Iron County

County Website: Iron County
Area: 3,301 square miles
Population: 54,839 (2019)
County Seat: Parowan
Origin of County Name: from iron deposits in the area
Cities/Towns: Brian Head, Cedar City, Enoch, Kanarraville, Paragonah, Parowan
Economy: government (including education), wholesale and retail trade, services, light manufacturing, and construction
Points of Interest: Cedar Breaks National Monument, Frontier Homestead State Park, Old Iron Town, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Brian Head Resort, Old Rock Church, Jesse N. Smith House

Iron County was named for the mining of iron ore. The earliest pioneers to establish a city (Parowan) came in 1851. Yet, there are evidences, such as pithouses, of prehistoric Anasazi and Sevier people dating back to 750 A.D. The Dominguez-Escalante expedition also passed through in 1776, while looking for a route to California.

Today, the county is known nation wide for the Utah Shakespeare Festival which has won several national theater awards including a Tony award in the year 2000. For those who love nature’s wonders don’t miss Cedar Breaks National Monument and those interested in history can learn more at the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum. During the winter months, skiers will enjoy a visit to Brian Head Resort. Also in the area is Southern Utah University (SUU) which began as a small teacher’s college but has grown into a large regional university with over 5,000 students.

More information for Iron County can be found at the following sites:

• UOPL: Iron County Profile
• Cedar City and Brian Head Tourism and Convention Bureau
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Ghost Towns - Iron County
• Go-Utah.com - Brian Head Resort
• Go-Utah.com - Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Go-Utah.com - Cedar City
• Utah Counties Profile - Iron County
• Utah History for Kids - Iron County
• Utah History Encyclopedia - Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Utah History Encyclopedia - Cedar City
• Utah History Encyclopedia - Iron County
• U.S. Census QuickFacts - Iron County
• Visit Utah - Cedar City
• Visit Utah - Cedar Breaks National Monument
  
  

The Jesse N. Smith House, located in Parowan, Utah.
Image from Wikimedia Commons

Old Rock Church built by Mormon settlers from 1863 to 1867 in Parowan, Utah.
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Ruins at Old Iron Town State Park in Iron County, Utah.
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The Charcoal Kiln No 60 in Old Iron Town, Iron County, Utah.
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Adams Memorial Theater is a replica of the Globe Theatre used during the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah.
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Adams Memorial Theater in Cedar City, Utah.
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Southern Utah University's Braithwaite Liberal Arts Center (left), built in 1904, and Old Main (right), built in 1898.
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The Caretaker's Cabin at Cedar Breaks National Monument, in Iron County, Utah.
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Cedar Breaks National Monument in the morning.
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Cedar Breaks National Monument from the 10,460 foot rim.
Image from Wikimedia Commons

An ancient Bristlecone Pine in Cedar Breaks National Monument.
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Cedar Breaks National Monument.
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The view from the summit of Brian Head Peak in Dixie National Forest, Utah.
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A deer near Brian Head in Dixie National Forest, Utah.
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The summit of Brian Head Peak in Dixie National Forest, Utah.
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The drive up to Brian Head has red slopes on one side of the road and slender trees on the other.
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Kanarraville Falls, Utah.
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Kanarra Canyon in Iron County, Utah.
Image from Wikimedia Commons