local area, and many of the government-constructed buildings in that area are now filled with manufacturing facilities, warehouses and offices. The area is administered by a consortium known as Tooele Industrial Depot.
- Miller Motorsports Park is a state-of-the-art road racing facility for automobiles, motorcycles and karts located just 35 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City in Tooele, Utah. It is considered the finest facility of its type in North America. Opened in 2006, Miller Motorsports ParkMiller Motorsports ParkMiller Motorsports Park is an auto, motorcycle, bicycle and kart racing facility located in the unincorporated Erda area just outside Tooele, Utah.- The Track :...
hosts many of the world’s most significant racing series, including the American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, NASCAR Grand National West Series, AMAAmerican Motorcyclist AssociationThe American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
Superbike and SupersportAMA Supersport ChampionshipAMA Supersport is the 600cc class for AMA motorcycle racing, held from 1988. The current national champion is Graves Motorsports' Ben Bostrom who succeeded the younger brother of Nicky and Tommy, Roger Lee Hayden....
Championship and, new for 2008, the FIM Superbike World ChampionshipSuperbike World ChampionshipSuperbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
, one of the top three racing series in the world. Miller Motorsports ParkMiller Motorsports ParkMiller Motorsports Park is an auto, motorcycle, bicycle and kart racing facility located in the unincorporated Erda area just outside Tooele, Utah.- The Track :...
also hosts the National Auto Sport AssociationNational Auto Sport AssociationThe National Auto Sport Association is an American motorsports organization promoting road racing and high-performance driver education....
National Championship Races. - Tooele was the filming location of the 2009 comedy Gentlemen BroncosGentlemen BroncosGentlemen Broncos is a 2009 comedy film written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Michael Angarano, Jemaine Clement, Sam Rockwell and Jennifer Coolidge.-Plot:...
- Tooele was one of the locations for the second season of Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, yet the episodes were filmed in California.
Arts festival
Since 1985, the Tooele Arts Festival, an annual 3-day event since 1998 falling on the last weekend in June, has drawn visitors from around the country who are looking for one-of-a-kind artwork, including paintings, jewelry, ceramics, photographs, sculptures, and live musical entertainment. Children's playground equipment and entertainments are also provided. There is no admission fee for this festival, which is held at a city-owned park west of the city center.For the first several years of its existence the Festival was held near the end of May, but it seemed to coincide with late-spring cold spells, which were disastrous since all the Festival's activities are held out of doors. Due to this unpredictability, sponsors finally decided to move it into June, although this decision puts it in direct competition with the much larger Utah Arts Festival, held in Salt Lake City on the same dates.
County fair
Until 2000 the annual Tooele County Fair was held during the first week of August at the Tooele County Fairgrounds, inside Tooele City limits. After that date it has been held at the Deseret Peak Complex, located in the Tooele Valley midway between Tooele City and Grantsville CityGrantsville, Utah
Grantsville is the second most populous city in Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,015 at the 2000 census. The city has grown slowly and steadily throughout most of its existence, but rapid increases in...
.
Sister cities
Tooele has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Kambarka
Kambarka
Kambarka is a town and the administrative center of Kambarsky District of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, located on the Kambarka River , southeast of Izhevsk. Population:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
La Bañeza
La Bañeza
La Bañeza is a municipality located in the province of León, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2010 census , the municipality has a population of 11,050 inhabitants.It is the capital of the region of Tierra de La Bañeza....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
See also
- Deseret Chemical DepotDeseret Chemical DepotThe Deseret Chemical Depot is a U.S. Army chemical weapon storage area located in Utah, 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. It is related to the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility.-History:...
- Tooele Army DepotTooele Army DepotTooele Army Depot is a United States Army post located in Tooele County, Utah. It serves as a storage site for war reserve and training ammunition. The depot stores, issues, receives, renovates, modifies, maintains and demilitarizes conventional munitions...
- Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal FacilityTooele Chemical Agent Disposal FacilityThe Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility or TOCDF, is a U.S. Army facility located at Deseret Chemical Depot in Tooele County, Utah and is used for dismantling chemical weapons. Destruction is a requirement under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is monitored by the Organisation for the...
- Wendover Air Force BaseWendover Air Force BaseWendover Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Utah now known as Wendover Airport. During World War II it was a training base for B-17 and B-24 bomber crews. It was the training site of the 509th Composite Group, the B-29 unit which dropped the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs...