Cisco, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cisco, Utah
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Buildings in Cisco
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 Cisco, Utah
Location in Utah
Cisco, Utah
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Grand |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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1 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
Cisco is a ghost town in Grand County, Utah, United States. It is located near where State Route 128 and Interstate 70 meet. A ghost town is a place that used to be a town but now has very few or no people living there.
Contents
A Town's History
Cisco started in the 1880s. It began as a place for trains to get water. It also had a saloon, which was a type of bar common in the old West. As more workers and travelers came through, stores, hotels, and restaurants opened.
Life in Early Cisco
Ranchers and sheep herders from nearby areas used Cisco too. They brought their livestock and got supplies there. Around the year 1900, sheep were sheared in Cisco. This means their wool was cut off before being sent to market.
Growth and Decline
Cisco grew even more when oil and natural gas were found nearby. However, the town started to decline when steam locomotives were no longer used. These were trains powered by steam, and they needed water from places like Cisco.
The town's economy crashed when Interstate 70 was built. The new highway went around Cisco, so travelers no longer passed through the town.
Cisco Today
Today, Cisco has many old buildings and items from its past as a railroad town. It even had its own ZIP Code, 84515. Because it's easy to reach from the freeway, some historical items have been damaged by people.
Even though Cisco had no permanent residents for many years, there are shale oil deposits nearby. Efforts have been made to get this oil. This has led to a few people living in Cisco who work for oil drilling companies.
The town was also used for filming parts of the 1971 movie Vanishing Point.
Mining for Resources
Oil and natural gas were first found near Cisco in 1924. In 2005, new oil and gas wells were drilled in the nearby Cisco Oil Field. You can see these new wells next to the railroad tracks and around the freeway.
Getting Around Cisco
Cisco is located along the old path of US-6 and US-50. The town was bypassed when Interstate 70 was finished. However, you can still get to Cisco by taking Exit 204 from I-70.
Cisco is listed as a "control city" for State Route 128. This means it's a major destination shown on signs, even though the highway doesn't go directly into Cisco. The Union Pacific Railroad still uses a rail siding in Cisco. A rail siding is a short track next to the main one where trains can wait or be loaded.
The California Zephyr passenger train passes through Cisco, but it doesn't stop there. In the summer, people who go whitewater rafting use Cisco as a starting or ending point. This is especially true for trips through Westwater Canyon. The Kokopelli mountain bike Trail also goes through Cisco.
Climate
Cisco has a semi-arid climate. This means it's usually dry, with not much rain or snow.
Gallery
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Oil wells in Cisco
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Cisco oil field
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Cisco Yellow House with 1932 rig
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Exit sign on westbound Interstate 70
