Washington County Utah - info, facts, communities, links on Key to theCity

Economy:
The major factors in the area economy are: tourism, education, services, trade, and construction.
Two-year Dixie College with some 2,300 students is a major employer in the area.

Median household income: $37,212
Median family income: $41,845
Per capita income:$15,873

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Location:
Washington County in the southwest corner of Utah. It is nicknamed Dixie because of the climate similarity to the Southern States Dixie. The area has the highest average temperatures in Utah and has very mild winters.

Here is a map page with many different types of maps available.

Neighboring Counties:
To the north is Iron County. The State of Arizona is to the south and Nevada to the West. On the east is Kane County.

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Geography:
One third of Washington County is included in the Colorado Plateau. This is the eastern portion that includes Zion National Park. The other two-thirds of the county are in the Basin and Range geographic areas. The county has the distinction of having the lowest spot in the state at 2,350 feet. This is along Beaver Dam Wash in the southwest corner of Washington County. The Pine Valley Mountain area in the northern county have mountains reaching over 10,000 feet above sea level. The highest point in the county is Signal Peak at 10,365 feet.

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Size:
2,430 Square Miles. In 2000, Washington County was the 15^th largest county in Utah.
There is 2,427 square miles of land and 3 square miles of water.

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Population:

1970 - 13,669
1980 - 25,-065
1990 - 48,560
1998 - 73,161
2000 - 90,354
2001 - 95,590

In 2000, Washington County was the 6^th largest county in population.

Households: 29,939 (2000)
Families: 23,442 (2000)

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Weather & Climate

climate page for St. George area

This area has a desert climate which usually has clear skies, mild winters and hot summers. There are over 300 days of sunshine each year. Winter has a low of around 27.1 degrees to highs of 102 in summer.

St. George is located within the northern extension of the Mojave Desert. The desert climate contributes to generally clear skies, relatively mild winters and hot summers. Residents and visitors enjoy over 300 days of sunshine per year.

Average high: 78.0
Average low 45.9
Average temperature: 62.0
Average Rainfall: 8.14

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History:

A history page for Washington County.

Washington County was form on 3 March 1852. It was named for George Washington, our country's first president. The first county seat was Harmony, which was also one of the few settlements in the area at that time. Washington County was almost 600 miles wide then, almost as wide as the entire territory. The boundaries were changed several times until achieving its present dimensions in 1892. When the borders changed, the county seat changed also, moving to St. George. In the county's early years, most of the settlers were Mormon Pioneers. The economy was based almost entirely on agriculture. In currents times, many "settlers" are now coming to enjoy the mild winters and easy lifestyle.

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Genealogy:

Washington County GenWeb Genealogy page - Washington County US GenWeb Genealogy page.

Lineages Genealogy page for Washington County

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Libraries:

Washington County Library
50 S. Main
St. George, UT 84770
Phone: 435-634-5737

Dixie College - Val A. Browning Library
Circulation (435) 652-7714
Reference 652-7500 ext. 2081

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Schools:

Washington County School District
189 W Tabernacle
St George, UT 84770
Phone (435) 673-3553
Fax (435) 673-3216
Number of Schools: 24
Number of Students: 15,644

Dixie College
225 S. 700 E.
St. George, UT 84770

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Organizations and Groups

St. George Area Chamber of Commerce
97 E. St. George Blvd.
St. George, Utah 84770
Phone: 435-628-1658
Email

Washington County Travel Bureau
1835 Convention Center Drive
St. George, UT 84790
Phone: 435-634-5747
Toll-free: 800-869-6635
Fax: 435-628-1619

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Attractions:

A partial list of some major attractions in the area: Bryce Canyon National Park (not in Washington County) and Zion National Park. Also see Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park, The Grand Canyon National Park may be reached from here. For other special features of the area, see Snow Canyon State Park, Gunlock Reservoir, Red Cliffs Recreation Site, St. George Temple and Tabernacle, Pine Valley chapel, Wells Fargo & Co. express building in Silver Reef, Washington Cotton Factory, Jacob Hamblin home in Santa Clara, Brigham Young home and Dixie College in St. George.

Nearby National Parks

Washington County Fair
24 hours hotline number:435-652-5899

State Parks in the area include:
Gunlock - 15 miles northwest of St. George
Quail Creek - 11 miles northeast of St. George
Snow Canyon - 7 miles north of St. George

Butterflies of Washington County
Birding in Washington County

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This page was last updated on 9 May 2009 at 9:33 pm

This page was created 28 July 1999