Eagle Mountain is a unique community situated in Cedar Valley northwest of Utah Lake, accessible by State Highway 73 off of I-15, fourteen miles southwest of Lehi.
Incorporated on December 14, 1996, Eagle Mountain is one of the first truly "planned-before-incorporated" communities in the state since Mormon pioneers first settled Utah Valley in the 1850s. In 1996, Eagle Mountain became the state's third largest city (behind Salt Lake City and West Valley City in Salt Lake County) with an area of forty-two square miles; today, hundreds of additional acres of Cedar Valley have been annexed to the city.
Unlike most other communities in Utah Valley, Eagle Mountain was not settled by early Mormon pioneers. The earliest known settlement in the Cedar Valley was Camp Floyd, the first federal military post in the Utah Territory. (Camp Floyd was named for the U.S. Secretary of War). From its establishment in 1858 until its abandonment three years later, Camp Floyd was home to nearly 3,000 residents, the largest military encampment in the country at that time. The post was renamed Fort Crittenden after Secretary Floyd's sympathy for the Confederacy was discovered. The Pony Express also came through this area. Eagle Mountain City annually celebrates its historical roots by holding the Pony Express Days festival every June.
Eagle Mountain's planned development has created a family-friendly community with many outdoor amenities, an extensive trails system, and parks, including Pony Express Skate Park, and Mountain Ranch Bike Park, as well as open spaces. Residents have access to commercial shops and services relatively close to their homes. This growing community has experienced extraordinary growth since its incorporation, and is now home to over 20,000 residents. With 21st-century technology and commerce in mind, city founders have organized broadband/fiber-optic Internet connections potentially for every home, invited industrial and commercial operations to the area, and developed an airport.
Eagle Mountain is governed by a mayor and five city council members.
(Information courtesy Eagle Mountain City, State of Utah, UVEDA)
