Daggett County | |
|---|---|
 Daggett County Courthouse in Manila, May 2008 | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofUtah | |
 Utah's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:40°53′N109°31′W / 40.89°N 109.51°W /40.89; -109.51 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Utah |
| Founded | January 7, 1918 |
| Named after | Ellsworth Daggett |
| Seat | Manila |
| Largest town | Manila |
| Area | |
• Total | 721 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Land | 697 sq mi (1,810 km2) |
| • Water | 24 sq mi (60 km2) 3.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 935 |
| • Density | 1.3/sq mi (0.50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Daggett County (/ˈdæɡət/DAG-ət) is acounty in the northeastern corner of theU.S. state ofUtah. As of the2020 United States Census, the population was 935, making it the least populous county in Utah. Itscounty seat isManila.[1] The county was named for Ellsworth Daggett, the first surveyor-general of Utah.[2] The small community ofDutch John, located near the state line withColorado andWyoming, became an incorporated town in January 2016.[3]
Due to dangerous roads, mountainous terrain, and frequent bad weather preventing travel via a direct route, 19th century residents in the north portion ofUintah County had to travel 400 to 800 miles (640 to 1,290 km) on bothstagecoach and rail to conduct business inVernal, the county seat, a mere 50 miles (80 km) away.[citation needed] The journey involved overland travel to a train station inWyoming, to eitherMack, Colorado,Price, orSalt Lake City, then a stagecoach to Vernal.[citation needed] In the fall 1917 election, the Uintah county voters voted to establish a separate county on the northern slope of theUinta Mountains.[4] The act establishing the county was approved on January 7, 1918, naming Manila as the county seat.
The boundary between Daggett and Uintah counties was adjusted in 1919, with some territory being returned to Uintah. Daggett County boundaries have remained unchanged since 1919.[5]
Daggett County lies at the lower northeastern corner of Utah. Its northern border abuts the south border of the state ofWyoming, and its eastern boundary abuts the western border of the state ofColorado. Its main geographical features are theUinta Mountains, which comprise its southwestern portion and delineate part of its southern border, and theGreen River, which has carved a deep gorge through the east-central part of the county.[6] In 1958, theUnited States Bureau of Reclamation took advantage of this natural feature to construct theFlaming Gorge Dam, creating theFlaming Gorge Reservoir, which began filling in 1964.
The county terrain slopes to the north and east on the northern flank of the Uintas. The county's highest point is on a mountain crest along its south border, at 12,276 ft (3,742 m) ASL.[7] The county has a total area of 721 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 697 square miles (1,810 km2) is land and 24 square miles (62 km2) (3.3%) is water.[8] It is the fourth-smallest county in Utah by area. Over 90% of the land of Daggett County is under federal ownership.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 400 | — | |
| 1930 | 411 | 2.8% | |
| 1940 | 564 | 37.2% | |
| 1950 | 364 | −35.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,164 | 219.8% | |
| 1970 | 666 | −42.8% | |
| 1980 | 769 | 15.5% | |
| 1990 | 690 | −10.3% | |
| 2000 | 921 | 33.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,059 | 15.0% | |
| 2020 | 935 | −11.7% | |
| US Decennial Census[11] 1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13] 1990–2000[14] 2010–2018[15] 2020[16] | |||
According to the2020 United States census[18] and2020 American Community Survey,[19] there were 935 people in Daggett County with apopulation density of 1.3 people per square mile (0.5/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 881 (94.2%)White, 1 (0.1%)African American, 0 (0.0%)Native American, 1 (0.1%)Asian, 2 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 2 (0.2%) fromother races, and 19 (2.0%) fromtwo or more races. 29 (3.1%) people were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 510 (54.55%) males and 425 (45.45%) females, and the population distribution by age was 219 (23.4%) under the age of 18, 455 (48.7%) from 18 to 64, and 261 (27.9%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 47.6 years.
There were 392 households in Daggett County with an average size of 2.39 of which 282 (71.9%) were families and 110 (28.1%) were non-families. Among all families, 227 (57.9%) weremarried couples, 29 (7.4%) were male householders with no spouse, and 26 (6.6%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 99 (25.3%) were a single person living alone and 11 (2.8%) were two or more people living together. 115 (29.3%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 323 (82.4%) of households wereowner-occupied while 69 (17.6%) wererenter-occupied.
The median income for a Daggett County household was $74,911 and the median family income was $100,833, with aper-capita income of $27,568. The median income for males that werefull-time employees was $69,375 and for females $35,313. 3.3% of the population and 0.0% of families were below thepoverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 381 people in Daggett County 25 years or older, 15 (3.9%) hadnot completed high school, 162 (42.5%) had ahigh school diploma or equivalency, 148 (38.8%) had some college orassociate degree, 39 (10.2%) had abachelor's degree, and 17 (4.5%) had agraduate orprofessional degree.
As of 2016, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Daggett County, Utah, were:
Daggett County is governed by three commissioners, an auditor/HR director, a recorder/treasurer, a clerk, an assessor, and a sheriff, all elected for four-year terms in partisan elections. Judges stand for a non-partisan retention election every four years. Current officeholders and the year the current term began:[1]
Daggett County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).
| Position | District | Name | Affiliation | First elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | 26 | Ronald Winterton | Republican | 2018[21] | |
| House of Representatives | 53 | Kera Birkeland | Republican | 2020[22] | |
| Board of Education | 12 | James Moss Jr. | Republican | 2020[23] | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 443 | 80.40% | 101 | 18.33% | 7 | 1.27% |
| 2020 | 496 | 79.74% | 111 | 17.85% | 15 | 2.41% |
| 2016 | 331 | 69.39% | 77 | 16.14% | 69 | 14.47% |
| 2012 | 406 | 78.08% | 94 | 18.08% | 20 | 3.85% |
| 2008 | 297 | 66.89% | 131 | 29.50% | 16 | 3.60% |
| 2004 | 380 | 76.15% | 108 | 21.64% | 11 | 2.20% |
| 2000 | 317 | 72.87% | 104 | 23.91% | 14 | 3.22% |
| 1996 | 237 | 55.63% | 131 | 30.75% | 58 | 13.62% |
| 1992 | 172 | 38.91% | 122 | 27.60% | 148 | 33.48% |
| 1988 | 272 | 66.02% | 132 | 32.04% | 8 | 1.94% |
| 1984 | 296 | 56.38% | 227 | 43.24% | 2 | 0.38% |
| 1980 | 290 | 69.88% | 109 | 26.27% | 16 | 3.86% |
| 1976 | 217 | 59.45% | 131 | 35.89% | 17 | 4.66% |
| 1972 | 204 | 72.86% | 50 | 17.86% | 26 | 9.29% |
| 1968 | 152 | 52.23% | 97 | 33.33% | 42 | 14.43% |
| 1964 | 112 | 39.72% | 170 | 60.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 196 | 44.95% | 239 | 54.82% | 1 | 0.23% |
| 1956 | 102 | 53.13% | 90 | 46.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 90 | 51.14% | 86 | 48.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 69 | 41.82% | 95 | 57.58% | 1 | 0.61% |
| 1944 | 75 | 43.35% | 98 | 56.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 96 | 37.50% | 160 | 62.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 78 | 37.50% | 128 | 61.54% | 2 | 0.96% |
| 1932 | 90 | 52.94% | 79 | 46.47% | 1 | 0.59% |
| 1928 | 107 | 77.54% | 31 | 22.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 97 | 74.05% | 26 | 19.85% | 8 | 6.11% |
| 1920 | 94 | 73.44% | 32 | 25.00% | 2 | 1.56% |
The few commercial establishments in Daggett County exist to service tourists and users of theFlaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Throughout the county, there is one small general store, several gas stations, five cafes or restaurants, five inns/motels, and a few miscellaneous businesses that offer raft rentals. Some businesses offer guided fishing trips on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Green River. The economy is primarily related to recreation, management of government land, and ranching. There are no railroads within Daggett County.
There is one school district in the county:Daggett School District.[25]
Places adjacent to Daggett County, Utah | |
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Municipalities and communities ofDaggett County, Utah,United States | ||
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| Town |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent state | |
| International | |
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| National | |
