San Juan County, Utah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Juan County
U.S. county
San Juan County Courthouse, Monticello
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Utah
Founded	February 17, 1880
Named for	San Juan River
Seat	Monticello
Largest city	Blanding
Area
• Total	7,933 sq mi (20,550 km2)
• Land	7,820 sq mi (20,300 km2)
• Water	113 sq mi (290 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,518
• Estimate  (2023)	14,358
• Density	1.83008/sq mi (0.70660/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd

San Juan County is a county located in the southeastern part of Utah, a state in the United States. As of 2020, about 14,518 people live here. The main town and county seat is Monticello, but the biggest city is Blanding. The county was named after the San Juan River. Spanish explorers gave the river its name, honoring Saint John.

San Juan County is special because it meets the borders of three other states: Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. This meeting point is known as the Four Corners.

History

The area that is now San Juan County was officially created on February 17, 1880. It was formed from parts of other counties in Utah. Since then, its borders have not changed. The town of Monticello was started in 1887. By 1895, it had grown enough to become the official county seat of San Juan County.

Geography

Ancient ruins in Montezuma Canyon

San Juan County is in the very southeast corner of Utah. It touches the borders of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The famous Four Corners Monument, where these four states meet, is right in the county's southeastern tip.

The land in the county generally slopes down towards the west and south. The highest point is Mount Peale, which is about 12,726 feet (3,879 meters) above sea level. The county covers a huge area of about 7,933 square miles (20,546 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water. It is the largest county in Utah by size.

The western and southern edges of the county have deep canyons. These were carved by the Colorado River and the San Juan River. Many smaller canyons cut through the desert rock layers, creating cliffs and flat-topped hills called plateaus. In the middle of the county, you can find places like Cedar Mesa, Comb Wash, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument. A large part of Canyonlands National Park is also within the county. The eastern side of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell are here too.

The Blue (Abajo) Mountains and the La Sal Mountains are very tall, reaching over 12,000 feet (3,658 meters). These mountains are covered with green forests, which look very different from the deserts below. The elevation in the county changes a lot, from almost 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) in the La Sal Mountains to about 3,000 feet (914 meters) at Lake Powell. That's a difference of about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters)!

The towns in San Juan County are mostly found along two main roads, U.S. Route 191 and U.S. Route 163. These roads run from La Sal in the north down to Monument Valley in the south.

Natural resources

House on Fire ruin, an ancient home built into a rock overhang

San Juan County has some important natural resources. In 2018, the only plant in the United States that processed uranium was located in Blanding. However, it was put on standby in 2019.

The county also has many oil and gas fields. These fields produce oil and gas from deep underground rock layers.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

The border between San Juan (right) and Kane (left) counties along Lake Powell, seen from space

San Juan County shares borders with more other counties than any other county in the United States. It borders 14 different counties!

Protected areas

Sipapu Bridge, a natural rock bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument

Demographics

San Juan County's population has grown over the years. In 1880, there were only 204 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 14,518. In 2017, San Juan County had one of the lower average incomes per person in Utah.

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 14,518 people living in San Juan County. This means there were about 1.9 people per square mile.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in San Juan County:

• About 49.5% were Native American.
• About 41.6% were White (not Hispanic or Latino).
• About 5.1% were Hispanic or Latino.
• Smaller numbers of people were Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, or from two or more races.

The population was almost evenly split between males and females. About 28.8% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 34.6 years.

There were about 4,649 households in the county. Most of these (about 73%) were families. The average household had about 3 people. Most homes (about 79.8%) were owned by the people living in them.

The average income for a household in San Juan County was about $49,690 per year. For families, it was about $57,401. About 22.8% of the people and 18.1% of families lived below the poverty line.

When it comes to education, about 30.5% of adults (25 or older) had a high school diploma. About 36.1% had some college education or an associate degree. A smaller number had a bachelor's degree or a higher degree.

Communities

Cities

• Blanding
• Monticello (county seat)

Town

• Bluff

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

• Eastland
• Ucolo

See also

In Spanish: Condado de San Juan (Utah) para niños