Denver and Salt Lake City Compared

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Mr. Beat compares and contrasts the two biggest American Rocky Mountains-based cities, Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Produced by Matt Beat. All images and video by Matt Beat, used under fair use guidelines, or found in the public domain. Music by ‪@DivKid‬ and Cheel.
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#geography #bestcities #wheretolive
Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah
Two major cities in the American West basically located on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, about 371 miles (597 km) from each other. However, because of all those mountains, it still takes eight hours to drive from one to the other. And yep, just look at those mountains. They’re a big reason why Denver and Salt Lake City are two of the fastest growing major cities in the country.

[@iammrbeat]

Which is better? Salt Lake City or Denver? If you're ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. For more information go to ForThePeople.com/MRBEAT. Supporting Morgan & Morgan also means you're supporting my channel. :)

[@theredtiger1651]

I live in Salt Lake City, and been to Denver, but I got to say I loved it there

[@dudemanofdude]

I'd say Denver is more badass

[@Milther2]

I think Denver is a more happening place, but SLC takes the W for beauty and outdoor recreation

[@steevf]

As a former Utahan, I cringed when you mispronounced Oquirrh. :)

[@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt]

Stay away from the Mormon swine !!!!

[@avacurtis2729]

Quick note from a salt lake city based Climate activist. Salt lake is not naturally drying it is a result of careless water management policies.

[@zoey2211]

More specifically, from assholes who seem to think they‘ll actually die without massive lawns and thirsty alfalfa farms in the largest desert in the US lol

[@davidtrottier7066]

It's definitely both

[@brianfox771]

@@davidtrottier7066 No its not. 60%-80% of the water diverted from the GSL is used to grow alfalfa, a water intense crop, that is then exported to China. While climate change and severe drought don't help, the lake would still be at healthy levels if not for the agricultural diversion - even considering the residential and municipal water usages. This info is directly from published scientific research from universities in the intermountain west, state, federal agencies and environmental conservation groups. Folks along the Wasatch Front don't need alfalfa, they do need arsenic-free air, however. 😉

[@Conhair789]

The lake has been drying for 40,000 years which is why we have the salt flats, they are dry lake beds

[@brianfox771]

@@Conhair789 Um, no it hasn't. The GSL only started to form from the remains of Lake Bonneville about 11,000 years ago.

[@carolineann8196]

I spent the first 21 years of my life in Colorado, and I just moved to Salt Lake for college this year. It is insane to me both how much I knew and recognized about both cities and also how much I learned from this video. also, the oquirrh mountains are pronounced “ochre”

[@ltjgambrose]

Or "oak-er", if you don't know color pronunciations.

[@Tystayl]

North Ogdenite (born in Ogden) here. I agree with you both on pronunciation of Oquirrh. Otherwise, this video did a great job on comparing both cities.

[@dr.sweets8940]

If i'm not mistaken the R is actually rolled like Cardi B's okurrrrrr

[@The_K-Dude]

I live in Oquirrh lol

[@returnnull3476]

It does hit differently

[@recelehberger1603]

As a Denver native, this was fun. Thanks for the content Mr beat, big fan of your content. Go Broncos

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks Rece! I'm obviously not a Broncos fan, but I love Denver and its residents so much. :)

[@stinproductions5790]

Aye I’m a SLC boy but I can agree with the last thing u said. Broncos country, let’s ride!

[@vgshwk]

Go Chiefs.

[@badass420weedsmoker5]

All my family loves the broncos!!!! Lots of fans out in utah

[@yourdreams2440]

Let's ride

[@CJ-1776]

I grew up in a suburb of Denver but have lived in SLC area for 25 years. Hard to say one is 'better'. They are different. I never thought I would like a place as much as Denver/Colorado but as an outdoor guy I will give the edge to SLC/Utah and we mostly have southern Utah to thank for that (although the wasatch high country being 20 minutes from the valley floor doesnt hurt either). Southern Utah is next level when it comes to outdoor stuff. The entire southern part of the state is a big uncrowded red rock playground. It's unreal. That said I sill love to visit my Colorado roots and still consider the Denver pro sports teams to be 'home team' (not much choice between Utah and CO for that, CO is an awesome sports town).

[@ewallt]

Interesting. It depends upon what you like. I like forests, so for me the Wasatch mountains are heaven, and find Southern Utah as fun to visit, but being in the mountain forests for me can’t be beat, and they’re literally right here.

[@esquiredan2702]

Two years ago my wife had two job offers to consider- one in Denver, and the other in SLC. We took time to scope both cities out back to back. Our experience astonished us. Being left-leaning outdoorsy tree-huggers, we never expected to love SLC far more than Denver. The whole time we were in Denver we couldn’t even see the mountains (due to haze). Plus the homelessness has reached tragic levels. Conversely, SLC has many neighborhoods within the city proper that are way up into the mountains on the north and east sides. That’s how close they are. The city is clean and generally feels safe. As major urban hubs go, it’s a quiet place to raise a family. People in my office frequently take half-days off work to go ski just 20 mins away from downtown. Plus there are more breweries and distilleries than you would imagine.

[@rhisavbora2975]

i thought alcohol laws in SLC were strict.. how is crime levels there in SLC?

[@fluidice1656]

I travel to SLC for conferences and such. I always find it really pleasant and cozy. A totally random observation: Mexican food is surprisingly good. The spring is my favorite season there, and I don't really care about skiing. The parts around the Amtrak station are a bit creepy though, especially at night. Most local folks I happened to talk to in SLC were rather liberal.

[@aeolia80]

The homeless population in SLC is actually quite large but because of the culture there (appearances above all else, I’m not joking, it’s tied into the religious history to be viewed as legitimate), they are much better at hiding it and taking it out of the city.

[@iammrbeat]

I wish I consulted you before making this video! Thanks for sharing that, you tree hugger you. ;)

[@stathinfection]

hey! denver metro resident here. while the city itself is further away from the mountains than SLC, there are many communities stationed in the mountains (Golden, Morrison, et cetera) that are a maximum 30 minute drive from denver proper! also denver has over 150 breweries and SLC has 30. i have been to SLC though and i loved every second of it! love from colorado

[@shadkarlson4948]

Lived in Denver for 18 years and have lived in Salt Lake now for 6. I will always be preferential to Denver since it's home to me, but both are great places and you really can't go wrong. One thing I will say that is noticeable is the climate. I definitely miss Denver's year-round sunshine and slightly nicer weather in both the summer and winter. Not drastically different but enough to be noticeable.

[@rileyweston236]

Thanks for the video, Beat. There are some small factual errors about Utah here, but since you used recent drone footage of SLC rather than the 30-year-old helicopter shots our news stations still use.. I’ll let that slide!

[@iammrbeat]

LOL On a serious note, could you please let me know what I got wrong? I always try to add corrections in the pinned comment.

[@viejobarbon9671]

@@iammrbeat Mr breast give me money

[@mareksimmons9162]

@@iammrbeat it doesn’t matter it at all but Oquirrh is pronounced “Oaker”

[@rileyweston236]

@@iammrbeat Well for starters, you mentioned SLC has good transit which is false. Hahah I actually think others in the comments have pointed everything else out.

[@bru4773]

@@rileyweston236 Eh. It has the Frontrunner and Trax, both of which are a blessing that many cities of its size do not have. I personally love them, and use them whenever possible. Though the highways in Utah suck pretty bad

[@devingiles6597]

Hey, Mr. Beat. Can you please compare both Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland?

[@iammrbeat]

That one has been on my list for awhile. Thanks Devin, always great to hear from you.

[@brianemery7693]

Both have very interesting history. SLC does better with transit. In another mountain region, how about a video comparing Alberta and British Columbia. Lots to uncover, one province is conservative with an energy based economy and two medium sized metros (Calgary & Edmonton) and the other on the Canadian West Coast with a Pacific Rim port city (Vancouver) and also very resource rich.

[@iammrbeat]

I'm planning on comparing Edmonton and Calgary soon!

[@highway2heaven91]

@@iammrbeat Can’t wait for that one. You could also do Calgary and Denver compared in the future!

[@tomindenver1331]

@@highway2heaven91 I refer to Calgary as metric Denver.

[@joshuaberger6670]

I live in Denver and traveled to SLC multiple times. Despite Denver being bigger, I think SLC feels more urban due to the fact that it's completely surrounded by mountains so doesn't have room to sprawl as much as Denver sprawls. Plus, SLC is much more scenic because it's surrounded by mountains on almost all sides, whereas Denver is on the high plains a good 10 miles east of the Rockies. If it weren't for my wife's office job (I work remote), I'd totally up sticks to SLC. Denver is nice too, but SLC is just more prettier and I think still retains a certain charm that Denver has lost in it's growth.

[@TimurTripp2]

SLC feels closer to the mountains and the mountain views are honestly amazing even in the suburb of SLC where I lived. Meanwhile Denver has a lot more going on both in the city itself and in surrounding areas - often feels like SLC just more to choose from of everything from cars to coffee shops. SLC feels more confined and isolated by the mountains, hence smaller town vibes compared to the Denver sprawl extending in all directions. Boulder or Golden are nice places to be close to both the mountains and Denver, and also provide that smaller town vibe, but this is why it's also insanely expensive to live there.

[@JakeStewart1343]

Cuck

[@logansimmons2460]

Lived in both, could see the sphinx in the Gilgal from my apartment in SLC 😂 I personally prefer Salt Lake due to it's proximity to the mountains and lower density. Also, as good as Colorado mountian biking is, Utah can't be beat! Both are great though.

[@iammrbeat]

That's horrifying that you could see it outside your window! lol

[@peterthesneakybastar]

I agree, but I think Denver will be better in the future. Both cities will get hotter summers, more extreme winters, more pollution, more wildfires, and much more natural disasters in general. Salt Lake City is already worse in all these categories, and it will continue to go in that direction much more than Denver

[@radical_eyez]

​@@peterthesneakybastar yeah and the upcoming frequent toxic dust storms SLC has to look forward to don't help either

[@TimurTripp2]

​@@peterthesneakybastar Summers in SLC are definitely worse. That being said, Denver does seem farther from the mountains which I don't really like. I also wish it had a better light rail system...though while living in the suburbs I had no idea SLC's was any better

[@MrMinoughan]

As a SLC native the air is really the only thing holding us back from being the best city in the country imo, we are also not walkable at all but other than that thanks for shining some light on us

[@iammrbeat]

Although their public transportation is surprisingly good for an American city of its size!

[@Alice_June]

@@iammrbeat it’s definitely pretty decent! It could be better, but compared to what I hear about in much of the country it’s a blessing. It’s all thanks to the 2002 Winter Olympics we held, the bid for which required us to boost public transit for the sake of athletes. SLC actually has a bid to hold a future Winter Olympics, either in 2030 or 2034. If we get the bid (which is a decently safe bet given climate projections, our pre-existing facilities, and other bidders lack of preparedness so far) we will see an even further expansion of our transport. Fingers crossed!

[@bru4773]

@@iammrbeat Im a huge fan of the frontrunner and trax lines! Light rail is so cool

[@moccalou]

Oh, it's very walkable. As someone who doesn't drive, I was always able to get around pretty much everywhere. Now I've lived places where the crosswalk signals are broken, most of the streets don't have sidewalks, and you have to walk like a mile past where you want to go just to get across clock to get across a street if you don't want to cross a busy intersection.

[@MrMinoughan]

@@iammrbeat True, we're moving towards greener and more affordable transport which I hope will solve both issues

[@TrendyStone]

My sister lives in Denver but misses SLC. It's just not that easy to get to the ski resorts in Denver. I live in Ogden and can be on the slopes in 30 minutes. It can take hours to get from Denver to the ski resorts. Note that since January the Great Salt Lake is up 3 feet.

[@roadracer517]

I lived right behind the Temple in Ogden in the Colonial. Worked at Snowbasin. I can say that the Christmas event behind City Hall on 25th street was so awesome. Rosa's has the best Mexican anywhere.And Wincos. The best market with best prices. I loved the bulk section. I wish I could buy a place there.

[@CoronaryArteryDisease.]

Both are great places. Park City, which is close to SLC, is definitely one of my favorite places in Utah. Lots of stuff from the olympics is still there. I rode a bobsled down a competition course! Colorado Springs has a huge olympic training facility. Vail in Colorado was also super fun. However, if you don't like the outdoors and doing things like rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, etc., Utah might not be for you entertainment wise.

[@Paranoid_Found]

The Great Salt Lake drying is truly concerning.

[@iammrbeat]

Mos def :(

[@ruthkjar4003]

@@Paranoid_Found we actually got record snow fall last year and this year. I haven't seen the lake so full in many years. Well be OK.

[@HonestIySam]

I love how you showed East high from both cities 😂

[@skidogleb]

Salt Lake City is sweet! Nothing like 2 feet of snow to help me stay home and play video games.

[@iammrbeat]

😄

[@mazda9624]

I always love seeing Denver being talked about by outsider. So many things that I just find normal and take for granted are actually quite unique. Also I loved seeing my old campus so many times in this video!

[@ZacharyRiggs619]

I love these videos! I would like to see a comparison of San Diego/LA, Las Vegas/Phoenix, San Francisco/Sacramento, or Seattle/Vancouver. It would also be epic to compare California /Texas/Florida.

[@FTFP1300]

Not sure about the others, but he made one for Seattle vs Vancouver if you want to watch

[@Cyrus992]

Some say Tehran is like SLC on steroids

[@onesob13]

That seems right

[@zoey2211]

1000% - visually, climatically, geographically, culturally - everything ahaha I actually know loads Iranians who literally say their families initially moved to SLC due to its physical familiarity and large Persian population

[@ellayelich1802]

@@zoey2211 That’s funny, I’ve heard similar sentiments from several of my Afghan coworkers. It’s not hard to understand why though, looking at photos of Kabul on google earth makes even me feel slightly homesick for SLC 😂

[@Cyrus992]

@@zoey2211 yup

[@nimi-nae]

I'd love to see more about Utah history. It's really unique.

[@The_K-Dude]

Yes, we are like the only state that started because of a religion, which I think is cool

[@blorbies549]

It is really gross sometimes though…….. and trying to understand how the settlers thought they were doing the right thing is so frustrating lol. Soooo much history though you might have to spend hours and hours on each individual town/county. Also Utah studies class here used to not talk about the Utah war

[@BigJMC]

@@blorbies549 ​ The Mormon’s left because Missouri’s governor sent out an expel or exterminate order against the Mormon’s. They left to follow Brigham Young across west after their founder was assassinated for religious and political means. So even if you don’t agree with the beliefs and practices they were still very much persecuted, even by association could get you killed so it made sense.

[@JakeStewart1343]

​@@The_K-DudeIt started because Polygamy was illegal in the USA and Utah was Mexican territory at the time 😂

[@augiegirl1]

My brother-in-law & his wife & daughters lived in SLC for several years, while he got his Doctorate in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Utah. My maid of honor (my college best friend) was born in the Denver metro but moved to Texas when she was 3, & my husband's best man (college best friend) lived his whole childhood in the Denver metro.

[@iammrbeat]

So which city do you prefer?

[@augiegirl1]

@@iammrbeat I've actually never been to EITHER ONE, although I've been to Colorado Springs twice. I'd probably say SLC by default, considering how the Colorado Buffalo fans used to treat the Huskers (Yes, I grew up in Fremont & now live in Topeka; that geographical connection is the main reason that I watch you). Also, my maid-of-honor’s mom used to work for Marriott (which is connected to the Mormon church); while I DEFINITELY don't agree with the Mormon's beliefs, there’s NO DOUBT how family-oriented they are in their business practices.

[@DiscoDumpTruck]

Great video! Quick minor correction though: Deseret was not intended to be its own country. Brigham Young originally wanted to petition the federal government as a territory, but changed his mind to applying for statehood when Texas and California were applying for statehood.

[@LoganBolan-vv3wv]

Hi, I'm writing a book about this! Look up The Geopolitics of Mormonism. I get the sense that Brigham Young and the Council of Fifty changed their minds several times.

[@dsxa918]

Thanks for referencing that, as far as I know that is very true that they did.

[@iammrbeat]

I think what threw me off about this is that they wanted to be the "State of Deseret." State is a synonym to country. I agree with Logan that the evidence is weird on what they truly wanted. Mr. Terry didn't correct me, so I assumed it was correct!

[@Gizzy411]

I’m assuming they would’ve been okay with either outcome but would’ve had a harder time fighting for their sovereignty than if they had just downgraded to a U.S. state

[@Compucles]

@@iammrbeat How is it weird? Yes, the word "state" can be misleading, but all official records show that they were merely trying to apply for statehood as part of the United States.

[@SP_detector]

Mr. Beat....... compare Reno NV and Las Vegas NV

[@iammrbeat]

Great suggestion!

[@morgank.7805]

I would also like to add that a big part of the Temple Square tourism occurs during the month of December when they have all the nativity scenes, Christmas lights and other festive things out. As someone who worked as a custodian there for a year, that was definitely the busiest time. With renovations ongoing, that hasn't been a thing for the last couple of years, and I'm not entirely sure when it will be back, but at least historically, that was a big thing for (especially Mormon) locals.

[@ZakhadWOW]

with them destroying both visitor centers and the temple annex, it remains to be seen what they wil make of the square now.

[@rcfreakeagle]

I've heard it won't be finished until 2025. Was originally gonna be 2023-2024 but COVID pushed it back.

[@shawn6669]

@@rcfreakeagle I'm still mourning for the Crossroads and ZCMI malls downtown. Cottonwood mall and Sugar House too for that matter. FWIW....

[@TrogdorElite6]

As a third generation Denver native this video was super fun. Also appreciate the one photo of my alma-mater the Colorado School of Mines. I also grew up in Morrison, the location of Red Rocks, and attended Red Rocks Elementary at the base of Red Rocks Park. We could hear the sound checks and rehearsals from our playground.

[@GeneaVlogger]

Salt Lake City is also home to Granite Vault, the largest collection of genealogical records that are literally stored in a vault which was blasted into Granite Mountain.

[@iammrbeat]

And there he is! Thanks for bringing that up as well!

[@willieray303]

Denver wasn't one of the first to legalize it was the 1st

[@Tinil0]

Interestingly, I live in Denver but came from Oregon and the comparison I make the most is more Denver to Portland. The weather is COMPLETELY different, but the cultures of both cities are very comparable, while SLC strikes me as quite different from Denver (And obviously Portland too). Though I suppose Portland needs to be compared to Seattle so...

[@iammrbeat]

Hear me out.... Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine Compared?

[@kiambotebbonikay]

@@iammrbeat Yes Mr Beat. Let's do it.

[@Tinil0]

@@iammrbeat That's actually quite an interesting idea, they have a good mix of comparisons and contrasting points and is probably more interesting than Portland and Seattle which uh...don't have a ton of contrasting points. This why you're paid the big bucks!

[@zoey2211]

Yeah I think that’s true, SLC’s definitely got more of a California city vibe than anything in the northwest. Can’t speak for denver, as I haven’t spent nearly enough time there to know, but that seems correct to me

[@colinhoward5067]

Dear god, please keep Portland far away from Denver. Sadly, we're one bad mayor away as Tim Dillon says.

[@eltonrosas]

Denver weather is also much better. Snow typically melts in a few days. Also inversion can happen here but nowhere near SLCs inversion, theirs is absolutely horrible and depressing.

[@KC.801]

Yea but Denver gets way colder

[@radical_eyez]

Yeah living in a bowl of carcinogenic soup isn't great

[@Straystar1235]

@@KC.801 Not really, maybe a couple degrees on average

[@KayentaRojo]

Denver gets WAY colder. It never gets below 10°F in Salt Lake City. I have 3 species of palm trees in my garden that grow beautifully

[@allstar2709]

@@KayentaRojoyour a a hole for that take trees inside

[@rochellegriffin]

I am super impressed with the information accuracy and quality footage of this video. So often I feel Utah gets misrepresented, but this was really excellent! Great, thorough work! Thank you!

[@CanadaBricks]

Still waiting for a Calgary and Edmonton compared video. Make it happen! Good video all around!

[@iammrbeat]

I finally got me some sweet footage of Edmonton, so it's definitely happening sooner than later. Speaking of which, do you know of anywhere I can get some more footage of the two cities? Oh, and thank you!!

[@CanadaBricks]

@@iammrbeat m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2jNqnVjhal9oqM is a great one for drone flyover footage of Calgary. Other than that, though, I’m not too sure. Good luck on the search though

[@anthonyorm]

@@iammrbeat a youtuber named IJ Annie's Vlog uploads tons of footage of them walking around Calgary's downtown and surrounding area

[@spencerallison3196]

Yess Absolutely we need that video

[@herschelwright4663]

A must do video!👍

[@laptv2144]

I don’t think crime is actually higher in SLC than Denver. I think they just report crimes when they happen way more often.

[@sunglassdubsteps5268]

Fun fact: Both Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are in the same Division and are bitter rivals. Please do a comparison between Phoenix Arizona and Hermosillo Sonora.

[@iammrbeat]

I totally forgot to mention that rivalry!

[@FatTracksMusic]

Ethnically diverse? What places did you visit here (SLC)?

[@wtice4632]

Slc is indeed diverse. You must be blind

[@nashmonti120]

As a Wyoming resident I speak for all 5 of us when I say that we whole heartedly regret ever helping denver

[@ColbyEaton]

7:41 Correction: they actually proposed it to be a state, not a country.

[@iammrbeat]

I think what threw me off about this is that they wanted to be the "State of Deseret." State is a synonym to country.

[@no-th6in]

Can you do plz Peoria Ill and Springfield Ill

[@WizardToby]

I have visited both, and I personally like Salt Lake City better.

[@mattshipley182]

I moved to SLC 5 years ago and have enjoyed my time here!

[@iammrbeat]

Glad to hear it!

[@brettdeasrealtor]

Something to note, Denver has lots of suburbs in the mountains or close to them, but super highly priced. unlike SLC which is very close to the mountains to begin with.

[@thekingdomoforgaytmapper]

17:31 Here is a fact about this “blue demon horse” The person who sculpted the horse died. He died after a part of the horse fell off and crushed him and severed an artery in his leg. The Horse has been nicknamed over the years as “Blucifer”

[@iammrbeat]

Did that really happen? I came across in my research and I just assumed it was made up!

[@Ado_Edem]

​@@iammrbeatit really happen. The sculptors name was Luis Jimenez

[@CB0408]

If the Salt Lake dries up, will Salt Lake City change its name to City?

[@Sambnt]

Poisonous Dust City, actually 💀

[@iammrbeat]

Or "Hell"

[@KayentaRojo]

Salt Desert City

[@aramondehasashi3324]

It would be a ghost town if that happens.

[@wiseowl3]

In my 15 years of living in Denver, Salt Lake City is by far a much safer place to be in. A lot cleaner too

[@TrenchReynolds]

I like the state capital comparisons. Topeka vs. Jefferson City.

[@iammrbeat]

I am very familiar with both. In fact, I was born in Topeka and have lots of family there.

[@InterstateKyle]

Great video as always Mr. Beat! I love both these cities, as far as driving in them goes, I'd easily give the edge to Salt Lake City. SLC upgraded its freeway system in the late 1990s and early 2000s in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics. They were very smart and too this day SLC has a fraction of the traffic that Denver has. Yes, Denver is bigger, and by default has more traffic, but Denver freeways, with the exception of I-25, are very outdated and are stuck in the 1960s-1970s. I'd rank Denver's traffic in the top 10 worst in the country per capita. I also find it interesting that these mountains between each city created giant obstacles for construction of major highways and too this day, there is no direct interstate connection between the two. The fastest way between SLC and Denver is to take I-80 through Wyoming and then head south on I-25 to Denver, but if you want to add a little extra time and see way better scenery I recommend heading south along US-6, which you can access from Provo, which will take you to I-70. I-70 west of Denver is one of the best drives anywhere in the country, much less on the interstate highway system.

[@iammrbeat]

You just posted a video driving in Colorado, right? We are good at timing our releases. lol

[@iammrbeat]

Also, the best part about Denver is that you often don't have to drive on their highways- their train system is above average for the country.

[@UpliftedCapybara]

Kyle, what did you think of the new sections of I-70 just north of Denver? They’re a lot more modern in design more than those old viaducts.

[@InterstateKyle]

@@iammrbeat My videos are made about a year in advance so the timing is very coincidental. Next week is the Eisenhower Tunnel. Then a few videos down the line it’s Colfax Avenue which was mentioned in this video lol

[@InterstateKyle]

@@iammrbeat For the next compared series I would love to see San Francisco and San Jose compared! I can also provide footage 😜

[@tylerj7298]

I am moving back to Denver this fall and this was great to learn more about my favorite city.

[@iammrbeat]

I'm so happy to hear you're moving back to your favorite city!

[@JamiesonPercad]

SLC/Utah has since added an NHL team in the year since this video was uploaded.

[@HELLARARE4ever]

Did you know Santa Fe is at a higher elevation the the “mile high” city, Denver? Santa Fe stands at a little over 7,000 feet above sea level, making it the highest capital city in the United States. While most Santa Fe residents are well-acclimated to the elevation, it can take visitors by surprise.

[@iammrbeat]

Yes, I knew that. I've been there and it's beautiful. But it's just not that big.

[@HELLARARE4ever]

Mister beat, thank you for acknowledging my comment, it's always a pleasure and honor to get commented by the artist himself. Yes santa fe isn't as big as denver but it's still high up there though. But between the two I prefer denver hands down. Once again I love your content as your COMPARISONS videos are my favorite, as I look forward to your next one.

[@highway2heaven91]

Santa Fe isn’t a major city

[@KC.801]

Park city is about 30 min away from slc and it’s 7000 feet above sea level.

[@johnlesica4657]

Don't forget Albuquerque's elevation of 5312' is comparable to Denver's 5280'. That makes it the other "mile high" city in America.

[@slctrev]

Salt Lake native here, it's a great place to live, but affordable housing is few and far between. Currently there is really no such thing as a "starter home". There is a lot of LDS influence in local politics which is frustrating, but as far as the people go, if you're not Mormon, you'll be just fine living in Salt Lake County. If you live in more rural places in UT, you will be the odd person out. It's an outdoor mecca for both desertscape and high alpine activities. As a well traveled person, I can confirm that it is a good place to live, however, have some cash ready to move to Salt Lake County, and don't be shocked to learn that you can't buy wine at a grocery store.

[@fordandk4840]

Kentuckian here! Would you consider comparing Louisville and Cincinnati?

[@iammrbeat]

Absolutely!

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Nope

[@rite2bcreative]

I do wish more outdoors stuff was highlighted about SLC. The mountains really are just 10 min away. That, and I think the university of utah is a pretty notable thing. On the other hand though, I don't want anyone else to move here haha so maybe they're better left out :)

[@Ian-xd2in]

I’m excited for the Edmonton Calgary video! You’re the best Mr Beat!

[@ellayelich1802]

Salt Lake City to Tehran comparison pls!!!!! We are begging!! 🇮🇷🇺🇸🇮🇷🇺🇸

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Absolutely not

[@taylor7334]

My family was some of those who had gone to Utah before Brigham young. The Bingham's were in charge of finding land for the ox and cattle to graze after the long track and basically just a good area to relax. They also found deposits of gold but they we're told not to disturb the land.

[@revinhatol]

What about Las Vegas and Reno?!

[@iammrbeat]

Heck yeah!

[@ethanhaynes7406]

As someone who loves both of these cities, this was a very fair and accurate overview/comparison. However, It's incredibly unfortunate what's happening To the Great Salt Lake and water sources all across Utah. We've been in a nearly decade-long drought and climate change has not helped out at all. People in Utah are the exact opposite of what you would call water conservationists and waste so much every year despite living in a desert. This probably won't change because of the Republican government of the state refusing to enforce restrictions on water usage and conserve our beautiful natural lands, instead selling them off to mining companies who leave nothing but dust. I'm not saying this as an attack on Repbulicans (although I am absolutely disgusted how they gerrymandered Salt Lake City last year) but as an attack on how the previous and current administrations have ignored our state's nature when it's one of our biggest industries bringing millions of tourists and making this state one of the best to live in. Anyways, if you ended up reading all that very good and accurate video! (Also loving the beard Mr. Beat)

[@iammrbeat]

Well hopefully the last two years have been a wake up call to the politicians. It seems at least like they are trying to reform these days, which is much better than in previous years (doing nothing and hoping the problem would just go away). Anyway, I appreciate hearing your perspective and the kind words. Take care!

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

Denver is also home to one of my good friends and my cousin. Salt Lake City is home to one of my favorite video game speed runners

[@iammrbeat]

Right on

[@jacobbashford2182]

Could I ask who that speed runner is? Just curious cuz I'm in slc lol

[@stuffingtonjfluffypantsiii]

@@jacobbashford2182 MitchFlowerPower

[@jacoballey21]

denver took the "highest major city in america" a bit too far

[@rvids20]

I've always found the two cities to be very similar. Denver for sure takes the public transit aware of the two. Salt Lake may seem very walkable and it definitely got better over the years and still continues to, but anywhere the trams or train run is out of the way of anything worth actually seeing. The transit takes you to very few locations of interest requiring an hour long wait for a bus. Denver has less of this problem, though still somewhat similar. The transportation is worth taking in Denver, no so much in Salt Lake.

[@kdub6898]

Moved to Salt Lake City in Aug 2021 and it's growing extremely fast...the traffic is getting worse by the day! I love it here!

[@nixonhoover2]

You are part of the problem.

[@wtice4632]

Please move out

[@goinkosu]

I've been to that Sphinx. Everything else in life has been a letdown compared to that day.

[@iammrbeat]

lol

[@Droidman1231]

Suggestion: Chattanooga vs Knoxville comparison. Two biggest cities of East Tennessee

[@iammrbeat]

Nice. I'm actually planning on releasing Memphis and Nashville Compared later this year!

[@Droidman1231]

@@iammrbeat Oh that's cool! I'll definitely enjoy that, though I can't help but feel it's one-sided. The vibe/sense here in TN is that Nashville is on the up and up and Memphis is on the decline.

[@KingBoss2015]

Are we going to talk about how he completely botched the word “Oquirrh”? 😂😂

[@illmaticfiend]

Great video. I've live in Salt Lake for about a decade and I typically refer to Denver as bigger Salt Lake with less booze restrictions. Boise is the little sister to both (this is a joke, I think lol)

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks! I finally went to Boise in August, and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. SLC and Denver are sooo much better, imho!

[@zoey2211]

Naahhhhhhh you’re forgetting about Reno! Fr feels like mini Salt Lake

[@sethjaffe9095]

I live in SLC and visited Boise for the first time just a few days ago. It feels like SLC Jr with slightly better liquor laws.

[@thegwynster]

I should also mention that Salt Lake City's streets are numbered based on their location to the Salt Lake Center. (i.e. "W 200 S") The Mormons influenced this tactic, and you can find it in several cities across Utah.

[@ellayelich1802]

despite what the mormons of today will tell you, Salt Lake City’s numeric, square grid system is actually a derivative of the old Spanish colonial street pattern iirc, which makes sense given that SLC was a part of Mexico for the first few decades of its existence. This is part of why much of Salt Lake’s (and other utah/arizona Mormon cities) layouts often feel like parts of Latin America or Spain, with Santiag, Buenos Aires and Mexico City being main examples. I know urban planners in utah often look at Barcelona’s mega-blocks as inspiration for how to deal with SLC’s massive square blocks and wide roads, as there’s really no other city in the US like it

[@DrDude-fp6mr]

@@ellayelich1802 can you provide a citation for this?

[@justinreidy8729]

Because of the numbering the 4 months I lived in SLC were so nice, no need for GPS or maps when going around the city center out to UofU

[@ellayelich1802]

@@DrDude-fp6mr one of my professors at the university of utah brought it up a few times in two history courses I was enrolled in about 5 years ago. Can’t remember what their sources were but you can probably find more info online

[@highway2heaven91]

Interestingly the town of Raymond in the Southern part of Alberta in Canada, also uses this system. Reason being that Mormons from Utah settled this part of Canada.

[@longtailedbroadbill]

botanical gardens should be on your list of attractions in Denver. they're astounding year-round

[@radical_eyez]

Denver's bot garden is lovely. Utah's red butte garden is pretty amazing as a wedding venue and a very important horticultural project, but to me Denver's is nicer to hang out in.

[@lime2333]

Props on including the MLS teams, Mr Beat! People forget about them sometimes

[@sonigokuu]

I live about an hour south of Salt Lake and one of my brothers recently moved to Denver.

[@stevencooper4422]

Fun fact, the Killers based their most recent album off of Nephi, Utah.

[@matthewhedrichjr.5445]

I like how you compare cities. My favorite city comparison you did is Paris vs London.

[@iammrbeat]

That's my worst one! lol I made several mistakes in that video and lots of salty French folks came at me. 😔

[@christianehmling5080]

I've lived in Denver, worked in Salt Lake, and I now live in NM after living in Phoenix for a year. I think it's safe to say I have a huge Four Corners bias lol

[@chrisscanlan1533]

Would love to see Albuquerque show up in one of these comparison videos.

[@iammrbeat]

Watching Better Call Saul currently. :)

[@WDI2008]

Need to do Los Angeles, California and San Francisco, California compared!

[@JazzyUte]

Just a correction: the Oquirrh Mountains are pronounced Oak-er (like her) but great, balanced video. Salt Lake always surprises with its crime. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's all the pent up energy accumulated throughout the years of growing up in a stricter society lol

[@rileyweston236]

The crime has to do with Utah having zero social safety nets.

[@Sambnt]

There are Gangland episodes about the violent Polynesian Gangs who are also Mormon in SLC. An interesting phenomenon

[@DrDude-fp6mr]

@@Sambnt That has to do more with being immigrants working their way up in society, kind of like the Irish Catholic gangs, Italian Catholic mafias like Al Capone, or Jewish gangs in the Northeastern United States. Poverty, and traditional 'toa' or Samoan warrior culture has more to do with it than being LDS. If they survive and reform they go on their missions and never come back to that lifestyle.

[@7ElevenAlphaCentauri]

Mr Beat you forgot to mention that SLC was once under the massive lLake Bonneville.

[@skyrocks12]

i have been to both cities (live in the Denver metro area, have been to SLC once) and both are great!! love that you mentioned Auraria as i currently attend college on the campus that was built over it

[@wesleysmovingpictures2035]

It’s always trippy when mr. Beat makes a video about where you live

[@iammrbeat]

Denver or SLC?

[@Aryll1000]

Sorry, I need to make another comment. The people of The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are not Mormon. We don’t worship Mormon. He was a great prophet, but he did not die for our sins. We love being associated with Mormon as he was a good man, but it is Jesus Christ in whom we associate with and worship. The church is Christ’s church restored to the earth. That is why the church is named after him. If we were Mormon’s the church would have been named The Church of Mormon, but we worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Mormons was a nickname and we have been counseled to not call ourselves Mormons because it would indicate that we worship Mormon, and it indicates laziness. The prophet has said Don’t be lazy in saying the name of the church. We are to be reverent and say the name as it is. I understand that you likely are not a member of the church and that people have used that name for us for decades. It is no wonder why people say we are not Christian and don’t worship Christ. They are unaware and/or are ignorant of the fact that we do absolutely do worship Christ which is why the church is named after Him. Christ and his gospel are the corner stone of the faith and central to our lives.

[@jflatley38]

I have roots in Denver and been there. Going to SLC this summer!

[@iammrbeat]

Nice! Have a wonderful time. :)

[@QuizHeavenTriviawithJonas]

I live around the Salt Lake City area, and have also been to Denver too! Great job as always chief!

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you!

[@petevawdrey268]

I was born and raised in the SLC metro area. We love our neighbors to the east, but the culture really is quite different. I really like how progressive Denver has been about planning for population expansion with their infrastructure, and I’m happy that it seems like Salt Lake seems to be catching up with that mentality. That being said, we are in a much better spot geographically imo, and our skiing is much better here in Utah 😉. Salt Lake is much better… but that is a very biased opinion haha

[@dirtydinner6463]

Uncontrolled population expansion will be the death of Utah. We continue to grow with little sign of slowing down as we approach a public health catastrophe with hazardous chemicals being blown into the air from the dying Great Salt Lake. We will be little more than a cautionary tale in the next 10 years…

[@stevencooper4422]

​@@dirtydinner6463 That's absolutely absurd all we need to do is stop the alfalfa farmers from sucking all the water. Fun fact: it takes 10 GALLONS of water to grow one CUP of walnuts. Not to mention we had over 220 percent snowpack this year.

[@AngelicoCiudad]

Utah is a rep state while CO is a dem state. From what I know about usa policy, rep states try to have a "stable" population while dems try to increase their population by any means. Which explains why UT population growth is smaller since they're more easygoing with that (can't blame them since with a smaller population is way easier to manage).

[@evan9072]

@@AngelicoCiudad Lmfao. You are just abjectly incorrect. Utah has been growing at a faster rate than Colorado since *2000*. Utah has been well-reputed to be the fastest-growing state in the entire country. Combine that with the completely dominant culture of the state of Utah whose ideology focuses significantly on producing as many children as possible, how would you even begin to say that? Of the 10 fastest-growing states between 2010 and 2020, 7 are red and 3 are blue. You have no understanding of this.

[@AngelicoCiudad]

@Evan What I meant is they must have methods to control population or something? Since CO population is bigger and growing. UT population is slowly (or slower) growing, but the economy is growing fast with it. In terms of stability, reps are better by the looks of it.

[@petevawdrey268]

One correction, Salt Lake is not walkable at all. You should look into how urban planning was done for Salt Lake because it is very interesting. Salt Lake was was planned loosely based off of Joseph Smith’s “Plat of Zion”. Brigham Young made some alterations to that original plan, and it has actually made quite a few issues with modern day zoning and adding more streets. We would have been much better off if Brigham Young stayed true to the original Plat of Zion. What that all means is that our city blocks are massive in Salt Lake and we have incredibly wide streets. So it isn’t super navigable by foot. Btw, the wise of the road based off of turning an ox team around in the street is a myth if you come upon that.

[@DrDude-fp6mr]

Less temples tho than the original Plat of Zion!

[@ellayelich1802]

What’s funny is that the original “plat of zion” plan was likely actually a derivative of the old spanish colonial urban format. Explains why many Mormon settlements have a similar layout/feel to many largely post-colonial cities in Latin America and Spain like Buenos Aires or Barcelona I spent much of last summer in a small town in Coahuila, was totally shocked at how much it reminded me of old Mormon grid cities in rural utah like Salina or Escalante. You even sometimes feel it certain residential parts of St. George or SLC, the avenues being an obvious example

[@kylem1112]

It's the same in Denver man... unless you live downtown, public tranist sucks, especially if you live in the more suburban parts.

[@siamiam]

that red rocks park amphitheater looks amazing O_O

[@iammrbeat]

I've been there thrice, but have yet to see a show there sadly.

[@FrederickJenny]

This is rail related, Denver has a beautiful central station with Denver Union Station but no front range rail (they are working to fix that). Meanwhile Salt Lake City has a nice regional rail with the FrontRunner but no good central station. There is a group of volunteers is trying to bring rails back to their historic station with the Rio Grande Plan. Check it out if you have time. It is a very interesting and important project.

[@Rewcifer]

Born and raised in the Denver area and you nailed all the Denver facts. They added a more accurate mile high step at the capital that is three steps away from the original, and they might change it again for accuracy. Thanks for covering Denver!

[@iammrbeat]

Heck yeah. I was just on those steps in November. Did you notice the Edutubers with me?

[@russellstern5400]

"This is the Place" is a great museum to bring children. In one exhibit, there was a mock classroom with a volunteer teaching a lesson in Deseret circa 1869. She asked for a volunteer. My daughter raised her hand and was made to show what happens as punishment when children misbehaved. She was instructed to stand on a stool, put her nose to the wall, and hold a large book in each hand. (She did not need to hold the books the full ten minutes.)

[@osberswgaming]

Personally never been to either, both seem nice. You always have a way of making everything you compare seem like a pretty cool location

[@iammrbeat]

Well it does help that I tend to focus more on the positive aspects of places! 😎

[@osberswgaming]

@@iammrbeat naturally

[@BashTheBuilder]

You didnt talk about the skylines

[@camduenas9448]

From a skiier’s perspective the two areas are very different. You can get from downtown slc to the major resorts in about 30 minutes. While in downtown Denver it takes an hour at the very least. Winter driving conditions only make those times exponentially worse too. Part of what makes Utah snow so great is that said resorts get a ton. Compare the Cottonwood canyons resorts for instance at about 500”+ each season to Dillon or summit county where you get about 250” a season. It’s a huge difference

[@justintime5021]

I went to Denver on a business trip for a few days last year. Coming from a 30ft above sea level elevation here in Sacramento it was rough. The first day just walking around was a struggle. I started to acclimate around day 3 when it was time to leave.

[@49ersrocketsrider2]

Las Vegas Nevada Vs. Phoenix Arizona

[@iammrbeat]

I'd love to make that video, although I might make one comparing Phoenix to Tucson instead

[@49ersrocketsrider2]

@@iammrbeat That would be cool too..

[@zoey2211]

@@iammrbeat Nah do Las Vegas to Reno!!

[@HyrumSpendlove]

What the actual hell is that sphinx doing in SLC

[@syro33]

Ooh, a Mr Beast video talking about SLC? Nice! I live nearby, its nice to hear stuff about it! (I don't think we have many major rivals in other states, so I didn't think we'd have a comparison video!)

[@iammrbeat]

Well share this video with everyone you know so that Denver can be your rivals. lol

[@tylerahlstrom4553]

The higher crime rate in SLC surprises me, unless he was only including SLC proper, which only has 200,000 people and has a much higher concentration of problems compared with the rest of the Valley and the State.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

I think the comparison is between those cities *"proper"* .

[@michaelevans1193]

This might be a bias, but I’d love to see a Baltimore/Washington, DC comparison - aka the Battle of the Beltways.

[@iammrbeat]

I've been hoping to do that one for awhile

[@zekeonstormpeak4186]

Marijuana laws are Colorado state laws, not Denver laws.

[@ftwtech]

Colorado Springs is a major city that is higher in elevation than Denver

[@topaz1125]

Compare Mobile,Alabama to New Orleans,Louisiana . Mardi Gras just ended and every year both cities debates which is better

[@iammrbeat]

I can dig this suggestion

[@oasharks47]

Please compare San Jose and San Francisco

[@iammrbeat]

Great suggestion!

[@oasharks47]

@@iammrbeat Thank you!, love your content!