West Valley City, Utah
Encyclopedia
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County
and a suburb of Salt Lake City
in the U.S. state
of Utah
. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,
making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quickly-growing unincorporated area, which was variously known as Granger, Hunter, Chesterfield, and Redwood. It is a bedroom community of Salt Lake City and home to the Maverik Center and USANA Amphitheater.
bands of the Ute and Shoshoni tribes.
Joseph Harker and his family were the first settlers in the territory known as "over Jordan" (referring to the land west of the Jordan River (Utah)
. The area was largely agricultural for over one hundred years.
The Granger area was settled by Welsh Latter-day Saints who had come to Utah with Dan Jones
in 1849. Irrigation systems and agriculture were developed in the area, and it was Elias Smith
who proposed the area's name on account of its successful farming. At other times high alkali content made farming difficult, but there were enough Latter-day Saints to form a separate Granger Ward in 1884. Granger and vicinity had about 1,000 people in 1930.
Hunter was not settled until 1876. This settlement was started by Rasmus Nielsen, Edward Rushton, August Larsen and about seven others along with their families. Irrigation began in 1881 and the main crop was fruit trees.
The city began to experience rapid growth in the 1970s, when the area that is now West Valley City consisted of the four separate communities of Hunter, Granger, Chesterfield, and Redwood. These four unincorporated area
s merged in 1980 to form the present-day city. During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, West Valley City was the official venue for men's and women's ice hockey
.
On May 19, 2011, the city unveiled an official plan to create a downtown area for the city over the course of 10 years, building on plans and development that already existed. It will be known as Fairbourne Station (named after Joseph Fairbourne, an early settler who operated a weigh station in the area in the late 19th century) and will consist of approximately 40 acres, costing $500 million to build. The center will include a civic center (consisting of city hall, a courthouse, police headquarters, and a library), an 8-story Embassy Suites
hotel, a plaza, and residential development, as well as the end of the West Valley
TRAX
line. Valley Fair Mall
and the Maverik Center are located nearby, as is I-215
. Much of the development has already occurred, with the TRAX line expected to open in 2011 and the hotel in 2012.
Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy
was arrested in Granger on August 16, 1975 on a routine traffic stop.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 35.5 square miles (91.8 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.17%) is water.
The city is located on the northwest side of the Salt Lake Valley
, between Salt Lake City
on the north, South Salt Lake
on the east, Magna Township
on the west, and Taylorsville
and Kearns Township
on the south. The Oquirrh Mountains
loom over the city to the west, while the Jordan River
marks the eastern boundary.
, strong city manager form of government, which means that the city manager is the CEO, while the mayor
fills the role of chairman of the board, with the City Council acting as the "board." The mayor
is a voting member of the City Council. The West Valley City Council meets each Tuesday night at 6:30 PM, except fifth Tuesdays. City Hall is located at 3600 South Constitution Boulevard.
The mayor
and six councilors are elected to four-year terms. Mayoral elections are held the same year as three of the councilors. The other three councilors are staggered two years from the mayoral. Two council seats are at-large, or citywide, and the remaining four seats represent districts of approximately 28,000 residents. Officials are not subject to term limit
s. The most recent election was held in 2009.
of 2010, there were 129,480 people, 38,535 households, and 34,900 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,647.32 people per square mile (2,266.35/km²). There were 38,978 housing units at an average density of 1,097.97 per square mile (682.25/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.37% White, 1.96% African American, 1.26% Native American, 4.97% Asian, 3.64% Pacific Islander, 18.96% from other races
, and 3.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.13% of the population.
There were 38,535 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.71.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,773, and the median income for a family was $48,593. Males had a median income of $32,116 versus $22,693 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,031. About 6.7% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
. It has 21 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, and 2 high schools - Granger, which opened in 1958, and Hunter
, which opened in 1990. The city is also the location of East Hollywood High School
, a charter school specializing in film education.
runs through eastern portions of the city parallel to I-15, which lies farther east of the city. The SR-201 freeway lies along the northern border with Salt Lake City and continues west into Magna as an expressway. Bangerter Highway, which runs south from Salt Lake City International Airport
, traverses the approximate center of the city as well on its way to serving the rapidly-growing western and southern ends of the valley. The proposed Mountain View Corridor
will also run through the western portion of the city. The city also is served by several bus routes operated by the Utah Transit Authority
, and a future transit center (including a TRAX
light rail
station) will be located in the city center near Valley Fair Mall
and the Maverik Center. Completion of the light rail line and transit center are expected by 2011.
of the ECHL
as well as the Utah Blaze
of the AFL
. It is also home to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, Stonebridge Golf Course, Westridge Golf Course, Rocky Mountain Raceway, USANA Amphitheatre
, Hale Centre Theatre, and the Valley Fair Mall
.
WVC is also home to The Drive-in.
, Mali
; Governor
of Chiapas
Juan Sabines Guerrero
; and United States Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton. Most recently, the key was awarded to Tonga
n Queen Mother
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
on July 28, 2011, when she visited the city for the rededication of the Tongan United Methodist Church.
: Nantou
, Nantou
, Taiwan Province
, Republic of China
(Taiwan)
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
and a suburb of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,
making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quickly-growing unincorporated area, which was variously known as Granger, Hunter, Chesterfield, and Redwood. It is a bedroom community of Salt Lake City and home to the Maverik Center and USANA Amphitheater.
History
The earliest known residents of the western Salt Lake Valley were Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
bands of the Ute and Shoshoni tribes.
Joseph Harker and his family were the first settlers in the territory known as "over Jordan" (referring to the land west of the Jordan River (Utah)
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
. The area was largely agricultural for over one hundred years.
The Granger area was settled by Welsh Latter-day Saints who had come to Utah with Dan Jones
Dan Jones (Mormon)
Dan Jones was an influential Welsh missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in 1849. Irrigation systems and agriculture were developed in the area, and it was Elias Smith
Elias Smith
Elias Smith was a preacher, physician, journalist and clergyman. Smith, along with the preacher Abner Jones, founded a group of Christian Churches in New England that eventually merged with other like-minded, regional groups to become the denomination known as the Christian Connexion...
who proposed the area's name on account of its successful farming. At other times high alkali content made farming difficult, but there were enough Latter-day Saints to form a separate Granger Ward in 1884. Granger and vicinity had about 1,000 people in 1930.
Hunter was not settled until 1876. This settlement was started by Rasmus Nielsen, Edward Rushton, August Larsen and about seven others along with their families. Irrigation began in 1881 and the main crop was fruit trees.
The city began to experience rapid growth in the 1970s, when the area that is now West Valley City consisted of the four separate communities of Hunter, Granger, Chesterfield, and Redwood. These four unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s merged in 1980 to form the present-day city. During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, West Valley City was the official venue for men's and women's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
.
On May 19, 2011, the city unveiled an official plan to create a downtown area for the city over the course of 10 years, building on plans and development that already existed. It will be known as Fairbourne Station (named after Joseph Fairbourne, an early settler who operated a weigh station in the area in the late 19th century) and will consist of approximately 40 acres, costing $500 million to build. The center will include a civic center (consisting of city hall, a courthouse, police headquarters, and a library), an 8-story Embassy Suites
Embassy Suites Hotels
'Embassy Suites Hotels is a chain of upscale all-suite hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. As of Feb. 22, 2011, there are 200 Embassy Suites Hotels in the United States, plus 8 Embassy Suites Hotels internationally. Similar to other Hilton brands, most Embassy Suites hotels are independently...
hotel, a plaza, and residential development, as well as the end of the West Valley
West Valley Line
The Green Line is a light rail line in the Trax system in Salt Lake County, Utah. It opened on August 7, 2011, and runs between the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub and the West Valley Intermodal Hub, servicing a total of 15 stations: 10 in Salt Lake City, one in South Salt Lake, and four in West...
TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
line. Valley Fair Mall
Valley Fair Mall (West Valley City, Utah)
Valley Fair Mall is a single-level regional shopping center located in West Valley City, Utah. It was constructed in 1970 on the southwest corner of the I-215 belt route and 3500 south in the Salt Lake Valley. Valley Fair Mall hosts approximately 120 in-line shops, a 13 bay/450 seat food court...
and the Maverik Center are located nearby, as is I-215
Interstate 215 (Utah)
Interstate 215 , also known locally as the belt route or two-fifteen, is an auxiliary interstate in the U.S. state of Utah that forms a 270-degree loop around Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs...
. Much of the development has already occurred, with the TRAX line expected to open in 2011 and the hotel in 2012.
Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy
Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
was arrested in Granger on August 16, 1975 on a routine traffic stop.
Geography
West Valley City is located at 40°41′21"N 111°59′38"W (40.689181, -111.993867).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 35.5 square miles (91.8 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.17%) is water.
The city is located on the northwest side of the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
, between Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
on the north, South Salt Lake
South Salt Lake, Utah
South Salt Lake is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 23,617 at the 2010 census.-History:...
on the east, Magna Township
Magna, Utah
Magna is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770...
on the west, and Taylorsville
Taylorsville, Utah
Taylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 57,439 at the 2000 census...
and Kearns Township
Kearns, Utah
Kearns is a township and census-designated place in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. Named after Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, it had a population of 35,731 at the 2010 Census.This was a 6.2 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 33,659...
on the south. The Oquirrh Mountains
Oquirrh Mountains
The Oquirrh Mountains is a mountain range that run north-south for approximately 30 miles to form the west side of Utah's Salt Lake Valley, separating it from Tooele Valley. The range begins in northwest Utah County and stops at the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. The highest elevation is...
loom over the city to the west, while the Jordan River
Jordan River (Utah)
The Jordan River in the U.S. state of Utah is a river about long. Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake, it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. Four of Utah's five largest cities—Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan and...
marks the eastern boundary.
Government
West Valley City has a nonpartisanNon-partisan democracy
Nonpartisan democracy is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic elections take place without reference to political parties.-Overview:...
, strong city manager form of government, which means that the city manager is the CEO, while the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
fills the role of chairman of the board, with the City Council acting as the "board." The mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is a voting member of the City Council. The West Valley City Council meets each Tuesday night at 6:30 PM, except fifth Tuesdays. City Hall is located at 3600 South Constitution Boulevard.
The mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and six councilors are elected to four-year terms. Mayoral elections are held the same year as three of the councilors. The other three councilors are staggered two years from the mayoral. Two council seats are at-large, or citywide, and the remaining four seats represent districts of approximately 28,000 residents. Officials are not subject to term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s. The most recent election was held in 2009.
| Elected officials of West Valley City as of 2009 | ||
| Official | Position | Term ends |
| Mike Winder | Mayor | 2013 |
| City Council members | ||
| Corey L. Rushton | At-large | 2011 |
| Don Christensen | At-large | 2013 |
| Carolyn Burt | District 1 | 2011 |
| Steve Buhler | District 2 | 2013 |
| Russell K. Brooks | District 3 | 2011 |
| Steve Vincent | District 4 | 2013 |
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 129,480 people, 38,535 households, and 34,900 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,647.32 people per square mile (2,266.35/km²). There were 38,978 housing units at an average density of 1,097.97 per square mile (682.25/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.37% White, 1.96% African American, 1.26% Native American, 4.97% Asian, 3.64% Pacific Islander, 18.96% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.13% of the population.
There were 38,535 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.71.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,773, and the median income for a family was $48,593. Males had a median income of $32,116 versus $22,693 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,031. About 6.7% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city lies in the Granite School DistrictGranite School District
The Granite School District spreads across central Salt Lake County, Utah, serving West Valley City, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, and Holladay; Kearns, Magna and Millcreek Township; and parts of West Jordan, Murray and Cottonwood Heights. About 70,000 students are enrolled in its programs ranging...
. It has 21 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, and 2 high schools - Granger, which opened in 1958, and Hunter
Hunter High School
Hunter High School is a large public high school located at 4200 South 5600 West West Valley City, Utah. It was opened in 1990 with its first graduating class graduating in 1991...
, which opened in 1990. The city is also the location of East Hollywood High School
East Hollywood High School
East Hollywood High School is an accredited public charter school in West Valley City, Utah that specializes in film production training for students grades 9-12. As of 2008, the school principal is Eric Lindsey. Chartered directly through , EHHS enrolls approximately 300 students each year...
, a charter school specializing in film education.
Transportation
West Valley City is on the same address grid system as Salt Lake City, and therefore also follows the same street numbering system. I-215Interstate 215 (Utah)
Interstate 215 , also known locally as the belt route or two-fifteen, is an auxiliary interstate in the U.S. state of Utah that forms a 270-degree loop around Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs...
runs through eastern portions of the city parallel to I-15, which lies farther east of the city. The SR-201 freeway lies along the northern border with Salt Lake City and continues west into Magna as an expressway. Bangerter Highway, which runs south from Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, traverses the approximate center of the city as well on its way to serving the rapidly-growing western and southern ends of the valley. The proposed Mountain View Corridor
Mountain View Corridor
The Mountain View Corridor, numerically designated as State Route 85 , is an expressway currently under construction that will run along the western periphery of Salt Lake County and northwest Utah County in northern Utah. A spur of the eventual freeway to Interstate 15 opened in northwestern Utah...
will also run through the western portion of the city. The city also is served by several bus routes operated by the Utah Transit Authority
Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah, United States. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines , and a commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, north of Ogden. UTA is based in...
, and a future transit center (including a TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
station) will be located in the city center near Valley Fair Mall
Valley Fair Mall (West Valley City, Utah)
Valley Fair Mall is a single-level regional shopping center located in West Valley City, Utah. It was constructed in 1970 on the southwest corner of the I-215 belt route and 3500 south in the Salt Lake Valley. Valley Fair Mall hosts approximately 120 in-line shops, a 13 bay/450 seat food court...
and the Maverik Center. Completion of the light rail line and transit center are expected by 2011.
Sports and entertainment
West Valley City is home to the Maverik Center and the Utah GrizzliesUtah Grizzlies
The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
as well as the Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
of the AFL
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. It is also home to the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, Stonebridge Golf Course, Westridge Golf Course, Rocky Mountain Raceway, USANA Amphitheatre
USANA Amphitheatre
The USANA Amphitheatre is a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, located in West Valley City, Utah. The Amphitheater is named after USANA Health Sciences, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements...
, Hale Centre Theatre, and the Valley Fair Mall
Valley Fair Mall (West Valley City, Utah)
Valley Fair Mall is a single-level regional shopping center located in West Valley City, Utah. It was constructed in 1970 on the southwest corner of the I-215 belt route and 3500 south in the Salt Lake Valley. Valley Fair Mall hosts approximately 120 in-line shops, a 13 bay/450 seat food court...
.
WVC is also home to The Drive-in.
Key to the City
West Valley City has presented the Key to the city to several visiting dignitaries. Past recipients have included Mayor Yeah Samake of OuelessebougouOuelessebougou
Ouelessebougou is a town and commune in the Cercle of Kati in the Koulikoro Region of south-western Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 34,030....
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
; Governor
Governor of Chiapas
This is a list of governors of the Mexican state of Chiapas. The state constitution stipulates a term of 6 years, to which governors can only be elected once. It also specifies the qualifications for becoming Governor: a Mexican citizen by birth, aged at least 30 years old, and having not less than...
of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
Juan Sabines Guerrero
Juan Sabines Guerrero
Juan José Sabines Guerrero is a Mexican politician, son of the former Governor of Chiapas, Juan Sabines Gutiérrez and nephew of the writer Jaime Sabines, until 2006 he was member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party that carried him to be Municipal President of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, but renounced...
; and United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton. Most recently, the key was awarded to Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
HM Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho is the Queen Mother of the present King of Tonga, George Tupou V. She was Queen Consort of the late king, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who died in 2006....
on July 28, 2011, when she visited the city for the rededication of the Tongan United Methodist Church.
Sister cities
West Valley City has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Nantou
Nantou City
Nantou City is located in the northwest of Nantou County, Taiwan, Republic of China. It lies between the Bagua Mountains and the Maoluo River and is the seat of Nantou County. Freeway No. 3 serves Nantou City...
, Nantou
Nantou County
Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....
, Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan)
Famous residents
- John Madsen, NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Naufahu TahiNaufahu TahiNaufahu Anitoni Tahi is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at BYU...
, full back, Minnesota Vikings - Tadd Gadduang, Finalist, So You Think You Can Dance