St. George, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. George, Utah
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Overlook of downtown St. George and adjacent Pine Valley Mountains
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| Nickname(s):
Utah's Dixie, (the) STG
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| Motto(s):
It's The Brighter Side
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Location within Washington County
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Utah | ||
| County | Washington | ||
| Founded | 1861 | ||
| Incorporated | January 17, 1862 | ||
| Named for | George A. Smith | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Mayor – Council | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 77.151 sq mi (199.820 km2) | ||
| • Land | 77.148 sq mi (199.811 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.003 sq mi (0.076 km2) 0.72% | ||
| Elevation | 2,530 ft (770 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • City | 95,342 | ||
| • Estimate
(2022)
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102,519 | ||
| • Rank | US: 320th UT: 5th |
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| • Density | 1,329.0/sq mi (513.1/km2) | ||
| • Urban | 134,109 (US: 255th) | ||
| • Urban density | 2,198.0/sq mi (848.5/km2) | ||
| • Metro | 197,680 (US: 234th) | ||
| • Metro density | 81.40/sq mi (31.44/km2) | ||
| Demonym(s) | St. Georgian | ||
| Time zone | UTC–7 (Mountain (MST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–6 (MDT) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
84770, 84771, 84790, 84791
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| Area code(s) | 435 | ||
| FIPS code | 49-65330 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2411757 | ||
| Sales tax | 6.75% | ||
St. George is a city in southwestern Utah, near the Arizona border. It is the main city of the St. George metropolitan area. The city is located in the northeastern part of the Mojave Desert, south of the Pine Valley Mountains. St. George is about 118 miles (190 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is also about 300 miles (480 km) south-southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.
In 2020, the city's population was 95,342 people. This makes St. George the fifth-largest city in Utah. It is also the biggest city in the state outside of the Wasatch Front area. St. George was founded in 1861 as a "cotton mission," which gave it the nickname "Dixie". Even though cotton didn't become a big crop, the area grew steadily. Between 2000 and 2005, St. George was one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Today, the area is known for outdoor activities all year round. It is also close to many state parks, Zion National Park, and the Grand Canyon. Utah Tech University, a NCAA Division I school, is located here.
Contents
- Discovering St. George's Past
- Exploring St. George's Geography
- St. George's People and Culture
- St. George's Economy
- Arts and Culture in St. George
- Sports in St. George
- Parks and Recreation in St. George
- Education in St. George
- Media in St. George
- St. George's Infrastructure
- Famous People from St. George
- Images for kids
- See also
Discovering St. George's Past
St. George was founded in 1861. It was part of a plan to grow cotton in the area. This plan was led by Erastus Snow, a leader in the Latter Day Saint church. During the American Civil War, Brigham Young wanted to make sure his people had enough cotton. He believed cotton could grow well in this warm region.
In October 1861, about 300 families were asked to move to the "Dixie mission" to help with the cotton industry. Many people didn't know they were chosen until their names were announced. But most of them agreed to go. Families were picked to make sure the new communities had the right mix of farmers, builders, and teachers. The settlement was named after George A. Smith, another church leader.
In April 1877, the St. George Utah Temple was finished. It was the third temple built by the church. It is also the oldest one still in use today.
Important Events in St. George
In 1992, an earthquake hit St. George. It damaged three houses and some utilities, costing about 1 million in repairs. In 1997, St. George hosted the national finals for the United States Academic Decathlon. In January 2005, a big flood happened in the area. Heavy rains caused the Virgin River and Santa Clara River to overflow. One person died, and 28 homes were destroyed by the Santa Clara River.
Exploring St. George's Geography
St. George covers about 77.151 square miles (199.820 km2). A small part of this area is water. The city is in a desert valley, mostly below 3,000 feet (900 m) in height. It sits where the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin meet. To the west are the Beaver Dam Mountains, and to the north are the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Pine Valley Mountains. The western edge of the Colorado Plateau and Zion National Park are to the east. The Arizona Strip is to the south.
The Virgin River, the Santa Clara River, and the seasonal Fort Pearce Wash all flow through the St. George valley. They meet near Webb Hill, close to the city center.
St. George uses numbers for street names, like "East 100 South." Some streets have names and numbers, such as "400 East," which is also called "Flood Street."
St. George Neighborhoods
Many neighborhoods in St. George are large housing areas built during the city's fast growth. Others are named after natural features or smaller communities that became part of St. George.
- Atkinville
- Bloomington
- Bloomington Hills
- Bloomington Ranches
- Desert Color
- Desert Hills / Hidden Valley
- Dixie Downs
- Downtown
- Entrada
- Foremaster
- Green Valley
- Price City (formerly Heberville)
- The Ledges (a golf neighborhood)
- Little Valley
- Middleton (includes Cottonwood)
- Red Cliffs
- Sand Town
- Snow Canyon
- Southgate
- Stone Cliff
- Sunbrook
- Sunriver
- Tonaquint
St. George's Climate
St. George has a dry climate that is much warmer than most of Utah. It is a cold arid area. Summers are long and hot, and winters are mild. The average temperature ranges from 42.1°F (5.6°C) in December to 87.8°F (31.0°C) in July.
On average, the temperature goes above 100°F (38°C) about 60 afternoons a year. This usually happens between late June and mid-August. Temperatures above 90°F (32°C) occur about 122 days a year, from late April to early October. About 60 mornings have temperatures that drop to freezing. This usually happens between mid-November and mid-March.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Utah was 118°F (48°C). This happened in south St. George on July 4, 2007. The city gets a lot of sunshine, about 300 sunny days each year. It receives about 8.80 inches (224 mm) of rain annually. The wettest year was from July 2004 to June 2005, with over 15.66 inches (398 mm) of rain. The driest year was from July 1973 to June 1974, with only 3.89 inches (99 mm).
St. George sometimes gets wet or slushy snow in winter. But it usually melts by late morning. The average snowfall for the season is 1.4 inches (3.6 cm). The most snow in one day was 10.0 inches (25 cm) on January 5, 1974. Higher areas like Diamond Valley and Winchester Hills usually get more snow and colder temperatures.
| Climate data for St. George, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
84 (29) |
91 (33) |
100 (38) |
108 (42) |
115 (46) |
117 (47) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
101 (38) |
88 (31) |
75 (24) |
117 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.7 (18.2) |
70.4 (21.3) |
81.0 (27.2) |
90.0 (32.2) |
98.3 (36.8) |
105.6 (40.9) |
110.0 (43.3) |
107.5 (41.9) |
102.9 (39.4) |
92.3 (33.5) |
76.0 (24.4) |
63.9 (17.7) |
110.5 (43.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.0 (12.2) |
59.3 (15.2) |
67.8 (19.9) |
75.0 (23.9) |
85.4 (29.7) |
96.4 (35.8) |
101.9 (38.8) |
99.9 (37.7) |
92.4 (33.6) |
78.8 (26.0) |
63.8 (17.7) |
53.0 (11.7) |
77.3 (25.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 41.2 (5.1) |
45.8 (7.7) |
53.4 (11.9) |
60.4 (15.8) |
70.5 (21.4) |
80.4 (26.9) |
86.8 (30.4) |
85.1 (29.5) |
76.5 (24.7) |
63.0 (17.2) |
49.2 (9.6) |
40.4 (4.7) |
62.7 (17.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.4 (−2.0) |
32.4 (0.2) |
39.0 (3.9) |
45.7 (7.6) |
55.5 (13.1) |
64.5 (18.1) |
71.7 (22.1) |
70.3 (21.3) |
60.7 (15.9) |
47.3 (8.5) |
34.7 (1.5) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
48.2 (9.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 20.7 (−6.3) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
37.8 (3.2) |
44.9 (7.2) |
55.2 (12.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
64.3 (17.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −11 (−24) |
1 (−17) |
12 (−11) |
18 (−8) |
20 (−7) |
35 (2) |
41 (5) |
43 (6) |
25 (−4) |
20 (−7) |
4 (−16) |
−4 (−20) |
−11 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.22 (31) |
1.38 (35) |
1.02 (26) |
0.66 (17) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.16 (4.1) |
0.50 (13) |
1.07 (27) |
0.67 (17) |
0.77 (20) |
0.67 (17) |
0.86 (22) |
9.31 (237.5) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.5 (1.3) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.11) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.4 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 41.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Source: NOAA (extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
St. George's People and Culture
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,142 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,384 | 21.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,377 | −0.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,690 | 22.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,769 | 4.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,271 | 28.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,434 | 7.2% | |
| 1940 | 3,591 | 47.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,562 | 27.0% | |
| 1960 | 5,130 | 12.5% | |
| 1970 | 7,097 | 38.3% | |
| 1980 | 11,350 | 59.9% | |
| 1990 | 28,502 | 151.1% | |
| 2000 | 49,728 | 74.5% | |
| 2010 | 72,897 | 46.6% | |
| 2020 | 95,342 | 30.8% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 102,519 | 40.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census |
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In 2020, St. George had 95,342 people and 37,515 households. The city had 39,933 housing units.
Religious Life in St. George
About 78% of St. George residents identify as religious. As of 2014, the main religious groups were:
- 63.4% LDS Church
- 4.4% Catholic
- 0.8% Seventh-day Adventist
- 0.6% Baptist
- 0.5% Lutheran
- 0.4% Southern Baptist
- 0.3% Presbyterian
- 0.2% Episcopalian
- 0.2% United Methodist
- 0.2% Assemblies of God
- 1.0% Other
St. George's Economy
SkyWest Airlines has its main office in St. George. It is the main airline at the city's regional airport. Walmart has a distribution center just outside the city. Family Dollar also opened a distribution center in the Fort Pierce Industrial Park. The main offices for the Washington County School District are in St. George. The Cafe Rio restaurant chain started in St. George in 1997.
The local economy mostly relies on tourism, manufacturing, and building new homes. More than a dozen golf courses offer golfing all year. Many world-famous events also bring a lot of money to the city. St. George is a popular place for people to retire. It also has many vacation homes for people who live in colder areas.
Arts and Culture in St. George
The City of St. George hosts art shows and concerts at Vernon Worthen Park. The Southwest Symphony Orchestra and Southern Utah Heritage Choir are based in St. George. The Downtown Arts District has "Art Around the Corner," which features outdoor sculptures. It also hosts the yearly St. George Arts Festival in the spring. Other big events include the St. George Parade of Homes, the Dixie Roundup Rodeo, the St. George Marathon, the St. George Ironman triathlon, and the Huntsman World Senior Games.
Places to Visit in St. George
- Brigham Young Winter Home and Office
- Burns Arena
- Dixie Center
- Jacob Hamblin House
- St. George Children's Museum
- St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
- St. George Utah Temple
Shopping in St. George
The Red Cliffs Mall is an indoor shopping mall built in 1990. There are also other shopping areas on River Road, St. George Boulevard, and Bluff Street.
Sports in St. George
St. George has been home to two independent minor-league baseball teams. The St. George Pioneerzz played from 1999 to 2001 and won a championship in 2000. The St. George Roadrunners played from 2007 to 2010.
High schools in the St. George area include Crimson Cliffs, Dixie, Desert Hills, Pine View, and Snow Canyon. They all compete in 4A state sports. Utah Tech University is a NCAA Division I school. Its athletes are called Trailblazers. Many former athletes from Dixie State (now Utah Tech) went on to play in the NFL and NBA.
St. George has hosted Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events. In 2021, it hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. In May 2021, St. George hosted the Ironman World Championship. This was the first time this event was held outside of Hawai'i.
Parks and Recreation in St. George
The St. George parks division manages over 20 city parks. It also has nearly 60 miles (97 km) of paved trails connecting neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces. The city has more than a dozen award-winning golf courses. This makes the area a popular spot for golfing.
Major parks and sites include:
- Canyons Softball Complex
- Little Valley Softball Complex
- Pioneer Park
- Tonaquint Nature Center
- Snake Hollow bike park (nationally recognized)
- Thunder Junction All Abilities dinosaur theme park
- Red Hills Desert Garden (a public garden showing plants suited for the local climate)
- Three local skate parks
Legacy Regional Park and fairgrounds are just east of the city in Hurricane. St. George also has public recreation centers like the St. George Rec Center, Washington City Rec Center, and Sand Hollow Aquatics Center. St. George is becoming a popular place for rock climbing and mountain biking.
Education in St. George
Schools for Kids and Teens
The city of St. George is part of the Washington County School District. The city's middle schools are usually located near their high schools.
Middle Schools (6th-9th grade)
- Dixie Middle School
- Pine View Middle School
- Desert Hills Middle School
- Snow Canyon Middle School
- Crimson Cliffs Middle School (in Washington City)
- Washington Fields Intermediate (in Washington City)
- Tonaquint Intermediate
- Sunrise Ridge Intermediate
- Fossil Ridge Intermediate
- Lava Ridge Intermediate (in Santa Clara)
High Schools (10th-12th grade)
- Career Tech High School
- Crimson Cliffs High School (in Washington City)
- Desert Hills High School
- Dixie High School
- Millcreek Alternative High School
- Pine View High School
- Snow Canyon High School
- St George Academy (a college prep charter high school in Washington City)
- Utah Arts Academy (offers alternative education with no tuition)
- The Southern Utah Center for Computer, Engineering, and Science Students (SUCCESS) is an early college high school on the Utah Tech University campus.
Colleges and Universities
- Dixie Technical College (offers technical training)
- Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (a medical school)
- University of Phoenix
- Utah State University St. George Campus
- Utah Tech University (a four-year university with over 12,500 students)
Media in St. George
Radio Stations
| Call sign | Frequency | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDXU | 890 AM & 93.5 FM | Talk radio | |
| KLGU | 90.3 FM | Christian contemporary | |
| KUTU | 91.3 & 94.9 FM | Variety (radio) | |
| KZHK | 95.9 FM | Classic rock | |
| KCLS | 96.3 FM | Active Rock | |
| KRQX | 98.9 FM | Classic Hits | |
| KONY | 99.9 FM | Country music | |
| KFUR-LP | 101.1 FM | Regional Mexican | |
| K272AQ | 102.3 FM | Oldies | Repeater of KDXU-FM, Colorado City, Arizona |
| K279BN | 103.7 FM | Oldies | Repeater of KJUL, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| KURR | 103.1 FM | Top 40 | |
| KUTQ | 102.3 FM | Country music | |
| KZYN | 104.1 FM | Adult Alternative | |
| KPLD | 94.1 & 105.1 | Hot adult contemporary | |
| KWBR-LP | 105.7 FM | Smooth Jazz | |
| KIYK | 107.3 FM | Hot adult contemporary | |
| KHKR | 1210 AM | Sports radio | |
| KSGO | 1450 AM-93.1 FM | Conservative talk radio |
Newspapers and Online News
- The Spectrum is the local daily newspaper.
- The Independent newspaper offers a monthly print edition with local news, arts, and events. It also has free daily online news.
- St. George News (stgnews.com) is a free online news source.
- Southern Utah Weekly is a weekly newspaper.
Other newspapers like the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News are also available.
Television Channels
St. George is part of the Salt Lake City TV market. It has one TV station licensed to the city, KMYU, which is a MyNetworkTV affiliate. KMYU has a news office in St. George. The offices of Cedar City, Utah–licensed KCSG Channel 14, a MeTV affiliate, are also in St. George. This station broadcasts local news. St. George also gets TV channels from Salt Lake City through local broadcast translators.
St. George's Infrastructure
Healthcare Services
St. George Regional Hospital is part of Intermountain Health Care. It is the only 24-hour trauma center between Las Vegas and the Wasatch Front. It serves southern Utah, northwest Arizona, and southeastern Nevada.
Utilities and Internet
Most of St. George gets electricity from City of St. George Power. Dixie Power serves the southern parts of the city. Rocky Mountain Power serves some areas around St. George. The city's water department gets water from wells near Gunlock and in Snow Canyon State Park. It also buys water from the Washington County Water Conservancy District.
Internet services in St. George are provided by TDS Telecom (cable/fiber), CenturyLink (DSL/fiber), Quantum (fiber), and InfoWest (wireless/fiber).
Transportation in St. George
St. George Regional Airport is in southeast St. George. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines fly from this airport. All flights are operated by SkyWest Airlines. As of 2023, you can fly to Salt Lake City, Denver, and Phoenix. Seasonal flights to Dallas–Fort Worth are also available.
Getting Around St. George
SunTran is the local public bus system. It has seven routes that serve most of St. George, Washington, and Ivins. You can also rent bikes and Spin scooters in many places around the city. Greyhound buses serve St. George on routes from Denver to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City to Las Vegas. St. George is also served by the bus company Tufesa and shuttle companies like Salt Lake Express and St. George Shuttle.
Major Roads in St. George
Interstate 15 runs through St. George from northeast to southwest.
- SR-7 (Southern Parkway) runs east–west through the southern edge of the city.
- SR-8 (Sunset Boulevard) runs east–west through west St. George.
- SR-34 (St. George Boulevard) runs east–west through central St. George.
- SR-18 (Bluff Street) runs north–south through St. George.
Famous People from St. George
- Robert Adamson (b. 1985), actor
- Texas Rose Bascom (1922–1993), rodeo performer
- Jay Don Blake (b. 1958), professional golfer
- Wilford Brimley, American actor and singer
- Juanita Brooks, Mormon writer and historian
- Howard Cannon, former United States Senator
- LaVell Edwards (1930–2016), former BYU football coach
- Jada Facer, actress and singer
- Orval Hafen, lawyer and legislator
- Tracy Hickman, fantasy author
- Jeffrey R. Holland, LDS church leader
- Bruce Hurst (b. 1958), former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Doug Jolley (b. 1979), NFL tight end
- Meg and Dia, rock group
- The Piano Guys, classical music group
- Amanda Righetti (b. 1983), actress
- Gaskell Romney (1871–1955), Mormon leader
- Miles Romney (1806–1877), settler and Mormon leader
- Miles Park Romney (1843–1904), attorney and police chief
- J. Edwin Seegmiller (1923–2006), physician and medical researcher
- Steven E. Snow, (b. 1949), lawyer and LDS church leader
- John "Cat" Thompson (1906–1990), basketball player
- Tanya Tucker (b. 1958), country music singer
- Brendon Urie (b. 1987), lead singer of Panic! at the Disco
- Joyce Vance, U.S. Attorney and legal analyst
Images for kids
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Map of racial distribution in St. George, 2020 U.S. census.
See also
In Spanish: St. George (Utah) para niños
