Cottonwood Heights

Cottonwood Heights, Utah is a city on the southeast bench of the Salt Lake Valley in Salt Lake County. It borders Holladay to the north across I-215, Midvale to the west and Sandy to the south, with Wasatch Boulevard and the mouths of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons on its east side. The city covers about 9.2 square miles.

Cottonwood Heights offers established neighborhoods with fast access to the mountains. The city sits between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, near four ski resorts, and has a recreation center, parks, the Big Cottonwood Canyon Trail and Fort Union Boulevard shopping. Trade-offs include higher prices than much of the valley, winter canyon traffic and no TRAX station inside city limits.

Most Cottonwood Heights addresses use ZIP code 84121, often with “Salt Lake City” as the mailing city, and parts of the city fall in 84047, 84092 and 84093, which it shares with Midvale and Sandy. Because ZIP codes do not match city limits, confirm the city for a specific Cottonwood Heights property on the Salt Lake County parcel record.

Cottonwood Heights is in Canyons School District. Brighton High School and Butler Middle School are inside the city, and elementary schools include Butler, Canyon View and Ridgecrest. Bella Vista closed as an elementary school for 2026–27, with students reassigned to Ridgecrest. Boundaries can differ by address, so confirm current Cottonwood Heights school assignments with Canyons School District.

Cottonwood Heights sits at the mouths of Big Cottonwood Canyon, which leads to Solitude and Brighton, and Little Cottonwood Canyon, which leads to Snowbird and Alta, about six miles up State Route 210. Many Cottonwood Heights homes are minutes from a canyon road, though winter traffic, the canyon traction law and resort parking reservations can affect travel times.

Cottonwood Heights incorporated as a city on January 14, 2005, after voters approved incorporation in 2004. The area was first settled as Butlerville, named for the Butler family, and the city still celebrates Butlerville Days each July at Butler Park. Most Cottonwood Heights homes were built between the 1970s and 1990s, well before incorporation.

Cottonwood Heights homes are mostly single-family ramblers, split-levels and two-story homes built from the 1970s through the 1990s, many with walkout or daylight basements, four or more bedrooms and valley or mountain views. Larger custom homes sit near Wasatch Boulevard and the canyon mouths, and condos and townhomes are concentrated near Fort Union Boulevard and I-215.

Cottonwood Heights homes generally sell for more than comparable homes in Midvale and much of Sandy, reflecting east-bench lots, views and quick canyon access, and pricing is closer to Holladay. Within Cottonwood Heights, updated view homes near Wasatch Boulevard usually command the most, while original-condition ramblers near Fort Union Boulevard are the typical entry point.

Cottonwood Heights and Holladay are neighboring east-bench cities with similar populations and price tiers. Holladay, incorporated in 1999 and served by Granite School District, is older and flatter, with wooded lots along Big Cottonwood Creek. Cottonwood Heights, incorporated in 2005 and in Canyons School District, sits higher, with more 1970s to 1990s homes, more views and faster canyon access.

Cottonwood Heights allows internal accessory dwelling units in single-family zones, generally with owner occupancy and an extra off-street parking space, and detached ADUs face stricter rules. Short-term rentals are primarily limited to multi-family condo or HOA communities and require a city license, so they are generally not an option in typical single-family neighborhoods. Confirm current rules for a specific Cottonwood Heights property with the city.

The former gravel pit at about 6695 South Wasatch Boulevard in Cottonwood Heights was approved for mixed-use redevelopment in 2021, and in 2026 UDOT selected it for a Big Cottonwood Canyon mobility hub with a parking structure and new Wasatch Boulevard intersection. UDOT is still working to acquire the site, with service improvements possible as early as winter 2028, so check UDOT and city updates.

When buying a Cottonwood Heights home, order a full inspection and sewer lateral scope, and check the roof, furnace, electrical panel, retaining walls, drainage and basement moisture, especially on sloped lots. Test for radon, since granite-derived soils near Little Cottonwood Canyon can raise levels, review Wasatch Fault hazard maps, and ask whether additions and basement finishes were permitted.