Entry Points:
About Tooele County
Tooele County includes 7,287 square miles in the western deserts of Utah, including a large part of Great Salt Lake, and most of the famous salt flats. It also includes a number of mountain ranges, most notably the Quirrah Mountains (said ochre) along the southeast boundary and the Stansbury, Onoqui and Cedar Mountain ranges, which run north to south parallel to the Quirrah Mountains. Due to its proximity to Salt Lake City, Tooele Valley, just west of the Quirrah Mountains, has seen tremendous growth in the past decade or two.
The Goshute Indian Tribe lived in Tooele County prior to white settlement. In 1949, Mormon pioneers led by Ezra T. Benson settled at Tooele, calling it E.T. City. The next year, "Tuilla" county was organized with the county seat at Richville. The origin of the name is unknown, but the spelling was eventually changed to the current "Tooele." The county seat was moved to Tooele in 1861.
U.S. Highway 40 was the major route of travel across Tooele County until it was replaced by Interstate 80, following the same route between the mountains and Great Salt Lake and then across the salt flats. Utah Highway 36 serves Tooele Valley and the city of Tooele, and Utah Highway 196 follows the west side of the Stansbury Mountains. The Dugway Proving Grounds, a military installation, occupies a large area in the southwest part of the county.
Street Index
|
a dirt road a road a trail Bonneville Speedway Road |
Frontage Road Grayback Hills Drive Interstate 80 Jukebox Cave |
Knolls OHV Road Leppy Pass Road Pilot Mountain Road Silver Island Road |