Orem is an incorporated town in the north-central part of the state of Utah in Utah County. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 84,324. An August 2007 estimate had its population at 92,176, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Utah Valley State College is located in Orem. The Orem Owlz of the minor league baseball Pioneer League play their home games at the college.
Orem uses the moniker "Family City USA". The city, once known as Provo Bench, was named after Walter C. Orem, who operated a railroad line in the area in the early 1900's.
Geography
Orem is located at 40°17′56″N 111°41′47″W / 40.29889°N 111.69639°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.298753, -111.696486)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 47.8 km² (18.4 mi²), all land.
The City of Orem is located on the eastern shore of Utah Lake. It borders Provo, Utah on the east and is located in the foothills of Mount Timpanogos.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,765.6/km² (4,572.6/mi²). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 506.0/km² (1,310.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.
There were 23,382 households out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.4% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,529, and the median income for a family was $51,214. Males had a median income of $38,221 versus $22,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,590. About 5.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Orem is located in the Alpine School District and is home to three high schools, three junior high schools, and 16 elementary schools. Utah Valley State College and Stevens-Henager College are also located in Orem. [1]
Brigham Young University, one of the largest private universities in the United States, is located in neighboring Provo.
Sports
| Team | Sport | League | Championships | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orem Owlz | Baseball | Pioneer League; Southern Division | 3 (2004, 2005, 2007) | Parkway Crossing Stadium |
| Utah Flash | Basketball | NBA Development League; Western Division | 0 | McKay Events Center |
In the News
On July 6th, 2007 a 70 year old widow named Betty Perry made news when she was cited by the police for a failure to water her lawn. According to Perry[2], she could not afford the water bill. She was subsequently arrested for actively resisting the police.[3]
This has generated a lot of embarrassing attention for the city of Orem, and Office James Flygare, who pulled Ms. Perry down until she fell and damaged her nose, has been 'cleared of all wrong-doing.' Indeed, the Orem City Attorney is continuing to press charges against the aged widow for resisting arrest, despite the apology extended by the major and city council.[4]
Also see
Famous Citizens
- Rock music group The Used
- Chad Lewis - NFL Tight End
- Bruce Wayne - The Batman
- Noelle Pikus-Pace - 2005 overall World Cup Skeleton title winner
- Shauna Rohbock - Silver medalist in women's bobsleigh at the Turin 2006 Olympics
- Allison Holker - So You Think You Can Dance Finalist
- LaVell Edwards - Legendary BYU Football Coach
- James C. Christensen - Famous Surrealism artist
- Liz Lemon Swindle - Famous Religious artist
- Marie Osmond - American actress and singer
- Brian Wimmer - American actor
- Betty Perry - American 70 years old grandma who is charged with resisting arrest and failing to maintain her landscaping, both misdemeanors. She was arrested July 6 after failing to give her name to a police officer who visited her home. During a struggle, Perry fell and injured her nose. She spent more than an hour in a holding cell before police released her.Grandmother
Company Startups
Several notable companies started in Orem:
- WordPerfect (now owned by Corel)
- Novell (at one time headquartered in Orem)
- Omniture
- MyFamily.com (at one time headquarted in Orem)
- Flexsim Software Products, Inc.
- Names Database
- Zuka Juice
- PowerQuest
External links
- City's Official Website
- Alpine School District Orem Utah Public Schools
- Utah Valley State College Public Education based in Orem UT
- Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Annual storytelling festival at the end of the summer
- Orem Summerfest June Festival featuring games, rides, talent festival, children's parade, fireworks, restaurant taste booths