Editing Santa Clara, Utah

{{short description|American city in Utah, founded 1854}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Santa Clara, Utah
|settlement_type          = City
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = Santa Clara Utah Town Hall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Santa Clara City Hall
|image_map                = Washington County Utah incorporated and unincorporated areas Santa Clara highlighted.svg
|map_caption              = Location in surrounding [[Washington County, Utah|Washington County]] and the southwestern portion of the state of [[Utah]]
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1        = {{Flag|Utah}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Utah|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Washington County, Utah|Washington]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1854
|founder                  = [[Jacob Hamblin]]<br>(1819-1886)
|named_for                = [[Santa Clara River (Utah)|Santa Clara River]]
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           =<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_49.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 15.87
|area_land_km2            = 15.85
|area_water_km2           = 0.01
|area_total_sq_mi         = 6.13
|area_land_sq_mi          = 6.12
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 7553
|population_density_km2   = 531.03
|population_density_sq_mi = 1375.33
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain (MST)]]
|utc_offset               = -7
|timezone_DST             = MDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -6
|elevation_footnotes      =<ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 2759
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|07|30|N|113|39|20|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 84765
|area_code                = [[Area code 435|435]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 49-67660<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2411818<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411818}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Santa Clara''' is a town / city in [[Washington County, Utah|Washington County]], in southwestern [[Utah]], (Western United States) and is a part of the [[St George, Utah|St. George Metropolitan Area]]. The population has grown considerably in the last three decades, and was at 7,553 counted in the [[2020 United States Census|2020 U.S. Decennial Census]], up from 6,003 at the previous [[2010 United States Census|2010 U.S. Decennial Census]], and 4,630 at the earlier [[2000 United States Census|2000 U.S. Decennial Census]]. The region and county borders the states of [[Arizona]] to the south and [[Nevada]] to the west. The town is a western suburb of the nearby [[county seat]] and larger city of [[St. George, Utah]]

==History==

In 1854, [[Jacob Hamblin]] (1819–1886), was called by Latter-day Saints Church Church patriarch [[Brigham Young]] (1801–1877), in the capital city of [[Salt Lake City]], to serve a mission to the southern [[Southern Paiute|Paiute]] native areas of the recently organized old federal [[Utah Territory]] (1850–1896), and settled in the southwestern corner then of the Territory at Santa Clara, in the vicinity of the modern city of [[St. George, Utah]]. The town is among the oldest in the area and the state.

The first settlers built '''Fort Clara''' or also known as '''Fort Santa Clara''', in the winter of 1855–1856.  In the fall of 1861, Swiss immigrant members of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] ([[Mormons]])  arrived at the new settlement. Shortly afterward, in early 1862, they were victims of a severe flood in the [[Santa Clara River (Utah)|Santa Clara River]] valley that destroyed the fort and most other buildings, along with already existing irrigation dams and ditches. This event was part of the infamous [[Great Flood of 1862]].<ref>[http://wchsutah.org/geography/fort-clara.php  FORT CLARA, (aka FORT SANTA CLARA)], from wchsutah.org accessed September 24, 2015</ref>

Hamblin's first home in Santa Clara was destroyed in the 1862 flood. His second wife Rachael saved one of their young children from drowning, but the child soon after died from exposure. Rachael never fully recovered from exposure she suffered during the flood. Swearing to avoid such a risk again, Hamblin built a new home on a hill in Santa Clara. It is owned today by [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), which operates it as a house museum. Latter-day Saint missionaries give daily tours.

19th century Santa Clara was largely inhabited by immigrants who had earlier converted to [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-day Saints]] faith  in Switzerland of Europe and subsequently crossed the Atlantic Ocean and westward-moving across the North America continent to come to Utah.{{cn|date=November 2024}}  Among these was Daniel Bonelli, who after the 1862 flood became a pioneer colonist of [[St. Thomas, Nevada]] in the [[Moapa Valley]]. He was a farmer, salt miner, and owner of [[Bonelli's Ferry]], at nearby [[Rioville, Nevada]]. This was on the road between the old southwestern [[Utah Territory]] (1850–1896) and the old [[Arizona Territory]] (1863–1912) further south, at the confluence of the [[Virgin River]] and the [[Colorado River]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 4.9&nbsp;square miles (12.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 4.9&nbsp;square miles (12.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.04&nbsp;square mile (0.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.41%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1880= 194
|1890= 202
|1900= 358
|1910= 390
|1920= 305
|1930= 249
|1940= 283
|1950= 319
|1960= 291
|1970= 271
|1980= 1091
|1990= 2322
|2000= 4630
|2010= 6003
|estyear=2019
|estimate=8417
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[U.S. census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 4,630 people, 1,225 households, and 1,134 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|948.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,294 housing units at an average density of {{convert|265.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.32% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.15% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.30% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.32% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.48% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.14% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.03% of the population.

There were 1,225 households, out of which 57.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 86.0% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 7.4% were non-families. 6.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.78 and the average family size was 3.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 40.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,770, and the median income for a family was $55,000. Males had a median income of $41,350 versus $21,495 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,957. About 2.7% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Arts and culture==
Santa Clara is home to several sites of importance to the LDS Church and local town / county history, including the historic [[Jacob Hamblin Home]] (of pioneer settler [[Jacob Hamblin]] (1819–1886) and the old [[Relief Society]] house, built in 1907.

== Education ==
Various  public schools service the local student population, all are within the [[Washington County School District (Utah)|Washington County School District]], with all the usual competitive athletics and activities programs of the region competing in Region 9 of the [[Utah High School Activities Association]] ([[UHSAA]]).

===Elementary===
*Santa Clara Elementary (K-5 grades)
*Arrowhead Elementary School (K-5 grades)
*Lava Ridge Intermediate School (6–7 grades)

===Secondary===
*''Snow Canyon Middle School (8–9 grades in [[St. George, Utah]])''
*''[[Snow Canyon High School (Utah)|Snow Canyon High School]] (10–12 grades, St. George)''

===Higher education===
*''[[Utah Tech University]] (St. George)''

==Notable people==
* [[Wilford Brimley]], Hollywood cowboy actor and stuntman

==See also==
{{portal|Utah}}
* [[Robert L. Shepherd Desert Arboretum]]
* [[Swiss Days]]

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Santa Clara, Utah}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Geographic location
|Center = Santa Clara
|Northwest = [[Ivins, Utah|Ivins]]
|North = [[Snow Canyon State Park]]
|Northeast = [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]]
|West = [[Tonopah Test Range]]
|Southwest = [[Mesquite, Nevada|Mesquite]]
|South = [[Virgin River Gorge]]
|East = [[St. George, Utah|St. George]]
|Southeast = [[St. George, Utah|St. George]]
|}}

{{Washington County, Utah}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Cities in Utah]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington County, Utah]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1854]]
[[Category:Swiss-American culture in Utah]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Utah Territory]]