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Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Area at Night
The Salt Lake City metropolitan area is located along the western front of the Wasatch Range in northern Utah. Viewed at night from the vantage point of the International Space Station, the regular north-south and east-west layout of street grids typical of western US cities is clearly visible. Known as "the crossroads of the West", the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church and informally as the Mormon Church), and the state capital of Utah Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young together with other followers of the Mormon faith. The Salt Lake City metropolitan area today is included in the larger urban Wasatch Front region of Utah which includes over 2 million people (approximately 80% of the population of the state). Both the color of the city lights and their density provide clues to the character of the urban fabric - yellow gold lights generally indicate major roadways such as Interstate Highway 15 that passes through the center of the metropolitan area (image center, left to right), while bright white clusters of lights are associated with city centers, commercial, and industrial areas. In contrast, residential and suburban areas are recognizable due to diffuse and relatively dim lighting (image center left). The Wasatch Range to the east is largely dark, as are several large urban parks and golf courses located within the illuminated urban areas.
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