Living in South Jordan
South Jordan sits on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, about 18 miles south of downtown Salt Lake City, with the Oquirrh Mountains on one shoulder and the Wasatch on the other. It covers 22.3 square miles and was incorporated in 1935 as farm country. Then it grew: 50,418 people in the 2010 census, 77,487 in 2020, and an estimated 87,614 as of July 2025 - a 54% jump in a single decade. That is why the city feels like two places at once. The east side, along Redwood Road and the Jordan River, is the older South Jordan: established neighborhoods, mature trees, the civic center and the farm history. The west side is Daybreak, a 4,126-acre master-planned community built around a 67-acre lake, a new downtown, a Triple-A ballpark and three TRAX stations. I sell homes on both sides, and the honest answer to which one is better is that they are genuinely different products for different buyers. Here is what living here actually looks like.
Parks & Recreation
South Jordan runs more than 35 city parks, and Salt Lake County runs two more inside city limits. Add 250 acres of natural open space, three stocked fishing ponds and more than nine miles of city trails, and the outdoors stops being a weekend drive and starts being the end of your street. Bingham Creek Regional Park, at 10200 South 4800 West, is the largest: a 160-acre Salt Lake County regional park whose 50-acre first phase opened in June 2023 with six full-size soccer fields, an 18-hole disc golf course, a bike pump track, a destination playground, reservable pavilions, restrooms and 401 parking stalls. Another 90 acres are still to come. If your kid plays club soccer, you already know this park.
South Jordan City Park, 11000 S Redwood Road, is the city's central park and the heart of its event calendar - SoJo Summerfest happens here every June - and it holds six lighted public pickleball courts that are free and always busy. Heritage Park, 10800 S Redwood Road, is where you take small children in July: the splash pad opened in 2023 with 17 spray features built around a big old-fashioned water tower and a lazy creek, plus a pavilion, restrooms and shaded picnic tables, running 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in season. East Riverfront Park, 10991 S Riverfront Parkway, has the city's all-inclusive playground, built so children and adults of any ability, including wheelchair and walker users, can actually play on it. It connects straight onto the Jordan River Parkway Trail.
Prospector Park, 10200 S 2200 West, is the solid east-side neighborhood park - reservable pavilion, basketball, netted volleyball, playground, restrooms, a big open field and a shaded paved loop. Jordan Ridge Park, near 9500 South 2500 West, is one of the few city parks with tennis courts, plus a rebuilt playground and covered pavilions under mature trees. Oquirrh Shadows Park, at roughly 4000 West and South Jordan Parkway, has the city's second splash pad - small, shaded, with dumping buckets and spray jets, and the easy-supervision option when Heritage Park is packed. And the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park and USU Bastian Agricultural Center, 2100 West 11400 South, is 120 acres of arenas, an 85,000-square-foot event center, horse and livestock boarding and a youth livestock barn, hosting rodeos, concerts and tournaments.
The South Jordan Fitness & Aquatic Center, 10866 South Redwood Road, is the main indoor facility: a leisure pool with a large water slide, kids' slides, an interactive play structure, a lazy river and two lap lanes; three fitness zones; a two-lane indoor track at ten laps to the mile; two full-size basketball courts; an indoor turf field for youth soccer; aerobics, spin and dance studios; and indoor pickleball in the gym. The South Jordan Skate Park shares that campus, and the Community and Senior Center at 10778 S Redwood Road handles senior programs and park reservations. The Gale Center of History & Culture, 10300 S Beckstead Lane, is the free local-history museum. And The Ballpark at America First Square, 11111 Ballpark Drive, opened in April 2025 as home of the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, with a TRAX station at the door.
Trails, Golf and the Water
Pickleball, since everyone asks: six lighted public courts at South Jordan City Park, six more lighted courts at Highland Park in Daybreak (6050 W Lake Avenue), shared tennis and pickleball courts at Church Park on Phoebe Lane and Eastlake Commons on Dorena Lane, and indoor play in the gym at the Fitness & Aquatic Center. Tennis is at Jordan Ridge Park and at those two Daybreak parks. For bikes, there is a BMX track at 4849 West 10200 South, a pump track at Bingham Creek Regional Park, and The Spoke at 11347 Sandbank Way - a linear bike park with jumps, berms, gaps and a pump track.
The Jordan River Parkway Trail is the big one: a paved regional trail running the length of the Salt Lake Valley, with about 3.5 miles of it inside South Jordan along the river on the east side, past the fishing ponds and the river-corridor parks. It plugs into a system that runs roughly 45 miles from Utah Lake toward the Great Salt Lake. Easiest access is the Riverfront Parkway parks. The Bingham Creek Trail is a paved 1.3-mile greenway ending at 4500 West Skye Drive near Glenmoor Golf Course. Inside Daybreak, the trail network is the amenity: more than 50 miles of trail across 48 parks, paths circling Oquirrh Lake, and a north-south spine called The Loop that lets you ride from the upper villages down to SoDa Row without touching an arterial road.
Two golf courses, and they do different jobs. Mulligans Golf & Games, 692 West 10600 South, is city-owned and it is the family answer: two nine-hole courses (the Meadow and the Ridge), a lighted driving range, two miniature golf courses, batting cages, foot golf, PGA instruction and the Caddie Shack grill. Glenmoor Golf Course, 9800 South 4800 West, is the real 18 - par 72, built in 1968, designed by William H. Neff, three sets of tees and a driving range on site. Affordable, walkable, and the course locals actually play on a weeknight.
Oquirrh Lake is the centerpiece of Daybreak: 67 acres of water inside 137 acres of park and wetland, ringed by public trails, bridges and lakeside parks. Non-motorized craft up to 17 feet are allowed with a Daybreak permit, and inflatables have to pass a Harbor Master inspection. Shoreline fishing brings in trout, bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass with a license for anyone 12 and up. There is no swimming or wading past knee-deep. Visitor information is at The Cove House, 6650 West Lake Avenue. Kidney Pond, Midas Pond and Riverfront Pond are the city's three stocked community fishing ponds on Riverfront Parkway - where a lot of South Jordan kids catch their first fish. Eastlake Beach Park, 10856 Oquirrh Lake Road, is the east-shore access to the lake loop, and Sunrise Mountain Park, 11259 Topview Road, is the hillside park with the long valley views.
Dining
South Jordan's restaurants are not in one downtown - they are in five clusters, and knowing which cluster you are near matters more here than knowing any single address. Downtown Daybreak, around the ballpark on Center Field Drive and Grandville Avenue, is the newest and the one changing fastest. Taste of Red Iguana opened in May 2026, the first Red Iguana outside Salt Lake City, built around the family's famous moles. Hires Big H opened in August 2025 at 5414 Center Field Drive, bringing Utah's original 1959 drive-in - the Big H burger, fresh-cut fries and house root beer - to the west side. Moena Cafe, 11098 S Grandville Avenue, arrived in July 2025 as the Hawaii-based cafe's first Utah location, with loco moco and island pancakes. Nomad Eatery does scratch-made burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and salads.
SoDa Row, at 11274 S Kestrel Rise Road, is Daybreak's original walkable main street next to the lake, and the place people actually stroll after dinner. Porch does shrimp and grits, Southern fried chicken and a weekend brunch on the plaza. The Break Sports Bar & Grill runs wings in sixteen flavors with pool, poker and bingo nights, and The Break Cafe next door is the all-ages version. Maxwell's Pizza & Cheesesteaks at 11248 Kestrel Rise does East Coast hand-tossed pizza and cheesesteaks. Tio's Mexican Restaurant, 4709 W Daybreak Parkway, is a family operation that has been going more than 30 years. Add Cupbop for Utah-born Korean BBQ in a cup, Ground To Earth for coffee, and Sweet & Cool for crepes and ice cream.
North Shore Village, on Rubicon and Boardwalk Roads right on Oquirrh Lake, is the quiet one: Mozz Artisan Pizza, wood-fired at 10420 Rubicon Road; Sukihana for Japanese-Chinese fusion; The Lake Break for seafood with a view of the water at 4690 W Boardwalk Road; and Eclair French Cafe for pastries in the same building. Over at Highland Park, Biscotts Bakery & Cafe at 6172 W Lake Avenue does London-style sandwiches and chai.
Trail Crossing, at Daybreak Parkway and Mountain View Corridor, is the everyday center, anchored by Smith's Marketplace: Karuwaa for Nepali and Indian, Maru Sushi & Donburi, Cafe Trang for Vietnamese, Marco's Pizza, Jersey Mike's, Beans & Brews, Costa Vida, Arby's, and a Swig for the dirty sodas. It is the strip you end up at on a Tuesday when nobody wants to cook.
Dining on the East Side
The District, at 11400 South and Bangerter Highway, is the east-side dining and shopping hub, and it holds the two most serious restaurants in the city. The Wild Rose, 11516 S District Main Drive, has been the white-tablecloth option since 2010 - choice cuts and fresh fish with classical sauces, a full bar and a seasonal patio. The Angry Korean, 11587 S District Main Drive, was a 2023 James Beard Award semi-finalist, which is not something most suburbs can say. Around them: Blue Fish Sushi for all-you-can-eat, Pizzeria Limone at 11464 S Parkway Plaza Drive for thin-crust Neapolitan and its signature lemonades, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cafe Zupas, Cafe Rio, the city's only Chick-fil-A at 11494 S District Drive, and the city's only Chipotle - with a drive-thru - at 3561 W 11400 South.
River Park, on Riverfront Parkway at 10600 South by I-15, is where business lunches happen. Market Street Grill at 10702 S River Front Parkway does fresh-shucked oysters, a daily fresh catch and the clam chowder people drive for. Tsunami next door at 10722 is the local sushi group's River Park room. R&R BBQ handles Utah barbecue, and JCW's Burgers at 10660 is the local burger institution - closed Sundays. There is a second Cafe Zupas here too.
Along South Jordan Parkway and Redwood Road in the middle of the city, Saffron Valley at 1098 W South Jordan Parkway is the original location of Utah's best-known Indian street-food restaurant - chaat, dosas, Indochinese and kebabs, with a strong vegetarian and gluten-free menu. Kneaders Bakery & Cafe is at 962 W South Jordan Parkway. Bubbakoo's Burritos opened in November 2025 at 10384 S Redwood Road. Costa Vida and Cafe Rio both have east-side locations here as well.
Two things worth knowing before you move. There is no In-N-Out in South Jordan - the nearest are in West Jordan at Jordan Landing and in Riverton. And Jordan Landing itself, the big-box center with the 24-screen theater everyone mentions, is in West Jordan, a few minutes north. Fast food clusters in the same four places as everything else: The District has the deepest bench, Trail Crossing serves Daybreak, and the Redwood Road and River Park corridors cover the middle and the east side.
Grocery Stores
This is quietly one of the best things about the city, and the kind of thing you only notice after you move. South Jordan has eleven full grocery options inside city limits, including three Harmons - unusual for a city this size and, if you know Utah, a genuine amenity. Harmons has stores at The District (11453 S Parkway Plaza Drive), in Daybreak (4727 W South Jordan Parkway) and on the east side (10507 S Redwood Road).
The rest of the list: Smith's Food & Drug at 1634 W South Jordan Parkway and Smith's Marketplace at 5448 W Daybreak Parkway in Trail Crossing; two Walmart Supercenters, one at 11328 S Jordan Gateway by I-15 and one at 3590 W South Jordan Parkway; Costco Wholesale at 3571 W 10400 South, with a fuel station; Target at 11525 Parkway Plaza Drive in The District, with full grocery, a Starbucks and a CVS pharmacy inside; Sprouts Farmers Market at 11519 S 4000 West, open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; and Natural Grocers at 10622 S Redwood Road.
In practical terms, from almost any address in the city you are within five to ten minutes of a full-size grocery store, and usually within five of a Harmons. Just outside the city: Macey's in West Jordan at 7859 S 3200 West; WinCo Foods in Herriman, plus a 24-hour store in Midvale; and Trader Joe's in Herriman at 4850 W 13400 South, about ten to twelve minutes from Daybreak, or in Draper at 11477 S State Street, right off I-15 exit 292 and about ten minutes from the east side. A West Jordan Trader Joe's at 7800 South and 5600 West has signage up but no announced opening date. There is no Whole Foods in the southwest valley - the nearest is about twenty-five to thirty minutes east.
Commutes
South Jordan is one of the better-connected suburbs in the valley, mostly because it has four north-south routes instead of one. The Census puts the average commute for a South Jordan resident at 24.1 minutes - a touch above Salt Lake County's 22.3 and below the national 26.4. Interstate 15 runs along the eastern edge, twelve lanes wide, with two interchanges serving the city directly: exit 293 at 10600 South and exit 292 at 11400 South. Bangerter Highway (SR-154) is a six-lane expressway straight through the middle of the city, and the old signals are gone at the two interchanges that matter here - 11400 South was rebuilt freeway-style in late 2018, and 10400 South in May 2022. That project changed the daily commute for the whole west side.
Mountain View Corridor (SR-85) runs along the western edge through Daybreak, one to four miles west of Bangerter, with South Jordan crossings at Daybreak Parkway and Old Bingham Highway; a new segment through Bluffdale opened in December 2025, which improved the run south. Redwood Road (SR-68) is the north-south arterial through the older middle of the city. East to west, 10400 and 10600 South is SR-151 - signed South Jordan Parkway on its western half - running from Bangerter east to I-15 exit 293, and 11400 South is SR-175, 4.8 miles from Bangerter east to I-15 and State Street.
The South Jordan FrontRunner station, at 10351 South Jordan Gateway just west of I-15, is the commuter's best-kept secret: about 15 to 16 minutes to Salt Lake Central Station, with roughly 575 free park-and-ride spaces. Trains run about hourly on weekdays, tightening to every 30 minutes during the morning and evening peaks, and there is no Sunday service. The station also sits inside a railroad quiet zone, so trains do not sound horns at the crossings. TRAX Red Line has three stations, all in Daybreak: South Jordan Parkway and Daybreak Parkway, both open since 2011, and South Jordan Downtown, which opened in March 2025 to serve Downtown Daybreak and the ballpark. Be realistic about TRAX - it is about an hour to downtown Salt Lake. Excellent for a ballgame, a University of Utah class or a night out; FrontRunner is the faster commute.
Drive times, free-flow: downtown Salt Lake City is 17 miles and about 21 minutes, closer to 30 to 45 in the morning rush. The airport is 25 miles, about 36 minutes. Silicon Slopes and Lehi are 15 miles, about 21 minutes free-flow but 30 to 50 at peak. Sandy is 5 miles and about 11 minutes, Draper 6 miles and about 9. Provo is 31 miles, about 37 minutes. Park City is 40 miles, roughly 52 minutes, and much worse on a powder day. The Point of the Mountain between South Jordan and Lehi is the single worst pinch point in the region - which is exactly why living on the north side of it matters. If you work at Adobe, Ancestry, Podium or anywhere else in the Lehi corridor, you drive against the heaviest flow in the morning.
Schools
South Jordan is served by Jordan School District, which covers about 55,800 students across South Jordan, West Jordan, Riverton, Herriman, Bluffdale and Copperton. Bingham High School is the city's high school, at 2160 W 10400 South, and has been on that site since 1975. Three middle schools sit inside the city - Elk Ridge, Mountain Creek and South Jordan Middle - along with nine district elementary schools: Aspen, Daybreak, Eastlake, Elk Meadows, Golden Fields, Jordan Ridge, Monte Vista, South Jordan and Welby. There are also five public charter schools in the city, including Hawthorn Academy's South Jordan campus, Paradigm High School, American Academy of Innovation, Early Light Academy at Daybreak and Mountain West Montessori Academy, plus private options such as Anthem Preparatory School and Dancing Moose Montessori.
One thing that surprises buyers, especially in Daybreak: school boundaries here do not always follow city lines. Some Daybreak addresses feed into Herriman schools, not Bingham. Never assume - verify the boundary for the specific address before you write an offer. For a complete school-by-school review, with grades, addresses and how to check any boundary, see my South Jordan Schools page.
Events & Community
As of the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate, South Jordan has about 87,614 residents, up from 77,487 in the 2020 census and 50,418 in 2010 - roughly 54 percent growth in that decade alone. It is a family city by the numbers: median age 36.2, average household 3.09 people, 29.3 percent of residents under 18, and a homeownership rate of 81.4 percent, meaning four out of five households own rather than rent. Nearly half of adults 25 and over, 47.9 percent, hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the median household income is $134,047. Those are five-year American Community Survey figures in 2024 dollars.
How walkable is it, honestly? Most of South Jordan is a car-dependent suburb, and I would rather tell you that than have you find out. Walk Score rates the city 26 for walking, 14 for transit and 44 for biking. Daybreak is the deliberate exception. It was master-planned starting in 2004 by Peter Calthorpe, one of the founders of the New Urbanism movement, on a street grid with mid-block pedestrian paths, schools placed within walking distance of homes, village centers you can reach on foot, and three TRAX stations. Daybreak counts more than 50 miles of trail, 48 parks and seven pools, with roughly 30 percent of the community set aside for parks and trails.
About 30,000 people live in Daybreak now, on the way to a planned 20,000 homes across 4,126 acres, with the final Upper Villages and the 200-acre Downtown Daybreak still being built out. So if walkability is what you are after, that is where to look. If you want a bigger lot, mature trees and no HOA weighing in on your paint color, look east of Bangerter. Most of the east side is built out, which is part of why resale inventory there tends to move quickly.
The Year, Month by Month
April brings the Spring Spectacular at East Riverfront Park, where the city gives away 250 free trees and brings in arborists and beekeepers, a petting zoo, a vendor market and live music. June is the big one: SoJo Summerfest, five days at South Jordan City Park and spilling into North City Park, Highland Park, Mulligans and the Community Center. There is a Saturday morning parade, Saturday night fireworks, a carnival Thursday through Saturday, the SoJo Music Festival on Friday and Saturday nights, a 5K and kids run Saturday at 7 a.m., chalk art, a car show, a dog show, a softball tournament, a movie in the park and food trucks. Most of it is free. If someone tells you about Country Fest, that is the same celebration under its old name.
From late May through September, the Daybreak Summer Concert Series runs free shows on the Rio Tinto Kennecott Stage at America First Square and at The Cove House - no tickets, gates at 7, music 8 to 10. June through October, the Daybreak Farmers Market fills SoDa Row on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., now in its ninth year with more than 50 vendors, produce, flowers, artisan goods and live music. The Cove Night Market runs on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings through the same season at Cove House Park. The city's own fireworks are in June with Summerfest, but the Salt Lake Bees run Fourth of July fireworks at the ballpark.
August brings the Horizon Arts Festival in Downtown Daybreak - a free evening of live artist demos, music, hands-on activities, food trucks and a silent auction benefiting survivors of domestic abuse - and the Dragon Boat Festival on Oquirrh Lake, with races, cultural performances and food. From August through October, the South Jordan Farmer's Market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Jordan City Hall, 1600 Towne Center Drive, hosted by the city with the Utah Farm Bureau, taking SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks and running a free kids' craft every week.
October is the fun one. Daybreak Oktoberfest at North Shore is a ticketed 21-and-over afternoon with ten-plus local brewers and a polka band, and the Ginormous Pumpkin Regatta on Oquirrh Lake has people racing hollowed-out 900-pound pumpkins across the water, plus a 30-foot pumpkin drop. It is as good as it sounds. The city's SoJo Halloween Fun Run is at Bingham Creek Park in mid-October, the SoJo Turkey Run is at East Riverfront Park in November, and December brings Light the Night at City Hall - the tree lighting, free cookies and cocoa, live music, Santa photos, story time with Mrs. Claus, a gingerbread house competition and a winter market. The SoJo Santa Sprint at Mulligans closes the year.
Questions People Ask Before Moving to South Jordan
Is South Jordan a good place to raise a family?
By the numbers it is built for it: 29.3 percent of residents are under 18, the average household has 3.09 people, and 81.4 percent of homes are owner-occupied - this is a city of families who stayed. Add more than 35 city parks, two splash pads, a county aquatic center, free public pickleball, three stocked fishing ponds and a Triple-A ballpark you can walk into, and the practical version of that statistic is that there is always something to do within ten minutes of home.
What is the difference between Daybreak and the rest of South Jordan?
How is the commute to downtown Salt Lake City or Silicon Slopes?
Is South Jordan walkable?
Which schools serve South Jordan?
How much is South Jordan growing, and is there room left?
What is there to do outdoors?
Do I need to drive far for groceries and shopping?
Homes for Sale in South Jordan
A live look at what is on the market in South Jordan right now, straight from the MLS.
- 1/63 63
5 Beds 4 Baths 3,720 SqFt$799,900Price Dropped by $30K - 1/41 41
3 Beds 3 Baths 1,520 SqFt$425,000Open Sat 1PM-3PM - 1/31 31
3 Beds 2 Baths 1,405 SqFt$399,900Open Thu 12PM-5PM - 1/40 40
3 Beds 4 Baths 2,180 SqFt$614,500Open Thu 12PM-5PM - 1/28 28
4 Beds 4 Baths 2,295 SqFt$590,460Open Thu 12PM-5PM - 1/31 31
3 Beds 4 Baths 2,382 SqFt$625,000Open Fri 4PM-7PM
Thinking About Buying in South Jordan?
Realtor® | Real Broker, LLC UT DRE# 10569202-SA00
Dallon Smith is a real estate agent in South Jordan, Utah, serving South Jordan, Herriman, West Jordan, Riverton, Bluffdale, Draper, Sandy, Lehi, Highland, and Alpine. He has sold homes at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley since 2017, holds a degree in Business, Marketing, and Spanish from Utah State University, and has been named to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors Top 500 agents multiple years. He is licensed with Real Broker, LLC and a founding partner of Team Captivate.
Most of Dallon's work is listing and selling homes. As a South Jordan real estate agent he prices from recent neighborhood sales rather than a guess, tells sellers which repairs and staging are worth doing before photos, markets each home with professional photography and full MLS and search-site syndication, and negotiates offers, inspection requests, and appraisal gaps around the number that matters: net proceeds at closing.
He represents buyers too: showing homes for sale in South Jordan and the surrounding cities, comparing new construction against resale, explaining financing options, attending inspections, and negotiating on the buyer's behalf.
Dallon grew up in Sandy. In South Jordan he works throughout Daybreak, from Oquirrh Lake and SoDa Row to the newer neighborhoods around The Ballpark at America First Square and the TRAX Red Line stations, plus the established streets near Bingham High School. He follows Jordan School District boundaries across South Jordan, West Jordan, Riverton, Herriman, and Bluffdale, Canyons District schools like Corner Canyon High in Draper and Alta High in Sandy, and the Alpine School District split taking effect in 2027 for families in Lehi, Highland, and Alpine. He knows what Bangerter Highway and Mountain View Corridor do to a commute, how fast Traverse Mountain reaches Silicon Slopes, and what The Point in Draper means for south valley values. Outside work he skis, boats, plays pickleball, sings, and reads.
Clients consistently praise Dallon's attention to detail and market knowledge. Jordan Stastny called the experience "excellent," noting Dallon made sure nothing slipped through the cracks during the search and negotiation. Stephen Edgington said Dallon "made everything feel a lot less stressful" and never made him feel pressured. Jessica Dutson, who sold during a difficult situation, said Dallon "handled everything so professionally and quickly."
If you are comparing agents to find the best realtor in South Jordan, or want to know what your home would sell for today, call or text Dallon at 801-696-5087, email dallon.realty@gmail.com, or visit dallon-smith.com.