Davis County History
From the Shoshone homeland to Utah’s third-largest county
Davis County is small — the smallest county in Utah by land — but its story runs deep. This is the short version, with links to the full history of each of the 15 cities.
The Timeline
Before 1847 — First peoples and first trappers
The Shoshone, Paiute, and Ute peoples lived along the Wasatch Front for centuries, drawn by the creeks flowing from the mountains to the Great Salt Lake. Mountain man Jedediah Smith passed through in 1826, and John C. Fremont’s expedition — with Kit Carson — mapped the region in the 1840s.
1847 — Settlement begins
Just two months after the first pioneer companies reached the Salt Lake Valley, Perrigrine Sessions drove his herds north and wintered at what became Bountiful — Utah’s second settlement. Hector Haight reached Farmington the same season.
1850 — A county named for a captain
Davis County was created in 1850 and named for Captain Daniel C. Davis of the Mormon Battalion. Farmington became the county seat, a role it holds today.
1870 — The railroad changes everything
The Utah Central line connected the county’s farm towns to Salt Lake and Ogden — and spawned whole communities, including Woods Cross, named for the rail crossing on Daniel Wood’s farm. Simon Bamberger’s railroad later brought Lagoon to Farmington in 1896.
1940 — Hill Field and the modern county
Ground broke for Hill Air Force Base in January 1940, and Davis County transformed within a decade from orchards and onion fields into one of Utah’s fastest-growing places. The WWII naval depot at Clearfield became the Freeport Center, one of the West’s great distribution hubs.
Today
Roughly 380,000 people now call Davis County home across 15 cities — each with its own story.
City Histories
Bountiful • Centerville • Clearfield • Clinton • Farmington • Fruit Heights • Kaysville • Layton • North Salt Lake • South Weber • Sunset • Syracuse • West Bountiful • West Point • Woods Cross
See It For Yourself
- Then & now: the county’s 1975 aerial imagery swipe map lets you slide between 1975 and today — addictive
- Memorial Courthouse: the 1932 historic courthouse still anchors Farmington
- Local museums: the Bountiful Museum and the Syracuse Regional Museum
County source: Davis County history.
Explore more: Davis County Trails • Events Calendar • Get the Monthly Roundup
Then & Now: Our Latest History Stories
A new Davis County story every week, drawn from public archives.
- Did You Know Lagoon Was Built to Sell Train Tickets
Before Lagoon roller coasters, there was Lake Park — a resort the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad opened on the shore of the Great Salt Lake in…
Follow Along
Two ways we bring Davis County history to your feed each week.
#DavisCountyThen — every Thursday
Throwback Thursday: a then-and-now look at a Davis County landmark, with the real story behind it. Tag your family, share your memory.
Where in Davis County? — every Monday
We post an old photo — you guess the place. The answer, and the full story, drops that Thursday. Can you name it first?
Share Your Davis County Story
Got an old family photo, a memory, or a piece of local history? Send it in — we may feature it, and every story helps preserve Davis County’s past for the next generation.
Are you a local museum or historical society? We’d love to feature your collection and send visitors your way.