Carbon County, Utah

Carbon County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 21,403.[1] Its county seat and largest city is Price.[2]

Carbon County
U.S. county
Carbon power plant at Castle Gate, Utah
Location within the U.S. state of 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
 (2010)
 • Total21,403
 • Estimate 
(2019)
20,463
 • Density13.8/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 which was 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 partitioned 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
A rock formation in Carbon County

The Green River flows south-southeastward along the county's east 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' (3186m) 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
  • Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC) - Price

Major highways
  • US Interstate US-6/US-191
  • Utah State Highway 10
  • Utah State Highway 96
  • Utah State Highway 122
  • Utah State Highway 123
  • Utah State Highway 124
  • Utah State Highway 139
  • Utah State Highway 157[6]

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

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

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
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%
Est. 201920,463−4.4%
US Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2018[1] 2019[13]

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/sqmi (5.59/km²). There were 9,551 housing units with an average density of 6.46/sqmi (2.50/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 the age of 18 living with them. 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 age 18 and over, there were 96.88 males.

2015

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Carbon County, Utah are:[14]

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

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.

Presidential election results
Presidential elections results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 66.0% 5,275 21.5% 1,717 12.6% 1,007
2012 67.3% 5,090 30.1% 2,275 2.7% 202
2008 52.3% 4,091 44.3% 3,468 3.4% 263
2004 58.2% 4,950 40.1% 3,415 1.7% 143
2000 50.9% 3,758 44.7% 3,298 4.4% 328
1996 30.9% 2,343 55.0% 4,172 14.1% 1,067
1992 23.1% 2,038 50.8% 4,480 26.1% 2,299
1988 35.1% 3,019 64.2% 5,521 0.7% 63
1984 49.8% 4,393 49.4% 4,357 0.8% 68
1980 47.7% 4,320 47.6% 4,317 4.7% 426
1976 38.7% 3,360 59.4% 5,157 1.9% 166
1972 53.2% 3,956 44.8% 3,335 2.0% 147
1968 36.2% 2,618 60.0% 4,344 3.8% 277
1964 27.3% 2,130 72.7% 5,672
1960 32.8% 2,953 67.1% 6,039 0.2% 14
1956 50.3% 4,507 49.7% 4,460
1952 39.4% 3,770 60.6% 5,790
1948 28.9% 2,704 68.3% 6,397 2.8% 259
1944 30.1% 2,318 69.7% 5,364 0.2% 14
1940 30.1% 2,242 69.5% 5,180 0.5% 34
1936 20.7% 1,348 77.4% 5,040 1.9% 122
1932 27.0% 1,655 69.3% 4,239 3.7% 226
1928 42.1% 2,184 56.9% 2,954 1.0% 50
1924 37.6% 1,878 30.6% 1,528 31.8% 1,590
1920 47.1% 1,675 43.8% 1,559 9.2% 326
1916 44.4% 1,301 50.4% 1,478 5.2% 152
1912 35.4% 771 23.6% 514 41.0% 892[16]
1908 59.8% 1,023 34.0% 581 6.2% 106
1904 65.4% 1,224 27.1% 508 7.5% 140
1900 54.0% 748 44.8% 621 1.2% 16
1896 11.4% 85 88.6% 663
Map of Carbon County municipalities and CDPs

Cities

Town

Census-designated places

Ghost towns

Notable people

Carbon County has produced one governor of Utah, J. Bracken Lee (1899-1996; governor, 1949-1957). Lee also served as mayor of Price from 1935 to 1947, and later as mayor of Salt Lake City, from 1959 to 1971.

  • Tom Apostol, Greek-American mathematician

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  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)
  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. "QuickFacts. Carbon County, Utah". Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  14. Bureau, US Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.govn. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  15. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  16. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 541 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 344 votes, Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 7 votes.
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