Bonneville, Utah

The salt flats of Bonneville, Utah are an over 30,000 mile stretch of flat ground. This site is often used for testing high-performance automobiles and setting land speed records. The Pontiac Bonneville gets its name from this location.[1]

The salt flats of Bonneville were formed from the drying up of Lake Bonneville, which the Great Salt Lake is a leftover from.[2] The name is originated from French, with "bon" meaning "good" in English and "ville" meaning "city" in English. Despite what the name may imply, the location was not titled by its alleged great society, but is instead named after U.S. Army officer Benjamin Bonneville. Bonneville himself did not discover the area, nor is it even likely that he even saw it. A traveler and cartographer he employed named Joseph Reddedford gave the flats their current title.[3]

References

  1. "Modified Saturn ION Red Line Sets Record on Bonneville Salt Flats | Car News | Auto123". auto123.com. 2003-10-22. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  2. "Bonneville Salt Flats". Utah.com. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
  3. "Utah History Encyclopedia". www.uen.org. Retrieved 2025-02-26.