Provo, << PROH voh >> (pop. 115,162), is one of the largest cities in Utah. Provo was named for Etienne Provost, an early fur trapper. The city lies at the foot of the Wasatch Range, at an altitude of 4,549 feet (1,387 meters), and overlooks Utah Lake to the west. Provo is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Provo, Orem, and Lehi form the heart of a metropolitan area with a population of 671,815.
Provo is the seat of Utah County. Its economy, long dependent on farming and steelmaking, is now led by high-technology and service industries. Many computer software and health products companies are based in the Provo-Orem area. Provo is the home of Brigham Young University. The city’s Fourth of July celebration is one of the nation’s largest patriotic festivals.
Ute Indians first occupied the area. In September 1776, a party of exploring missionaries led by Fathers Francisco Dominguez and Silvestre Escalante, two Spanish priests, mapped the area. Provo was founded in 1849 by Mormon pioneers. The city has a mayor-council form of government.
