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Orem

North valley · everything this site has written about Orem, in one place.

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The valley's second city, and the one most often flattened into a hyphen with Provo. Orem is bigger than its reputation suggests, has its own downtown problem and its own answer to it at University Place, and sends its children to three high schools that locals can rank without hesitating.

17 guides about Orem are indexed below, and every fact on this page links to the page that carries it.

Start here

Start here Living in Orem Living in Orem, Utah: UVU, University Place, FrontRunner and UVX, schools, housing, cost of living and daily life. Start here Orem neighborhoods Orem neighborhoods: how the areas differ, the 2027 school district change, distance to UVU and BYU, and the pros and cons. Start here Things to do in Orem Things to do in Orem: SCERA, Roots of Knowledge, University Place, the inclusive playground at City Center Park and eastern-edge trailheads.

Eat and drink

Eat and drink Best restaurants in Orem The 15 best restaurants in Orem, from wood-fired pizza and Thai to Mexican and Korean, with price ranges, what's open on Sunday, and where to eat by occasion. Eat and drink Breakfast in Provo and Orem Breakfast in Provo and Orem: places open before 8 a.m., weekday sit-downs with no wait, bakeries that sell out, and why Sunday brunch is hard to find. Eat and drink Coffee and cafes The best coffee shops, cafés, and cozy work spots in Provo and Orem — from craft espresso to study-friendly hangouts with wifi and vibes. Eat and drink Pizza The best pizza spots in Provo and Orem — wood-fired Neapolitan, New York slabs, Detroit-style, and local favorites ranked with honest reviews.

Out and about

Out and about University Place Orem's old University Mall, rebuilt as University Place: the stores and restaurants, The Orchard park and its events, parking, Sunday hours and what's coming. Out and about The SCERA Shell The SCERA Shell in Orem: free parking lots, chair rules, gate times for concerts and plays, the seat release and the rainout policy. Out and about Hale Center Theater, now The Ruth Hale Center Theater Orem moved to Pleasant Grove in 2024 as The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater: the two stages, in-the-round seating, tickets and a night's plan. Out and about Bowling Every bowling alley in Provo and Orem: FatCats, BYU's campus lanes, Miracle Bowl, Provo Beach and The Rush Funplex, with Sunday closures, late hours, leagues.

Schools

Schools Orem's three high schools Orem runs three comprehensive high schools — more than any other city in Utah Valley — spanning four decades of construction up to 1996. Schools Best schools in Provo and Orem A parent's guide to schools in Provo and Orem — school districts, ratings, elementary and secondary options, and what to consider when choosing where to live.

Story

Story A short history of Orem A short history of Orem: the canal that made the bench farmable, the orchards, the 1919 incorporation, Geneva Steel, and how it became a city. Story The Orem Line interurban railroad For thirty-two years an electric railroad ran through the middle of every town in Utah Valley, from Salt Lake City to Payson. It is why Orem is called Orem. Story Orem vs Lehi Lehi has overtaken Orem in population, and the two cities offer almost opposite versions of Utah Valley. Story Provo vs Orem An honest, category-by-category comparison of Provo and Orem — cost, schools, food, commute, character.

Orem's celebrations

Halloween in Orem

Dates, times and every city's curfew are in the trick-or-treat finder.

City meetings

Orem registers 28 public bodies with Utah's Public Notice Website, among them the City Council, Planning Commission, Beautification Advisory Commission, CARE Advisory Commission. The public meetings guide shows where their agendas are posted.

Youth sports

The youth sports calendar tracks 3 programs here: baseball, basketball.

Trails in and around Orem

School district

Orem is served today by Alpine School District, which dissolves on 1 July 2027. From that date its schools pass to Timpanogos School District. Both pages carry the detail, and boundary studies inside the new district may still move individual schools, so treat the district line as the district line and not as an attendance area.

What is on in Orem

Dated entries from the events calendar filtered to Orem. Each one carries its own verified dates.

Recently opened in Orem

From the openings tracker. Each row is an index over coverage published on this site, with the date it was reported.

The rest of the valley

For everything beyond Orem, start with Living in Utah Valley, things to do, food and drink, the events calendar and the tools.