Big boom in Utah 'burbs: 10 have doubled or more since 2000 census

(DESERET NEWS) -- New census estimates released Wednesday reveal that 10 Utah cities have doubled their populations — or more — since the 2000 Census. Saratoga Springs in western Utah County has outpaced them all, growing 14-fold since then, from 1,162 residents in 2000 to 16,053 in 2008.

"We're a new city. A group of landowners who wanted to develop their land incorporated in 1997 — so there was nothing here then," says city manager Ken Leetham. "When you go from essentially nothing to 16,000, the percentage looks really big, But we're still a small concern."

That "small concern" could change, however, as the city is projecting growing to a population of maybe 75,000 to 85,000 by 2030 — which could even put it among the top 10 largest cities in the state by then.

It is just one example of phenomenal growth in recent years among what had been smaller, somewhat remote suburbs in Utah.

For example, four neighbors of Saratoga Springs in northern Utah County were among the 10 cities that at least doubled in size since 2000. Eagle Mountain grew by 805 percent; Cedar Hills by 206 percent; Lehi by 142 percent; and Highland by 102 percent.

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