Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The population was 45,285 as of the 2020 census. Riverton is located in the rapidly growing southwestern corner of the Salt Lake Valley.
History
Located in the southern end of Salt Lake Valley, the area that is now Riverton was first settled by people of European descent in the mid-1850s. These early settlers scattered widely along the river bottom in crude dugout homes. Although the early accounts disagree, Archibald Gardner may have been the first to settle Riverton land. The town was originally referred to as “Gardnerville” prior to changing its name to Riverton. Riverton's initial growth was slow because of the lack of water for irrigation. When more water became available, the town began to grow. Eventually three canals were built to extend water from the nearby Jordan River to the benchland areas, providing irrigation for agricultural uses to the larger area.
By the beginning of World War I in 1914, with its additional irrigation water and influx of people, Riverton prospered as an agricultural community. Its thriving business district was also evident at this time. Snow can be seen in the winter, while during the summer temperatures occasionally break . Riverton has grown rapidly in the last few years, transforming it from a rural farming town into a suburban city.
Governance
alt=Riverton City Hall in Riverton, Utah|border|thumb|Riverton City Hall
Riverton City is a city of the 3rd class as defined by Utah Code. Riverton City operates under a “six-member council" form of government, which means there are six elected officials that make up the governing body: a mayor and five council members. Riverton's council members each represent a distinct geographical district and the mayor represents the city at large.
The city council has delegated the operational and day-to-day responsibilities of managing the city, its employees and services to a professional, full-time city manager. The city manager oversees all city departments and reports directly to the mayor and city council.
Education
alt=Riverton High School|thumb|Riverton High School
Public education in Riverton is provided by the Jordan School District, one of the largest school districts in Utah.
Elementary Schools: Foothills Elementary, Midas Creek Elementary, Riverton Elementary, Rosamond Elementary, Rose Creek Elementary, Southland Elementary
Middle Schools: [https://oquirrhhills.jordandistrict.org/]Oquirrh Hills Middle School, [https://southhills.jordandistrict.org/]South Hills Middle School
High School: Riverton High School
Kauri Sue Hamilton School for students with special needs, Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) south campus, and Saint Andrew Catholic School are also located in the community.
Many students from Riverton attend schools in Bluffdale, Herriman and South Jordan, as school boundaries do not coincide with city boundaries.
Hospital
The Intermountain Riverton Hospital, funded and operated by Intermountain Health, opened in November 2009. The hospital serves the fastest growing portion of the Salt Lake Valley with surrounding cities of Riverton, Herriman, Bluffdale, and South Jordan. The hospital also provides services to cities in northern Utah County. Services include a complete inpatient and outpatient care center, a 24-hour emergency department, a state-of-the-art women's center, a surgical center, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, 40 physician offices, and a helicopter pad. Perhaps the most notable service the hospital features is the children's outpatient center run by Primary Children's Medical Center. The design of the hospital allows it to expand as the southwest part of the valley continues to see rapid growth.
Transportation
Riverton provides easy-access to Bangerter Highway, Mountain View Corridor, and Redwood Road; as all pass directly through the city. The city is also easily accessible from Interstate 15 via the 12300 S or Bangerter Highway exits.
In April 2025, the Utah Transit Authority opened a new bus route serving Riverton. This route, named Route 126, primarily travels along 12600 S with buses coming hourly.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Riverton had a population of 45,285. The median age was 31.9 years. 32.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.8 males age 18 and over.
There were 12,794 households in Riverton, of which 50.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 73.7% were married-couple households, 9.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 13.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 10.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 39,182 || 86.5%
|-
| Black or African American || 306 || 0.7%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 199 || 0.4%
|-
| Asian || 1,083 || 2.4%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 375 || 0.8%
|-
| Some other race || 1,227 || 2.7%
|-
| Two or more races || 2,913 || 6.4%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 3,583 || 7.9%
|}