Tooele, Utah: Curious names, unique landscapes

The state’s fastest growing county has all the basics, and then some.

Nestled in the shadow of the Oquirrh Mountains, Tooele (pronounced too-will-ah) may seem like the middle of nowhere. After all, while you’re heading west along I-80 there’s not much to see before it and not much past, either. Perhaps that’s why the area has mysterious sounding places such as Dugway Proving Grounds, Benson Grist Mill and Aunt Libby’s Dog Cemetery. 

In fact, Tooele, Utah, and the surrounding areas are much like most Utah midsized towns. There are all the basics — golf courses, mom and pop restaurants, parks and even Tooele Technical College. But you’ll also find unique features, from a geo-thermal mini ocean (perfect for scuba diving) to an incomparable view of a HUGE copper mine.

Location

Where is Tooele, Utah? If you’ve been to the Bonneville Salt Flats to make a music video or for a wedding photo shoot, you’ve been past it. This bedroom community is just 34 miles from Salt Lake City, along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The commute to Salt Lake City takes about 30 minutes. Traveling along I-80 is the only main route out of the area. 

The three largest cities in Tooele County are within 10 miles of each other, making a near-perfect triangle. Tooele, the most populous, forms the southern tip. Grantsville, the second largest, is to the west, and Stansbury Park is to the north. The latter is the closest to the interstate, your best bet if you want to shave a few minutes off your commute.

Home prices

Tooele, Utah, has a wide range of single-family homes, from bungalows dating to the 1920s to modern houses under construction. Home prices are always subject to change, but generally they increase 4.7% per year, according to Realtor.com. In early 2023, the median listing price was $445,000, nearly $100,000 less than homes in Salt Lake City.

Large, single-family homes — around 4,000 square feet — list in the $800,000 range, while an average 1,500 square-foot house is about $500,000. There are also some townhomes, typically around $400,000. Rentals range from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on the type of housing.

Demographics

A medium-sized city, the population of Tooele, Utah, is just over 39,000 residents, making it the 24th largest community in the state. There are about 1,600 residents per square mile, with a median age of 31.8 years. 

As a whole, Tooele County is growing, too. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it led the state in percentage growth between July 2021 and July 2022, increasing 4.2%. Rapid growth is not new for the area. Nearby Grantsville, the second largest city in the county, now has more than 14,000 residents, up from 8,800 in 2010. And Stansbury Park nearly doubled its population from 2010 to 2020, from 5,145 residents to 9,851. 

Across the county are 15 elementary schools, three junior high and four high schools, with about 20,000 students. 

Recreation

What’s there to do in Tooele? No, you can’t drive 100 mph on your commute, but you can test your car-handling mettle at the Utah Motorsports Campus. The racetrack is home to Utah’s own NASCAR, where the fastest vehicles nearly hit 200 mph.

Wild West

Like Old West history? Tooele has it. There are monuments and memorials to highlight the past, including the area’s role in the Pony Express. The ghost town of Ophir, 20 miles south of Tooele, still has buildings and relics from its years as a mining town.

Scuba diving

Deep sea diving in a desert? Yup. Spring water bubbles up through the salty crust of Lake Bonneville to create an inlet of ocean-like water at Bonneville Seabase. If the water level is high enough, you can scuba dive or snorkel to see transplanted ocean fish — the small variety. Prefer fresh water? Check out Stansbury Lake, a 100-acre private, man-made water feature in Stansbury Park.

Move in

Whether you're looking to build new, buy an existing home or rent for a spell, find it on KSL.com. Want a job close to your new abode? Search KSL Jobs for listings currently available in Tooele.