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Utah, United States

Provo

The Garden City; Welcome Home; Home of BYU

Overall
6.5
Connector Score
6.1
Per day
$170 from $110
Season
Peak: BYU game weekends, graduation and comme…

Best for:OutdoorsSkiing

  • Drive
  • Train
  • Airport
Directions

Best connected to Ogden 1 h 10 min by car

Overview

Beside Utah Lake and at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, Provo is shaped by Brigham Young University, which fills the town with students and a steady, polite energy. About 115,000 people live here, and mountains are never far from view, with Mount Timpanogos rising above the east side. The outdoors is the big draw. Locals hike Rock Canyon and Y Mountain, and visitors head up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls or Sundance for skiing and mountain scenery. Downtown has good dining on Center Street, and the first Friday gallery stroll is popular. Summer brings the Freedom Festival and the Stadium of Fire, and fall belongs to BYU football.

Crime is low, though it ticked up slightly last year. Housing is pricey for the region, driven by students and young families, and the city population has dipped a bit. In winter the valley can trap smog in temperature inversions, and canyon roads and trails get slick or dangerous when wet or snowy.

Trip planning at a glance

Peak season
BYU game weekends, graduation and commencement, summer festival
Nearest airport
Provo Municipal Airport (PVU)

Highlights

  • Brigham Young University campus and museums
  • Bridal Veil Falls and Provo Canyon
  • Sundance Mountain Resort
  • Utah Lake and Utah Lake State Park
  • Provo River Parkway Trail
  • Downtown Provo dining and Center Street
  • Rock Canyon and Y Mountain hikes
  • Mount Timpanogos (Timp) trails

Best connected to

Ogden

Utah, United States ·

5.9
Distance
75 mi · 121 km
Drive
1 h 10 min

adds historic sites and shopping

Compare View connection

Salt Lake City

Utah, United States ·

5.8
Distance
45 mi · 72 km
Drive
50 min
Train
likely (not verified) · 1 h 22 min

adds historic sites and family & kids

Compare View connection

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Scores

Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.

6.5/10Good
  • Connector Score6.1

    4 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity train, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Safety8.4

    About 207 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370. Data-based

  • Affordability5.1

    Cost of living index about 114, where the national average is 100. Data-based

  • Transportation8.5

    Reachable by: road, intercity train, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Car-free friendliness6.0

    Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Walkability4.9

    Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Things to do6.2

    Known for 8 kinds of attraction, with 7 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Food & dining5.5

    A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Places to stay5.7

    Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Nature & outdoors8.5

    Known for mountains & hiking, national & state parks, lakes & rivers, skiing & winter sports. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Scenic value7.3

    From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Family friendliness5.7

    Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Solo-traveler friendliness5.8

    Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Nightlife4.5

    Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Remote-work friendliness5.8

    City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Road-trip convenience5.8

    4 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Train-trip convenience5.7

    Intercity train service, with 1 nearby city reachable by rail. Hey! En Route estimate

  • Bus-trip convenience1.5

    No intercity bus service noted. Hey! En Route estimate

City info

Country
United States
State / province
Utah
Population
114,527
Metro area
759,859
Area
114 km²
Density
1,001 / km²
Elevation
1387 m
Founded
1849 settled; 1850 incorporated
Currency
USD
Local time
10:54 pm UTC-06:00
Power
Type A/B, 120V 60Hz
Drives on the
Right
Visitor info
utahvalley.com
Known as
The Garden City; Welcome Home; Home of BYU
Languages
English; Spanish; Portuguese and other languages tied to BYU missionary community
Airports
Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), limited commercial service (routes not verified); Salt Lake City International (SLC) about 45 miles / 45-60 minutes; Las Vegas (LAS) about 5 hours by road
Tipping
Restaurants 15-20%; bars $1-2 per drink (alcohol service limited locally); rideshare/taxi 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $2-5 per night; delivery 15-20%

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About this data

City 2025 Census QuickFacts (114,527); metro figure is Utah County 2025 estimate (759,859 per Wikipedia); Provo-Orem-Lehi MSA (Utah and Juab counties) was 697,141 in 2020 Census. Area, elevation from Wikipedia. Crime from PlainCrime (2024). Cost of living from AreaVibes; home value/rent from Census. Provo airport commercial service and hotel ranges not verified. Data date Sept 2026.

Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·

Neighborhoods

7 areas to know, and who each one suits.

Downtown

Walkable

    BYU campus area

    Collegiate

      Sherwood Hills

      Quiet

        Riverbottoms

        Natural

          East Bay

          Business

            Rock Canyon

            Outdoorsy

              Provo Bench

              Residential

                Where to base yourself

                • Downtown Provo for dining and events
                • near BYU for campus visits
                • Riverwoods/University Parkway for shopping and chain hotels
                • Sundance for a resort stay
                • Tiers: budget motels, mid-range chain hotels, boutique and resort

                Suburbs and neighboring towns

                Orem (5 mi; car, UVX bus, FrontRunner train); Vineyard (6 mi; car, UTA bus); Springville (8 mi; car, UTA bus); Lindon (8 mi; car, UTA bus); Pleasant Grove (10 mi; car, FrontRunner train); Spanish Fork (12 mi; car, UTA bus); American Fork (15 mi; car, FrontRunner train)

                What a visit costs

                Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.

                Budget

                $110/day

                Lodging about $100 a night

                Mid-range

                $170/day

                Lodging about $150 a night

                Luxury

                $307/day

                Lodging about $275 a night

                Budget calculator

                Vehicle
                mpg

                These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.

                Cost of living

                For longer stays and relocation.

                Cost of living index
                114 (national average = 100)
                Typical 1-bedroom rent
                $1,250 a month
                Median home price
                $467,200
                Research notes

                AreaVibes index about 114 (US=100); housing about 40% above average; typical 1BR rent about $1,100-1,400

                Real estate

                Buying or renting long-term: prices, trends and the rules.

                Median home

                $467,200

                Mortgage calculator

                Median home value about $467,200 (Census 2020-2024); median gross rent about $1,193 (Census); market high-priced with student and family demand, slight city population decline since 2020

                Research notes on prices and seasons

                Hotels budget about $80-120; mid about $120-180; luxury $200-350; peak: BYU game weekends, graduation and commencement, summer festival; rough daily budget excluding lodging $60-130 per person

                Where to stay

                Which part of town suits which kind of trip.

                • Downtown Provo for dining and events
                • near BYU for campus visits
                • Riverwoods/University Parkway for shopping and chain hotels
                • Sundance for a resort stay
                • Tiers: budget motels, mid-range chain hotels, boutique and resort

                Places to stay

                2 listings in Provo, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.

                Nearby

                2 places outside Provo, within an easy drive.

                Top sights

                • Brigham Young University campus and museums
                • Bridal Veil Falls and Provo Canyon
                • Sundance Mountain Resort
                • Utah Lake and Utah Lake State Park
                • Provo River Parkway Trail
                • Downtown Provo dining and Center Street
                • Rock Canyon and Y Mountain hikes
                • Mount Timpanogos (Timp) trails

                Known for: Mountains & hikingNational & state parksLakes & riversMuseums & galleriesFood sceneLive musicPro sportsSkiing & winter sports

                Things to do

                3 listings in Provo, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.

                Nearby

                5 places outside Provo, within an easy drive.

                See what’s on: events and festivals

                Known for: Food sceneLive music

                Food & nightlife

                4 listings in Provo, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.

                Nearby

                4 places outside Provo, within an easy drive.

                Events

                Dated events will appear here as they’re added.

                Every year

                • Freedom Festival (June-July, including Stadium of Fire)
                • Stadium of Fire (July)
                • Utah Valley Marathon (June)
                • Provo Rooftop Concert Series (summer)
                • Downtown Provo Gallery Stroll (monthly, first Friday)
                • BYU football home games (Sept-Nov)
                • Christmas lights/Festival of Trees season events (Nov-Dec)

                Official events calendar ↗

                Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.

                8.4

                Very good · Data-based

                About 207 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370.

                Safety overview

                Violent crime about 207 per 100,000 (2024 FBI via PlainCrime), below national 359, though up from 176 in 2023; property crime about 1,271 per 100,000; Risks: winter inversion air quality (Dec-Feb), winter driving on canyons, summer heat and wildfire smoke, hiking exposure and flash-flood or rockfall hazards; Hospitals: Utah Valley Hospital and Timpanogos Regional (Orem)

                Local notes

                Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.

                None of note; standard precautions with bicycles and parked cars near downtown and student housing; avoid Provo Canyon trails when snowy or wet

                Safety & health

                Emergency numbers

                Health

                • Hospital (ER)Utah Valley Hospital
                • Hospital (ER)Timpanogos Regional
                Official visitor information
                utahvalley.com

                Last verified September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·

                Local directory

                10 listings in Provo, ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.

                Nearby

                16 places outside Provo, within an easy drive.

                Nearby cities and connections

                Find the next city worth adding to your trip from Provo: how far, how long, and how to get there.

                Lehi

                Distance
                20 mi · 32 km
                Drive
                25 min

                Nephi

                Distance
                40 mi · 64 km
                Drive
                40 min

                Heber City

                Distance
                35 mi · 56 km
                Drive
                45 min

                Flagstaff

                Arizona, United States ·

                6.5
                Distance
                436 mi · 702 km
                Drive
                8 h 15 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 10 h 32 min
                Flight
                1 h 30 min est.
                Compare View connection

                Denver

                Colorado, United States ·

                6.6
                Distance
                444 mi · 714 km
                Drive
                8 h 24 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 10 h 43 min
                Flight
                1 h 31 min est.
                Compare View connection

                Moab

                Utah, United States ·

                5.0
                Distance
                202 mi · 325 km
                Drive
                3 h 49 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 5 h 1 min
                Compare View connection

                Aspen

                Colorado, United States ·

                6.1
                Distance
                334 mi · 538 km
                Drive
                6 h 20 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 8 h 8 min
                Compare View connection

                Cody

                Wyoming, United States ·

                6.3
                Distance
                404 mi · 650 km
                Drive
                7 h 39 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 9 h 47 min
                Compare View connection

                Estes Park

                Colorado, United States ·

                5.7
                Distance
                405 mi · 651 km
                Drive
                7 h 39 min est.
                Train
                likely (not verified) · 9 h 48 min
                Compare View connection

                Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.

                Route ideas

                Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.

                2-day trip

                Provo (1 night)

                3-day trip

                Provo (1 night) → Ogden (1 night)

                About 81 mi, 1 h 31 min of travel

                5-day trip

                Provo (2 nights) → Ogden (1 night) → Salt Lake City (1 night)

                About 119 mi, 2 h 16 min of travel

                7-day trip

                Provo (2 nights) → Ogden (1 night) → Salt Lake City (1 night) → Logan (1 night)

                About 201 mi, 3 h 54 min of travel

                10-day trip

                Provo (2 nights) → Ogden (2 nights) → Salt Lake City (1 night) → Logan (1 night) → Pocatello (1 night)

                About 306 mi, 5 h 44 min of travel

                Suggested city pairs

                Building your own routes is part of Hey! En Route Plus. See what’s included

                Community signals

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