Adapted from “History,” Bluffdale, accessed April 9, 2020.
Bluffdale was initially homesteaded by Jens and Rise Madsen in 1862, as they settled on the east side of the Jordan River. A few other settlers built homesteads nearby, but the area did not start to attract settlers in significant numbers until canals were established. Seven canals were established, and by 1883, Salt Lake County Court had established the Bluffdale Precinct. By 1888, the settlers had built a church meetinghouse that also functioned as a school and social hall. Other buildings followed, including a schoolhouse in 1893, and an amusement hall in 1899.
In the 1970s, the residents of Bluffdale were faced with the decision to either merge with Riverton City or to incorporate. They incorporated as a city in 1978, and have continued to grow, along with much of Salt Lake County. The rate of growth is such that the population of Bluffdale has nearly doubled every decade since 1980. The population was only 1,300 in 1980, but the population is now approximately 15,000.