Independence, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Independence
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Town
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Location in Wasatch County and the State of Utah
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| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Wasatch |
| Incorporated | June 5, 2008 |
| Founded by | Melvin McQuarrie |
| Area | |
| • Total | 30.55 sq mi (79.12 km2) |
| • Land | 30.55 sq mi (79.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,943 ft (2,421 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 164 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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198 |
| • Density | 6.48/sq mi (2.50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
84032
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| Area code(s) | 435 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2547778 |
Independence is a small town located in Wasatch County, Utah, in the United States. It's found just east of U.S. Route 40, southeast of a bigger city called Heber City. Independence officially became a town in 2008. This happened under a special state law that was later changed. In 2010, about 164 people lived in Independence.
Contents
Geography of Independence
Independence is a quiet, spread-out community. It sits in Daniel's Canyon, which is part of the Wasatch Mountains. The area has lots of farmland and mountain slopes covered with trees.
The town is located southeast of another young town called Daniel. Independence is also on a popular route for fun activities. This route connects Heber City to Strawberry Reservoir, which is a great place for outdoor adventures.
How Independence Became a Town
In 2007, the Utah State Legislature (the group that makes laws for Utah) passed a new law. This law made it easier for a group of people to ask for their area to become an official town. Before, it was harder to do.
The new law said that if an area had between 100 and 999 residents, only the owners of most of the land needed to sign a request. Even one big landowner could start the process. If the request followed the rules, the county government had to agree. They would also choose a mayor and a town council from a list given by the people who asked for the town.
In July 2007, a place called Ruby's Inn in Garfield County was the first to use this new law. It became the town of Bryce Canyon City.
First Attempts to Incorporate
A group of landowners in Wasatch County wanted to make Independence a town. Their leader was a developer named Mel McQuarrie. They sent their first request on October 12, 2007. However, county officials said no. The reason was that their land survey (a map showing land boundaries) was not complete.
Some people who would have been part of the new town didn't want to join Independence. They asked to become part of the nearby town of Daniel instead. The people who wanted Independence to be a town sent their request again on December 17, 2007.
The Wasatch County Council looked at this second request. On February 6, 2008, they let some people choose not to be included in the proposed town. Then, on February 13, 2008, they said no to the town idea again. This time, they said there weren't enough people to form a town.
New Laws and Final Approval
By March 2008, the state legislature changed the law again. The new law said that at least half of the residents in an area had to support the request for a new town. It also said that the mayor and town council would be elected by the people. Plus, at least five people had to sponsor the request, and no single sponsor could own more than 40 percent of the land.
There was an effort to make this new law apply to requests that were already filed, but it didn't pass. So, requests filed under the older law, like the third request for Independence, could still go forward. Requests for the towns of Hideout (also in Wasatch County) and Powder Mountain (in Weber County) were also allowed to continue.
Finally, the Wasatch County Council approved the request to make Independence an official town on April 2, 2008.
Population and People
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 164 | — | |
| 2019 (est.) | 198 | 20.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
When Independence officially became a town, the Utah Population Estimates Committee said about 117 people lived there. Many of the people in Independence live on land that has been in their families for many years.
According to the census (a count of the population) in 2010, there were 164 people living in Independence. There were also 66 housing units (homes or apartments).
Most of the people in the town (98.2%) were White. A small number were Asian (0.6%) or from other races (0.6%). About 0.6% were from two or more races. People who identified as Hispanic or Latino made up 9.8% of the population.
See also
