Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is Utah’s aviation hub and a top 25 U.S. airport serving over 25 million passengers annually. Read on for a deep dive into Salt Lake’s rich history, its extensive art displays, and some fascinating fast facts about this bustling airport at the crossroads of the West.

Early Years: From Bumpy Runways to Soaring Developments

The origin of SLC dates back 1928 when newspaper mogul and businessman William Hearst funded dirt runways for early flight mail services in Salt Lake. In the 1930s Depression, the City took over expanding the airport supported by bonds and WPA funding. Though pioneering, the early airfield had problems – locomotives running across runways delayed 1930s flights! 

After WWII, the City upgraded infrastructure and by the 1950s SLC established itself as a commercial air hub. The opening of continuous concrete runways in 1965 solidified SLC as pivotal intermountain transport center over the second half of the twentieth century. Additional concourses, gates and infrastructure matured this ever-growing hub into the outstanding facility travelers experience today.

Fun Facts About Salt Lake International Airport

Before highlighting SLC’s renowned art, let’s cover some fast facts:

• 4 runways ranging from 10,500 to over 14,000 feet handle 300,000+ annual takeoffs and landings

• Triple-Iowa-sized footprint at 6600 acres

• High elevation of 4427 feet above sea level

• $3.6 billion total infrastructure value

• 32,000+ people employed on premises

• Main terminal has 3 concourses, 2 lines for security checks

• Surprising amenity for Utah – smoking lounges post-security

Gateway to the Great Outdoors: Destination Art Abounds

As you traverse SLC to catch a connecting flight or after arriving on mountain getaways, one highlight not to miss is the airport’s impressive collection of public art. Immersive, site-specific installations aim to “create a sobering, conscientious, and humanistic approach to air travel.” Instead of dread in transit, artworks foster meaningful connections to Salt Lake’s history and surroundings. 

In Concourse A, twelve glass cases display Native American tools and pottery shards unearthed on site during airport construction. Showcasing artifacts echoes how air travel mirrors ancestral migration from prehistory to modern times. Passenger movement hasn’t changed, but now takes place on a global scale and at jet speed.  

Concourse B oil paintings depict diverse local sites like red rock formations to trigger emotional memories for frequent fliers. Large landscape murals also mirror Utah’s glory to create ambience. 

The Connector Tunnel presents wings ofDirectionalFeathers composed from programmable, color changing LED pin-lit plastic quills representing flight paths converging on Salt Lake. While static, the dynamic light sculptures evoke the dynamism of changing skies and soaring travel. 

Lastly, don’t miss Raymond Kaskey’s massive 70 ton Day and Night bronze pillars which dominates the Main Terminal’s exterior façade as the world’s largest airport aeronautical weather station…

History Written in the Rocks…and Through the Skies

SLC’s public displays interweave regional geology, natural wonders, and pioneering heritage into the airport experience from check-in to departure gates. Temporal, natural, and human stories overlap to turn utilitarian architecture into cultural touchstone. Abstract sculptures, resonant imagery, native points of pride and projected visions encircle travelers to put them in touch with Salt Lake’s riveting past and aspirational future. 

So as you race to catch connecting flights to home or adventures afar, pause if only for a moment to take in Salt Lake’s peerless landscape and the will to forge ahead encapsulated in SLC’s terminal art and design. Feel the gritty determination spread the City’s possibilities aloft through each passerby that touched this place before you. Let SLC be your jumping point to embark transformed on voyages external or within to discover, reflect and grow.

The Future is Now – Where to Next?

Brilliant blues and gold mirroring Utah terrain continue to draw visitors who see SLC as a shining gateway while frequent fliers rely daily on its outstanding infrastructure. Balancing art, commerce, and livable design at the crossroads of the West, SLC strives to do its namesake and the Beehive State proud as intermountain travel surges into the 21st century.  

Dream of dazzling light displays dancing down concourses to come. Ponder air transit’s climate impacts while watching Kaskey’s mammoth pillars signal seasonal shifts. Grab Aunt Mary’s homemade cookies during a quick touchdown to remember why we voyage and what hearth and home mean however near or far we roam endlessly onward to new horizons.

Wherever your wings take you from SLC gates, embrace the adventure and make it meaningful!