The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quickly growing unincorporated area, combining the four communities of Granger, Hunter, Chesterfield, and Redwood.

The earliest known residents of the western Salt Lake Valley were Native American bands of the Ute and Shoshoni tribes.

During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, West Valley City was the official venue for men's and women's ice hockey.

The center will include a civic center (consisting of city hall, a courthouse, police headquarters, and a library), an eight-story Embassy Suites hotel, a plaza, and residential development, as well as the end of the TRAX Green Line, and a stop on the 3500 South MAX bus rapid transit line.

As of 2016[update], the development is incomplete with the TRAX line having opened in 2011 and the hotel in 2012, but the City Hall and the government center still under construction.

[9][10] Serial killer Ted Bundy was arrested in Granger on August 16, 1975, on a routine traffic stop.

Federally, West Valley City lies in the 2nd and 4th congressional districts, represented by Republicans Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens.

[14] As of 2021[update] the police chief is Colleen Jacobs, a 21 year veteran of the department, who oversees 218 sworn officers and 47 support staff.

[15][16] In 2013, the city police's narcotics unit was disbanded after an officer-involved critical incident revealed drugs and money had not been booked into evidence.

The racial makeup of the city was 46.5% non-Hispanic White, 2.3% Black, 1.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 3.9% Pacific Islander, and 4.2% from two or more races.

The SR-201 freeway lies along the northern border with Salt Lake City and continues west into Magna as an expressway.

[27] It was also formerly served by the 3500 South MAX bus rapid transit (BRT) line, which began service in 2008.

The Eastern side of West Valley City consists of the Redwood, Chesterfield and East Granger neighborhoods.

The neighborhood's racial makeup was 51.17% White, 35.08% Hispanic or Latino, 4.73% Asian, 3.24% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and 2.51% African-American.

South of Parkway is mostly residential and commercial, including Valley Fair Mall and the Maverik Center.

The Westshire neighborhood is located directly south of Valley Fair Mall and consists of 160 homes built by modernist architect Ron Molen.

This neighborhood is unique in that all homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s in the Mid-Century Modern style and are excellent examples of modernist residential architecture.

This area of West Valley City has a median household income of $55,087, which is typical for the state of Utah and Northern Salt Lake County.

The neighborhood's racial makeup was 53.82% White, 32.11% Hispanic or Latino, 5.04% Asian, 4.54% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and 1.57% African-American.

[35] Much of Central West Valley's residential architecture is based on common brick ranch styles from the 1960s and 1970s.

The neighborhood's racial makeup was 60.65% White, 29.62% Hispanic or Latino, 3.15% Asian, 2.37% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and 1.39% African-American.

The majority of the neighborhood is residential, with the exception of many strip-mall style commercial developments along its eastern border of 5600 West.