San Juan County, Utah
| San Juan County, Utah | |
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San Juan County Courthouse, Monticello
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 Location in the U.S. state of Utah |
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 Utah's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1880 |
| Named for | San Juan River |
| Seat | Monticello |
| Largest city | Blanding |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7,933 sq mi (20,546 km2) |
| • Land | 7,820 sq mi (20,254 km2) |
| • Water | 113 sq mi (293 km2), 1.4% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 15,772 |
| • Density | 1.9/sq mi (1/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website | www |
San Juan County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,746. Its county seat is Monticello, while its most populous city is Blanding. The county was named by the Utah State Legislature for the San Juan River, itself named by Spanish explorers (in honor of Saint John).
San Juan County borders Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico at the Four Corners.
San Juan County was organized in 1880.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 7,933 square miles (20,550 km2), of which 7,820 square miles (20,300 km2) is land and 113 square miles (290 km2) (1.4%) is water. It is the largest county by area in Utah.
The county's western and southern boundaries lie deep within gorges carved by the Colorado and San Juan Rivers. Tributary canyons, cutting through rock layers of the surrounding deserts, have carved the land up with chasms, cliffs and plateaus. In the center of the county are Cedar Mesa, Comb Wash, Natural Bridges and Hovenweep National Monuments. Canyonlands National Park is primarily within the county borders. The Eastern side of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area / Lake Powell in also in San Juan County. Rising above all, the Blue (Abajo) Mountains reach to nearly 12,000 feet (3,700 m) and the La Sal Mountains rise to 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Both ranges are covered with lush forests vividly contrasting with the scenery below. The elevation change within the county is from near 13,000 feet (4,000 m) in the La Sal Mountains to 3,000 feet (910 m) at Lake Powell, an elevation change of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The county is cut by deep and spectacular canyons, red rock and mountain meadows, desert, and evergreen forest. The towns run primarily on a north/south axis along U.S. Route 191 and U.S. Route 163 from La Sal in the north to Monument Valley in the south.
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