Davis County is a county in northern Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 362,679, making it Utah's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Farmington, and its largest city by both population and area is Layton.
Davis County is part of the Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT Combined Statistical Area.
History
The legislature of the provisional State of Deseret defined the county in an October 5, 1850 act, which also designated Farmington as the seat due to its location midway between boundaries at the Weber River on the north and the Jordan River on the south. It was named for Daniel C. Davis, a captain in the Mormon Battalion. The county boundaries were altered in 1852, 1854, 1855, and in 1862. In 1880 the county gained part of the islands and waters of Great Salt Lake that had previously been attached to Salt Lake County. The county boundary has remained unchanged since that time.
During its first 50 years, Davis County grew slowly. With the advent of the Utah Central Rail Road in 1870, a transition to mechanized agriculture and a surge of commerce, banking, improved roads, new water systems, and electrification of homes began. However, by 1940, the population was barely 16,000.
With the establishment of Hill Air Force Base in northern Davis County and southern Weber County, there was a surge in civilian employment after World War II. The county doubled in population between 1940 and 1950 and doubled again between 1950 and 1960 as part of the nationwide suburb boom that was occurring at the time. By 1990 there were 188,000 residents, and in 2000, there were 239,000. By 2030, the county is expected to have a population of about 360,000.
Geography
Davis County has an area of , of which is land and (53%) is water. It is Utah's smallest county by land area and second smallest by total area.
The county lies generally between the Great Salt Lake on the west and the Wasatch Range on the east, which rises to a height of in the county at Thurston Peak.
The Great Salt Lake is surrounded by marshland and mudflats, and lies at an average elevation of approximately , varying depending on the water level, which can lead to drastic changes in the lake size due to its shallowness. Davis County includes Antelope Island, the lake's largest island. The entire island is a state park, designated to protect natural scenery and especially wildlife on the island, which includes bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and a bison herd.
The inhabited portion of Davis County between the lake and the mountain range is called the Wasatch Front, a narrow stretch of land that restricts north–south transportation in the county.
Adjacent counties
Weber County - north
Morgan County - east
Salt Lake County - south
Tooele County - west
Box Elder County - northwest
Protected areas
Antelope Island State Park
Crystal West Unit Farmington Bay (part) Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area Howard Slough Waterfowl Management Area Wasatch-Cache National Forest (part)
Lakes
Adams Reservoir
Farmington Bay
Hobbs Reservoir
Holmes Reservoir
Climate
Eastern parts of Davis County experience a humid continental climate (Dsa), while western parts may experience a mediterranean climate (Csa). Summers are dry and hot and winters are cold and wet, but rarely frigid. Snow is frequent during winter, with up to annually on high bench areas in the east and at least on the valley floor. Annual precipitation averages between in the county, with spring being the wettest season and summer the driest. Summers are hot, with several days each year averaging above . However, the humidity is low, making for comparatively comfortable temperatures. In winter, temperatures sometimes drop below , but rarely for extended periods of time. Compared to Salt Lake County to the south, the weather in Davis County is extreme. Lake-effect snows hit the southern portion of the county harder, and even in non-lake-effect storms, the lack of a rain shadow in Davis County (much of Salt Lake County lies in the rain shadow of the Oquirrh Mountains) means that storms often hit Davis County harder. In addition, canyon winds from the east can sometimes cause devastating wind damage, and wind gusts above have been reported. This occurs when a powerful high pressure system is over Wyoming, and is a frequent occurrence. Extreme wind events, however, seem to have declined in frequency in recent years.