Daggett County (/ˈdæɡət/DAG-ət) is a county in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 935, making it the least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Manila.[1] The county was named for Ellsworth Daggett, the first surveyor-general of Utah.[2] The small community of Dutch John, located near the state line with Colorado and Wyoming, became an incorporated town in January 2016.[3]
History
Due to dangerous roads, mountainous terrain, and frequent bad weather preventing travel via a direct route, 19th century residents in the north portion of Uintah County had to travel 400 to 800 miles (640 to 1,290 km) on both stagecoach and rail to conduct business in Vernal, the county seat, a mere 50 miles (80 km) away.[citation needed] The journey involved overland travel to a train station in Wyoming, to either Mack, Colorado, Price, or Salt 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 the Uinta 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]
Geography
Daggett County lies at the lower northeastern corner of Utah. Its northern border abuts the south border of the state of Wyoming, and its eastern boundary abuts the western border of the state of Colorado. Its main geographical features are the Uinta Mountains, which comprise its southwestern portion and delineate part of its southern border, and the Green River, which has carved a deep gorge through the east-central part of the county.[6] In 1958, the United States Bureau of Reclamation took advantage of this natural feature to construct the Flaming Gorge Dam, creating the Flaming 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.
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%) were married 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 were owner-occupied while 69 (17.6%) were renter-occupied.
The median income for a Daggett County household was $74,911 and the median family income was $100,833, with a per-capita income of $27,568. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $69,375 and for females $35,313. 3.3% of the population and 0.0% of families were below the poverty line.
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).
The few commercial establishments in Daggett County exist to service tourists and users of the Flaming 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.
