The Wasatch Range rises dramatically 6,000 feet above Salt Lake City's valley floor, creating one of America's most striking urban-mountain interfaces. Utah's capital city of 200,000 sits at 4,226 feet elevation on the eastern bench above the Great Salt Lake. Desert climate brings cold, snowy winters averaging in the low 30s and hot, dry summers reaching the low 90s. The city's famous grid system, with blocks measuring 660 feet square, extends from Temple Square outward in cardinal directions. The Jordan River flows through the western portion, while numerous creeks descend from the Wasatch canyons.
