Iron County is a county located in southwestern Utah, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, the population of Iron County was 57,289. The main city of the county is Parowan, and the largest city is Cedar City. The Cedar City, UT Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all areas of Iron County.

History

Evidence of Fremont culture living between 750 and 1250 AD has been found in present-day Iron County. Petroglyphs from different time periods were carved into the rock walls of Parowan Gap, which is located northwest of Parowan. Before Euro-American explorers arrived, the Paiute people lived in the Parowan Valley. Their descendants now live on the Southern Paiute Indian Reservation, which is based in Cedar City.

The Domínguez–Escalante expedition passed through the Iron County area on October 12, 1776. Jedediah Smith, a fur trapper, was the first recorded Anglo-American to travel through the area in 1826. Settlement began in 1851 when LDS President Brigham Young sent members from the northern colonies to move there. A settlement called Coal Creek was established in 1851 and later became Cedar City. To create a local government, the State of Deseret legislature formed the county on January 31, 1850. It was not officially organized until January 17, 1851, with boundaries stretching from future Colorado, across Utah, and into future Nevada. The county was first named "Little Salt Lake County," but a law changed its name to Iron County on December 3, 1850. Its borders were changed in 1850, 1852, 1854, 1856, and 1861. In 1861, the federal government created the Colorado Territory, which took over management of Iron County areas east of 109 degrees longitude.

In 1862, the county’s borders were adjusted again. Also in 1862, the federal government created the Nevada Territory, which took over management of Iron County areas west of 114 degrees longitude. Additional boundary changes occurred in 1866, 1880, 1882, 1883, and 1884. The final boundary adjustment was made in 1892, and the county’s borders have remained the same since then.

Geography

Iron County is located on the western edge of Utah. Its western border touches the eastern border of Nevada. The land in Iron County has different areas: the dry Escalante Desert and Great Basin ranges to the west, and the meadows and forests of the High Plateau to the east. The Markagunt Plateau has colorful rock formations found at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Brian Head is the highest point in the county, standing at 11,307 feet (3,446 meters) above sea level. The total area of Iron County is 3,301 square miles (8,550 square kilometers), with 3,297 square miles (8,540 square kilometers) being land and 4.4 square miles (11 square kilometers) (0.1%) being water.

• Little Salt Lake
• Newcastle Reservoir
• Quichapa Lake

• Dan Leigh Hollow

Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, Iron County had a population of 57,289 people with a population density of 17.4 people per square mile (6.7/km²). Among people who are not Hispanic or Latino, the racial makeup included 47,620 (83.1%) White, 375 (0.7%) African American, 948 (1.7%) Native American, 621 (1.1%) Asian, 237 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 154 (0.3%) from other races, and 1,852 (3.2%) from two or more races. A total of 5,482 (9.6%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 28,404 (49.58%) males and 28,885 (50.42%) females. The population distribution by age was 16,259 (28.4%) under the age of 18, 33,214 (58.0%) from 18 to 64, and 7,816 (13.6%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 28.9 years.

There were 18,731 households in Iron County, with an average size of 3.06 people. Of these, 13,596 (72.6%) were families and 5,135 (27.4%) were non-families. Among families, 10,799 (57.7%) were married couples, 978 (5.2%) were male householders with no spouse, and 1,819 (9.7%) were female householders with no spouse. Among non-families, 3,592 (19.2%) were single people living alone, and 1,543 (8.2%) were two or more people living together. A total of 6,906 (36.9%) households had children under the age of 18. Of all households, 12,133 (64.8%) were owner-occupied, and 6,598 (35.2%) were renter-occupied.

The median income for an Iron County household was $52,045, and the median family income was $63,633. The per-capita income was $22,409. The median income for males who worked full-time was $45,178, and for females, it was $33,841. A total of 16.4% of the population and 10.2% of families lived below the poverty line.

In terms of education, out of 29,881 people in Iron County who were 25 years or older, 1,977 (6.6%) had not completed high school, 6,903 (23.1%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 12,374 (41.4%) had some college or an associate degree, 6,205 (20.8%) had a bachelor’s degree, and 2,422 (8.1%) had a graduate or professional degree.

The top 5 ethnic groups in Iron County were:
• English: 29%
• German: 10%
• Irish: 7%
• Scottish: 5%
• Danish: 5%

Recreation

• Woods Ranch Recreation Area is found in a forest with pine and aspen trees. It offers hiking trails, fishing spots, picnic areas, a volleyball court, and restroom facilities.
• Three Peaks Recreation Area is located on land with volcanic rock and hills. The area provides opportunities for rock climbing, picnicking, fishing, off-road vehicle use, and bike riding.
• Shooting Range: A location where people can engage in shooting activities.
• Brian Head Ski Resort: A ski resort that offers winter sports activities.

Politics and government

Iron County is mostly Republican in presidential elections, having not voted for a Democratic candidate since 1936. Since the 1964 election, when Lyndon B. Johnson won by a large margin, Iron County has never given a Democratic presidential candidate more than 25% of the votes.

Communities

• Cedar City
• Enoch
• Parowan (county seat)

• Brian Head
• Kanarraville
• Paragonah

• Beryl Junction
• Modena
• Newcastle
• Summit

• Beryl
• Buckhorn Springs
• Cedar Highlands
• Hamiltons Fort
• Hamlin Valley
• Lund
• Old Irontown
• State Line
• Zane

• Gold Springs
• Iron Springs (named for the Iron Springs)
• Uvada