A planned veterans cemetery in Washington Terrace, Weber County, is moving forward with significant federal funding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The federal agency’s National Cemetery Administration announced it has awarded $16.5 million for two Utah projects, with the larger portion dedicated to establishing the Northern Utah Veterans Cemetery.
The new facility, which will be located in Washington Terrace, is slated to cover 75 acres of a 100-acre state-controlled parcel in Weber County. Once complete, the cemetery is expected to have the capacity to serve 4,000 veterans and their family members in the region, providing a dedicated local burial option.
The grant specifically for the Northern Utah Veterans Cemetery totals $14.7 million. This funding is designated to support essential infrastructure and burial spaces. According to the National Cemetery Administration, the grant will help fund the construction of critical administrative and maintenance buildings, along with other supporting infrastructure necessary for the cemetery’s operations.
Additionally, the $14.7 million will pay for the creation of 500 pre-placed crypts, 600 recessed spaces for cremated remains—known as columbarium niches—and 550 in-ground gravesites. These initial provisions are crucial for establishing the cemetery's capacity and readiness to serve the veteran community.
Development of the Washington Terrace cemetery may begin in 2027, as reported by KSL. The construction of this first phase is anticipated to last about a year. While the federal grant covers initial development, the state of Utah is expected to be responsible for the ongoing maintenance costs of the new facility.
In addition to the Washington Terrace project, almost $2 million was awarded to the existing Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park in Bluffdale. This funding will be used to expand the Bluffdale facility, which currently serves more than 102,000 veterans and their family members. The expansion will include the construction of 1,400 columbarium niches and will fund landscape and irrigation work to enhance the existing memorial park.
Sam Brown, Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, commented on the importance of these grants, stating in a release that they "enable the states to better serve Veterans and their families where they live." Brown also noted that through this program, more than 94% of veterans in the United States have access to earned burial benefits at a cemetery within 75 miles of their residence.
The agency further reported that in 2025, more than 44,700 veterans and their family members were interred in cemeteries that had received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs, underscoring the broad impact of the program.
