Garfield County, Utah


Garfield County is a county in south central Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 5,083, making it the fifth-least populous county in Utah; with about one inhabitant per square mile, it is also the least densely populated county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Panguitch.
WWW garfield.utah.gov

History

The Utah Territory legislature created the county on March 9, 1882, with areas partitioned from Iron County. It was named for James A. Garfield, the twentieth President of the United States, who had died six months earlier. The border with Iron County was adjusted in 1884, and Garfield County's boundaries have remained intact since then.

Geography

The Colorado River, flowing southwestward through a deep gorge, forms the eastern boundary. The Dirty Devil River flows southward through the east end of the county to discharge into Colorado at the county's border. Westward, the cliffs of tributary canyons give way to the barren stretches of the San Rafael Desert, beyond which a variety of mountains, plateaus, and canyons make up the terrain. Most of Bryce Canyon National Park lies in the southwestern part of the county, and the northern half of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument occupies the middle of the county. A large portion of Capitol Reef National Park lies in the east-central part of the county. A very small part of Canyonlands National Park lies in the northeast corner of the county. The terrain of Garfield County is arid, rough, and carved with erosion.
The county terrain generally slopes to the south and to the east. The county's highest point is Mount Ellen, in the Henry Mountains, near the county's north border, at ASL. The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
It is the fifth-largest county in Utah by area, and is about the same size as the state of Connecticut.

Airports

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Major highways

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  • US Highway 89
  • Utah Highway 12
  • Utah Highway 22
  • Utah Highway 63
  • Utah Highway 95
  • Utah Highway 143
  • Utah Highway 276

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

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Lakes

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Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 5,083 people in Garfield County with a population density of 1.0 people per square mile. Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 4,446 White, 5 African American, 90 Native American, 30 Asian, 7 Pacific Islander, 3 from other races, and 118 from two or more races. 384 people were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 2,619 males and 2,464 females, and the population distribution by age was 1,202 under the age of 18, 2,682 from 18 to 64, and 1,199 who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 43.3 years.
There were 1,881 households in Garfield County with an average size of 2.70 of which 1,323 were families and 558 were non-families. Among all families, 1,100 were married couples, 83 were male householders with no spouse, and 140 were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 479 were a single person living alone and 79 were two or more people living together. 528 of all households had children under the age of 18. 1,504 of households were owner-occupied while 377 were renter-occupied.
The median income for a Garfield County household was $44,279 and the median family income was $65,266, with a per-capita income of $23,926. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $49,904 and for females $34,773. 16.4% of the population and 11.3% of families were below the poverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 3,484 people in Garfield County 25 years or older, 221 had not completed high school, 1,067 had a high school diploma or equivalency, 1,312 had some college or associate degree, 648 had a bachelor's degree, and 236 had a graduate or professional degree.

Ancestry

the largest self-identified ancestry groups in Garfield County are:
  • English - 46.2%
  • German - 14.8%
  • Irish - 10.1%
  • Danish - 6.6%
  • Scottish - 4.9%
  • Welsh - 3.9%
  • Scotch-Irish - 2.5%
  • Swedish - 2.3%
  • Norwegian - 2.2%

Politics and government

Garfield County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

Communities

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Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

All portions of the county are in the Garfield School District.