The Native American Ute and Shoshone tribes were the earliest known residents of the western Salt Lake Valley. The Latter-Day Saints were the first European people to live in the area and named it "Over Jordan" in 1847. Then, the Welsh pioneers settled in the Granger vicinity in 1849. Elias Smith gave the region its name on account of its successful farming and irrigation. Granger and the surrounding area had around 1,000 people in 1930. The Hunter area was not inhabited until 1876 by Rasmus Nielsen, Edward Rushton, August Larsen, and about seven other families who started irrigation in 1881, planting their main crops of fruit trees. The city experienced rapid growth in the 1970s when the new West Valley City consisted of the four distinct Hunter, Granger, Chesterfield, and Redwood communities. These four unincorporated areas merged in 1890 to form the present-day city. West Valley City, UT, then won the privilege of hosting the 2002 Olympic Winter Games for men's and women's ice hockey.

West Valley City has so much to offer from hiking, museums, architecture, historic places, and stargazing.

In summer, the trails and hiking are fun, challenging, and exhausting, but you can push your limits in one of the many parks, such as the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail and the Salt Lake Valley. Some of the best places to visit in winter for skiing and snowboarding are the Solitude Mountain resort in the Big Cottonwood Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains.

It has 66 trails and is very much family orientated. Fifty percent of its slopes are graded for beginners and intermediates. Should you want something a little more challenging, then take a trip to the Utah Olympic Park, which provides skiing and bobsleigh, and it still includes training for Olympic and development level athletes.

The city also offers several museums, a zoo, aviary, gardens, and arboretums, all worth visiting if you need a distraction from hiking and skiing.

The car enthusiasts will enjoy the Land Cruiser and classic car museums. The Land Cruiser Heritage Museum is a must for any off-road enthusiast. A collection of every Land Cruiser ever produced is on display, including the first Land Cruiser ever imported to the U.S. - one that drove across all seven continents. This attribute alone makes it one of the most incredible manufactured and mass-produced vehicles.

The Classic Car Museum is also a must-see for motor enthusiasts. The cars range from a 1933 Auburn to a 2008 Ferrari. You will find Buicks, Cadillacs, Fords, Kaiser, Lincoln, Nash, Pontiac, Porsche, and Rolls Royce in the exhibition.