Clearfield, Utah
City
Clearfield City Municipal and Justice Center
Motto:  We’ve Got it Made
Location in Davis County and the state of Utah.
Coordinates: 41°06′23″N 112°01′27″WCoordinates: 41°06′23″N 112°01′27″W
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Davis
Settled	1877
Incorporated	July 17, 1922
Incorporated (city)	March 21, 1946
Founded by	Richard Hamblin
Government
• Mayor	Mark Shepherd
Area [1]
• Total	7.74 sq mi (20.06 km2)
• Land	7.71 sq mi (19.98 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation [2]	4,465 ft (1,361 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	31,364
• Density	4,163.60/sq mi (1,607.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes	84015, 84016, 84089
Area code(s)	385, 801
FIPS code	49-13850[4]
GNIS feature ID	1439799[2]
Website	https://clearfield.city/

Clearfield is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. The population was 31,364 at the 2020 census. The city grew rapidly during the 1940s, with the formation of Hill Air Force Base, and in the 1950s with the nationwide increase in suburb and “bedroom” community populations and has been steadily growing since then.

Clearfield is a principal city of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Davis, Morgan, and Weber counties.

History

Clearfield was one of the last communities to be settled in the northern part of Davis County (1877).^[5] Hunters and Native American warriors knew this land before the first white man settled here. They referred to it as the land of wind and sand. It was the arrival of the railroad that first awakened the area in 1869 and stirred the sleeping Sand Ridge, which it was once known as until the name was later changed to Clearfield.^[6]

There was no water for those early families until wells could be successfully dug. The only water available at first had to be hauled in large barrels from Kays Creek in East Layton. But the great event that did more to transform the bleak Sand Ridge into a fertile garden spot was the coming of the Davis and Weber Counties Canal in 1884. This caused an immediate population boom in the area as people plowed up the sagebrush, cactus, and prickly pears, and homes and farms began to appear throughout the area.

Many Clearfield children went to school nearby in Syracuse by walking several miles a day. In 1907, the new Clearfield Elementary School opened its doors to those same children. The school taught first through eighth grades and operated until 1923, when it was destroyed by fire. The new building later acquired the name Pioneer School. North Davis Junior High School was built and opened its doors in 1939. The building cost approximately $170,000 to build. That first year, there were 18 faculty members and 585 students.

Throughout the following years, Clearfield was known as a peaceful farming community. However, the addition of defense installations in the areas changed the agricultural community. Construction began on Hill Field (Hill Air Force Base) in 1940, and the facility eventually stretched along the eastern border of Clearfield. The base has since provided many jobs for civilians and is one of Utah’s major employers.

On the southwestern side of Clearfield, the U.S. Navy installed the Clearfield Naval Supply Depot in 1943. Clearfield was considered a prime location for the depot because of its relative security from enemy attack, nearby air transportation at Hill Air Force Base, and the proximity of railroads and highways. The dry climate was ideal for storage, and there was a good supply of manpower.

Another more modern school, South Clearfield Elementary, was added in 1950 to help keep pace with the growing population.

The early winter of 1959 saw the beginnings of Clearfield High School, the first high school in northern Davis County.

The Clearfield Naval Supply Depot was eventually phased out by 1962, but the facility did not stay empty for long. Private firms soon began moving into the large warehouse buildings. The area became known as the Freeport Center and is a major western hub for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

Hill Field Elementary opened in 1963 and is located just west of the west border of Hill Air Force Base.

The Clearfield Job Corps Center was established in 1966. This facility is located west of the Freeport Center on Antelope Drive. It was established to train unemployed and unskilled youth 16 to 24 years old.

Clearfield City dedicated a new city hall building in 1969, and a new state-of-art Clearfield Fire Station opened in 1980, adjacent to city hall.

In 1981, Holt Elementary opened in the northwest corner of the city, near Steed Park.

The newest Clearfield City Municipal Building, located on 55 South State Street, was dedicated in December 1999.

Clearfield’s premier office and commercial center, Legend Hills, is also the largest office development space in north Davis County. The first phase of Legend Hills was built in 2002 on the city’s east side, just east of the frontage road along Interstate 15.

 

Clearfield Aquatic Center, built in 2006

In 2004, ground was broken for the Clearfield Aquatic Center. In 2005, the old Clearfield City Swimming Pool was demolished to make way for the new center and for an updated Bernard Fisher Park. The new skate park at Fisher Park was also added the same year. The Clearfield Aquatic Center opened in 2005 adjacent to the newly built North Davis Junior High, which until 2005 had been the oldest standing junior high building in Davis County. An outdoor splash pad feature was added to the Clearfield Aquatic Center in 2006.

Clearfield High School underwent a major renovation in 2006, including the main auditorium and computer upgrades.

The opening of the Utah Transportation Association (UTA) FrontRunner commuter rail stop in Clearfield in 2008 helped the city emerge as a centralized location of business, public, and community development.

Davis County opened a three-story, 45,000-square-foot office building housing the administrative offices of the Davis County Health Department in 2010. The Heritage Senior Activity Center closed its Clearfield Community Center location in 2011. It reopened as the North Davis Senior Center in its new location adjacent to the new county health building.

In 2012, the former Clearfield Community Center was renamed, becoming the Clearfield Community Arts Center. Located east of the Clearfield City Municipal Building north parking lot, the center is expected to become a hub for art classes, theatre productions, and more.

 

Clearfield City FrontRunner UTA Station

Geography

Clearfield City has a total land area of 7.8 square miles (20.1 km²), and a population of 30,112 as of the 2010 Census, making it the third largest city in Davis County, behind Layton and Bountiful. This creates a population density of 1498.1 people per square kilometer or 3860.5 people per square mile. Clearfield City has an average elevation of 4,327 feet (1,320 m) above sea level. The lowest point within the boundaries of the city is 4,314 feet (1,315 m) at the intersection of 1000 West and Antelope Drive on the city’s western edge, and the highest is 4,711 feet (1,436 m) at a point that is within the city’s northeast corner but physically located on Hill Air Force Base property along Constitution Way in their housing area. (AGRC)

The city is located in the north-central portion of Davis County. The county is surrounded by the Great Salt Lake to the west and the steep Wasatch Range on the east, although neither of these notable natural landmarks is physically within the city boundaries. Directly encircling Clearfield are the cities/areas of Sunset City to the north, Clinton City to the northwest, Syracuse City and West Point City to the west, Layton City to the south and east, and Hill Air Force Base military installation to the northeast.

There are no major lakes or rivers within the city. There are a few small ponds, mostly at public parks or privately owned property. The only significant waterway in the city is the Weber and Davis Canal along the east and northeast edge of the city, which extends north and south of the city boundaries. The Clearfield Canal Trail parallels the canal for a portion of its trip through Clearfield. The Great Salt Lake is separated from Clearfield City by marshlands, mudflats, and the cities. The metabolic activities of bacteria in the lake result in a phenomenon known as “lake stink”, a scent similar to sulfur, once or twice a year for a few hours.

The highest mountaintops visible from Clearfield City are Deseret Peak in Tooele County at 11,031 feet (3,362 m), Ben Lomond Peak in Weber County at 9,712 feet (2,960 m), and Thurston Peak, just to the west of Clearfield at 9,706 feet (2,958 m). Ben Lomond Peak and Thurston Peak are located in the Wasatch Range. The Wasatch Fault is found along the western base of the Wasatch Range and is considered overdue for an earthquake as large as 7.5. Catastrophic damage is predicted in the event of an earthquake, with major damage resulting from the liquefaction of the clay- and sand-based soil. The largest earthquake that has occurred near Clearfield City in the recorded past occurred on 12/7/1967 and was 21.5 miles (34.6 km) away in Park City, Utah, and registered at a magnitude of 4.3.

The Wasatch Front valley floor is the ancient lakebed of Lake Bonneville, which existed at the end of the last ice age. Several Lake Bonneville shorelines can be distinctly seen on the foothills or benches of nearby mountains.