Arriving

By Plane -- Direct flights connect Salt Lake City to almost 70 cities in the United States and Canada. Salt Lake City International Airport (tel. 800/595-2442 or 801/575-2400) is located just north of I-80 at exit 115, on the west side of the city. Airlines serving the airport include American (tel. 800/433-7300), America West (tel. 800/235-9292), Continental (tel. 800/523-3273), Delta/SkyWest (tel. 800/221-1212), Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359), JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583); Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525), Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792), and United (tel. 800/864-8331).

By Car -- Salt Lake City is 303 miles north of St. George, 238 miles northwest of Moab, 45 miles north of Provo, and 35 miles south of Ogden. You can reach it from the east or west via I-80 and from the north or south via I-15.

By Train -- Amtrak has several trains arriving daily from both coasts. The station is at 340 S. 600 West (tel. 800/872-7245).

Visitor Information

The Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau has an information center downtown in the Salt Palace Convention Center, 90 S. West Temple (tel. 800/541-4955 or 801/521-2822). It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm (until 6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day), Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm, and sells the Connect Pass ($31 adults, $22 children), which covers admission at a dozen local attractions. Additional information centers, staffed 9am to 9pm daily, can be found in the baggage areas in Salt Lake City International Airport Terminals I and II. There is another information center just off I-80 at 7200 West, open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm.

City Layout

Salt Lake City is laid out in a simple grid system centered on Temple Square. The roads bounding the Square are North Temple, South Temple, West Temple, and Main Street, with the center of town at the southeast corner (the intersection of Main and South Temple), which is the site of the Brigham Young Monument. The numbers in the road names increase from here by 100s in the four cardinal directions, with West Temple taking the place of 100 West, 100 North called North Temple, and 100 East known as State Street.

Addresses may seem confusing at first, but are really quite clear once you get accustomed to them. For instance, 1292 S. 400 West lies almost 13 blocks south of Temple Square and 4 blocks west, and 243 N. 600 East is about 2 blocks north and 6 blocks east.

A variety of detailed city maps can be purchased at most bookstores. The Salt Lake Visitor's Guide, available free at the visitor center, includes maps showing the approximate location of many restaurants, motels, and attractions.

Neighborhoods in Brief

Downtown -- The downtown area, centered on Temple Square, is both a business district and the administrative center for the LDS Church. Church offices, the Family History Library, the Museum of Church History and Art, and other church buildings surround the Square. This is most likely where you'll spend the bulk of your time. Within a few blocks south, west, and east are hotels, restaurants, stores, and two major shopping centers. Within a couple of blocks are the Salt Palace Convention Center, the Maurice Abravanel Concert Hall, and the Capitol Theatre. Capitol Hill -- The Capitol Hill district lies north of the Square and encompasses the 40 acres around the Utah State Capitol Building and Council Hall. Some lovely old homes are located in the blocks surrounding the Capitol. Marmalade District -- The blocks west of the Capitol to Quince Street are known as the Marmalade District. The streets in this small area were named for the nut and fruit trees brought in by early settlers, and the houses represent a variety of the city's early architectural styles. Sugar House -- Southeast of downtown, Sugar House was named for a never-completed sugar mill and is one of the valley's longest-standing neighborhoods. Today, it's populated by the young and hip and features a quirky collection of stores, galleries, and Asian eateries. Avenues District -- The Avenues District lies east of the Capitol and north of South Temple. Most of the larger homes here date from the silver boom in Little Cottonwood Canyon, when they were built by successful miners and merchants. Today, the tenants are mostly college students and young professionals.

Getting Around

By Car -- This is an easy city to explore by car, in large part because of the wide streets and abundant parking. National car-rental companies here include Advantage (tel. 800/777-5500 or 801/531-1199), Alamo (tel. 800/327-9633 or 801/575-2211), Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 801/575-2847), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700 or 801/575-2500), Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000 or 801/575-2580), Enterprise (tel. 800/325-8007 or 801/537-7433), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 or 801/575-2683), and National (tel. 800/227-7368 or 801/575-2277). All of these companies either have offices at the airport or will deliver a car to the airport for you.

You'll find many public parking lots in the downtown area, costing from $1 to $7 per day. Some lots are free with validation from participating merchants or restaurants. Street parking downtown is metered, costing 25¢ per half-hour, and usually limited to 130 minutes or 2 hours. Parking for larger RVs and motor homes is limited; there's one large lot -- the entire block between North and South Temple and 200 and 300 West -- where you can park for $2 to $6 per hour. You might also try the lot behind the Capitol, where there are some designated large-vehicle spaces; East Capitol Street, which is not metered, is a possibility as well.

By Public Transportation -- The Utah Transit Authority (tel. 888/743-3882 or 801/743-3882) provides bus service throughout the city, with a free-fare zone in the downtown area, roughly from 400 South to North Temple, continuing up Main Street to 500 North to include the State Capitol, and between 200 East and West Temple. You can ride free within this zone, getting on and off as many times as you'd like. The fee for traveling in the other zones is $1.25 to $1.40 per person; 60¢ to 70¢ for seniors and those with disabilities; or $3.50 for a day pass. Some buses are wheelchair accessible, and all have bicycle carriers. Traxx, a light-rail system also operated by the Utah Transit Authority, with the same contact information and same rates as the Utah Transit Authority's bus service (albeit free in the downtown area), runs 15 miles from the Sandy Civic Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy north to Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City, with another line running east to the University of Utah. The trains are wheelchair accessible and bicycles are permitted. Route schedules and maps for both the buses and light rail are available at malls, libraries, and visitor centers.

By Taxi -- For a taxi, contact the City Cab (tel. 801/363-5550), Yellow Cab (tel. 801/521-2100), or Ute Cab (tel. 801/359-7788), all available 24 hours a day.