The city was founded 18 miles south of Salt Lake City along the banks of the Jordan River in 1859 by Mormon settlers. An agrarian town for most of its history, today it is a rapidly growing bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land, a land development company, has recently begun construction on the master-planned Daybreak Community for the entire western half of South Jordan. Daybreak could potentially double South Jordan’s population. South Jordan is the first city in the world with two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) temples (Jordan River Utah Temple and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple). The city has two TRAX light rail stops and one commuter rail stop on FrontRunner.
The city has 27 municipal parks and playgrounds ranging in size from 0.39-acre  Bolton Park in the north-west part of the city to the 59-acre  Riverfront Park along the Jordan River and the 80-acre  City Park along Redwood Road. City Park includes baseball and softball fields, football, soccer, and lacrosse fields, volleyball courts, tennis courts and a skate park. Riverfront Park includes two fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout and catfish by the Division of Wildlife Resources and 22 acres  of natural habitat. Other recreational facilities owned by South Jordan City include the Aquatic and Fitness center, Community Center providing the senior programs, Mulligan’s two miniature golf and two nine-hole executive golf courses and an outdoor ice skating rink next to City Hall.
Two trails meander through South Jordan. The Bingham Creek Trail starts in the northwest part of the city and travels 0.5 miles  North-East until it reaches the West Jordan border.  A 3.5-mile  section of the Jordan River Parkway trail runs through the city from northern edge of the city all the way to the southern edge. The trail has a combined bike and jogging path, plus an equestrian path.
Salt Lake County operates the 120-acre  Equestrian Park that sits adjacent to South Jordan City Park. The park grounds contain a horse racing track, a polo and dressage field, indoor arenas and stables. The Salt Lake County Fair is held every August at the park.
The 67-acre Oquirrh Lake sits inside 137 acres of park and wetlands located at the Daybreak Community. Recreational opportunities include fishing, sail boating, kayaking and canoeing. The lake has been stocked with trout, bigmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and fathead minnows. Of the fish they catch, anglers can only keep trout. The lake and the surrounding park land are privately owned, but open to the public, with future plans to turn it over to South Jordan City. In addition to the lake, the Daybreak community includes 22 miles of trails, community gardens, tennis courts, basketball courts, pocket parks and community-only swimming pools.
Privately owned, but open to the public, Glenmoor Golf course is inside city limits. Salt Lake County-owned Mountain View Golf Course is 0.3 miles  north in West Jordan and Sandy-owned River Oaks Golf Course borders the Jordan River in Sandy.

South Jordan is 22.26 square miles located in the southwest portion of the Salt Lake Valley, a climate which fully experiences all four seasons. For more information regarding the weather, area, and elevation.