If traveling by car, a knowledge of Salt Lake's famous "grid system" is a big plus. All 16 cities follow the same grid system. Major streets are laid out precisely running north-south or east-west. The origin of the grid is located downtown, on the south-east corner of Temple Square (the location of the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Street addresses are coordinates within the grid system. For example, one might speak of the intersection of 700 East and 2100 South as either "seventh east and twenty-first south" or "seven hundred east and twenty-one hundred south." Addresses are specific numbers, such as 855 South 1300 East ("Eight fifty-five south 13th east"). Street blocks are 100 units long. Downtown blocks are 1/8 of a mile in length, but blocks become more irregularly spaced farther from the city center.

The most important north-south streets in the city, from west to east, are Redwood Road (1700 West), 300 West, West Temple (100 West), Main Street, State Street (100 East), 700 East, and 1300 East. The main east-west streets in the city (north to south) are 600 North, North Temple (100 North), South Temple, 400 South, 500 South and 600 South (the only major one-way streets in Salt Lake City), 900 South, 1700 South, and 2100 South. In the eastern portion of the city, near the University of Utah, 400 South becomes 500 South, runs through the University, and heads southeast to the I-80/I-215 interchange as Foothill Boulevard, serving as the major road along the East Bench. 1100 East curves southeast and becomes Highland Drive south of 2100 South, becoming the main arterial road through the largely residential eastern suburbs. Most of the major streets in Salt Lake City are wide and spacious, especially in Downtown. This is the vision of the first settlers when they were laying out the city in 1847. Another major road is the Bangerter Highway, an expressway which runs straight south from the airport and I-80 down the entire western side of the valley, serving the quickly-growing western and southern suburbs.

Salt Lake City is also served by several freeways. I-15 runs nearly arrow straight north-south through the center of the valley, passing just west of Downtown. I-80 comes in from the west and provides access to the airport before merging with I-15 for a few miles just west of Downtown, extending to about 2100 South. Here, I-80 splits east and heads through the largely residential neighborhoods of the east side before entering the Wasatch Range through Parley's Canyon. I-215 splits off from I-15 just north of Salt Lake City in Davis County and heads south parallel to I-15, intersecting I-80 near the airport and continuing through several western suburbs. It curves east and intersects I-15 in Murray, near the center of the valley, and curves north, parallel to the Wasatch Range, ending at I-80 near the mouth of Parley's Canyon. I-215 forms a 270° loop around Salt Lake City, and is referred to as the "Belt Route." The section west of I-15 is often referred to as the "Western Belt Route" and the section east of I-15 as the "Eastern Belt Route". State Route 201 (SR-201), often known simply as the 21st South Freeway, heads west from the southern I-15/I-80 junction and runs along the northern border of West Valley City as a freeway. As of July 2005, extensive construction is ongoing on this road. The place where I-15, I-80, and SR-201 come together is known locally as the Spaghetti Bowl.

By bus

The Utah Transit Authority operates an extensive bus system that reaches the entire Wasatch Front, with the most extensive coverage in and around Salt Lake City. Every light rail (TRAX) station in Salt Lake City is connected by several bus routes. Only the most important routes operate during nighttime hours, Sundays, and holidays. In winter, service to the four ski resorts located in the Cottonwood Canyons to the east, in the Wasatch Range, is provided.

By train

Another good way to get around the city is on the light rail system, or TRAX. TRAX is administered by UTA. There are two separate lines, one which heads east from Downtown to the University of Utah Medical Center, and another south through the central suburbs to Sandy at 10000 South. Both lines begin at the Delta Center, the arena of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team the Utah Jazz, head east past Temple Square, and south down Main Street. The University line splits east along 400 South. A future line has been approved for West Jordan and South Jordan, and future lines are planned for the airport, West Valley City, and Draper. Fares and schedules available at ride UTA 

In August 2005, construction began on a commuter rail line. The first line is expected to finish construction in 2008 and will run from Pleasant View, north of Ogden, south to a new transit hub planned near the Gateway Mall, which should combine UTA buses, Greyhound buses, Amtrak, TRAX, and commuter rail. By 2015, the commuter rail is expected to be extended south to Provo.