Grand County, Utah

This article is about the county in Utah. For the other county of the same name (in Colorado), see Grand County, Colorado.

Grand County
County
Grand County Courthouse, June 2014
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38.99°N 109.56°W / 38.99; -109.56
Country	United States
State	Utah
Founded	March 13, 1890
Named for	Grand River (now the Colorado River)
Seat	Moab
Largest city	Moab
Area
• Total	3,684 sq mi (9,540 km2)
• Land	3,672 sq mi (9,510 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (30 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,669
• Estimate  (2023)	9,706
• Density	2.6/sq mi (1.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.grandcountyutah.net

Grand County is a county on the east central edge of the U.S. state of Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 9,669. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.

Grand County is home to one of the nine statewide regional campuses of Utah State University (located in the city of Moab) and serves as a gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

History

Evidence of indigenous occupation up to 10,000BCE has been previously discovered in Grand County. The present city of Moab is the site of pueblo farming communities of the 11th and 12th centuries. These groups had already vanished from the area when the first European explorers entered the country, with nomadic Ute tribes inhabiting the area at the time of contact.

The European-based settlement of the area began with the arrival of Mormon pioneers in 1847. By 1855 they had sent missionary settlers into eastern Utah Territory. An Elk Mountain Mission was established but closed after a few months due to Indian raids. For several decades after that, the future Moab area (known as "Spanish Valley") was visited only by trappers and prospectors. Permanent settlement began in 1877. These early settlers, coming in from the north, encountered the deep canyon walls of the Grand River and could not take wagons over or around the steep canyon walls.

They unloaded their supplies, dismantled the wagons, and lowered them by rope to the river valley. They then drove their oxen over a canyon rim, down deep sand dunes. After the wagons were reassembled and supplies reloaded, they made their way through the deep sand to the river. They found a place to ford the river below the present bridge in north Moab. They later established a ferry at the crossing site, which remained in use until the first bridge was built in 1921.

In 1881 the area was known as Grand Valley, and Moab was a "wild west" town. A 1991 visitor to Moab later said it was the toughest town in Utah because the area and surrounding country have many deep canyons, rivers, mountains, and wilderness areas, becoming a hideout for outlaws. The local economy was initially based on farming and livestock. Mining came in at the end of the 19th century, and the railroad arrived. The first school in the county was started in 1881. Mormon settlers began planting fruit trees by 1879, and by 1910 Moab was a significant fruit-production center.

Due to the distances involved, the settlers of eastern Emery County found it difficult to conduct county business in that county's seat. By March 13, 1890, their petitions caused the Utah Territory legislature to designate the eastern portion of the county as a separate entity, to be named Grand County, named for the Grand River (whose name was changed to Colorado River in 1921). The county boundaries were adjusted in 1892 and in 2003.

Exploration for deep petroleum deposits began in the 1920s, and this industry has significantly contributed to the economy since that time. Other significant industries include uranium mining and filmmaking.

Delicate Arch, one of the most famous arches in Arches National Park

Geography

Grand County lies on the east side of Utah. Its east border abuts the west border of the state of Colorado. The Green River flows southward through the eastern part of central Utah, and its meandering course defines the western border of Grand County. The Colorado River enters the east side of Grand County from Colorado, flowing southwestward toward its confluence with the Green in San Juan County, south of Grand. The Dolores River also enters Grand County from Colorado, flowing westward to its confluence with the Colorado River near Dewey.

Grand County terrain is arid, rough, and spectacularly carved by water and wind erosion, exposing red rock formations that have created a solid tourist industry. The area is little used for agriculture unless irrigation is available. The terrain is filled with hills and protuberances, but generally slopes to the south and to the west. Its highest point is Mount Waas in the SE part of the county, at 12,336 ft (3,760 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 3,684 square miles (9,540 km²), of which 3,672 square miles (9,510 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (0.3%) is water. Deserts, cliffs and plateaus make up the scenery, with few settlements apart from the city of Moab, a Colorado River oasis. Arches National Park lies in the southern part of the county, just north of Moab. A northern portion of Canyonlands National Park lies in the southwest corner of the county.

Airport

• Canyonlands Field (CNY) northwest of Moab

Major highways

• United States Interstate I-70
• US-191
• Utah State Highway UT-128
• Utah State Highway UT-313

Adjacent counties

• Uintah County - north
• Garfield County, Colorado - northeast
• Mesa County, Colorado - east
• Montrose County, Colorado - southeast
• San Juan County - south
• Emery County - west
• Carbon County - northwest

Protected areas

• Arches National Park
• Canyonlands National Park (part)
• Dead Horse Point State Park (part)
• Manti-La Sal National Forest (part)
• McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (part)

Lakes and reservoirs

• Beaver Pond
• Big Flat Reservoir
• Blue Flat Reservoir
• Crescent Wash Reservoir
• Dead Sheep Pond
• Dons Lake
• Hidden Lake
• Holding Pond
• Jackson Reservoir
• Ken's Lake
• Mud Lake
• Oowah Lake
• Pace Lake
• Rock Corral Reservoir
• Strychnine Pond
• Tenmile Wash Reservoir
• Tie Pond
• Twin Pond
• Valley City Reservoir
• Warner Lake
• Weaver Reservoir
• Yellow Cat Reservoir

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	541		—
1900	1,149		112.4%
1910	1,595		38.8%
1920	1,808		13.4%
1930	1,813		0.3%
1940	2,070		14.2%
1950	1,903		−8.1%
1960	6,345		233.4%
1970	6,688		5.4%
1980	8,241		23.2%
1990	6,620		−19.7%
2000	8,485		28.2%
2010	9,225		8.7%
2020	9,669		4.8%
US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 8,485 people, 3,434 households, and 2,170 families in the county. The population density was 2.31 people per square mile (0.89 people/km²). There were 4,062 housing units at an average density of 1.11 units per square mile (0.43 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.65% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 3.85% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.66% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. 5.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,434 households, out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.60% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.80% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 3.06.

The county population contained 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,387, and the median income for a family was $39,095. Males had a median income of $31,000 versus $21,769 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,356. About 10.90% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.20% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those aged 65 or over.

Grand County is the Utah county with the lowest percentage of LDS Church members in the state. Utah's population is about 62% Mormon, while Grand County is about 26% Mormon.

Politics and government

Historically, following the period of William Jennings Bryan and Woodrow Wilson, Grand County has generally voted Republican. Between 1920 and 1988 (inclusive), it voted Democratic only four times: thrice for Franklin Roosevelt, and once for Lyndon Johnson. However, it has shifted leftward in recent years, voting Democratic thrice in the last eight elections (for Bill Clinton in 1992, Barack Obama in 2008, and Joe Biden in 2020). The highest vote share any Republican has received in the county in the last eight elections was 51.1% (by George W. Bush in 2004); Joe Biden's 53.9% was the highest vote share for any nominee of either party since 1988, as well as the highest for a Democrat in the county since 1936.

Grand County is one of only thirteen counties to have voted for Obama in 2008, Romney in 2012, Trump in 2016, and Biden in 2020.

State elected offices

Position		District	Name	Affiliation	First elected
	Senate	27	David Hinkins	Republican	2008
	House of Representatives	69	Christine Watkins	Republican	2016
	House of Representatives	70	Carl Albrecht	Republican	2016
	Board of Education	14	Mark Huntsman	Nonpartisan	2014

United States presidential election results for Grand County, Utah

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,248	43.19%	2,806	53.91%	151	2.90%
2016	1,975	42.93%	1,960	42.60%	666	14.48%
2012	1,996	50.53%	1,727	43.72%	227	5.75%
2008	1,871	45.65%	2,067	50.43%	161	3.93%
2004	2,130	51.14%	1,858	44.61%	177	4.25%
2000	1,822	50.42%	1,158	32.04%	634	17.54%
1996	1,384	42.57%	1,199	36.88%	668	20.55%
1992	1,100	32.91%	1,160	34.71%	1,082	32.38%
1988	1,895	58.34%	1,287	39.62%	66	2.03%
1984	2,463	73.15%	876	26.02%	28	0.83%
1980	2,362	70.42%	703	20.96%	289	8.62%
1976	1,781	62.38%	931	32.61%	143	5.01%
1972	1,837	72.15%	560	22.00%	149	5.85%
1968	1,435	60.88%	707	30.00%	215	9.12%
1964	1,130	49.67%	1,145	50.33%	0	0.00%
1960	1,130	58.40%	805	41.60%	0	0.00%
1956	1,044	76.09%	328	23.91%	0	0.00%
1952	675	72.27%	259	27.73%	0	0.00%
1948	418	50.54%	400	48.37%	9	1.09%
1944	428	52.64%	380	46.74%	5	0.62%
1940	432	49.04%	446	50.62%	3	0.34%
1936	272	33.62%	521	64.40%	16	1.98%
1932	278	34.53%	506	62.86%	21	2.61%
1928	347	52.58%	310	46.97%	3	0.45%
1924	278	47.93%	243	41.90%	59	10.17%
1920	306	51.17%	278	46.49%	14	2.34%
1916	213	39.52%	306	56.77%	20	3.71%
1912	191	33.75%	212	37.46%	163	28.80%
1908	232	48.74%	215	45.17%	29	6.09%
1904	262	57.21%	165	36.03%	31	6.77%
1900	178	46.11%	204	52.85%	4	1.04%
1896	28	9.59%	264	90.41%	0	0.00%

Moab has a significant environmentalist population due to nearby Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Sagebrush Rebellion

Grand County residents protest a Bureau of Land Management study area on July 4, 1980.

Grand County was an epicenter of the Sagebrush Rebellion, which took place during the late 1970s and early 1980s when residents protested what they saw as overreaching Federal control of Western US land.

An early event in the Rebellion was July 4, 1980, when 300 Grand County residents gathered behind a flag-decorated bulldozer in protest of the inclusion of Mill Creek Canyon as part of a Bureau of Land Management wilderness study area. Despite plowing nearly 200 yards up the canyon, the group did not reach the study area's boundary.

Paleontology

The Denver Museum of Natural History opened a small Cedar Mountain Formation quarry that has produced diverse dinosaur fossils including theropod, sauropod and ornithopod. An adult sauropod was designated the type specimen of the genus Venenosaurus.

Communities

Map of Grand County communities

Cities

• Moab (county seat)

Towns

• Castle Valley

Census-designated places

• Thompson Springs

Unincorporated communities

• Castleton
• Cisco
• Dewey
• Mesa
• Richardson
• Westwater

Former communities

• Agate
• Basin
• Cottonwood
• Elba
• Floy
• Harley Dome
• Sego
• Valley City

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Grand County, Utah
• Greentown Gas Condensate Field
• Moab uranium mill tailings pile
• List of counties in Utah

Further reading

• (1994) "Grand County" article in the Utah History Encyclopedia. The article was written by Gary Topping and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024, and retrieved on May 3, 2024.

External links

• Official website