St. George is a city located in southwestern Utah. It is also the county seat of Washington County. The city is 119 miles (192 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles (488 km) south of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah Population Estimates Committee stated in 2005 that 65,968 people lived in the city. In September 2005, St. George was declared the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States behind Las Vegas, Nevada.
St. George is the population and commercial center of Utah's Dixie, a nickname given to the area when Mormon pioneers grew cotton in the warm climate. St. George's trademark is its geology -- red bluffs frame the northern part of the city, and the northeastern edges of the Mojave Desert are visible to the south. Zion National Park can be seen to the east, and mountains are nearby to the north, southeast and west.
St. George is located at 37°5'43" North, 113°34'41" West (37.095279, -113.578151).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 168.0 km2 (64.9 mi2). 166.8 km2 (64.4 mi2) of it is land and 1.2 km2 (0.5 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.72% water.
St. George lies in the lowest elevation region of the state, Dixie, with most of the city lying below 3,000 feet (900 m). The city is surrounded by mountains and red sandstone buttes, and it lies at the very northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert.
As of the census of 2000, there are 49,663 people, 17,367 households, and 13,042 families residing in the city. The population density is 297.7/km2 (771.2/mi2). There are 21,083 housing units at an average density of 126.4/km2 (327.4/mi2).
The city is growing fast. A 2004 census estimated the city population at 59,780. Furthermore, the greater St. George area has a current estimated population of around 115,000. Rapid growth is a major problem; the city of St. George alone grows at an average pace of 750 to 1,000 new residents each month. Many of these new residents are retirees who move here because of the mild winters. In September 2005, St. George was declared the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States.
The racial makeup of the city is 92.27% White, 0.24% African American, 1.64% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.59% Pacific Islander, 2.87% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 6.72% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 17,367 households, out of which 34.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% are married couples living together, 8.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% are non-families. 19.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years old or older. The average household size is 2.81 individuals and the average family size is 3.21.
The city resident's ages are spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,505, and the median income for a family is $41,788. Males have a median income of $31,106 versus $20,861 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,022. 11.6% of the population and 7.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 14.4% of those under the age of 18 and 4.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Along with its increasing population, the economy of St. George and surrounding areas has boomed in recent years.
Some of St. George's larger corporations include SkyWest Airlines, which has its corporate headquarters in St. George. Wal-Mart has a large distribution center located near St. George. Intermountain Health Care opened a new $100 million hospital in 2003. The hospital, Dixie Regional Medical Center, is a 420,000 square foot, 196 bed facility.
A large part of the economy of southwestern Utah comes from tourism. St. George is in close proximity to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park as well as several state parks and recreational areas. Golf also plays a large part in the city's tourism industry. St. George offers one of the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country. Special events such as the St. George Marathon and the Huntsman Senior Games draw thousands to St. George each year. The St. George Marathon is currently the 13th largest marathon in the country.
St. George was founded in the 1850s by direction of the president of the LDS (Mormon) church, Brigham Young, as a cotton mission -- part of a greater church effort to become self-sufficient. While the early settlers did manage to grow cotton, it was never produced at competitive market rates; consequently, cotton farming was eventually abandoned.
In April 1877, the LDS church completed construction of the St. George Utah Temple, the church's third temple and its first temple in the Rocky Mountains.
St. George was the location of the 1998 United States Academic Decathlon national finals.
The city began booming in the mid-1980s, first as a retirement hotspot and tourist gateway to Utah's color country, then as a transportation center.
Source:
SaintGeorgeUT.com
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