Garfield County, Utah

{{For|counties with a similar name|Garfield County (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Garfield County

| state = Utah

| seal =

| founded year = 1882

| founded date = March 9

| seat wl = Panguitch

| largest city wl = Panguitch

| area_total_sq_mi = 5208

| area_land_sq_mi = 5175

| area_water_sq_mi = 33

| area percentage = 0.6

| coordinates = {{coord|37.87|-111.44|display=inline,title|type:adm2nd_region:US-UT_source:UScensus1990}}

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 5083 {{loss}}

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est =

| density_sq_mi = 0.98

| time zone = Mountain

| web = garfield.utah.gov

| named for = James A. Garfield

| ex image = Garfield County, Utah courthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Garfield County Courthouse in Panguitch, December 2006

| district = 2nd }}

Garfield County is a county in south central Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 5,083,{{cite web|title=Garfield County, Utah|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Garfield_County,_Utah?g=050XX00US49017|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 30, 2023}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}

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.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|publisher=Govt. Print. Off.|author=Gannett, Henry|year=1905|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n133 134]}} The border with Iron County was adjusted in 1884, and Garfield County's boundaries have remained intact since then.{{Cite web |url=https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/UT_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |title=[[Newberry Library]] - Individual County Chronologies/Garfield County UT (accessed March 28, 2019) |access-date=March 28, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306153326/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/UT_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |url-status=dead }}

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.[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Garfield+County,+UT/@37.668584,-111.8346804,188241m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x873579cb0256258d:0x4596798e600a43d!8m2!3d37.8400344!4d-111.2845025 Garfield County UT Google Maps (accessed 28 March 2019)] The county terrain generally slopes to the south and to the east. The county's highest point is Mount Ellen, in the Henry Mountains,[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mt+Ellen+Peak/@38.1208171,-110.823354,3476m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8749e22f5b487549:0x527ac84a7f4beccb!8m2!3d38.1208179!4d-110.8145992 Mount Ellen Peak Google Maps (accessed 28 March 2019)] near the county's north border, at {{convert|11,522|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.{{Cite web |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13209 |title=Utah County High Points/Garfield County. Peakbagger (accessed 29 March 2019) |access-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090116/https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13209 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |url-status=dead }} The county has a total area of {{convert|5208|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|5175|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|33|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_49.txt|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=March 27, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}} It is the fifth-largest county in Utah by area, and is about the same size as the state of Connecticut.

=Airports=

Source:

Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE)

=Major highways=

Source:

25px US Highway 89
Utah Highway 12
Utah Highway 22
Utah Highway 63
Utah Highway 95
Utah Highway 143
Utah Highway 276

=Adjacent counties=

Wayne County - northeast
San Juan County - east
Kane County - south
Iron County - west
Beaver County - northwest
Piute County - north

=Protected areas=

Source:

Bryce Canyon National Park (part)
Canyonlands National Park (part)
Capitol Reef National Park (part)
Carcass Canyon Wilderness Study Area
Dixie National Forest (part)
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Fishlake National Forest (part)
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (part)
Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (part)
Mammoth Cave (US Forest Service)

=Lakes=

Source:

Lake Powell (part)
Panguitch Lake
Wide Hollow Reservoir

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1890= 2457

|1900= 3400

|1910= 3660

|1920= 4768

|1930= 4642

|1940= 5253

|1950= 4151

|1960= 3577

|1970= 3157

|1980= 3673

|1990= 3980

|2000= 4735

|2010= 5172

|2020= 5083

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=US Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=US Decennial Census|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=March 27, 2015}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=March 27, 2015}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ut190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=US Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=March 27, 2015}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=US Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=March 27, 2015}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/49017.html|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=December 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606220317/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/49017.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}} 2020[https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah]

}}

=2020 census=

According to the 2020 United States census{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/dec/2020-census-dhc.html|title=2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC)|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 3, 2024}} and 2020 American Community Survey,{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.2020.html|title=American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2022)|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 3, 2024}} there were 5,083 people in Garfield County with a population density of 1.0 people per square mile (0.4/km²). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 4,446 (87.5%) White, 5 (0.1%) African American, 90 (1.8%) Native American, 30 (0.6%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 3 (0.1%) from other races, and 118 (2.3%) from two or more races. 384 (7.6%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 2,619 (51.52%) males and 2,464 (48.48%) females, and the population distribution by age was 1,202 (23.6%) under the age of 18, 2,682 (52.8%) from 18 to 64, and 1,199 (23.6%) 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 (70.3%) were families and 558 (29.7%) were non-families. Among all families, 1,100 (58.5%) were married couples, 83 (4.4%) were male householders with no spouse, and 140 (7.4%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 479 (25.5%) were a single person living alone and 79 (4.2%) were two or more people living together. 528 (28.1%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 1,504 (80.0%) of households were owner-occupied while 377 (20.0%) 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 (6.3%) had not completed high school, 1,067 (30.6%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 1,312 (37.7%) had some college or associate degree, 648 (18.6%) had a bachelor's degree, and 236 (6.8%) had a graduate or professional degree.

=Ancestry=

{{as of|2010}} 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%{{Cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US49017|title=American FactFinder - Results|website=factfinder.census.gov|access-date=March 31, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213040514/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US49017|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}

Politics and government

Garfield County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).

class="wikitable"

|+State elected offices

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Position

!District

! style="text-align:center;" |Name

! valign="bottom" |Affiliation

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;" |First elected

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

|Senate

|24

| style="text-align:center;" |Derrin Owens

| style="text-align:center;" |Republican

| style="text-align:center;" |2020{{Cite web|title=Senator Owens Utah Senate|url=https://senate.utah.gov/sen/OWENSD/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=senate.utah.gov}}

style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |

|House of Representatives

|73

| style="text-align:center;" |Phil Lyman

| style="text-align:center;" |Republican

| style="text-align:center;" |2018{{Cite web|title=Rep. Lyman, Phil|url=https://house.utah.gov/rep/LYMANP/|access-date=November 15, 2021|website=Utah House of Representatives|language=en-US|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115182904/https://house.utah.gov/rep/LYMANP/|url-status=dead}}

style="background-color:lightgrey" |

|Board of Education

|14

| style="text-align:center;" |Mark Huntsman

| style="text-align:center;" |Nonpartisan

| style="text-align:center;" |2014{{Cite web|title=Mark Huntsman|url=https://www.schools.utah.gov/board/members/utah/markhuntsman|access-date=November 15, 2021|website=www.schools.utah.gov|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115183003/https://www.schools.utah.gov/board/members/utah/markhuntsman|url-status=dead}}

{{PresHead|place=Garfield County, Utah|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 31, 2018}}}}

Communities

Source:

{{stack|File:Garfield County Utah incorporated and unincorporated areas.svg}}

= Cities =

Escalante
Panguitch (county seat)

=Towns=

=Unincorporated communities=

Education

All portions of the county are in the Garfield School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st49_ut/schooldistrict_maps/c49017_garfield/DC20SD_C49017.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Garfield County, UT|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-09-28}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st49_ut/schooldistrict_maps/c49017_garfield/DC20SD_C49017_SD2MS.txt Text list]