Morgan County, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgan County
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Devil's Slide, a limestone rock formation in Weber Canyon, November 2013.
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Location within the U.S. state of Utah
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 Utah's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Utah |
| Founded | January 17, 1862 |
| Named for | Jedediah Morgan Grant |
| Seat | Morgan |
| Largest city | Morgan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 611 sq mi (1,580 km2) |
| • Land | 609 sq mi (1,580 km2) |
| • Water | 1.7 sq mi (4 km2) 0.3% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,295 |
| • Density | 20.123/sq mi (7.769/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Morgan County is a place in northern Utah, United States. In 2020, about 12,295 people lived there. Its main town and biggest city is Morgan.
Morgan County is part of the larger Ogden-Clearfield area. It is also connected to the even bigger Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem area.
Contents
History
A very old travel route called the Hastings Cutoff once went through Morgan Valley. It then passed through a narrow canyon called Weber Canyon. The Donner Party, a group of pioneers, chose a different path to save time. However, their new route actually took them longer.
In 1855, Charles Sreeve Peterson and his family were the first settlers to live permanently in Morgan Valley. They had to cut a road through Weber Canyon to get there. As more people moved into the area, the Utah government decided to create a new county.
On January 17, 1862, Morgan County was officially formed. It was made from parts of Davis, Salt Lake, Summit, and Weber counties. The small town of Morgan was chosen as the county seat. The county and its main town were named after Jedediah Morgan Grant. He was the father of Heber J. Grant, who later became a leader of the LDS Church.
Geography
Morgan County has a central valley called Morgan Valley. This valley is surrounded by mountains. In the southern part, Main Canyon Creek flows south. It meets East Canyon Creek, which flows north from a different area.
Where these two creeks meet, a dam was built. This dam created East Canyon Reservoir and State Park. The water from the dam then flows northwest to Morgan. There, it joins Deep Creek and flows into the Weber River. The Weber River also enters the county from Summit and goes through Lost Canyon.
The now larger Weber River flows northwest to Mountain Green. Then it turns west and leaves the county through Weber Canyon. The land in Morgan County generally slopes towards the north and west. The highest point is Thurston Peak, which is about 9,706 feet (2,958 meters) high.
The county covers about 611 square miles (1,582 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 609 square miles (1,577 square kilometers), is land. Only about 1.7 square miles (4.4 square kilometers) is water. Morgan County is Utah's third-smallest county by land area. It is the smallest county by total area.
Major roads
Interstate 84- Utah State Highway U-65
- Utah State Highway U-66
- Utah State Highway U-158
- Utah State Highway U-167
Some roads that go into the canyons are closed during winter.
Neighboring counties
- Weber County - north
- Summit County - east
- Salt Lake County - southwest
- Davis County - west
- Rich County - northeast
Protected natural areas
- Cache National Forest (part)
- East Canyon State Park
- Lost Creek State Park
- Round Valley Wildlife Management Area
- Wasatch National Forest (part)
Population and people
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,972 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,783 | −9.6% | |
| 1890 | 1,780 | −0.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,045 | 14.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,467 | 20.6% | |
| 1920 | 2,542 | 3.0% | |
| 1930 | 2,536 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,611 | 3.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,519 | −3.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,837 | 12.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,983 | 40.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,917 | 23.4% | |
| 1990 | 5,528 | 12.4% | |
| 2000 | 7,129 | 29.0% | |
| 2010 | 9,469 | 32.8% | |
| 2020 | 12,295 | 29.8% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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In 2020, there were 12,295 people living in Morgan County. This means there were about 20 people for every square mile. Most people in the county were White (94.0%). About 2.7% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
There were slightly more males (51.15%) than females (48.85%). About 35% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age in the county was 33.6 years.
There were 3,574 households in Morgan County. Most of these (86.3%) were families. The average household had about 3.44 people. Many households (46.7%) had children under 18. Most homes (88.9%) were owned by the people living in them.
The average income for a household in Morgan County was about $100,408 per year. For families, the average income was about $101,572. Only a small number of people (1.7%) and families (1.0%) lived below the poverty line.
When it comes to education, most adults in Morgan County have finished high school. Many have also gone to college or earned a college degree.
Communities
Cities
- Morgan (county seat)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated places
- Croydon
- Littleton
- Milton
- Peterson
- Porterville
- Richville
- Stoddard
- Taggarts
- Whites Crossing
Ghost towns
- Devils Slide
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Morgan (Utah) para niños
