Editing Piute County, Utah

{{Short description|County in Utah, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Piute County
 | state                = Utah
 | seal                 = 
 | ex image             = Piute County Utah.jpg
 | ex image cap         = [[Grass Valley (Utah)|Grass Valley]] and the [[Sevier Plateau]] from [[Utah State Route 25|SR-25]]
 | founded year         = 1865
 | founded date         = January 16
 | seat wl              = Junction
 | largest city wl      = Circleville
 | city type            = town
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 766
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 758
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.9
 | area percentage      = 1.0
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 1438
 | pop_est_as_of        = 
 | population_est       = 
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | time zone            = Mountain
 | named for            = [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]] [[Native American (U.S.)|Native American]]s
 | web                  = https://www.piuteutah.com/
 | district             = 2nd
}}

'''Piute County''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|aɪ|juː|t}} {{respell|PY|yoot}}) is a [[County (United States)|county]] in south-central [[Utah]], [[United States]]. As of the [[2020 United States census]], the population was 1,438,<ref>{{cite web|title=Piute County, Utah|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Piute_County,_Utah?g=050XX00US49031|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=July 1, 2023}}</ref> making it the second-least populous county in Utah.<ref>Daggett County at the NE state corner, has the least county population (as of 2020 census).</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Junction, Utah|Junction]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> and the largest town is [[Circleville, Utah|Circleville]].

==History==
Paiute County<ref>The Utah Legislature later changed the county name to its current spelling. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110316160000/http://www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/piute/about "About Piute State Park" Utah State Parks website (accessed March 22, 2019)]</ref> was formed on January 16, 1865, with areas annexed from [[Beaver County, Utah|Beaver County]]. It was named for the [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]] tribe of [[Native American (U.S.)|Native American]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Van Cott|first=John W.|title=Utah Place Names|year=1990|publisher=[[University of Utah Press]]|location=Salt Lake City UT|page=297|isbn=0-87480-345-4}}</ref> Its defined boundaries were altered by adjustments between adjoining counties in 1866, in 1880, in 1892, and in 1931. It has retained its current configuration since 1931.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/UT_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |title=&#91;&#91;Newberry Library&#93;&#93;. Individual County Chronologies - Piute County UT (accessed March 25, 2019) |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306153326/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/UT_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By the 1860s, mining prospectors were pushing into central and southern Utah Territory, and several mining towns, such as Bullion and Webster, appeared. Mining activity had slowed by the 1900s, but gold mining (from lodes in Tushar Mountains) had produced 240,000 ounces of gold from 1868 through 1959.<ref>[http://www.piute.org/History.htm "History" - Piute County website. Accessed March 22, 2019]</ref> As the nation entered [[World War I|The Great War]], a mine on the east Tushar Mountains producing potash and alumina became a national center of attention, both because of the strategic value of these products, and because of persistent rumors of sabotage attempts and spying. The town of [[Alunite, Utah|Alunite]] flourished (1915-1930), then died as the war effort wound down. Today it is abandoned.

==Geography==
The [[Sevier River]] flows northward through the west-central part of Piute County, joined at Kingston by the East Branch of the Sevier. Immediately north of Kingston, it is dammed to form [[Piute Reservoir]]. Two mountain ridges lie north–south across the county. The eastern ridge runs through the east-central part of the county, and the western ridge ([[Tushar Mountains]]) runs along the county's west border, its crestline defining the county line. Otter Creek flows southward through the east part of the county; it is dammed to form [[Otter Creek Reservoir]] in the SE part of the county. Along the way it is fed by Greenwich Creek and Box Creek, draining the east face of the eastern ridge.<ref name=PCU>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Piute+County,+UT/@38.3290569,-112.2827054,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x874b733e574239a1:0x1f0c0b22b88850ec!8m2!3d38.3997408!4d-112.1430215 ''Piute County UT''  Google Maps (accessed 22 March 2019)]</ref> The eastern part of the county generally slopes to the south while the west-central part of the county slopes to the north. The county's highest point is [[Delano Peak]] on the Tushar Range, at {{convert|12,174|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL. The highest point on the eastern ridge is a crest near the county's north border, at {{convert|9.893|ft|m|abbr=on}} ASL.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm |title="Find an Altitude/Piute County UT" Google Maps (accessed 22 March 2019) |access-date=March 22, 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 has a total area of {{convert|766|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|758|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|7.9|sqmi}} (1.0%) is water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_49.txt|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=June 25, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> It is the fifth-smallest county in Utah by total area.

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col|colwidth=33em}}
* [[Sevier County, Utah|Sevier County]] (north)
* [[Wayne County, Utah|Wayne County]] (east)
* [[Garfield County, Utah|Garfield County]] (south)
* [[Beaver County, Utah|Beaver County]] (west)
{{div col end}}

===Protected areas===
{{div col|colwidth=33em}}
* [[Dixie National Forest]] (part)
* Fishermans Bench Recreation Site
* [[Fishlake National Forest]] (part)
* Otter Creek State Park
* [[Piute State Park]]
{{div col end}}

===Lakes===
{{div col|colwidth=33em}}
* Barney Lake
* Big Flat Reservoir
* Burnt Flat Reservoir
* Butte Reservoir
* Chicken Spring
* Clause Pond
* Dead Horse Reservoir
* Death Hollow Reservoir
* Dog Lake
* Dry Lake (southeast of [[Marysvale, Utah|Marysvale]])
* Dry Lake (east of Piute Reservoir)
* Dry Wash Pond
* Durkee Reservoir
* Fish Lake Reservoir
* Forshea Reservoir
* Forshea Spring
* Forshea Spring Reservoir
* Hell Hole Reservoir
* Hidden Lake
* Little Meadows
* Little Park
* Lower Box Creek Reservoir<ref name=PCU/>
* Manning Meadows Reservoir
* Middle Spring Lake
* Mud Lake
* Nicks Pond
* [[Otter Creek Reservoir]]
* Parker Lake
* Pine Point Reservoir
* Pole Canyon Reservoir
* [[Sevier River#Course|Piute Reservoir]]
* Rock Canyon Reservoir
* Rock Spring
* Rocky Ford Reservoir
* Smiths Reservoir
* Taylor Pond
* Tuft Reservoir
* Upper Box Creek Reservoir<ref name=PCU/>
* Voyles Pond
* West Cedar Grove Reservoir
* Willis Reservoir
* Wills Reservoir
* Willow Spring
* Willow Springs
* Windy Ridge Reservoir
* Wood Pond
{{div col end}}

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population|align=left
|1870= 82
|1880= 1651
|1890= 2842
|1900= 1954
|1910= 1734
|1920= 2770
|1930= 1956
|1940= 2203
|1950= 1911
|1960= 1436
|1970= 1164
|1980= 1329
|1990= 1277
|2000= 1435
|2010= 1556
|2020= 1438
|estref= 
|align-fn=center
|footnote=US Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=US Decennial Census|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><br/>1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ut190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=US Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=June 25, 1995|access-date=March 27, 2015}}</ref><br/>1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=US Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=QF>{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/49031.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606220433/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/49031.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> 2020<ref>[https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah]</ref>
}}
===2020 census===
According to the [[2020 United States census]]<ref name="2020CensusDHC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2023/dec/2020-census-dhc.html|title=2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC)|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 3, 2024}}</ref> and [[American Community Survey|2020 American Community Survey]],<ref name="2020ACS">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.2020.html|title=American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2022)|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 3, 2024}}</ref> there were 1,438 people in Piute County with a [[population density]] of 1.9 people per square mile (0.7/km<sup>2</sup>). Among non-[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people, the racial makeup was 1,276 (88.7%) [[White Americans|White]], 0 (0.0%) [[African Americans|African American]], 4 (0.3%) [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0 (0.0%) [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0 (0.0%) [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 1 (0.1%) from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|other races]], and 33 (2.3%) from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. 124 (8.6%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 715 (49.72%) males and 723 (50.28%) females, and the population distribution by age was 346 (24.1%) under the age of 18, 705 (49.0%) from 18 to 64, and 387 (26.9%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 44.7 years.

There were 536 households in Piute County with an average size of 2.68 of which 397 (74.1%) were families and 139 (25.9%) were non-families. Among all families, 331 (61.8%) were [[Marriage|married couples]], 36 (6.7%) were male householders with no spouse, and 30 (5.6%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 118 (22.0%) were a single person living alone and 21 (3.9%) were two or more people living together. 165 (30.8%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 445 (83.0%) of households were [[Owner-occupancy|owner-occupied]] while 91 (17.0%) were [[Renting|renter-occupied]].

The median income for a Piute County household was $29,125 and the median family income was $42,500, with a [[per-capita income]] of $18,148. The median income for males that were [[Full-time job|full-time employees]] was $46,652 and for females $31,600. 19.1% of the population and 12.9% of families were below the [[Poverty threshold|poverty line]].

In terms of education attainment, out of the 1,328 people in Piute County 25 years or older, 97 (7.3%) had [[High school dropouts in the United States|not completed high school]], 405 (30.5%) had a [[high school diploma]] or equivalency, 539 (40.6%) had some college or [[associate degree]], 218 (16.4%) had a [[bachelor's degree]], and 69 (5.2%) had a [[Postgraduate education|graduate]] or [[professional degree]].

==Politics and government==
Piute County is a traditional Republican stronghold. In no national election since 1940 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).

{| class="wikitable"
|+State elected offices
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Position
!District
! style="text-align:center;" |Name
! valign="bottom" |Affiliation
! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;" |First elected
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[Utah Senate|Senate]]
|24
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Derrin Owens]]
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" |2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Owens Utah Senate|url=https://senate.utah.gov/sen/OWENSD/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=senate.utah.gov}}</ref>
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|[[Utah House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|73
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Phil Lyman]]
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" |2018<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rep. Lyman, Phil|url=https://house.utah.gov/rep/LYMANP/|access-date=November 15, 2021|website=Utah House of Representatives|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| style="background-color:lightgrey" |&nbsp;
|Board of Education
|14
| style="text-align:center;" |Mark Huntsman
| style="text-align:center;" |Nonpartisan
| style="text-align:center;" |2014<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mark Huntsman|url=https://www.schools.utah.gov/board/members/utah/markhuntsman|access-date=November 15, 2021|website=www.schools.utah.gov}}</ref>
|-
|}

{{PresHead|place=Piute County, Utah|source1=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>|source2=<ref>The leading "other" candidate, [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]], received 146 votes, while Socialist candidate [[Eugene V. Debs|Eugene Debs]] received 110 votes.</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|854|94|21|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|773|86|15|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|626|47|57|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|697|74|11|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|635|141|25|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|646|123|4|Utah}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|626|133|22|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|475|176|66|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|429|169|155|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|476|206|5|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|606|151|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|551|157|11|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|377|265|33|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|475|102|26|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|411|167|60|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|361|273|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|453|247|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|548|180|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|531|207|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|440|315|8|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|381|346|0|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|442|466|2|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|339|611|1|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|433|403|18|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|434|237|5|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|398|208|42|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|538|283|22|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|269|417|56|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|205|110|233|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|333|157|99|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|358|228|158|Utah}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|330|280|4|Utah}}
{{PresFoot|1896|Democratic|34|555|0|Utah}}

{{Stack|[[File:Piute County Utah incorporated and unincorporated areas.svg|thumb|Map of Piute County communities]]}}

==Communities==
===Towns===
* [[Circleville, Utah|Circleville]]
* [[Junction, Utah|Junction]] (county seat)
* [[Kingston, Utah|Kingston]]
* [[Marysvale, Utah|Marysvale]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Angle, Utah|Angle]]<ref name=PCU/>
* [[Greenwich, Utah|Greenwich]]
* [[Thompsonville, Utah|Thompsonville]]

===Former communities===
* [[Alunite, Utah|Alunite]]<ref name=PCU/>
* [[Bullion Falls, Utah|Bullion Falls]]<ref name=PCU/>
* [[Kimberly, Utah|Kimberly]]
* [[Virginia, Utah|Virginia]]
* [[Webster, Utah|Webster]]

==Education==
The school district of the county is [[Piute School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st49_ut/schooldistrict_maps/c49031_piute/DC20SD_C49031.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Piute County, UT|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-09-28}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st49_ut/schooldistrict_maps/c49031_piute/DC20SD_C49031_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Utah}}
* [[List of counties in Utah]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Piute County, Utah]]

==References==
{{Reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{Stack|{{Commons category|Piute County, Utah}}}}
* {{Official website|http://www.piute.org}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Piute County
|North     = [[Sevier County, Utah|Sevier County]]
|East      = [[Wayne County, Utah|Wayne County]]
|South     = [[Garfield County, Utah|Garfield County]]
|West      = [[Beaver County, Utah|Beaver County]]
}}

{{Piute County, Utah}}
{{Utah}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|38.34|-112.13|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-UT_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Piute County, Utah| ]]
[[Category:1865 establishments in Utah Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1865]]