On January 4, 1896, Utah became the 45th state admitted to the United States, following nearly 50 years as a territory. The entire Southwest was Mexican territory when the first pioneers arrived in 1847. Utah is the 13th-largest by area, 31st-most-populous, and 10th-least-densely populated of the 50 United States. It has a population of more than 3 million (Census estimate for July 1, 2016), approximately 80% of … Continue reading Utah Statehood