Heber Valley

Then & Now

At a Glance

Located in Wasatch County

Settled in 1859, incorporated as a town in 1889 and a city in 1901

Named in honor of Mormon leader Heber C. Kimball in 1859. The town was originally a fort protecting settlers from Indian attacks and became a shipping point for lumber and ore with the completion of a railroad line in 1899

Includes the towns of Daniels, Wallsburg, Heber City and Midway

Main industries are tourism, recreation and farming

Elevation 6,388 feet

Population 19,568 (2025 data)

Average Sold Price/SF: $491.00

Average Sold Home Price: $1,973,485

Wasatch County School District

A cherished sister community just fifteen minutes south of Park City and 43 miles from Salt Lake City, the Heber Valley historically has been a confluence of generational Utahns with Mormon Pioneer and Swiss ancestry settling the valley and bringing hundreds of years of traditional, style and culture to its architecture, food and lifestyle offerings.

The valley has transformed into a bustling mini metropolis since the COVID pandemic and has experienced some of the fastest and largest growth in its population, industry and real estate development anywhere in Utah. New residents fleeing to the mountains from bustling cities and concentrated neighborhoods across the country quickly realized the quality of life and affordable housing offered by the many towns peppered throughout the valley while still enjoying the quick commute to Park City’s resort offerings without the elevated cost of living. A nationally recognized destination, Heber is the third-fastest growing city of its size and was recently chosen to be one of the happiest places to live by Home Beautiful.

Tourism is a year-round industry in the Heber Valley. The winter season features cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling on several trails and the nearby ski resorts of Park City. In the summer and fall, golfing, off-roading, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities are abundant. Just minutes away are three significant bodies of water, the Jordanelle and Strawberry Reservoirs and Deer Creek State Park whose glistening mountain-fed lake delights boaters, swimmers and fisherman throughout the warm summer months. Heber is also home to the Heber Valley Historic Railroad (HVRR), known to Utah residents by its nickname, the Heber Creeper. Soldier Hollow, a 8,738 acre state park established in 1968 became a venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, hosting biathlon, and the cross-country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events, a role it is expected to reprise for the 2034 Winter Olympics. With its expanded infrastructure it has been developed as a cross-country skiing, tubing, and snowshoeing venue, while featuring mountain biking and golfing in the summer.

Heber City's residents are employed largely in the surrounding golf courses, restaurants, and specialty shops in Heber City and the surrounding area. Local contractors and farmers are also a major source of employment with an easy commute to Park City, Salt Lake City, Provo, and Orem. Farming and ranching are a large economic force, but this has diminished slightly. The largest local employer is the Wasatch County School District.