Oakley is a city in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Oakley is located east of Salt Lake City on SR-32, in the Kamas Valley. With an elevation of , it is a gateway to the Uinta Mountains. Scenic route Weber Canyon Road follows the Weber River to its headwaters; it also follows the Smith and Morehouse Creek to its reservoir in its own scenic canyon from Oakley. The towns of Marion, Kamas, and Peoa are its neighbors, and the Weber River flows nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Oakley has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Oakley had a population of 1,588. The median age was 36.8 years. 29.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 500 households in Oakley, of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 65.2% were married-couple households, 13.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 1,463 || 92.1%
|-
| Black or African American || 1 || 0.1%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 8 || 0.5%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 44 || 2.8%
|-
| Two or more races || 66 || 4.2%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 154 || 9.7%
|}
2000 census
In the 2000 census,
Lifelong resident Ken Woolstenhulme bought the small local grocery store then named The Merc in 1971 and ran it as Ken's Kash until selling it to Larry Devey in 2008. Then and now, the store is a gathering place for locals looking for the last ingredient for dinner. Those who grew up locally remember it fondly as one of the last places to offer penny candy. For a time, the store served as the local post office, but increased demand from summer homes up Weber Canyon led the federal government in 1985 to build the present post-office building across the street from the store.
Ken Woolstenhulme has been involved in all aspects of the town's life, including serving as postmaster, county commissioner, school board member and town mayor at various times in his life.
Local attractions
Oakley is most famous for its annual rodeo, held each year on the Fourth of July weekend. This rodeo, sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005 with the opening of a $3 million, 6,000-seat arena. A large town park surrounds the rodeo grounds, hosting softball, baseball and soccer tournaments throughout the summer, with Ute League football in the fall and recreational soccer in the spring. Oakley has two eating establishments, the locally owned Polar King and the Road Island Diner, a former train car made into a restaurant that is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Education
It is in the South Summit School District.
Oakley School, a boarding school for high school students, was formerly located in Oakley. It closed in 2017.
Notable people
- Actress Katherine Heigl and her husband, country musician Josh Kelley, reside on their ranch in Oakley.
- Jake, a famous rescue dog, lived in the city along with owner, Mary Flood.