Flights to Salt Lake City

 

Founded in 1847 by the Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City gets its name from its close proximity to the Great Salt Lake. Thanks to mining booms and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, the city once earned the nickname Crossroads of the West.

SLC rests in a valley, just beneath the Wasatch Mountains. These majestic peaks provide it with a gorgeous backdrop and tourists and residents plenty of opportunity for skiing, which is probably the area's biggest draw.

But there’s much more to Utah’s capital city than its slopes. It’s home to several museums and centers for the performing arts and boasts a thriving music and festival scene. Its quaint, informal neighborhoods, many with Victorian and pre-World War II homes, make it feel more like a small town than a big city. And the friendly residents help impart that same feeling, too.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), located four miles west of downtown Salt Lake City, is Utah’s only international airport. A busy airport that’s a major Delta hub, Salt Lake City International has a wide assortment of fast and sit-down restaurant options. It also has retail and duty-free shopping. Enjoy free access to Wi-Fi while you’re there and plenty of power outlets for charging devices throughout the passenger terminals. The airport also has pet relief stations and infant care facilities, which can also accommodate nursing moms.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

  • You can easily get to downtown and the surrounding areas from Salt Lake City International Airport by rail. Green Line trains from TRAX, the city’s light rail system, leave the airport every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. Access the TRAX stop at the south end of Terminal One.
  • For travel by bus, the UTA Bus operates at the airport and travels downtown and to neighboring areas.
  • Taxi, limousine and shuttle services are also available at the airport and many travel directly to ski resorts.
  • Several car rental agencies also operate out of Salt Lake City International Airport.

SKIING AND OUTDOORS

With its idyllic peaks and ski conditions, it’s no surprise that Salt Lake City has played host to the Winter Olympic Games along with a number of other world cup and championship events. During winter, piles of dry snow smother the Wasatch, providing excellent downhill skiing at seven large resorts within 45 minutes of downtown, including Alta, Solitude, Snowbird and Brighton.

But if skiing’s not your thing or you prefer to visit in warmer months, there’s still plenty to see and do in nature. Take a trip to the Great Salt Lake, an inland sea that’s responsible for the city’s name. Ride a tram up to 9,000 feet in the Wasatch Mountains for unforgettable views and photos. Or if you’d like to venture farther, a number of air tours to famous natural wonders like Arches National Park, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone operate out of Salt Lake City.

ARTS AND CULTURE

While the skiing is certainly top-notch in Salt Lake City, don't miss the Clark Planetarium, equipped with Utah’s first 3D IMAX Theater. Take in the Hogle Zoo or the Museum of Fine Arts with its beautiful and wide range of works. Enjoy performances at the Hale Theatre. And if there's a concert while you're in town, catch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. One of the nation’s finest, it’s 360 voices strong and been featured on gold and platinum albums.

RESTAURANTS

Salt Lake City is the unexpected home to a developing food scene with chef-owned restaurants, craft breweries and urban wineries and distillers popping up all the time. In fact, Wine Enthusiast named Salt Lake one of “America’s 5 New Food Cities” in 2014. There are also a variety of international cuisine options to choose from, including East African, Himalayan, Japanese and Middle Eastern.

Salt Lake City sees hot summers and cold, snowy winters with large variations in temperature between the two seasons. During the summer, temperatures can soar to 90°F and above. Winters are cold, but surprisingly rarely frigid with an average January temperature of 32°F. Most of the city’s precipitation comes from Pacific Ocean storms that move along the jet stream between October and May. In the winter, the city sees a healthy average of 60 inches of snow.