Tucked between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, this city of roughly 85,000 has a backdrop that looks straight out of a postcard.
It’s no wonder, then, that Ogden is a magnet for outdoor adventurers of all stripes. In the summer months, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing are popular hobbies. (Waterfall Canyon, North Skyline Trail and 9th Street Crag are some favorite local haunts.) Skiing and snowboarding dominate winter weekend agendas, with three separate resorts — Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Nordic Valley — about 30 minutes away. (A shuttle bus that stops at the edge of downtown Ogden brings folks straight to the slopes.)
The city’s Historic 25th Street retains some Wild-West-frontier flair — at Union Station, an old train depot that’s now home to multiple historical museums, will keep fans of retro railroads, firearms and classic cars busy. On the first Friday of every month, the downtown strip turns into an art show, with live music and featured works from local galleries. But truth be told, there’s great art on display everyday, thanks to Ogden’s many outdoor murals, painted horse sculptures and street pianos. The latter is a project from the local non-profit Nurture the Creative Mind, a group that works year-round on exposing teens and kids to art — and plans an annual community balloon fest to boot.
Ogden is home to Weber State University, as well as two major hospitals, and Hill Air Force Base is just south of the city. Moody’s predicts jobs will grow more than 7% in the next few years, and some experts predict a spike in Ogden’s tech industry as companies headquartered in nearby Salt Lake City look to more affordable markets, and remote work continues to offer new opportunities to employees nationwide.
