1. Not Everyone In Utah Is Mormon
The number one stereotype of Utah is that it’s crawling with Mormons and if you’re not white or part of the LDS, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. And it’s true, a large part of the population is Mormon. But check out the Sugar House district in Salt Lake City, and you’ll find out just how wrong that assumption is.
2. And Not Everyone Is A Plyg Either
The inevitable question Utahns get asked by out-of-towners is if they’re polygamists (better known as plygs) or if they know any. The show Big Love did nothing to simmer down the stereotype, either.
3. Utahns Worship At The Altar Of Fry Sauce
One part ketchup, two parts mayo, and you’ve got yourself some fry sauce. Additional ingredients may vary depending on how fancy you want to get, but that’s the base. And there’s no such thing as an order of fries or a burger in Utah without some fry sauce.
4. That Squeaky Utah Clean Image Isn’t Just An Image
Say what you want about the Mormon influence over the state, but one thing you can’t argue is just how clean and family-friendly the state is overall because of it. There is a lower percentage of drinkers and smokers along with less profanity running through the streets. Speaking of the streets, they’re pretty clean, too.
5. Utah Folks Have Breathtaking Views From Their Backyards
It gets tiring explaining to outsiders just how breathtaking Utah really is. But seriously. The state ranks third among states for National Parks with five of the most iconic, including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion. Utah also has seven National Monuments and six National Forests. But yeah, I’m sure you’re right that it’s just a bunch of compounds.
6. And They’re Free To Adventure Anywhere
About two thirds of Utah’s land isn’t private land, it’s owned by the government. This is very different from most states in that you can just load up your four wheelers and head out for a day of fun without worrying about crossing onto other people’s private land. It also helps the state stay vast, beautiful, and undeveloped.
7. Utah Folks Serve Funeral Potatoes At Pretty Much Every Gathering
Otherwise known as potato hotdish, funeral potatoes can be found at every church and family gathering across the state. And funerals, too.
8. And They Eat More Green Jello Than Anyone
It’s not a joke or a stereotype. Green Jell-O is big business in Utah. It’s so popular, in fact, that the commemorative pin for the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City was of a bowl of green Jell-O. Really.
9. Utahns Don’t Make Mistakes, They “Biff It”
Come to Utah and you’ll eventually hear someone say, “They totally biffed it.” What they’re saying is they fell, wiped out, tripped… You get the idea. It’s an expression that has come and gone through the state for decades now but is recently back again.
10. And Everyone In Utah “Sluffs It” Sometimes
If you’re being lazy, you’re sluffing off. If you’re skipping gym, you’re sluffing class. And if you’re just getting by in something, you’re sluffing along. It’s a Utah thing. Got it?
11. Yes, People In Utah Can Totally Drink
Some people actually think you can’t drink in Utah. Prohibition ended in the 30s and Utah signed it the same day as Pennsylvania. So, don’t worry. You won’t have to head out into the woods to whip up some moonshine if you want to get your buzz on. Utah has bars, breweries, and festivals, just like your state. So, cheers!
12. Nothing Says “Utah” Like Passing Through The Delicate Arch
The Delicate Arch is such a point of pride of Utah, it’s depicted on their license plate and was the image used on their centennial anniversary stamp. The 2002 Winter Olympic torch relay team even passed through the 65-foot tall natural rock formation.
13. Everyone In Utah Is a Square (Donut Fan)
If you didn’t even know there was such a thing as a square donut, then consider your confectionary world a whole lot bigger now. And if you’ve heard about them but didn’t understand, then you need to stop what you’re doing and get yourself to Lehi Bakery right now.
14. When It Comes To Film Festivals, Utahns Accept No Substitutes
Many other states have tried to stage their own version of Sundance, but none have come close. This annual film festival is the most popular in North America and one of the biggest in the world. It draws out huge names in the movie industry and has brought fame to previous unknowns like Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino.
15. Dairy Keen Is The Real Queen Of Utah
Who is this “Dairy Queen” you speak of? In Utah, Dairy Keen is the ice cream of choice. But it doesn’t just stop at the ice cream, either. The burgers are some of the best in the state, too, which is why Dairy Keen has won the Best of State award every year since 2003.
16. People In Utah Can Find Every Star In The Milky Way At Bryce Canyon
Utah skies are amazing for stargazing. They get incredibly dark and simultaneously so bright from the millions of stars that fill it. And Bryce Canyon National Park is the place to go for the best view, blowing away any planetarium out there.
17. Everything Utahns Could Want Is Under An Hour Away
Most people assume that Utah is incredibly boring. But they’re just incredibly wrong. Whatever your bag, Utah has it. And it’s usually just a short drive away. Hop in your car and head to the big city. From there, you can head right over to the charming homes in the mountain towns or hike the canyons or kayak in the Great Salt Lake or camp out under the stars… Whatever you’re up for, it’s ready for you in Utah.
18. The People From Utah Will Give You The Books Off Their Shelf
The Little Free Library is a quiet but awesome movement of small book stands that give anyone and everyone access to free books to take and replace at their leisure. Salt Lake City is proud to be one of the places where you can find them throughout the city, but it’s not surprising at all, considering that it’s just the Utah way.
19. People In Utah Put Snap Daddy’s BBQ Sauce On Everything
Forget Frank’s Hot Sauce. This is what you use in Utah.
20. Utahns Love Halloween So Much, They Celebrate It Twice
Seriously. Halloween comes once a year for everywhere else, but in Utah, it comes twice. Once on the traditional Halloween and then again in the summer for the annual Halloween in Summer Festival in Magna, where people who just can’t make it to October come to celebrate their love for everything that goes bump in the night with events, vendors, and sometimes triple-digit heat.
21. Everyone In Utah Would Like People To Shut Up About The Lucky Underwear, Already
Another annoying question that Utahns always get asked is about the lucky underwear thing. Yes, it’s a Mormon thing. No, not every Mormon wears them. And no one who is Mormon wears them. Well, that’s an assumption, since people don’t generally walk around asking strangers about the drawers they’re wearing as common practice. But if you’re comfortable doing that, keep asking.
22. Yep, You Can Float In The Great Salt Lake
It’s true. The Great Salt Lake is literally filled with salt which streams down from the canyons and mountains but since it has no outlet, it has nowhere to go. This salt really does make you much more buoyant, so if you want to give it a try, it’s there waiting for you.
23. Utahns Know The Saltiest Water Taffy Is The Best Salt Water Taffy
Another benefit of all that salt in the Great Salt Lake is that it makes for some of the tastiest salt water taffy you’ll ever find, and they do it without even being on a coast. Take that, Jersey Shore.
24. Folks In Utah Still Play The Lottery, Even Though They Have No Lottery
Utah might not have a lottery, but that doesn’t stop them from playing. A lot of them actually take the trip to Idaho to pick up a few tickets, especially around Powerball time. The small town of Molad, Idaho sells upwards of $10 million in lottery tickets every year and it is estimated that 85 to 90 percent of those sales go to Utahns crossing the border to hit the jackpot.
25. Utahns Dabble In The Dark Arts
For as squeaky clean as Utah is, it also has a surprisingly dark side. The Dark Arts Festival is a three day event held annually in Salt Lake City that disproves the notion that the freaks come out at night. They come out during the day, too, and they like browsing for coffins and getting their palms read while chowing down on some of the best Utah food and catching circus sideshow performers.
26. Women In Utah Were The First Suffragettes
The visions of the hardcore LDS women and the modest clothing can lead some people to believe that the women in Utah are meeker and maybe not even given the same respect as they are elsewhere in the country. But that’s a bunch of hogwash. Utah granted women the right to vote in 1870. In case you skipped history class, that’s a whopping 50 years before the U.S. Congress ratified the Nineteenth Amendment. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.
27. You Can See Utah’s Holes From Outer Space
The Kennecott Copper Mine is the largest open-pit mine in the world, running nearly a mile deep and 2.5 miles wide. It takes a truck over two hours to drive down to the bottom and back up again and it’s so big that, yes, you can view it from outer space. So keep an eye out for it on your next trip to Mars!
What have you had to explain to out-of-towners about Utah? Tell us in the comments below! 
