Why St. George
Located in southwestern Utah along the Arizona border, St. George is the seat of Washington County and the fifth-most populous city in the state. Situated about 118 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 300 miles south-southwest of Salt Lake City along Interstate 15, the city sits in the northeastern reaches of the Mojave Desert. It is framed by the Pine Valley Mountains to the north, the Beaver Dam Mountains to the west, and the Arizona Strip to the south.
The surrounding geography marks a transition where the Great Basin meets the Colorado Plateau. Lying mostly in a desert valley between 2,500 and 3,500 feet in elevation, the city's terrain is carved by the convergence of the Virgin River, the Santa Clara River, and the seasonal Fort Pearce Wash. The municipal layout features a grid system using numbered street designations, which navigate through distinct neighborhoods ranging from historic central districts to modern housing developments.
St. George was settled in 1861 under the direction of Latter Day Saint leaders, including Brigham Young and Erastus Snow, who established the settlement as a cotton mission to supply the region. Though agricultural efforts with cotton ultimately failed to produce a major commodity, the town grew steadily and acquired the nickname Dixie. A prominent historical milestone occurred in 1877 with the completion of the St. George Utah Temple, which stands today as the oldest continuously operating temple of the LDS Church.
Modern St. George functions as a regional hub for southern Utah, supported by an economy centered on tourism, residential construction, and manufacturing. The city hosts Utah Tech University, an NCAA Division I institution, and serves as the corporate headquarters for SkyWest Airlines. Visitors often use the city as a starting point to explore outdoor recreation areas, including local state parks, the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, and Zion National Park to the east.
The region experiences an arid climate with roughly 300 days of sunshine annually, offering weather that is noticeably warmer than most of Utah. Summers are long and hot, frequently bringing afternoon temperatures above 90 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit, particularly between late June and mid-August. Winters remain relatively mild, though overnight freezes occur, with brief, light snowfall occasionally accumulating in the valley. Annual rainfall averages under nine inches, with the driest period extending from April through June.
01 Weather
90°
73°
☔ 29% 
87°
70°
89°
63°
89°
67°
82°
65°
☔ 54%
69°
69°