Salt Lake City

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File:SaltLakeCity.png

Joel overlooking Salt Lake City

“

Look at that... Another city, another abandoned quarantine zone. ―Joel, upon entering Salt Lake City

”

Salt Lake City is the capital city of Utah and is the last location that Joel and Ellie journey to in order to find the Fireflies in The Last of Us. It is a major base for the Fireflies, currently being an abandoned quarantine zone.

History

Background

When the Cordyceps outbreak began in 2013, Salt Lake City was converted into a quarantine zone by the military. It had multiple checkpoints, a medical triage center, and tall concrete walls, as well as a hospital and a bus depot.

Like Pittsburgh, the Zone was abandoned by the military for an unknown reason sometime before the events of the game, likely for a few years due to the presence of Bloaters. Also similar to Pittsburgh, certain areas of the city were flooded, mostly the sewers and subway area. The Fireflies claimed the hospital when they abandoned their old research base at the University of Eastern Colorado. They used it as a laboratory in an attempt to develop a cure for the CBI, though we're unable to transfer most of their equipment from the old base. Based on Marlene's journal, the hospital has been under Firefly control for at least a year.

Events of The Last of Us

Joel and Ellie travel to Salt Lake City, Utah as their last stop on their cross country journey. After being directed to the University of Eastern Colorado, they found out that the Fireflies fled to Salt Lake City.

There seems to be a fair-sized population of Infected in the sewers and the tunnels, as Joel and Ellie encounter several Runners, Clickers, and even three Bloaters in just one tunnel. It is possible that the Runners could have been Fireflies, though this is uncertain since they did not have the Firefly band on their arms. The hospital does not have any Infected present, as it is likely the Fireflies cleared it out in order to make it their base and gain access to medical supplies and equipment.

Giraffes roam the area in the city as it, like many others, is now overgrown by nature. It would seem that the city, or at least the Fireflies there, must have usable car batteries, as Joel and Ellie left the city in a working car. Given the presence of so many Bloaters, it could have been abandoned long ago, and taken over by the Fireflies not long after the outbreak.

Known residents

• Ethan (Deceased)
• Graham (Possibly)
• Hanna (Possibly)
• Lucia (Possibly)
• Kari (Deceased; player-determined)
• Kenneth Ballard (Deceased)
• Head Surgeon (Deceased)
• Marlene (Deceased)

Mistakes

• Despite their depiction in the game, there are actually no public highway tunnels in Salt Lake City.
• Another inconsistency in the game is the amount of plant overgrowth. Salt Lake City is located in a desert, and even small lawns require careful gardening, meaning that the vegetation depicted in-game is unrealistic.

Trivia

• When Joel and Ellie first enter Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons, can be seen as part of the skyline. In fact, the Temple is the only building that actually exists in real life. The surrounding skyscrapers and St. Mary's Hospital do not exist in real-life Salt Lake City.
• By the appearance of the road signs and the location of the skyline, Joel and Ellie appear to enter Salt Lake City along I-15/I-80, from the west side of the city.
• The baseball field shown in the foreground when Joel and Ellie first enter Salt Lake City is Bethany Clare Field.