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Utah's strategic location, equidistant from all major western markets, offers unique transportation advantages.
Two railroads, an international airport and an east-west, north-south interstate highway system intersecting in Salt Lake City combine to provide Utah with an excellent transportation system ideal for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facilities.
Among more than 300 metropolitan areas, Salt Lake City's transportation access rates 7th in the country, according to Places Rated Almanac .
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Air Carrier Service
The Salt Lake City International Airport, just 10 minutes west of downtown Salt Lake City, is ranked the 23rd busiest airport in passenger traffic in the U.S. Salt Lake International Airport has been ranked among the top ten nationally and internationally in quality of airport operations. In 1994, more than 17.4 million passengers were served by the following major air carriers operating from the Salt Lake City International Airport:
- Alpine Aviation
- America West Airlines
- American Airlines
- Skywest Airlines
- Continental Airlines
- Trans World Airlines
- Delta Air Lines Inc.
- United Airlines
- Northwest Airlines
- VanGuard Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Horizon Airlines
Air carrier service connects Salt Lake City with other major cities throughout the country as well as other communities in Utah. The airport has 321 daily passenger departures providing easy access to other national and international flights. Nine national carriers and three commuter airlines offer non-stop service to 64 cities.
Delta Air Lines, with 151 departures daily, is the most active carrier operating out of the Salt Lake City International Airport. Salt Lake City is a highly successful hub for Delta Air Lines. The table below shows the air travel time from Salt Lake City to selected major cities.
Unlike other metropolitan airports, Salt Lake City International Airport has acquired adequate property for future expansion of the facility. This capability to expand services, terminals and runways should insure the future quality of air service in Utah without the problems and delays associated with congestion and overcrowding. The Salt Lake Airport Authority has a new multi-level parking structure and a third air carrier runway is nearly complete. A third runway has been recently put into service. At 12,000 feet-long, it will double air service capacity.
Delta Air Lines has recently completed improvements including an aircraft maintenance hanger and reservation and baggage facilities.
More than 300 million pounds of air freight move through the Salt Lake City airport facility each year.
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Air Travel Time Between Salt Lake City and Selected Cities
|
Flight Times
(hours) |
Non-Stop
Flights from SLC |
|
| Albuquerque |
1.5
|
3
|
| Atlanta |
4.0
|
6
|
| Boston |
4.5
|
2
|
| Chicago |
3.0
|
10
|
| Dallas |
2.5
|
11
|
| Denver |
1.0
|
18
|
| Houston |
2.5
|
2
|
| Los Angeles (includes Orange County Area) |
1.5
|
18
|
| Minneapolis |
3.0
|
8
|
| New York |
4.5
|
2
|
| Phoenix |
1.5
|
11
|
| Portland |
1.5
|
5
|
| San Diego |
1.5
|
6
|
| San Francisco/Bay Area |
1.5
|
15
|
| Seattle/Tacoma |
2.0
|
8
|
| Washington D.C. (Includes Dulles) |
4.5
|
2
|
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Highway System
Utah's transportation system includes 43,155 miles of state, county, and city roads and highways. Of that mileage, 14% is classified as urban mileage.
The three most important highways within the state are I-15, which runs north towards the Idaho border and south into California; I-70, an east-west route in the central part of the state that begins at I-15; and I-80, which is also an east-west system through the Salt Lake City area.
Interstates 15 and 80 intersect 22 blocks south of the center of the downtown business district.
The interstate highways are important to the efficient transportation of goods and materials throughout Utah. Other important links in the interstate system are I-84 northbound into Idaho, and I-215, the Salt Lake County belt route which helps ease transportation access for westside industrial facilities.
In addition to the main interstate routes, Utah's other important highways are US-89, US-6/191, US-6, and US-40/191.
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Utah Transit Authority (UTA)
The UTA has a daily ridership of over 68,000 persons, and serves an 1,800
square-mile area in Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties. Some 75%
of citizens within UTA-authorized zones have bus service within two blocks
of their homes. Commute times for most riders range from 10 to 40 minutes.
The UTA also provides service to local ski resorts at premium fares, and
its FlexTrans program, utilizing special low-sill buses, offers door-to-door
service to the handicapped.
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Mileages from Salt Lake
City to Major Western Cities
| Destination | Miles |
| Seattle | 869 |
| Portland | 807 |
| Boise | 363 |
| San Francisco | 755 |
| Sacramento | 671 |
| Reno | 531 |
| San Diego | 784 |
| Los Angeles | 730 |
| Las Vegas | 449 |
| Phoenix | 688 |
| Albuquerque | 612 |
| Denver | 512 |