Wikipedia

Garfield County, Utah

For counties with a similar name, see Garfield County (disambiguation).

Garfield County is a county in south central Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 5,083,[1] making it the fifth-least populous county in Utah; with about one inhabitant per square mile, it is also the least densely populated county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Panguitch.[2]

Garfield County
County
Garfield County Courthouse in Panguitch, December 2006
Garfield County Courthouse in Panguitch, December 2006
Map of Utah highlighting Garfield 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°52′N 111°26′W / 37.87°N 111.44°W / 37.87; -111.44
Country United States
State Utah
FoundedMarch 9, 1882
Named forJames A. Garfield
SeatPanguitch
Largest cityPanguitch
Area
 • Total
5,208 sq mi (13,490 km2)
 • Land5,175 sq mi (13,400 km2)
 • Water33 sq mi (90 km2)  0.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
5,083 Decrease
 • Density0.98/sq mi (0.38/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitegarfield.utah.gov

History

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The Utah Territory legislature created the county on March 9, 1882, with areas partitioned from Iron County. It was named for James A. Garfield, the twentieth President of the United States, who had died six months earlier.[3] The border with Iron County was adjusted in 1884, and Garfield County's boundaries have remained intact since then.[4]

Geography

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The Colorado River, flowing southwestward through a deep gorge, forms the eastern boundary. The Dirty Devil River flows southward through the east end of the county to discharge into Colorado at the county's border. Westward, the cliffs of tributary canyons give way to the barren stretches of the San Rafael Desert, beyond which a variety of mountains, plateaus, and canyons make up the terrain. Most of Bryce Canyon National Park lies in the southwestern part of the county, and the northern half of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument occupies the middle of the county. A large portion of Capitol Reef National Park lies in the east-central part of the county. A very small part of Canyonlands National Park lies in the northeast corner of the county. The terrain of Garfield County is arid, rough, and carved with erosion.[5] The county terrain generally slopes to the south and to the east. The county's highest point is Mount Ellen, in the Henry Mountains,[6] near the county's north border, at 11,522 ft (3,512 m) ASL.[7] The county has a total area of 5,208 square miles (13,490 km2), of which 5,175 square miles (13,400 km2) is land and 33 square miles (85 km2) (0.6%) is water.[8] It is the fifth-largest county in Utah by area, and is about the same size as the state of Connecticut.

Airports

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Source:[5]

  • Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE)

Major highways

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Source:[5]

  •   US Highway 89
  • Utah Highway 12
  • Utah Highway 22
  • Utah Highway 63
  • Utah Highway 95
  • Utah Highway 143
  • Utah Highway 276

Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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Source:[5]

Lakes

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Source:[5]

  • Lake Powell (part)
  • Panguitch Lake
  • Wide Hollow Reservoir

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18902,457—
19003,40038.4%
19103,6607.6%
19204,76830.3%
19304,642−2.6%
19405,25313.2%
19504,151−21.0%
19603,577−13.8%
19703,157−11.7%
19803,67316.3%
19903,9808.4%
20004,73519.0%
20105,1729.2%
20205,083−1.7%
US Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010[13] 2020[14]

2020 census

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According to the 2020 United States census[15] and 2020 American Community Survey,[16] there were 5,083 people in Garfield County with a population density of 1.0 people per square mile (0.4/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 4,446 (87.5%) White, 5 (0.1%) African American, 90 (1.8%) Native American, 30 (0.6%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 3 (0.1%) from other races, and 118 (2.3%) from two or more races. 384 (7.6%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 2,619 (51.52%) males and 2,464 (48.48%) females, and the population distribution by age was 1,202 (23.6%) under the age of 18, 2,682 (52.8%) from 18 to 64, and 1,199 (23.6%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 43.3 years.

There were 1,881 households in Garfield County with an average size of 2.70 of which 1,323 (70.3%) were families and 558 (29.7%) were non-families. Among all families, 1,100 (58.5%) were married couples, 83 (4.4%) were male householders with no spouse, and 140 (7.4%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 479 (25.5%) were a single person living alone and 79 (4.2%) were two or more people living together. 528 (28.1%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 1,504 (80.0%) of households were owner-occupied while 377 (20.0%) were renter-occupied.

The median income for a Garfield County household was $44,279 and the median family income was $65,266, with a per-capita income of $23,926. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $49,904 and for females $34,773. 16.4% of the population and 11.3% of families were below the poverty line.

In terms of education attainment, out of the 3,484 people in Garfield County 25 years or older, 221 (6.3%) had not completed high school, 1,067 (30.6%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 1,312 (37.7%) had some college or associate degree, 648 (18.6%) had a bachelor's degree, and 236 (6.8%) had a graduate or professional degree.

Ancestry

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As of 2010 the largest self-identified ancestry groups in Garfield County are:

  • English - 46.2%
  • German - 14.8%
  • Irish - 10.1%
  • Danish - 6.6%
  • Scottish - 4.9%
  • Welsh - 3.9%
  • Scotch-Irish - 2.5%
  • Swedish - 2.3%
  • Norwegian - 2.2%[17]

Politics and government

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Garfield County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).

State elected offices
Position District Name Affiliation First elected
  Senate 24 Derrin Owens Republican 2020[18]
  House of Representatives 73 Phil Lyman Republican 2018[19]
  Board of Education 14 Mark Huntsman Nonpartisan 2014[20]
United States presidential election results for Garfield County, Utah[21]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 2,211 78.18% 541 19.13% 76 2.69%
2020 2,158 78.99% 514 18.81% 60 2.20%
2016 1,606 67.96% 358 15.15% 399 16.89%
2012 1,832 83.96% 308 14.12% 42 1.92%
2008 1,710 78.37% 405 18.56% 67 3.07%
2004 1,848 85.48% 264 12.21% 50 2.31%
2000 1,719 87.35% 178 9.04% 71 3.61%
1996 1,330 72.01% 283 15.32% 234 12.67%
1992 1,235 62.28% 309 15.58% 439 22.14%
1988 1,470 79.25% 370 19.95% 15 0.81%
1984 1,609 83.15% 315 16.28% 11 0.57%
1980 1,578 78.31% 375 18.61% 62 3.08%
1976 1,163 65.48% 539 30.35% 74 4.17%
1972 1,290 80.47% 242 15.10% 71 4.43%
1968 1,033 69.47% 314 21.12% 140 9.41%
1964 821 55.51% 658 44.49% 0 0.00%
1960 1,083 69.69% 471 30.31% 0 0.00%
1956 1,115 75.95% 353 24.05% 0 0.00%
1952 1,065 69.07% 477 30.93% 0 0.00%
1948 924 58.97% 642 40.97% 1 0.06%
1944 842 60.06% 559 39.87% 1 0.07%
1940 1,030 55.86% 814 44.14% 0 0.00%
1936 842 47.52% 928 52.37% 2 0.11%
1932 1,125 68.43% 493 29.99% 26 1.58%
1928 1,024 75.63% 325 24.00% 5 0.37%
1924 823 69.57% 308 26.04% 52 4.40%
1920 1,023 71.49% 393 27.46% 15 1.05%
1916 516 37.50% 843 61.26% 17 1.24%
1912 673 62.60% 249 23.16% 153 14.23%
1908 722 68.50% 290 27.51% 42 3.98%
1904 679 70.14% 252 26.03% 37 3.82%
1900 649 62.16% 395 37.84% 0 0.00%
1896 249 28.82% 615 71.18% 0 0.00%

Communities

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Source:[5]

 
Communities in Garfield County, Utah

Cities

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Towns

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Unincorporated communities

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Education

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All portions of the county are in the Garfield School District.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Garfield County, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 134.
  4. ^ "[[Newberry Library]] - Individual County Chronologies/Garfield County UT (accessed March 28, 2019)". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Garfield County UT Google Maps (accessed 28 March 2019)
  6. ^ Mount Ellen Peak Google Maps (accessed 28 March 2019)
  7. ^ "Utah County High Points/Garfield County. Peakbagger (accessed 29 March 2019)". Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  14. ^ 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah
  15. ^ United States Census Bureau. "2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC)". Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  16. ^ United States Census Bureau. "American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2022)". Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  17. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  18. ^ "Senator Owens Utah Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  19. ^ "Rep. Lyman, Phil". Utah House of Representatives. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  20. ^ "Mark Huntsman". www.schools.utah.gov. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  21. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  22. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Garfield County, UT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2024. - Text list

Further reading

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  • (1994) "Garfield County" article in the Utah History Encyclopedia. The article was written by Miriam B. Murphy and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024, and retrieved on April 25, 2024.
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