Carbon County, Utah

Carbon County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 20,412.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Price.[2]

For counties with a similar name, see Carbon County (disambiguation).

Carbon County
County
Carbon Power Plant at Castle Gate, Utah demolished in 2016
Carbon Power Plant at Castle Gate, Utah demolished in 2016
Map of Utah highlighting Carbon County
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Map of the United States highlighting Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39.64°N 110.58°W / 39.64; -110.58
Country United States
State Utah
FoundedMarch 8, 1894
Named forAbundant coal deposits
SeatPrice
Largest cityPrice
Area
 • Total1,485 sq mi (3,850 km2)
 • Land1,478 sq mi (3,830 km2)
 • Water6.1 sq mi (16 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total20,412
 • Density14/sq mi (5.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.carbon.utah.gov

The Price, UT Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Carbon County.

History

Carbon County was part of Emery County, founded in 1880. The demographics along the Price River changed with the construction of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1883 and the development of coal mines, largely in upper Emery, to fuel the railroad. The Utah Territory Legislature was petitioned to split off the north part, and thus it established Carbon County effective March 8, 1894.[3] It was named for the element Carbon, to emphasize the industrial nature of the area.[4]

Carbon County is the second-largest natural gas producer in Utah (after Uintah County), with 94 billion cubic feet produced in 2008.[5]

Geography
Castle Gate rock formation in Carbon County

The Green River flows south-southeastward along the county's eastern border. The lower central part of Carbon County is a continuation of Castle Valley in Emery County, but in Carbon, the valley is ringed with mountains - the Wasatch Range to the west and northwest, and the Book Cliffs to the north and northeast.[6] The county generally slopes to the south and east; its highest point is Monument Peak on the crest of the Wasatch Mountains near the midpoint of the county's western border,[6] at 10,452 ft (3,186 m) ASL.[7] The county has a total area of 1,485 square miles (3,850 km2), of which 1,478 square miles (3,830 km2) is land and 6.1 square miles (16 km2) (0.4%) is water.[8]

Airports

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Lakes
  • Grassy Trail Reservoir[6]
  • Scofield Lake[6]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19005,004—
19108,62472.3%
192015,48979.6%
193017,79814.9%
194018,4593.7%
195024,90134.9%
196021,135−15.1%
197015,647−26.0%
198022,17941.7%
199020,228−8.8%
200020,4221.0%
201021,4034.8%
202020,412−4.6%
US Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010[13] 2020[14]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,403 people, 7,978 households, and 5,587 families in the county. The population density was 14.48 people per square mile (5.59 people/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 18. 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 contained 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 aged 18 and over, there were 96.88 males.

2015

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Carbon County, Utah are:[15]

Largest ancestries (2015)Percent
English22.7%
German11.9%
Italian11.1%
Irish6.6%
Danish5.9%
Scottish4.1%
Swedish3.3%
Welsh1.9%
Dutch1.9%
Polish1.4%
Norwegian1.4%

Politics and government

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 Clinton 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.

After the turn of the millennium, however, Carbon County has trended Republican. 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. In 2012, the county's Democratic vote fell further as Mitt Romney carried 67.3% to 30.1% for Obama. In 2016, despite Utah's strong swing against the Republicans due to the presence of conservative independent Evan McMullin, Carbon County was the only county in the state to swing more Republican, as Donald Trump won 66% to Hillary Clinton's 21.5% percent. In 2020, Donald Trump again carried the county with the largest percentage (71.4%) of any Republican to date.

State elected offices
Position District Name Affiliation First elected
  Senate 27 David Hinkins Republican 2008[16]
  House of Representatives 69 Christine Watkins Republican 2016[17]
  Board of Education 14 Mark Huntsman Nonpartisan 2014[18]
United States presidential election results for Carbon County, Utah[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 6,693 71.05% 2,392 25.39% 335 3.56%
2016 5,275 65.95% 1,717 21.47% 1,007 12.59%
2012 5,090 67.27% 2,275 30.06% 202 2.67%
2008 4,091 52.30% 3,468 44.34% 263 3.36%
2004 4,950 58.18% 3,415 40.14% 143 1.68%
2000 3,758 50.89% 3,298 44.66% 328 4.44%
1996 2,343 30.90% 4,172 55.03% 1,067 14.07%
1992 2,038 23.11% 4,480 50.81% 2,299 26.07%
1988 3,019 35.09% 5,521 64.18% 63 0.73%
1984 4,393 49.82% 4,357 49.41% 68 0.77%
1980 4,320 47.67% 4,317 47.63% 426 4.70%
1976 3,360 38.70% 5,157 59.39% 166 1.91%
1972 3,956 53.19% 3,335 44.84% 147 1.98%
1968 2,618 36.17% 4,344 60.01% 277 3.83%
1964 2,130 27.30% 5,672 72.70% 0 0.00%
1960 2,953 32.79% 6,039 67.06% 14 0.16%
1956 4,507 50.26% 4,460 49.74% 0 0.00%
1952 3,770 39.44% 5,790 60.56% 0 0.00%
1948 2,704 28.89% 6,397 68.34% 259 2.77%
1944 2,318 30.12% 5,364 69.70% 14 0.18%
1940 2,242 30.07% 5,180 69.47% 34 0.46%
1936 1,348 20.71% 5,040 77.42% 122 1.87%
1932 1,655 27.04% 4,239 69.26% 226 3.69%
1928 2,184 42.10% 2,954 56.94% 50 0.96%
1924 1,878 37.59% 1,528 30.58% 1,590 31.83%
1920 1,675 47.05% 1,559 43.79% 326 9.16%
1916 1,301 44.39% 1,478 50.43% 152 5.19%
1912 771 35.42% 514 23.61% 892 40.97%
1908 1,023 59.82% 581 33.98% 106 6.20%
1904 1,224 65.38% 508 27.14% 140 7.48%
1900 748 54.01% 621 44.84% 16 1.16%
1896 85 11.36% 663 88.64% 0 0.00%

Notes:

    Map of Carbon County municipalities and CDPs

    Communities

    Cities

    Town

    Census-designated places

    Unincorporated community

    Ghost towns

    See also

    References
    1. "Carbon County, Utah". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
    2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    3. "Individual County Chronologies/Carbon County UT. [[Newberry Library]] (accessed March 30, 2019)". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
    4. "Carbon County". I Love Utah History. Utah.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
    5. "Annual natural gas production in MCF by the top 7 producing counties in Utah" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
    6. Carbon County UT Google Maps (accessed 30 March 2019)
    7. "Utah County High Points/Carbon County. Peakbaggers (accessed 30 March 2019)". Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
    8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    9. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    11. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    13. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
    14. 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah
    15. Bureau, US Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.govn. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
    16. "Senator Hinkins Utah Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
    17. "Rep. Watkins, Christine F." Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
    18. "Mark Huntsman". www.schools.utah.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
    19. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
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