Cedar City is a city located in Iron County, Utah, 250 miles south of
Salt Lake City on Interstate 15. It is the
home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespearean Festival, the Neil Simon Theatre
Festival, the Utah Summer Games, and other events. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,527, estimated to be 23,983 by
2005.
Cedar City was originally settled in late 1851 by Mormon pioneers originating from Parowan,
Utah who were sent to build an iron works. The site, known as "Fort Cedar" or "Cedar
City," was equidistant from vast iron deposits 10 miles west and coal resources 10 miles up Cedar Canyon, but was named after the
abundant local trees (which are actually Junipers instead of Cedar). Two companies of men led by
Henry Lunt reached the fort site in a blizzard on 11 Nov. 1851, making that date the official founding. In 1855, a new site,
closer to the iron works and out of the flood plain of Coal Creek, was established at the suggestion of Brigham Young; present day Cedar City is located at this site.
The iron works closed in 1858, though iron mining continued in the area until the 1980s. The completion of a railroad
connection to Cedar City in 1923 established the area as a tourism gateway to nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park,
and Grand Canyon National Park, in addition to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Cedar City continues to be a center of tourism,
commercial development, education and the arts in southwestern Utah.
The city has shared in the rapid growth of much of Southwestern Utah since the late 1980s.
Geography
Cedar City's Historic Main Street
Cedar City is located in the southeast Great Basin, and is about 20 miles north of the
northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert. Its elevation of 5,840 feet gives it a much
different climate from nearby Utah's Dixie, but it retains its cultural ties to
St. George — the two cities, for example, share a daily newspaper.
The city is located on the western edge of the Markagunt Plateau, in a high desert
valley with no ocean drainage. Interstate 15 connects the city with St. George (50 miles)
and Las Vegas (180 miles) to the south, and to Interstate 70 (70 miles) and Salt Lake City (250 miles) to
the north. State roads connect Cedar City with Panaca, Nevada near US 93, Kanab, Utah via US 89
and to US 50 and US 6. Similar to St. George, the
city enjoys an excellent location on the west's regional transportation network. Los
Angeles is 439 miles south and San Diego is 500 miles south on Interstate
15, Phoenix is 465 miles south via Interstate 15 and US 93, and Denver is 580 miles east via Interstates 15 and 70. Cedar City is located at 37°40'57" North, 113°4'28"
West (37.682606, -113.074402)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 52.0 km² (20.1 mi²), none of which is covered
with water.
A branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad services the city, connecting to
the railway's main line at Lund.
Cedar City Regional Airport offers flights via US Airways Express.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 20,527 people in the city,
organized into 6486 households and 4682 families. The population density is 394.5/km²
(1,021.8/mi²). There are 7,109 housing units at an average density of 136.6/km² (353.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is
92.06% White, 2.53% African American, 1.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 1.65% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. 4.14% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,486 households out of which 39.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% are married couples living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% are
non-families. 16.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or
older. The average household size is 3.07 and the average family size is 3.37.
Cedar City's Historic Downtown
The colorful mountains east of Cedar City at sunset show off the reddish sandstone color of the area.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 27.4% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from
45 to 64, and 7.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 95.6 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,403, and the median income for a family is $37,509. Males have a median
income of $31,192 versus $19,601 for females. The per capita income for the city is
$14,057. 22.1% of the population and 14.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out
of the total population, 20.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty
line.
Notable people
- Senate Majority Leader, Harry
Reid, attended Southern Utah University in Cedar City.
- Michael O. Leavitt was born and educated in Cedar City. He attended and graduated
from Southern Utah University. He is the former Governor of Utah, former administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the current Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
- L. E. Modesitt, Jr., a science fiction and fantasy author, lives in Cedar City.
Modesitt is famous for several series of novels addressing ethics, ecology, and working principles of life in an entertaining and
readable manner.
See also
References
Seegmiller, Janet Burton. A History of Iron County: Community Above Self. Salt Lake City, UT: Iron County Commission and Utah
State Historical Society, 1997.
External links
Coordinates:
37.682606° N 113.074402°
W
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