Cottonwood Heights is a city located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, along the east bench of the Salt Lake Valley. It lies south of the cities of Holladay and Murray, east of Midvale, and north of Sandy within the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Originally a census-designated place (CDP), following a successful referendum in May 2004, the city was incorporated on January 14, 2005. The population, as of the 2020 census, was 33,617.

Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. The county was created in 1850. Salt Lake County is the 37th most populated county in the United States and is one of four counties in the Rocky Mountains to make it into the top 100. Salt Lake County has been the only county of the first class in Utah – under the Utah Code is a county with a population of 700,000 or greater. Although, Utah County directly to the south has recently reached this threshold.