Cache County is a county located in the Wasatch Front region of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 133,154. Its county seat and largest city is Logan. Cache County is included in Logan metropolitan area.
History
Indigenous peoples occupied the valleys of present Cache County as much as 10,000 BCE. Near the present epoch, the valley served the Plains Indians and the Shoshone. Trappers and explorers visited the area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. John Henry Weber and Jim Bridger came through in 1824; Peter Skene Ogden and James Beckwourth passed through in 1825. In July 1855 a group of Mormon settlers drove a herd of cattle into the valley and camped at Haw Bush Spring (present Elkhorn Ranch). However, the extremely cold winter conditions drove the settlers back to the Salt Lake Valley. That summer (1856) local leaders of the LDS Church sent Peter Maughan to establish a permanent settlement in the Cache Valley. His settlement, Maughan's Fort, grew into the present Wellsville.
More settlers arrived in the valley, and by 1859 the settlements of Providence, Mendon, Logan, Richmond, and Smithfield had been established.
In preparation for this influx, the Utah Territory legislature created a county, effective January 5, 1856, with seat and government incomplete. By April 4, 1857, the organization was completed, and Logan became the seat. It was named for the fur stashes, known in French as Caches, made by many of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company trappers. The county gained area in 1862 when its boundary lines with adjacent counties were adjusted. In 1863, the federal government enacted the Idaho Territory, which administratively removed the described portions of Cache County that lay north of the territorial border. Then in 1864, the east part of the county was partitioned to become Rich County. The borders of Cache County have remained in their present state since 1864.
A rail line between Brigham City and Logan was completed in 1873 (Utah and Northern Railway). The line was extended into Idaho, and a connection was made to the transcontinental railroad, which opened the world to Cache County; their crops (especially grain and dairy) began moving to broader markets. The county's sheep population also burgeoned; from 10,000 in 1880 to 300,000 by 1900. By 1900 the Forest Service began regulating grazing practices, which brought the sheep population under control.
There were 16,000 dairy cows in Cache County in 1910. Commercial creameries, flour mills, woolen mills, and knitting factories developed around the farm-based economy. Cache presently continues as the state's leader in dairy products and as a major producer of hay, alfalfa, and grain.
Geography
Cache County lies on the north edge of Utah. Its north border abuts the south border of the state of Idaho. On the western edge of the county are the Wellsville Mountains and on the eastern edge are the Bear River Mountains, both northern branches of the Wasatch Range. The Cache Valley reaches north to the state border. The Bear River Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Wasatch Range, cover the eastern half of the county. The county's highest elevation is Naomi Peak in the NE part of the county, at 9,979' (3042m) ASL. The Bear River flows through Cache Valley. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 89
U.S. Highway 91
State Route 23
State Route 30
State Route 101
State Route 142
State Route 165
State Route 200
State Route 218
State Route 252
Adjacent counties
Oneida County, Idaho - northwest
Franklin County, Idaho - north
Bear Lake County, Idaho - northeast
Rich County - east
Weber County - south
Box Elder County - west
Protected areas
Cache National Forest (part)
Caribou National Forest (part)
Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area (state park)
Tony Grove Lake Campground (US Forest Service)
Millville Face Wildlife Management Area
Lakes
Crescent Lake
Cutler Reservoir
Hyrum Reservoir
Newton Reservoir
Porcupine Reservoir
Tony Grove Lake
Government and politics
Cache County is governed by a seven-member county council and also elects eight officials at large. As of 2019, all county elected officials were members of the Republican Party.
Like most of Utah, Cache County is strongly Republican in presidential elections. The last time it voted for a Democratic presidential candidate was 1944.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 112,655 people, 34,722 households, and 26,464 families in the county. The population density was 96.7/sqmi (37.35/km2). There were 37,024 housing units at an average density of 31.78/sqmi (12.28/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.12% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 5.48% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. 9.96% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 34,722 households, out of which 41.34% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.22% were married couples living together, 7.73% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.78% were non-families. 16.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.54% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.55.
The county population contained 36.3% under the age of 20, 12.59% from 20 to 24, 26.97% from 25 to 44, 16.41% from 45 to 64, and 7.72% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.5 years. For every 100 females there were 98.84 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.53 males.
2015
As of 2015, the largest self reported ancestry groups in Cache County were:
27.9% were of English ancestry
12.1% were of German ancestry
7.3% were of Danish ancestry.
6.1% were of American ancestry
5.2% were of Swedish ancestry
5.0% were of Scottish ancestry
4.5% were of Irish ancestry
3.0% were of Norwegian ancestry
2.6% were of Welsh ancestry
2.1% were of Italian ancestry
2.0% were of Swiss ancestry
2.0% were of Dutch ancestry
1.5% were of French ancestry
0.7% were of Polish ancestry
2016
As of 2016, the largest self reported ancestry groups in Cache County were:
28.3% were of English ancestry
11.6% were of German ancestry
7.4% were of Danish ancestry.
5.9% were of American ancestry
5.3% were of Swedish ancestry
5.1% were of Scottish ancestry
4.6% were of Irish ancestry
2.9% were of Norwegian ancestry
2.7% were of Welsh ancestry
2.2% were of Italian ancestry
2.2% were of Swiss ancestry
1.8% were of French ancestry
1.7% were of Dutch ancestry
0.8% were of Polish ancestry
Communities
Cities
Hyde Park
Hyrum
Lewiston
Logan (county seat)
Mendon
Millville
Nibley
North Logan
Providence
Richmond
River Heights
Smithfield
Wellsville
Towns
Amalga
Clarkston
Cornish
Newton
Paradise
Trenton
Townships
College-Young (merger of the unincorporated communities of College Ward and Young Ward)
Census-designated places
Avon
Benson
Cache (aka Cache Junction)
Cove
Petersboro
Unincorporated communities
White Horse Village
Former communities
La Plata
Education
School districts
Cache County School District
Logan City School District
Universities
Utah State University (public)
Bridgerland Technical College (public)
Gallery
