city, Utah county, north-central Utah, U.S., near Utah Lake, at the foot of the Wasatch Range. Settled by Mormons in 1850, it was incorporated in 1853 as Lake City but was renamed for the American Fork River in 1860 to avoid confusion with Salt Lake City. Once primarily a trading centre for irrigated farmlands (fruit, vegetables, grain, poultry) with some industrial development, notably the Geneva Steel Works, American Fork has become a suburb of Salt Lake City and a centre for high-technology manufactures. The Utah State Development Center (established as the Utah State Training School in 1931), a school for the mentally and physically disabled, is a major employer. The Timpanogos Cave National Monument is 7 miles (11 km) east. Pop. (1970) 7,713; (1990) 15,696; (2000) 21,941.