Прово, Юта: История и современность города у подножия Васачских гор

Provo ('/p//r//oʊ//v//oʊ/ PROHvoh) is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is 43 mile (69 km) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south. With a population at the 2020 census of 115,162, It is Utah's second largest metropolitan area after Salt Lake City. Provo is the home to Brigham Young University (BYU), a private higher education institution operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS Church). Provo also has the LDS Church's largest Missionary Training Center (MTC). The city is a focus area for technology development in Utah, with several billion dollar startups. The city's Peaks Ice Arena was a venue for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.

The Provo area was originally called Timpanogas, a Numic (Ute people) word perhaps meaning "rock river". The area was inhabited by the Timpanogos. The ample food from the Provo River made the Timpanogos a peaceful people. The area also served as the traditional meeting place for the Ute and Shoshone tribes and as a spot to worship their creator. Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, a Spanish Franciscan missionary explorer, is considered the first European explorer to have visited the area in 1776. He was guided by two Timpanogos Utes, whom he called Silvestre and Joaquín. Escalante chronicled this first European exploration across the Great Basin Desert. The Europeans did not build a permanent settlement but traded with the Timpanogos, whom they called Lagunas (lake people) or Come Pescado (fish eaters). Escalating tensions with the Timpanog contributed to the Walker War. Fort Utah was renamed Provo in 1850 for Étienne Provost, an early French Canadian trapper who arrived in the region in 1825. In 1850, the first schoolhouse was constructed in Provo, built within Utah Fort. As more Latter day Saints arrived, Provo quickly grew as a city. It soon was nicknamed The Garden City with a large number of fruit orchards and gardens there. In 1872, a railroad reached Provo. It was also this year that the Provo Woolen Mills opened. They were the first large factory in Provo and employed about 150 people, initially mainly skilled textile laborers who had emigrated from Britain.

Provo lies on the eastern bank of Utah Lake in Utah Valley at an elevation of 4549 feet (1387 m). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and , or 5.66%, is water. The Wasatch Range contains many peaks within Utah County along the east side of the Wasatch Front. One of them, known as Y Mountain, towers over the city. There is a large hillside letter Y made of whitewashed concrete halfway up the steep mountain, built in the early part of the 20th century to commemorate BYU (original plans included construction use of all three letters). Wild deer (and less frequently, cougars, and moose) still roam the mountains (and occasionally the city streets). The geography allows for hiking, skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities.

+Provo, Utah – Racial and ethnic compositionNote: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)88,31187,18681,65583.97%77.51%70.90%Black or African American alone (NH)4326729710.41%0.60%0.84%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)7037195900.67%0.64%0.51%Asian alone (NH)1,9032,7432,7721.81%2.44%2.41%Pacific Islander alone (NH)8731,2291,6550.83%1.09%1.44%Other race alone (NH)1411944060.13%0.17%0.35%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)1,7902,6545,7181.70%2.36%4.97%Hispanic or Latino (any race)11,01317,09121,39510.47%15.19%18.58%Total105,166112,488115,162100.00%100.00%100.00%

At the 2010 census, According to a study in 2015, the Provo Orem metro area is about as dissimilar to the rest of America as possible. Weighing factors such as race, housing, income, and education, the study ranked Provo Orem 376th of 381 of the United States' largest cities in terms of resemblance to the country.

According to the breakdown for Utah County in 2010, most people (90.6%) were Christian, with Latter day Saints constituting 88.7% of the population. Catholics constituted 1.3% and Protestants constituted 0.6%. Other religions constituted 0.3% of the population. 9.1% of the population did not adhere to any religion.

Provo has more than 100 restaurants (with over 60 in the downtown area) and a couple of shopping centers. The Shops At Riverwoods and Provo Towne Centre, both shopping malls, operate in Provo. Several small shops, music venues, and boutiques have popped up downtown, along Center Street and University Avenue. Downtown has also begun to host "gallery strolls" every first Friday of the month that features local artists. There are many dining establishments in and around downtown Provo. Five Provo companies are listed on Inc. com's Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. The largest, DieCuts With a View, is ranked number 1403 and has revenues of $26.2 million. Other companies on the list are VitalSmarts (ranked 4109, with $41.4 million in revenue), and Connect Public Relations (ranked 3694, with $6.1 million in revenue). The global recreation and entertainment company Ryze Trampoline Parks, with locations throughout Asia, Europe and the U. S., is headquartered in Provo. Novell, the dominant personal computer networking company from the mid 1980s through the mid 1990s, was headquartered in Provo and occupied several buildings at the height of its success. It was eventually acquired by The Attachmate Group and then by Micro Focus, which still maintains facilities there. The Food & Care Coalition is a local organization providing services to the homeless and low income citizens of Provo and Utah Counties. They also provide volunteer opportunities.

Action Target, a shooting range manufacturer. Morinda Bioactives (formerly Tahitian Noni International) is a multi level marketing health and skin care manufacturer whose products are based on the Tahitian fruit called noni. North American Arms, a firearms manufacturer. Nu Skin Enterprises, a multi level marketing firm for skin care products, was founded in 1984. Qualtrics, a private research software company. Vivint (formerly APX Alarm Security Solutions) is a residential security company with customers.

Every July, Provo hosts America's Freedom Festival at Provo which includes the Stadium of Fire at BYU. It is held in LaVell Edwards Stadium, home to BYU's NCAA football team. The Independence Day festivities are popular among residents and have featured such notable figures as Bob Hope, David Hasselhoff, Reba McEntire, Mandy Moore, Huey Lewis and the News, Toby Keith, Sean Hannity, Fred Willard, and Taylor Hicks. In 2015, the event included performances by Journey and Olivia Holt, and was hosted by television personality Montel Williams. Provo has two other large festivals each fall. Festival Latinoamericano is an annual family oriented Labor Day weekend event in downtown Provo that offers the community a taste of the region's Hispanic culture through ethnic food, vendors, and performances. The city has hosted an annual LGBT Provo Pride Festival since 2013.

The Covey Center for the Arts, a performing arts center, is at 425 West Center Street. It features plays, ballets, art showcases, and musical performances throughout the year. The size of the building is a total of The main performance hall seats 670 people. Three dance studios are furnished with a piano, ballet bars, and mirrors. Another theater, the Brinton Black Box Theater, seats 60 for smaller, more intimate events. There are also two art galleries: the Secured Gallery and the Eccles Gallery in the lower lobby.

Provo is the location of the church's largest MTC. Each week approximately 475 missionaries enter for 3–9 weeks of training before they depart for the mission field, becoming part of more than 58,000 in more than 120 countries. About 1,100 instructors (many of them returned missionaries) teach 62 languages. The MTC in Provo began construction in July 1974 and was completed in July 1976. The MTC was expanded in the early 1990s to become the largest of the 17 such centers than in the world. Additional construction was completed in 2017.

The Provo City Library is a public library that occupies the building of the former Brigham Young Academy, built in 1892. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its collection contains over 277,000 media. The library is on University Avenue and 550 North.

With construction finished in 2013, the center provides a location for aquatic recreation next to the Provo Power plant.

The Provo Utah Temple is at the base of Rock Canyon in Provo. This temple is among the busiest in the LDS Church due to its proximity to BYU and the MTC.

Located at the corner of University Avenue and Center Street, the Provo City Center Temple serves as another temple for the Provo area's Latter day Saint population. After a fire in 2010 destroyed the Provo Tabernacle, Thomas S. Monson, then LDS Church president, announced the site would become the city's second temple. Renovations were finished and the temple was dedicated in March 2016.

The Utah Valley Convention Center opened in 2012. It has of combined meeting, pre function and garden space.

Federally, Provo is part of Utah's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican John Curtis, elected in 2017.

BYU is a private university operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. BYU is the third largest private university in the United States, with more than 34,000 students. It is the flagship of the Church Educational System of higher education. On the campus is the Spencer W. Kimball Tower, the tallest building in Provo. Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions is a private, for profit university emphasizing graduate healthcare education. The Northwest Commission accredits the university of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). RMUoHP offers programs in nursing practice, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and health science. RMUoHP will be building Utah County's first new medical school. Provo College is a private, for profit educational institution specializing in career education. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). Provo College offers associate degrees and diplomas in fields such as nursing, medical assisting, criminal justice, graphic design, and office administration.

Almost all of Provo is within the Provo School District. The school board has seven members, each representing a different district of the city. There are thirteen elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools. Provo High School was the first school in Utah County to be an IB World school. The school has a record of 4A state basketball championships, more state champions than any other school in the state. Timpview High School has a record of 4A state football championships. A small section of the city lies within Alpine School District. The Provo Intermodal Center, adjacent to the Amtrak station, connects the FrontRunner with local bus routes, as well as Greyhound service. The Provo Municipal Airport is Utah's second busiest airport regarding the number of aircraft take offs and landings. Allegiant Airlines has been based out of the airport since 2022.