Best Web Design in Murray, UT (2026)

Web Design for Murray, Utah

Murray sits at the geographic center of the Salt Lake Valley on the Jordan River, which earned it the nickname the Hub of Salt Lake County. Settled by Mormon pioneers as South Cottonwood in 1848, it grew into a booming smelter town processing ore from mines like Bingham Canyon, then reinvented itself around healthcare and retail after the last ASARCO lead smelter closed. It remains unusually self-sufficient, running its own police, fire, power, water, library and parks departments.

AppWT works with Murray, UT businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Murray

Also known as. Hub of Salt Lake County (for its central Salt Lake Valley location). Hub of the Smelter Industry (historic, from its 19th-century smelting boom).

History. Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1848 as a farming community called South Cottonwood along the Jordan River. Industrial history began with the Woodhull Brothers' smelter in 1869; by the 1870s-1880s multiple smelters (Germania, Hanauer, Wasatch and others) operated in town. The post office and city were renamed for Eli Houston Murray, a Civil War general who served as Utah territorial governor from 1880 to 1886. Incorporated as a third-class city, with the vote passing in 1902 and formal incorporation on January 3, 1903; C.L. Miller was elected first mayor by three votes. ASARCO was formed in 1899 from the Germania and Hanauer smelters; the lead smelter finally closed in 1950, and the tall ASARCO smokestacks were imploded in 2000 to clear the Superfund site, later bought by Intermountain Healthcare.

Local economy. 19th- and early-20th-century economy was dominated by smelting gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc; the first silver bars smelted in Utah were produced in Murray around 1870. Today the economy centers on healthcare, retail and professional/technical services. Intermountain Medical Center, built on the former ASARCO smelter site, is Murray's largest employer. State Street through Murray is a major retail and auto-dealership corridor, and Fashion Place Mall is a regional shopping anchor. Auto magnate Larry H. Miller bought his first dealership, Larry H. Miller Toyota, in Murray on May 1, 1979.

Culture and community. Murray Fun Days, the city's Fourth of July tradition, dates to 1958 and fills Murray Park with a parade, 5K, breakfast, entertainment and fireworks. Murray Arts in the Park is a summer entertainment series drawing more than 13,000 people annually. The Desert Star Playhouse, housed in the historic Iris Theatre, is known for community melodramas and comedy revues; the city also supports the Murray Symphony Orchestra and Murray Theater. Sports heritage runs deep: Murray Park Rugby Stadium has hosted USA Rugby national high school championships, and the Salt Lake County Ice Center served as a 2002 Winter Olympics venue. Notable natives and residents include record-setting Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, former NBA center Shawn Bradley, and Kim Peek, the savant who inspired Rain Man.

What makes Murray distinct. Murray runs its own municipal power, water, police, fire, library and parks departments, unusual among Salt Lake Valley suburbs, and generates some electricity from landfill methane. Boxing legend Jack Dempsey suffered a rare knockout loss at the Murray Fire Hall in 1917, decked by Fireman Jim Flynn. In 1974 Ted Bundy tried to abduct Carol DaRonch at Fashion Place Mall; she escaped and later testified against him. Murray High School has doubled as a filming location for Disney productions including High School Musical. A Pony Express station, Travelers' Rest (Station No. 9), once stood near present-day 6200 South State Street. Labor activist Joe Hill of the Industrial Workers of the World was arrested in Murray in 1914.

Murray Landmarks and Local Life

• Murray City Park - a 22-acre park with ballfields, an arboretum, amphitheater and the rugby stadium
• Wheeler Historic Farm - a restored turn-of-the-20th-century dairy farm
• Murray Theater and the historic Iris Theatre (Desert Star Playhouse) - plus the Murray Downtown Historic District
• John P. Cahoon House - known locally as the Murray Mansion
• Jordan River Parkway trail system running through the city.
• Murray Parkway and Mick Riley golf courses.