Bonneville

Bonneville is a toponym and surname used for several places and institutions in the United States, most often linked to the 19th-century explorer Benjamin Bonneville, who led expeditions in the Oregon Country in the 1830s. The name has been applied to locations and organizations in the American West as a memorial of his exploration.

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Tooele County, Utah, are a vast salt pan known for high-speed automotive testing and for hosting land-speed record attempts. The Bonneville Dam, on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, is a major hydroelectric facility completed in the 1930s and forms part of the river’s navigation and power system, creating a stretch of water known as the Bonneville Pool for river traffic.

In federal energy governance, the Bonneville Power Administration markets and transmits electricity generated in the Columbia River Basin, supporting utilities in several western states. In media, Bonneville International Corporation is a Salt Lake City-based company that operates a number of radio and television stations under the Bonneville umbrella.

Other places and institutions bearing the name reflect Bonneville’s historical role in Westward exploration and development.