DAGGETT County, UT

Daggett County is a county in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 935, making it the least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Manila. The county was named for Ellsworth Daggett, the first surveyor-general of Utah. The small community of Dutch John, located near the state line with Colorado and Wyoming, became an incorporated town in January 2016.

History

Due to dangerous roads, mountainous terrain, and frequent bad weather preventing travel via a direct route, 19th century residents in the north portion of Uintah County had to travel on both stagecoach and rail to conduct business in Vernal, the county seat, a mere away. The journey involved overland travel to a train station in Wyoming, to either Mack, Colorado, Price, or Salt Lake City, then a stagecoach to Vernal. In the fall 1917 election, the Uintah county voters voted to establish a separate county on the northern slope of the Uinta Mountains. The act establishing the county was approved on January 7, 1918, naming Manila as the county seat.

The boundary between Daggett and Uintah counties was adjusted in 1919, with some territory being returned to Uintah. Daggett County boundaries have remained unchanged since 1919.

Geography

Daggett County lies at the lower northeastern corner of Utah. Its northern border abuts the south border of the state of Wyoming and its eastern boundary abuts the western border of the state of Colorado. Its main geographical features are the Uinta Mountains, which comprise its southwestern portion and delineate part of its southern border, and the Green River, which has carved a deep gorge through the east-central part of the county. In 1958, the United States Bureau of Reclamation took advantage of this natural feature to construct the Flaming Gorge Dam, creating the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which began filling in 1964.

The county terrain slopes to the north and east on the northern flank of the Uintas. The county's highest point is on a mountain crest along its south border, at 12,276' (3742m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.3%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Utah by area. Over 90% of the land of Daggett County is under federal ownership.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Lakes

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 1,059 people, 426 households, and 287 families residing in the county. The population density was 1.52 people per square mile (0.59/km²). There were 1,141 housing units at an average density of 1.64/sqmi (0.63/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.94% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 3.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 426 households, out of which 25.12% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.37% were married couples living together, 4.93% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.63% were non-families. 29.11% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.62% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.

The county population contained 23.61% under the age of 20, 3.78% from 20 to 24, 24.93% from 25 to 44, 28.71% from 45 to 64, and 18.98% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females there were 129.22 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 135.17 males.

2016

As of 2016, the largest self reported ancestry groups in Daggett County, Utah were:

Politics and Government

Daggett County is governed by three commissioners, an auditor/recorder, a clerk/treasurer, an assessor, and a sheriff, all elected for four-year terms in partisan elections. Judges stand for non-partisan retention election every four years. Current officeholders and the year the current term began:[https://www.daggettcounty.org/26/Commission]

Daggett County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

Commerce and transportation

The few commercial establishments in Daggett County exist to service tourists and users of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Throughout the county there is one small general store, several gas stations, five cafes or restaurants, five inns/motels, and a few miscellaneous businesses that offer raft rentals. There are also businesses that offer guided fishing trips on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Green River. The economy is primarily related to recreation, management of government land, and ranching. There are no railroads within Daggett County.

Communities

Towns

Census-designated places

Former communities