Carbon County, Utah
Encyclopedia
Carbon County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Utah
. Named for the major coal
deposits in the area, the county seat
and largest city, is Price
. Carbon County is the second largest natural gas producer in Utah (after Uintah County
), with 94 billion cubic feet
produced in 2008. As of 2010 the population was 21,403, a 4.8% increase over the 2000 figure of 20,422.
The Price Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Carbon County.
, J. Bracken Lee
(1899-1996; governor, 1949-1957). Lee also served as mayor of Price
from 1935 to 1947, and later as mayor of Salt Lake City, from 1959 to 1971.
, the county has a total area of 1485 square miles (3,846.1 km²), of which 1478 square miles (3,828 km²) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) (0.41%) is water.
in 1992 and 1996 by wide margins. In 1964 Lyndon Johnson carried 72.7% of votes in the county. At the state level it was no less Democratic; in the 1992 gubernatorial election it was one of two counties (the other being Summit County) that voted for Democratic candidate Stewart Hanson over Republican Michael Leavitt
.
Recently however Carbon County has become a swing county. It voted for George W. Bush
in 2000 and 2004, while voting for the Democratic gubernatorial candidates. In 2008, John McCain won Carbon County with 52.60% of the vote, versus 44.59% for Barack Obama.
, there were 21,403 people, 7,978 households, and 5,587 families residing in the county. The population density
was 14.48 people per square mile (5.59/km²). There were 9,551 housing units with an average density of 6.46 per square mile (2.49/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.31% White
, 0.43% Black
or African American
, 1.18% Native American
, 0.58% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 3.03% from other races
, and 2.36% from two or more races. 12.42% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 7,978 households, of which 30.16% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 54.50% were married couples
living together, 10.65% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.97% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals (one person), and 11.07% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out, with 30.41% under the age of 20, 6.82% aged 20 to 24, 23.73% aged 25 to 44, 25.48% aged 45 to 64, and 13.56% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.4. For every 100 females, there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.88 males.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Named for the major coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits in the area, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and largest city, is Price
Price, Utah
Price is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The city is home to the USU-College of Eastern Utah, as well as the large USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum affiliated with the college. Price is located within short distances from both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest...
. Carbon County is the second largest natural gas producer in Utah (after Uintah County
Uintah County, Utah
This page deals with the Utah County. For the Wyoming County, see Uinta County, Wyoming.Uintah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 25,224 and by 2009 was estimated at 31,536. It was named for the Ute Indians, the tribe that lives in the basin. Its...
), with 94 billion cubic feet
Standard cubic foot
A standard cubic foot is a measure of quantity of gas, equal to a cubic foot of volume at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and either 14.696 psi or 14.73 psi of pressure.A standard cubic foot is thus not a unit of volume but of quantity, and the conversion to normal cubic metres is...
produced in 2008. As of 2010 the population was 21,403, a 4.8% increase over the 2000 figure of 20,422.
The Price Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Carbon County.
Notable Utah politicians
Carbon County has produced one governor of UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, J. Bracken Lee
J. Bracken Lee
Joseph Bracken Lee was a political figure in the state of Utah, United States. A Republican, he served two terms as the ninth Governor of Utah , six two-year terms as mayor of Price, Utah , and three terms as the 27th mayor of Salt Lake City ., Lee is the most recent Governor of Utah who was not a...
(1899-1996; governor, 1949-1957). Lee also served as mayor of Price
Price
-Definition:In ordinary usage, price is the quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services.In modern economies, prices are generally expressed in units of some form of currency...
from 1935 to 1947, and later as mayor of Salt Lake City, from 1959 to 1971.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 1485 square miles (3,846.1 km²), of which 1478 square miles (3,828 km²) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) (0.41%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Utah County, UtahUtah County, UtahUtah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000, the population was 368,536 and by 2008 was estimated at 530,837. It was named for the Spanish name for the Ute Indians. The county seat and largest city is Provo...
(northwest) - Duchesne County, UtahDuchesne County, UtahDuchesne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2010 the population was 18,607, a 29.5% increase over the 2000 figure of 14,371. Its county seat is Duchesne and the largest city is Roosevelt.-Geography:...
(north) - Emery County, UtahEmery County, UtahEmery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
(south) - Uintah County, UtahUintah County, UtahThis page deals with the Utah County. For the Wyoming County, see Uinta County, Wyoming.Uintah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 25,224 and by 2009 was estimated at 31,536. It was named for the Ute Indians, the tribe that lives in the basin. Its...
(east) - Sanpete County, UtahSanpete County, UtahSanpete County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a Ute Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat is Manti and its largest city is Ephraim.-Geography:According to...
(west) - Grand County, UtahGrand County, UtahGrand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
(southeast)
Politics
Carbon County historically has been the base of Democratic Party support in strongly Republican Utah with its sizable blue-collar population. It voted for Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in 1992 and 1996 by wide margins. In 1964 Lyndon Johnson carried 72.7% of votes in the county. At the state level it was no less Democratic; in the 1992 gubernatorial election it was one of two counties (the other being Summit County) that voted for Democratic candidate Stewart Hanson over Republican Michael Leavitt
Michael Leavitt
Michael Okerlund Leavitt is an American Republican politician. He served as the the 14th Governor of Utah from 1993 to 2003, as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 2003 to 2005 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2005 to 2009.Leavitt serves as a co-leader of...
.
Recently however Carbon County has become a swing county. It voted for George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2000 and 2004, while voting for the Democratic gubernatorial candidates. In 2008, John McCain won Carbon County with 52.60% of the vote, versus 44.59% for Barack Obama.
History
Carbon County was established in 1894; it received its name from the coal deposits in the region.Demographics
As of the 2010 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 21,403 people, 7,978 households, and 5,587 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 14.48 people per square mile (5.59/km²). There were 9,551 housing units with an average density of 6.46 per square mile (2.49/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.31% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.43% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.18% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.58% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.03% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.36% from two or more races. 12.42% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 7,978 households, of which 30.16% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 54.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.65% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.97% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals (one person), and 11.07% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out, with 30.41% under the age of 20, 6.82% aged 20 to 24, 23.73% aged 25 to 44, 25.48% aged 45 to 64, and 13.56% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.4. For every 100 females, there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.88 males.
Cities and towns
- Clear CreekClear Creek, UtahClear Creek is a small census-designated place in Carbon County, Utah, located at the south end of State Route 96 and the Pleasant Valley Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad .-History:...
- East CarbonEast Carbon, UtahEast Carbon is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,393 at the 2000 census. East Carbon was incorporated on July 23, 1973, from the merger of the two struggling mining towns of Dragerton and Columbia.-Geography:...
- HelperHelper, UtahHelper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of the city of Price. It is also known as the "Hub of Carbon County". The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census....
- HiawathaHiawatha, UtahHiawatha is a ghost town, formerly a coal mining town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The town is located at the base of Gentry Mountain, some 12 miles southwest of Price. It used to be a vibrant mining town, with a population of above 1,500 in the 1940s...
(ghost townGhost townA ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
) - KenilworthKenilworth, UtahKenilworth is a census-designated place in northern Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 180 at the 2010 census. It lies along State Route 157 north of the city of Price, the county seat of Carbon County. Although it is unincorporated, Kenilworth has a post office, with the ZIP...
- PricePrice, UtahPrice is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The city is home to the USU-College of Eastern Utah, as well as the large USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum affiliated with the college. Price is located within short distances from both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest...
- ScofieldScofield, UtahScofield is a town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census. Scofield's name is frequently applied to the 1900 mine disaster in the Pleasant Valley Coal Company's Winter Quarters mine. The community was named for General Charles W...
- SunnysideSunnyside, UtahSunnyside is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 404 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sunnyside is located at ....
- WellingtonWellington, UtahWellington is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,666 at the 2000 census. The community was settled in 1878 by a band of thirteen Mormons led by Jefferson Tidwell. The town was named for Justus Wellington Seeley, Jr., of the Emery County Court...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, UtahNational Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, UtahThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Carbon County, Utah.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Carbon County, Utah, United States...