Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.
Downtown Salt Lake City is usually defined as the area approximately between North Temple and 900 South Streets north to south and about 500 East and 600 West Streets east to west. Downtown encompasses the areas of Temple Square, the Gateway District, Main Street, the core business district, South Temple, and others.
Much of downtown Salt Lake City's early history is intertwined with that of Salt Lake itself at the time. Downtown began to form when Brigham Young chose the spot where the temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was to be located.