If you are looking for a great place to live you might want to consider Riverton, Utah. It was ranked by CNN Money Magazine in 2005 as the nation’s 60th best place to live. Located in the Salt Lake Valley, Riverton, is about 20 miles from the capital of Salt Lake City. This proximity allows many residents to enjoy the lifestyle of a smaller city while being close enough to a large city for work, shopping, and more. However, Riverton is growing and the 2006 population of over 37000 is increasing every year. This former rural area has truly transformed itself into a suburban city with all that goes along with it.
History of Riverton
Riverton Utah is located at the southern end of the Salt Lake Valley on a low plateau west of the Jordan River. The earliest settlers led by Archibald Gardiner lived in primitive log houses & dugouts bordering the Jordan River. The area, beginning in about 1850 was called Gardinerville because of his pioneering efforts. In 1876 the South Jordan Canal was completed and that opened the benchland to real housing & farming. A judicial precinct was established in 1879 and the nearly 100 settlers changed the name to Riverton. In 1881, the much larger Salt Lake Canal was finished opening up the area to more homes and ranches away from the river.
In 1886 Riverton housed 233 individuals from 35 families. By 1900 Riverton was home to 92 families and a primarily Morman population of 517. In the decade of the 1890s, farming and ranching shifted from family farms to more commercial farming of alfalfa, sugar beets, tomatoes and wheat. The livestock industry was mostly sheep, dairy cows and poultry. In 1946 Riverton incorporated to a town board form of government.
Like most of the towns surrounding Salt Lake City, the most pressing problem for the city has been the rapid growth. As an example, in 1960, 94% of Riverton land was agricultural. By 1970 that number diminished as houses were built for an increased population to 2820, a number that increased to 1170 by 1992. Eleven years later, in 2003 population was almost 30,000. In July of 2007 it was estimated that homes had been built to house a population in Riverton, Utah of over 41,000 people.
Riverton Weather
Riverton is in a desert and receives very little rain each year. In fact, the average precipitation per year is a little more than 15 inches. The winter brings snow, but not too much, and the summer sees temperatures of up to 100 degrees.
Riverton Real Estate
Riverton real estate has seen some amazing growth over the past couple years, with the number of single family home permits issued almost doubling each year. In 2003 there were 292 single family home permits issued at an average price of $138,100. In 2004 there were 446 new homes for sale at an construction cost of $133,200 and then in 2005 there were 703 new homes for sale with an an average new construction cost of $158,500. Riverton homes for sale now are priced anywhere from $175,000 to three quarters of a million dollars. Obviously some serious growth is taking place in Riverton and prices on homes for sale are inching their way up as well.
Please click here to search the Riverton area MLS for homes!
Closeby Cities
The nearest city to Riverton, Utah with a population over 50,000 is West Jordan. Other smaller cities within eight miles include South Jordan, Bluffdale, Herriman, Draper, White City, Sandy and Midvale. Riverton’s city limits are bordered by Draper, Bluffdale, South Jordan, and Herriman.
Riverton Schools
Riverton has one high school, Riverton High, which is the state’s largest school. There are quite a few middle and elementary schools, however. These include South Hills Middle, Oquirrh Hills Middle, Rose Creek Elementary, Rosamond Elementary, Southland Elementary, Riverton Elementary, Foothills Elementary, and the Jean Massieu School.
Colleges and universities near Riverton include the following: the University of Phoenix-Utah campus, Brigham Young University, Weber State University, Utah State University, Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley State College, and the University of Utah.
Shopping in Riverton
There is some outstanding shopping in Riverton however there is even better shopping nearby in Salt Lake City. There are lots of malls, shopping centers, boutiques, and everything in between that caters to everyone.
Recreation
All kinds of recreational activities are available in Riverton, Utah. These include golf and bowling as well as all the other traditional activities like biking, swimming, fishing, and more.
Riverton City Services
Riverton City has a great website. For additional Community information as well as city resources go to Riverton Website.
|