Chart of County Formation in Utah
The first Mormon pioneers in Utah established several counties near the Great Salt Lake under their provisional government known as the State of Deseret. Utah Territory was created in 1851, and the first territorial legislature met from September 1851 to March 1852. The first territorial legislature formally re-created several counties begun by the State of Deseret. New counties also were created by the territorial legislature in that and later sessions. Boundaries were subject to frequent change, often as the result of forming other counties in Utah or other territories such as Nevada and Idaho from land initially in Utah Territory. Remote counties were often organized later than first created, and counties with low populations were often attached to others for political representation. Counties formed after 1913 were not created by legislation, but by popular election and gubernatorial proclamation.
This chart shows the date of initial creating legislation for the various counties, the parent county if the county specifically was split from an existing county, cited legislation (from the Laws of Utah, Series 83155 or Governor's Executive Orders and Proclamations, Series 85039), and the current county seat.
Counties | Date Formed | Laws of Utah (or other action) | Parent County | Current seat |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beaver | 5 Jan 1856 | 1855-56, p. 7 | Beaver | |
Box Elder | 5 Jan 1856 | 1855-56, p. 6-7 | Brigham City | |
Cache | 5 Jan 1856 | 1855-56, p. 6 | Logan | |
Carbon | 8 Mar 1894 | 1894, p. 82-83 | Emery | Price |
Daggett | 7 Jan 1918 | Acting Governor Bennion, 16 Nov 1917 | Uintah | Manila |
Davis | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 162 | Farmington | |
Duchesne | 4 Jan 1915 | Governor Spry, 13 Aug 1914 | Wasatch | Duchesne |
Emery | 12 Feb 1880 | 1880, p. 4-5 | Castle Dale | |
Garfield | 9 Mar 1882 | 1882, p. 99-100 | Iron | Panguitch |
Grand | 13 Mar 1890 | 1890, p. 92-93 | Emery | Moab |
Iron | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 164 | Parowan | |
Juab | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 163 | Nephi | |
Kane | 16 Jan 1864 | 1863-64, p. 18-19 | Washington | Kanab |
Millard | 4 Oct 1851 | 1851-52, p.161 | Iron | Fillmore |
Morgan | 17 Jan 1862 | 1861-62, p. 50 | Morgan | |
Piute | 16 Jan 1865 | 1864-65, p. 16 | Beaver | Junction |
Rich* | 16 Jan 1864 | 1863-64, p. 18; 1868, p. 1-2 | Cache | Randolph |
Salt Lake† | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 163; 1868, p. 2 | Salt Lake City | |
San Juan | 17 Feb 1880 | 1880, p. 10-11 | Kane, Iron, and Piute | Monticello |
Sanpete | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 164 | Manti | |
Sevier | 16 Jan 1865 | 1864-65, p. 16 | Sanpete | Richfield |
Summit | 13 Jan 1854 | 1853-54, p. 15 | Coalville | |
Tooele | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 163 | Tooele | |
Uintah | 18 Feb 1880 | 1880, p. 11-12 | Vernal | |
Utah | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 163 | Provo | |
Wasatch | 17 Jan 1862 | 1861-62, p. 48 | Heber | |
Washington | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851- 52, p. 164 | St. George | |
Wayne | 10 Mar 1892 | 1892, p. 78-81 | Piute | Loa |
Weber | 3 Mar 1852 | 1851-52, p. 162 | Ogden |
* known as Richland until 29 Jan 1868
† known as Great Salt Lake until 29 Jan 1868
Extinct Counties
Some of the following counties were abolished over the years or became parts of other counties or territories.
County | Date Formed | Date Dissolved | Laws of Utah | Present Location of lands |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carson | 17 Jan 1854 | 14 Jan 1857 | 1853-54, p. 19; 1856-57, p. 13-14 |
Nevada |
17 Jan 1859 | 2 Mar 1861 | 1858-59, p. 19-20; federal creation of Nevada Territory | ||
Cedar | 5 Jan 1856 | 17 Jan 1862 | 1855-56, p. 7; 1861-62, p. 51 | Utah County |
Desert | 3 Mar 1852 | 17 Jan 1862 | 1851-52, p. 162; 1861-62, p. 51 | Box Elder and Tooele Counties and Nevada |
Greasewood | 5 Jan 1856 | 17 Jan 1862 | 1855-56, p. 6; 1861-62, p. 51 | Box Elder County |
Green River | 3 Mar 1852 | 22 Dec1857 | 1851-52, p. 162-163; 1857-58, p. 5 | Cache, Weber, Morgan, Davis, Wasatch, Summit, Duchesne, Carbon, and Utah Counties, and Wyoming and Colorado. |
17 Jan 1859 | 16 Feb 1872 | 1858-59, p. 19-20; 1872, p. 28 | ||
Humboldt | 5 Jan 1856 | 2 Mar 1861 | 1855-56, p. 5-6; federal creation of Nevada Territory | Nevada |
Malad | 5 Jan 1856 | 17 Jan 1862 | 1855-56, p. 7; 1861-62, p. 51 | Box Elder County |
Rio Virgin | 18 Feb 1869 | 16 Feb 1872 | 1869, p. 7; 1872, p. 28 | Washington County, Nevada, and Arizona |
St. Mary's | 5 Jan 1856 | 2 Mar 1861 | 1855-56, p. 6; federal creation of Nevada Territory | Nevada |
Shambip | 12 Jan 1856 | 17 Jan 1862 | 1855-56, p. 7-8; 1861-62, p. 51 | Tooele County |
Page Last Updated September 12, 2005.