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Washington County, Utah

Coordinates: 37°17′N 113°31′W / 37.28°N 113.52°W / 37.28; -113.52
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Washington County
County
Washington County administration building, November 2023
Washington County administration building, November 2023
Map of Utah highlighting Washington County
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Map of the United States highlighting Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 37°17′N 113°31′W / 37.28°N 113.52°W / 37.28; -113.52
Country United States
State Utah
FoundedMarch 3, 1852
Named forGeorge Washington
SeatSt. George
Largest citySt. George
Area
 • Total
2,430 sq mi (6,300 km2)
 • Land2,426 sq mi (6,280 km2)
 • Water3.6 sq mi (9 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
180,279
 • Estimate 
(2023)[1]
202,452 Increase
 • Density74/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.washco.state.ut.us
Washington County Hall of Justice, May 1992
Washington County 5th District Courthouse, 2010
Road to Zion National Park

Washington County is a county in the southwestern corner of Utah, United States.[2] As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 180,279,[3] making it the fifth-most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is St. George.[2][4] The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1856.[2][5] It was named after the first President of the United States, George Washington.[2] A portion of the Paiute Indian Reservation is in western Washington County. Washington County comprises the St. George, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area.[2]

History

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The earliest settlement was Fort Harmony in 1852. Santa Clara was established in 1854 as a mission to the natives who lived on the Santa Clara River. Hamblin and Pinto were settled along the Los Angeles - Salt Lake Road in 1856, as was Gunlock in 1857.

Next came the settlements established as colonies to grow cotton before the beginning of the American Civil War (1861-1865). They were located along the Virgin River, in the warmer climate below the central Great Basin, which was for decades called "Utah's Dixie". The first settlement was Virgin, and Washington in 1857. Heberville,[6] Pintura and Toquerville followed in 1858, Grafton, Harrisburg and Pine Valley in 1859, Adventure in 1860, Duncans Retreat, Northrop,[7] Shonesburg[8][7] and St. George in 1861.[9]

Fort Harmony, Adventure, and Northrup were abandoned, and Santa Clara, St. George, Washington, Harrisburg, Heberville, Grafton, and Duncans Retreat were nearly destroyed by the Great Flood of 1862 that followed 44 days of rainfall in January and February 1862.[10] New Harmony, Springdale and Rockville were founded in 1862 by settlers flooded out of Fort Harmony, Adventure, Northrup and other places in the vicinity. Harrisburg was relocated.

Shoal Creek later called Hebron, was a ranching community established in 1862 west of the county. Leeds was settled in 1867, and Silver Reef was a mining town begun in 1875 and abandoned by 1891 due to the collapse in silver prices.[9]

The old federal Utah Territory's territorial legislature created Washington County on March 3, 1852, in the southern border area of the Territory, adjacent to the then old federal New Mexico Territory of 1850-1912. It was not fully organized at that time, and so it was attached to Iron County, which was adjacent to the north for temporary administrative and judicial purposes in its county seat town and courthouse of Parowan, for its first four years. This continued until February 23, 1856, when the organization was completed, Saint George was listed as the newly designated county seat and site of a courthouse, and the attachment to Iron County was terminated. The county boundaries were altered a dozen times after that; but its boundaries have retained their present configuration since March 10, 1892, four years before statehood was achieved in 1896.[11]

Geography

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Washington County lies in the southwest corner of Utah. Its south border abuts the northern border of the state of Arizona, and its west border abuts the east border of the state of Nevada. Its terrain is rough and arid, with a little area devoted to agriculture. It is a mixture of mountains and flat stretches.[12] The terrain slopes to the south and west; the lowest point in the state of Utah is located in the Beaver Dam Wash in Washington County, where it (seasonally) flows out of Utah and into Arizona, at 2,178 ft (664 m) ASL.[13] The county's highest point is Signal Peak in the Pine Valley Mountains, at 10,369 ft (3,160 m) ASL.[14] The county has a total area of 2,430 square miles (6,300 km2), of which 2,426 square miles (6,280 km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) (comprising 0.1%) is water.[15]

Washington County is made up of three major geographic areas; the Colorado Plateau in the east-northeast, the Great Basin in the northwest, and the Mojave Desert in the south-southwest.

Greater St. George

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Most of the population is centered in the south-central part of the county near the Arizona border around St. George. Most national shopping, dining, and hospitality chains are located here, along with several local businesses. The climate of this section of the county is typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies; its annual rainfall is 8 inches, and it is the lowest elevation in Washington County, making it particularly hot and dry compared to the rest of the county. Most homes are located in subdivisions characteristic of a growing urban sprawl. In Downtown St. George, several local restaurants and stores call the area home, and despite its small size, it tends to attract many locals and tourists alike. To combat the sprawl (which threatens many nature reserves and increases congestion), growth and promotion are projected inward to the central area of St. George, with many new infill developments being planned and constructed. The center of the city, or downtown, also contains Utah Tech University, the only four-year college within a 50-mile (80 km) radius. Dixie High School is also located in the downtown area.

Most commercial and industrial lots exist in the eastern portion of the Greater St. George Area in eastern St. George and Washington. Rapidly expanding suburbs also exist there, especially in an area known as Washington Fields. Large irrigated farms have been sold to commercial and residential developers to make way for the anticipated need for more housing and business. Pine View High School is in this section and serves the east side and Washington. To accommodate the rapidly expanding population, an additional high school (Crimson Cliffs High School) has been built in the Washington Fields area.

The western portion of the urban area contains the suburbs of Santa Clara and Ivins, and the neighborhoods of Green Valley, Dixie Downs, Sunset, and Tonaquint. Due to this area's proximity to Snow Canyon State Park, this has resulted in the construction of many resort-style communities and gated subdivisions such as Entrada, Kayenta, and the Palisades, with homes often exceeding $1,000,000 in price. However, there are still many other neighborhoods and older houses that tend to be more affordable. This section is served by Snow Canyon High School.

The southern portion of the city contains the neighborhoods of Southgate, Bloomington, Bloomington Hills, SunRiver, Desert's Edge (near the airport), and Hidden Valley and is served by Desert Hills High School. Limitations on development in this area exist due to terrain, and as such, it contains less population than its east and west counterparts. The SR-7 freeway, also known as Southern Parkway, has been built as a beltway to accommodate future growth in the southeastern portion of St. George and Washington. The partially constructed freeway also connects to St. George Regional Airport, and in the future, will provide a vital connection to the community of Hurricane, which will thereby provide quicker and more efficient access to Zion National Park, thus providing an alternative route to Interstate 15.

Despite its scenic location amid red sandstone, lava fields, and the backdrop of the Pine Valley Mountains, the northern area of St. George is almost entirely undeveloped due to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, which protects a variety of endangered wildlife and unspoiled desert. The only communities in northern St. George are The Ledges and Winchester Hills in the west, and Green Springs, near Washington, in the east. While the community of Winchester Hills has existed for many decades, The Ledges is a newer development met with significant controversy. A few houses in the gate portion feature what many consider to be multimillion-dollar views of Snow Canyon State Park and are visible from inside the state park. This has led many to believe that the beauty of Snow Canyon is in jeopardy due to the City of St. George's willingness to sell the land around the park to private companies. In reality, only three houses are visible inside the canyon, although more visible lots exist to be built upon. On the opposite end of the city is Green Springs, an upscale multimillion-dollar development that consists of a golf course and many distinct gated and non-gated housing communities.

On the east side of the metropolitan area lies the cities of Hurricane and La Verkin. Because this locale is disconnected from the rest of the area by undeveloped swaths of land, it is still usually considered distinct from urban St. George, though this may change in the future due to anticipated development that will connect these cities. This area is more farm-based and rural than St. George, but is still experiencing rapid expansion in commercial, industrial, and residential development like the rest of the region. It is served by Hurricane High School.

Outside the urban area

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While the entire county, due to its large size, is considered part of the St. George Metropolitan Area, most land in the county is rural.

In the middle and north of Washington County, a sparse population exists. The center-county communities of Central and Pine Valley are popular resort communities and contain many cabins and recreational parks due to their locations in Dixie National Forest and the Pine Valley Mountains. Veyo and Dammeron Valley, also near the center of the county, are primarily ranching towns, with most houses situated on large plots of land. This central area of Washington County is generally more wet and humid than the rest of the county due to its high elevation and high precipitation. In Pine Valley, precipitation often exceeds 20 inches per year.

The northern portion of Washington County is semi-arid and dry, albeit less so than in the southern portion. The only incorporated town in this area is Enterprise with a population of just over 1,700. Enterprise is the home of the only secondary school outside of the Greater St. George Area, Enterprise High School. The town contains a small grocery store and multiple gas stations but is very quaint and rural when compared to the urban area of St. George.

Western Washington County is home to Gunlock; also a ranching town, and a small Native American reserve named Shivwits, occupied by the Shivwits Band of Paiutes. This area of the county is also the location of the lowest area of the state, Beaver Dam Wash.

Eastern Washington County is also sparsely populated. However, the towns of Rockville and Springdale are filled with major hotels and resorts, despite their small sizes. This is due to their extreme proximity to Zion National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Springdale, in particular, contains many kitschy shopping and dining options. Most of the income in these two towns is fueled by tourism alone.

The county includes an area along the Old Spanish Trail called Mountain Meadows, just south of Enterprise on SR-18. Zion National Park is located in the eastern part of Washington County.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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There are 18 official wilderness areas in Washington County that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Most are entities managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but some are integral parts of the above-listed protected areas. Two of these extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below). Many of the BLM wildernesses are not much more than small appendages of Zion Wilderness in Zion National Park:

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860691—
18703,064343.4%
18804,23538.2%
18904,009−5.3%
19004,61215.0%
19105,12311.1%
19206,76432.0%
19307,4209.7%
19409,26924.9%
19509,8366.1%
196010,2714.4%
197013,66933.1%
198026,06590.7%
199048,56086.3%
200090,35486.1%
2010138,11552.9%
2020180,27930.5%
2023 (est.)202,452[1]12.3%
US Decennial Census[16]
1790–1960[17] 1900–1990[18]
1990–2000[19] 2010–2018[3] 2019[20] 2020[21]

2020 census

[edit]

According to the 2020 United States census[22] and 2020 American Community Survey,[23] there were 180,279 people in Washington County with a population density of 74.3 people per square mile (28.7/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 147,462 (81.8%) White, 913 (0.5%) African American, 1,566 (0.9%) Native American, 1,802 (1.0%) Asian, 1,607 (0.9%) Pacific Islander, 631 (0.4%) from other races, and 5,816 (3.2%) from two or more races. 20,482 (11.4%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 89,115 (49.43%) males and 91,164 (50.57%) females, and the population distribution by age was 47,542 (26.4%) under the age of 18, 92,818 (51.5%) from 18 to 64, and 39,919 (22.1%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 37.6 years.

There were 62,416 households in Washington County with an average size of 2.89 of which 46,724 (74.9%) were families and 15,692 (25.1%) were non-families. Among all families, 38,423 (61.6%) were married couples, 2,728 (4.4%) were male householders with no spouse, and 5,573 (8.9%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 12,372 (19.8%) were a single person living alone and 3,320 (5.3%) were two or more people living together. 20,177 (32.3%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 45,539 (73.0%) of households were owner-occupied while 16,877 (27.0%) were renter-occupied.

The median income for a Washington County household was $61,747 and the median family income was $72,683, with a per-capita income of $29,886. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $50,029 and for females $36,844. 10.0% of the population and 7.2% of families were below the poverty line.

In terms of education attainment, out of the 112,121 people in Washington County 25 years or older, 6,908 (6.2%) had not completed high school, 25,232 (22.5%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 47,254 (42.1%) had some college or associate degree, 20,939 (18.7%) had a bachelor's degree, and 11,788 (10.5%) had a graduate or professional degree.


Religion

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In 2000, 92.5% of residents were adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; 4.1% Catholic; 0.8% Southern Baptist; 0.6% Presbyterian; 0.4% Lutheran; 0.4% Episcopal; 0.2% United Methodist; 0.2% Baptist; 0.2% Assemblies of God; and 0.5% Other.[24]

Ancestry

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As of 2015, the largest European self-reported ancestry groups in Washington County are:[25]

Largest ancestries (2015) Percent
English 28.7%
German 11.5%
Irish 7.4%
Swedish 4.3%
Danish 4.3%
Scottish 3.5%
Italian 3.2%
Dutch 2.5%
Swiss 2.2%
Norwegian 2.0%
French (except Basque) 2.0%
Polish 1.2%
Welsh 1.1%
Scots-Irish 1.0%

Education

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Washington County School District Office in St. George, Utah

In addition to the primary and secondary schools that compose Washington County School District, which covers the entire county,[26] Washington County is home to Utah Tech University in St. George, with campus extensions in Hurricane and Hildale (Water Canyon Center).

Utilities

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Retail utility companies operating in Washington County include city water and power departments, Dixie Power,[27] Rocky Mountain Power, Dominion Energy (natural gas),[28] Washington County Water Conservancy District, Mountain Springs Water Company in New Harmony,[29] and the East Zion Special Service District.[30]

Communities

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Cities

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Washington County (UT) cities and towns
Incorporated and unincorporated area boundaries

Towns

[edit]

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Former communities

[edit]

Politics and government

[edit]

Washington County has traditionally voted Republican; it voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt in all four of his elections but as of 2020 has not been carried by any Democratic presidential candidate since.

State elected offices
Position District Name Affiliation First elected
  Senate 28 Evan Vickers Republican 2012[31]
  Senate 29 Don Ipson Republican 2008[32]
  House of Representatives 62 Travis Seegmiller Republican 2018[33]
  House of Representatives 71 Bradley Last Republican 2002[34]
  House of Representatives 74 V. Lowry Snow Republican 2012[35]
  House of Representatives 75 Walt Brooks Republican 2016[36]
  Board of Education 15 Kristan Norton Republican 2020[37]
United States presidential election results for Washington County, Utah[38]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 73,165 74.39% 22,327 22.70% 2,860 2.91%
2020 67,294 73.82% 20,530 22.52% 3,336 3.66%
2016 42,650 68.38% 10,288 16.49% 9,433 15.12%
2012 44,698 82.43% 8,337 15.37% 1,191 2.20%
2008 37,311 74.57% 10,826 21.64% 1,898 3.79%
2004 35,633 80.95% 7,513 17.07% 872 1.98%
2000 25,481 78.50% 5,465 16.84% 1,515 4.67%
1996 17,637 70.49% 4,816 19.25% 2,567 10.26%
1992 11,310 52.66% 3,364 15.66% 6,802 31.67%
1988 13,306 80.33% 3,054 18.44% 205 1.24%
1984 12,049 86.21% 1,846 13.21% 82 0.59%
1980 10,181 83.47% 1,678 13.76% 338 2.77%
1976 5,944 70.64% 1,893 22.50% 577 6.86%
1972 5,176 77.69% 956 14.35% 530 7.96%
1968 3,226 64.52% 975 19.50% 799 15.98%
1964 2,534 58.62% 1,789 41.38% 0 0.00%
1960 2,876 68.90% 1,298 31.10% 0 0.00%
1956 3,172 78.34% 877 21.66% 0 0.00%
1952 2,941 73.21% 1,076 26.79% 0 0.00%
1948 2,029 56.10% 1,580 43.68% 8 0.22%
1944 1,575 48.17% 1,694 51.80% 1 0.03%
1940 1,625 44.88% 1,993 55.04% 3 0.08%
1936 1,145 36.19% 2,005 63.37% 14 0.44%
1932 1,378 45.22% 1,648 54.09% 21 0.69%
1928 1,686 66.20% 857 33.65% 4 0.16%
1924 1,181 54.96% 868 40.39% 100 4.65%
1920 1,138 52.78% 1,008 46.75% 10 0.46%
1916 703 33.41% 1,397 66.40% 4 0.19%
1912 712 43.60% 842 51.56% 79 4.84%
1908 740 47.56% 810 52.06% 6 0.39%
1904 718 48.38% 761 51.28% 5 0.34%
1900 409 28.93% 1,003 70.93% 2 0.14%
1896 170 12.32% 1,210 87.68% 0 0.00%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Washington County". Washington County History Wiki. July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Utah: Individual County Chronologies". Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Price City, Utah" Washington County Historical Society (accessed 1 April 2019)
  7. ^ a b Shunesburg and Northrup, Utah (accessed April 1, 2019)
  8. ^ a b "Shunesburg UT" Washington County Historical Society (accessed 1 April 2019)
  9. ^ a b Cities, Towns, and Villages in Washington County Utah from wchsutah.org Washington County Historical Society, accessed December 4, 2015
  10. ^ P. Kyle House, Ancient floods, modern hazards: principles and applications of paleoflood hydrology, Vol. 1, American Geophysical Union, 2002, p. 297
  11. ^ "Individual County Chronologies/Washington County UT. [[Newberry Library]] (accessed April 1, 2019)". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c d Washington County UT Google Maps (accessed 1 April 2019)
  13. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Washington County UT" Google Maps (accessed 1 April 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Another source lists Signal Peak elevation as 10,365' Peakbagger.com, accessed 1 April 2019 Archived March 27, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  16. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  17. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  18. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  19. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  20. ^ "QuickFacts. Utah counties". Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  21. ^ 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah
  22. ^ United States Census Bureau. "2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC)". Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  23. ^ United States Census Bureau. "American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2022)". Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  24. ^ St. George, Utah. City-data.com. Advameg, Inc. Archived from the original on November 19, 2013.
  25. ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington County, UT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2024. - Text list
  27. ^ About Dixie Power
  28. ^ "About Us". October 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Mountain Springs Water Company -".
  30. ^ https://eastzionssd.blogspot.com/ [user-generated source]
  31. ^ "Senator | Utah Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  32. ^ "Senator Ipson Utah Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  33. ^ "Rep. Seegmiller, Travis M." Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  34. ^ "Rep. Last, Bradley G." Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  35. ^ "Rep. Snow, V. Lowry". Utah House of Representatives. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  36. ^ "Rep. Brooks, Walt". Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  37. ^ "Kristan Norton". www.schools.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  38. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 31, 2018.

Further reading

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