Editing Washington County, Utah (section)

==Geography==
Washington County lies in the southwest corner of Utah. Its south border abuts the northern border of the state of [[Arizona]], and its west border abuts the east border of the state of [[Nevada]]. Its terrain is rough and arid, with a little area devoted to agriculture. It is a mixture of mountains and flat stretches.<ref name=WCU>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Washington+County,+UT/@37.3094468,-113.7563625,118420m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80cab2d352ea5da7:0x9ed1a2a53a9ef016!8m2!3d37.3224877!4d-113.4776098 ''Washington County UT''  Google Maps (accessed 1 April 2019)]</ref> The terrain slopes to the south and west; the [[List of U.S. states by elevation|lowest point]] in the state of Utah is located in the [[Beaver Dam Wash]] in Washington County, where it (seasonally) flows out of Utah and into [[Arizona]], at {{convert|2,178|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |title="Find an Altitude/Washington County UT" Google Maps (accessed 1 April 2019) |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521043409/https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The county's highest point is [[Signal Peak (Utah)|Signal Peak]] in the Pine Valley Mountains, at {{convert|10,369|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>Another source lists Signal Peak elevation as 10,365' [https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13209 Peakbagger.com, accessed 1 April 2019] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090116/https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13209 |date=March 27, 2019 }}</ref> The county has a total area of {{convert|2430|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2426|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.6|sqmi}} (comprising 0.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_49.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 26, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

Washington County is made up of three major geographic areas; the [[Colorado Plateau]] in the east-northeast, the [[Great Basin]] in the northwest, and the [[Mojave Desert]] in the south-southwest.

===Greater St. George===
Most of the population is centered in the south-central part of the county near the Arizona border around [[St. George, Utah|St. George]]. Most national shopping, dining, and hospitality chains are located here, along with several local businesses. The climate of this section of the county is typical of the [[Mojave Desert]] in which it lies; its annual rainfall is 8 inches, and it is the lowest elevation in Washington County, making it particularly hot and dry compared to the rest of the county. Most homes are located in [[Subdivision (land)|subdivisions]] characteristic of a growing [[urban sprawl]]. In Downtown St. George, several local restaurants and stores call the area home, and despite its small size, it tends to attract many locals and tourists alike. To combat the sprawl (which threatens many nature reserves and increases congestion), growth and promotion are projected inward to the central area of St. George, with many new infill developments being planned and constructed. The center of the city, or downtown, also contains [[Utah Tech University]], the only four-year college within a {{convert|50|mi|km|adj=on}} radius. [[Dixie High School (Utah)|Dixie High School]] is also located in the downtown area.

Most commercial and industrial lots exist in the eastern portion of the Greater St. George Area in eastern St. George and [[Washington, Utah|Washington]]. Rapidly expanding suburbs also exist there, especially in an area known as Washington Fields. Large irrigated farms have been sold to commercial and residential developers to make way for the anticipated need for more housing and business. [[Pine View High School (Utah)|Pine View High School]] is in this section and serves the east side and Washington. To accommodate the rapidly expanding population, an additional high school (Crimson Cliffs High School) has been built in the Washington Fields area.

The western portion of the urban area contains the suburbs of Santa Clara and Ivins, and the neighborhoods of Green Valley, Dixie Downs, Sunset, and Tonaquint. Due to this area's proximity to [[Snow Canyon State Park]], this has resulted in the construction of many resort-style communities and gated subdivisions such as Entrada, Kayenta, and the Palisades, with homes often exceeding $1,000,000 in price. However, there are still many other neighborhoods and older houses that tend to be more affordable. This section is served by [[Snow Canyon High School]].

The southern portion of the city contains the neighborhoods of Southgate, Bloomington, Bloomington Hills, SunRiver, Desert's Edge (near the airport), and Hidden Valley and is served by [[Desert Hills High School (Utah)|Desert Hills High School]]. Limitations on development in this area exist due to terrain, and as such, it contains less population than its east and west counterparts. The [[Utah State Route 7|SR-7]] freeway, also known as Southern Parkway, has been built as a beltway to accommodate future growth in the southeastern portion of St. George and Washington. The partially constructed freeway also connects to [[St. George Regional Airport]], and in the future, will provide a vital connection to the community of [[Hurricane, Utah|Hurricane]], which will thereby provide quicker and more efficient access to Zion National Park, thus providing an alternative route to Interstate 15.

Despite its scenic location amid red sandstone, lava fields, and the backdrop of the [[Pine Valley Mountains]], the northern area of St. George is almost entirely undeveloped due to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, which protects a variety of endangered wildlife and unspoiled desert. The only communities in northern St. George are The Ledges and Winchester Hills in the west, and Green Springs, near Washington, in the east. While the community of Winchester Hills has existed for many decades, The Ledges is a newer development met with significant controversy. A few houses in the gate portion feature what many consider to be multimillion-dollar views of Snow Canyon State Park and are visible from inside the state park. This has led many to believe that the beauty of Snow Canyon is in jeopardy due to the City of St. George's willingness to sell the land around the park to private companies. In reality, only three houses are visible inside the canyon, although more visible lots exist to be built upon. On the opposite end of the city is Green Springs, an upscale multimillion-dollar development that consists of a golf course and many distinct gated and non-gated housing communities.

On the east side of the metropolitan area lies the cities of [[Hurricane, Utah|Hurricane]] and [[La Verkin, Utah|La Verkin]]. Because this locale is disconnected from the rest of the area by undeveloped swaths of land, it is still usually considered distinct from urban St. George, though this may change in the future due to anticipated development that will connect these cities. This area is more farm-based and rural than St. George, but is still experiencing rapid expansion in commercial, industrial, and residential development like the rest of the region. It is served by [[Hurricane High School (Utah)|Hurricane High School]].

===Outside the urban area===
While the entire county, due to its large size, is considered part of the St. George Metropolitan Area, most land in the county is rural.
 
In the middle and north of Washington County, a sparse population exists. The center-county communities of [[Central, Utah|Central]] and [[Pine Valley, Washington County, Utah|Pine Valley]] are popular resort communities and contain many cabins and recreational parks due to their locations in [[Dixie National Forest]] and the [[Pine Valley Mountains]]. [[Veyo, Utah|Veyo]] and [[Dammeron Valley, Utah|Dammeron Valley]], also near the center of the county, are primarily ranching towns, with most houses situated on large plots of land. This central area of Washington County is generally more wet and humid than the rest of the county due to its high elevation and high precipitation. In Pine Valley, precipitation often exceeds 20 inches per year.

The northern portion of Washington County is semi-arid and dry, albeit less so than in the southern portion. The only incorporated town in this area is [[Enterprise, Utah|Enterprise]] with a population of just over 1,700. Enterprise is the home of the only secondary school outside of the Greater St. George Area, Enterprise High School. The town contains a small grocery store and multiple gas stations but is very quaint and rural when compared to the urban area of St. George.

Western Washington County is home to [[Gunlock, Utah|Gunlock]]; also a ranching town, and a small Native American reserve named [[Shivwits, Utah|Shivwits]], occupied by the [[Shivwits Band of Paiutes]]. This area of the county is also the location of the lowest area of the state, Beaver Dam Wash.

Eastern Washington County is also sparsely populated. However, the towns of [[Rockville, Utah|Rockville]] and [[Springdale, Utah|Springdale]] are filled with major hotels and resorts, despite their small sizes. This is due to their extreme proximity to Zion National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Springdale, in particular, contains many kitschy shopping and dining options. Most of the income in these two towns is fueled by tourism alone.

The county includes an area along the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] called [[Mountain Meadows, Utah|Mountain Meadows]], just south of Enterprise on SR-18. [[Zion National Park]] is located in the eastern part of Washington County.

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[File:I-15.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 15 in Utah|Interstate 15]]
* [[File:Utah SR 7.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 7|State Route 7]]
* [[File:Utah SR 9.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 9|State Route 9]]
* [[File:Utah SR 17.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 17|State Route 17]]
* [[File:Utah SR 18.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 18|State Route 18]]
* [[File:Utah SR 59.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 59|State Route 59]]
* [[File:Utah SR 219.svg|20px]] [[Utah State Route 59|State Route 219]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Iron County, Utah|Iron County]] - north
* [[Kane County, Utah|Kane County]] - east
* [[Mohave County, Arizona]] - south
* [[Lincoln County, Nevada]] - west
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
{{div col}}
* [[Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area]]
* [[Dixie National Forest]] (part)
* Quail Creek State Park
* [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]]
* Sand Hollow State Park
* Snow Canyon State Park
* [[Zion National Park]] (part)
{{div col end}}
There are 18 official [[wilderness area]]s in Washington County that are part of the [[National Wilderness Preservation System]]. Most are entities managed by the [[Bureau of Land Management]], but some are integral parts of the above-listed protected areas. Two of these extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below). Many of the BLM wildernesses are not much more than small appendages of Zion Wilderness in Zion National Park:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Beartrap Canyon Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness]] (BLM) (part)
* [[Blackridge Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Canaan Mountain Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness]] (Red Cliffs NCA, managed by BLM)
* [[Cottonwood Forest Wilderness]] (Dixie National Forest)
* [[Cougar Canyon Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Deep Creek North Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Deep Creek Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Doc's Pass Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Goose Creek Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[LaVerkin Creek Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness]] (Dixie National Forest)
* [[Red Butte Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Red Mountain Wilderness (Utah)|Red Mountain Wilderness]] (Red Cliffs NCA, managed by BLM)
* [[Slaughter Creek Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Taylor Creek Wilderness]] (BLM)
* [[Zion Wilderness]] (Zion NP) (part)
{{div col end}}