Provo received its name from French-Canadian trapper Etienne Provost, who arrived in the area in 1825. Provost and his party of mountain men set up camp near the mouth of the Provo River, but skirmishes with Native Americans forced them to escape to the mountains. It wasn't until 1849 that the first permanent settlement, begun by a party of Mormons, was established. The Mormon settlers erected Fort Utah as their first building, and despite famine, drought, hard winters, and the constant danger of attack, they persisted and the settlement grew. Today, Provo is the seat of Utah County and the state's third-largest city.

An important educational and commercial center, Provo's largest employer is Brigham Young University. Beyond that, the city boasts major steel and electronic component manufacturers, health care and municipal employers, and other educational facilities. Provo lies in the middle of a lush, green valley: to the north stands 12,008-foot Mount Timpanogos; to the south is the perpendicular face of the Wasatch Range; to the east Provo Peak rises 11,054 feet; and to the west lies Utah Lake, backed by more mountains. Provo is the headquarters of the Uinta National Forest, and many good fishing, boating, camping, and hiking spots are nearby.