Draper

History

In the fall of 1849, Ebenezer Brown brought cattle to graze along the mountain stream of South Willow Creek. The next spring, Ebenezer moved with his wife Phebe Draper Palmer Brown and their family to settle in Sivogah, the Native American name for the area, which means "willows." By the end of 1850, residents of the small settlement consisted of Ebenezer Brown and his three children (by a prior marriage), Phebe Draper Palmer Brown and her two children (by a prior marriage), and Phebe's brother, William Draper Jr. and his large family, numbering about fifteen. Consequently, by the end of the settlement's first year, most residents were members of the Draper Family, and William Draper Jr. was soon called to be the presiding elder for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the area. During this time, the Drapers mainly farmed, and Ebenezer Brown ranched and sold cattle to immigrants heading to the gold fields of California along what became the Mormon Road. More settlers moved to the area in the next few years. Later the area was called South Willow Creek. By 1852, 20 families lived along the creek. In 1854, the first post office was established with the name Draperville in recognition of William Draper Jr. and its other Draper residents. The town's name in later years was shortened to Draper. (William Draper Sr., father of both William and Phebe Draper, who was older at the time of his family's settlement of Draper is buried in the town cemetery.) Hostilities with the Native Americans began in 1854, and a fort was established where the local settlers lived during the winters of 1855 and 1856. The fort was never completed, as the feared hostilities did not materialize, and its former location is now the site of the Draper Historical Park and the…

Geography

Draper City is nestled in the far southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley, with the Wasatch Mountain Range on the east and the Traverse Ridge Mountain on the south. At the Point of the Mountain, Draper is known for being one of the most popular and best wind areas in the country for hang gliding and paragliding. Draper lies roughly midway between Salt Lake City and Provo. Draper is bordered by Riverton and Bluffdale to the west, South Jordan to the northwest, Sandy to the north, Alpine to the southeast, Highland to the south, and Lehi to the southwest. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.05%, is water. Draper's climate is roughly identical to other Salt Lake City suburbs. However, due to being further away from the Great Salt Lake, varied elevation, and from the downtown urban heat island effect, Draper experiences a slightly drier winter and more extremes in temperatures. The average temperatures in winter and summer, respectively, are 30 °F to 50 °F, and 80 °F to 100 °F. Springs are usually mild and wet, while fall can sometimes become an Indian summer with drier weather. Monsoonal moisture from the south usually brings afternoon thunderstorms in July and August. Draper falls on the border of the humid continental/subtropical climatic zones and is technically a cool/warm semi-arid desert environment, but with summer monsoonal moisture. Snow usually falls regularly from November through March.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  17,295
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  15,254
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13,965
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  11,210
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,084
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  10,969
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,488
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  10,072

Largest nearby schools

• Mountain Ridge High
  High · HERRIMAN · 2,507 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Bingham High
  High · SOUTH JORDAN · 2,482 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• Corner Canyon High
  High · DRAPER · 2,434 students · 26.2:1 ratio
• Brighton High
  High · Salt Lake City · 2,360 students · 26.2:1 ratio
• Hillcrest High
  High · MIDVALE · 2,296 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• Alta High
  High · SANDY · 2,294 students · 25.8:1 ratio
• Riverton High
  High · RIVERTON · 2,286 students · 26.9:1 ratio
• Herriman High
  High · HERRIMAN · 2,240 students · 24.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.86 — 2026-08-07
  6 km NNW of Saratoga Springs, 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
• M 4.65 — 2026-01-22
  40 km S of Evanston, Wyoming