Coalville

History

Coalville originally began as a settlement known as Chalk Creek. In 1856 Brigham Young, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), awarded hundreds of acres of farmland to trailblazer and trusted bodyguard "Return" Jackson Redden. Redden first visited the valley around 1846 while scouting trail ahead of the advance of Mormon pioneers. The first recorded settlement was Redden's ranch, spanning from 100 N. Main Street to beyond the Coalville City Cemetery where he is buried. In 1854, the territorial government in Utah offered a $1000 reward to anyone who could find coal within 40 miles of Salt Lake City. Four years later, Redden and associate Thomas Rhodes found a coal vein in the Chalk Creek area, and coal mining began in earnest. Hundreds of tons of coal were shipped to Salt Lake City, and soon a narrow gauge railroad was built. The settlement was then renamed Coalville, as a result of this early success. Coalville was officially founded by William Henderson Smith, an early Mormon freighter. He noticed that wheat, spilled by other wagons moving through the area, would grow to maturity without being tended. In 1859, he signed Coalville into official township. Early life in Coalville was difficult, and during winters, the settlers dealt with a constant scarcity of food. When food ran out, they would travel to Salt Lake City for supplies. The local Indian tribes were also hostile for a time, and the settlers built a fort on the advice of Brigham Young. In 1867, Coalville was incorporated. By 1880, success in the coal industry led to the extension of the railroad into Park City. Then known as the Summit County Railway, the railroad continued to transport coal and was also used for Park City's silver mines. Unlike most Mormon settlements…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (12.27%) is water. Coalville has a high-altitude, warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) that borders a subarctic climate (Dfc), characterized by extreme diurnal temperature ranges that range from extremely cold winter nights to hot afternoons in the summer. However, the high altitude and low humidity mean that mornings in the summer remain very cool, and frosts have occasionally occurred—even in July. Precipitation is moderate throughout the year, though with a minimum in summer, and snow accumulation is generally heavy due to the very cold nights between November and March, with a median of for the year. Coalville is located at the intersection of two narrow valleys—formed by Chalk Creek and the Weber River. Like other valley locations in northern Utah, Coalville experiences pronounced temperature inversions associated with high-pressure systems during winter months, with low temperatures below 0 °F relatively common. Owing to this localized phenomenon, observed low temperatures are often significantly lower than those forecasted by national agencies.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  5,104
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,562
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,439
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,795
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,487
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,169
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,168
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,013

Largest nearby schools

• North Summit School
  Elementary · COALVILLE · 364 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• North Summit Middle
  Middle · COALVILLE · 334 students · 20.9:1 ratio
• North Summit High
  High · COALVILLE · 328 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• North Summit Preschool
  Other · COALVILLE · 27 students

Most recent

• M 2.86 — 2026-08-07
  6 km NNW of Saratoga Springs, Utah
• M 2.59 — 2026-06-25
  12 km E of Millville, Utah
• M 3.52 — 2026-02-14
  4 km NNW of West Valley City, Utah
• M 3.5 — 2026-02-05
  6 km WNW of Lehi, Utah
• M 2.71 — 2026-02-05
  41 km ENE of Oakley, Utah
• M 2.97 — 2026-01-22
  41 km SSE of Evanston, Wyoming