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Box Elder County, Utah

Coordinates: 41°31′N 113°06′W / 41.51°N 113.10°W / 41.51; -113.10
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Box Elder County
County
Box Elder County Courthouse, January 2010
Box Elder County Courthouse, January 2010
Map of Utah highlighting Box Elder County
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Map of the United States highlighting Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°31′N 113°06′W / 41.51°N 113.10°W / 41.51; -113.10
Country United States
State Utah
FoundedJanuary 5, 1856
Named forBox elder tree
SeatBrigham City
Largest cityBrigham City
Area
 • Total
6,729 sq mi (17,430 km2)
 • Land5,746 sq mi (14,880 km2)
 • Water934 sq mi (2,420 km2)  15%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
57,666
 • Density8.6/sq mi (3.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.boxeldercounty.org

Box Elder County is a county at the northwestern corner of Utah, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 57,666,[1] up from the 2010 figure of 49,975. Its county seat and largest city is Brigham City.[2] The county was named for the box elder trees that abound in the county.

Box Elder County is part of the Ogden-Clearfield, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT Combined Statistical Area. Box Elder County.

Box Elder County is home to two regional campuses of Utah State University (located in Brigham City and Tremonton).

History

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Corinne. Staff of the Daily Reporter. Box Elder County, Utah., 1869 - 1878
Box Elder County float, 1912
Box Elder County (details)

The county was created by the Utah Territory legislature on January 5, 1856, with the territory partitioned from Weber County. Its boundaries were altered in 1862 by adjustments between counties and in 1866 when all its area in the now-existent state of Nevada (which had gained territorial status in 1861 and statehood in 1864) was formally partitioned. The county boundaries were finally altered in 1880 by adjustments between Salt Lake and Weber counties. Its boundary has remained unchanged since 1880.[3][4]

The California Trail followed Goose Creek from a point just north of the Idaho/Utah border southwest across northwestern Box Elder County to Little Goose Creek in northeastern Elko County, Nevada.[5] The link-up of the first transcontinental railroad occurred at Promontory Summit, Utah in 1869.

The Spiral Jetty, an earthwork sculpture by Robert Smithson, was built on the north shore of the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County in 1970.

On November 19, 2005, sculptor Zaq Landsberg declared his plot to be independent from the United States, creating the Republic of Zaqistan.[6]

Geography

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Box Elder County lies at the northwest corner of Utah. Its west border abuts the east border of the state of Nevada and its north border abuts the south border of the state of Idaho. Its territory includes large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The Wasatch Front lies along the south-eastern border, where the main cities are found.[7] The terrain generally slopes to the south (toward the Great Salt Lake), although the NW corner of the county slopes to the north, allowing runoff from that area to flow to the Snake River drainage. The county's highest point is a mountain ridge near the NW corner, at 9,180 ft (2,800 m) ASL.[8] The county has a total area of 6,729 square miles (17,430 km2), of which 5,746 square miles (14,880 km2) is land and 984 square miles (2,550 km2) (15%) is water.[9] It is the fourth-largest county in Utah by area.

In the east lie the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range. In the west is a large, mostly uninhabited desert area. The Great Salt Lake lies in the southeastern corner of the county. The combined Interstate 15/Interstate 84 runs northward in the eastern part of the county. The two routes diverge at Tremonton, with I-84 heading northwest past Snowville into central and western Idaho and I-15 heading north past Plymouth and Portage into eastern Idaho.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18601,608—
18704,855201.9%
18806,76139.3%
18907,64213.0%
190010,00931.0%
191013,89438.8%
192018,78835.2%
193017,810−5.2%
194018,8325.7%
195019,7344.8%
196025,06127.0%
197028,12912.2%
198033,22218.1%
199036,4859.8%
200042,74517.2%
201049,97516.9%
202057,66615.4%
US Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010–2018[14] 2019[15] 2020[16]

2020 census

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According to the 2020 United States census[17] and 2020 American Community Survey,[18] there were 57,666 people in Box Elder County with a population density of 10.0 people per square mile (3.9/km2). Among non-Hispanic or Latino people, the racial makeup was 49,361 (85.6%) White, 161 (0.3%) African American, 383 (0.7%) Native American, 438 (0.8%) Asian, 98 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 102 (0.2%) from other races, and 1,586 (2.8%) from two or more races. 5,537 (9.6%) people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 29,190 (50.62%) males and 28,476 (49.38%) females, and the population distribution by age was 18,255 (31.7%) under the age of 18, 31,620 (54.8%) from 18 to 64, and 7,791 (13.5%) who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 33.0 years.

There were 18,678 households in Box Elder County with an average size of 3.09 of which 14,609 (78.2%) were families and 4,069 (21.8%) were non-families. Among all families, 11,985 (64.2%) were married couples, 969 (5.2%) were male householders with no spouse, and 1,655 (8.9%) were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 3,482 (18.6%) were a single person living alone and 587 (3.1%) were two or more people living together. 7,722 (41.3%) of all households had children under the age of 18. 14,543 (77.9%) of households were owner-occupied while 4,135 (22.1%) were renter-occupied.

The median income for a Box Elder County household was $63,573 and the median family income was $73,446, with a per-capita income of $25,835. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $52,960 and for females $36,673. 7.9% of the population and 6.4% of families were below the poverty line.

In terms of education attainment, out of the 32,717 people in Box Elder County 25 years or older, 2,325 (7.1%) had not completed high school, 9,937 (30.4%) had a high school diploma or equivalency, 12,701 (38.8%) had some college or associate degree, 5,656 (17.3%) had a bachelor's degree, and 2,098 (6.4%) had a graduate or professional degree.

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census,[19] there were 49,975 people, 16,058 households, and 12,891 families in the county. The population density was 8.70 people per square mile (3.36 people/km2). There were 17,326 housing units at an average density of 3.02 units per square mile (1.17 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.77% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 3.77% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. 8.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,058 households, out of which 41.32% had children under 18 living with them, 67.44% were married couples living together, 8.69% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.72% were non-families. 17.16% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.39% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09, and the average family size was 3.50.

The county population contained 36.60% under the age of 20, 5.55% from 20 to 24, 25.37% from 25 to 44, 21.35% from 45 to 64, and 11.13% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.59 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 96.61 males.

Ancestry

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As of 2015, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Box Elder County were:

  • 26.0% were of English ancestry
  • 12.7% were of German ancestry
  • 9.3% were of American ancestry
  • 8.4% were of Danish ancestry
  • 5.5% were of Irish ancestry
  • 4.5% were of Scottish ancestry[20]

Education

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Elementary

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  • Century
  • Discovery
  • Fielding
  • Foothill
  • Garland
  • Grouse Creek
  • Lake View
  • McKinley
  • Mountain View
  • North Park
  • Park Valley
  • Snowville
  • Three Mile Creek
  • Willard

Intermediate

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  • Alice C. Harris
  • Adele C. Young

Middle

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  • Bear River
  • Box Elder

High

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Speciality schools

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  • Early Learning Center
  • Independent Life Skills Center

Post secondary

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Politics and government

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Box Elder voters are overwhelmingly Republican. In no national election since 1944 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate, and the last Democrat to obtain one-quarter of the county's vote was Hubert Humphrey in 1968.

State elected offices
Position District Name Affiliation First elected
  Senate 17 Scott Sandall Republican 2018[21]
  House of Representatives 1 Joel Ferry Republican 2018[22]
  House of Representatives 29 Matthew Gwynn Republican 2020[23]
  Board of Education 1 Jennie Earl Nonpartisan 2018[24]
United States presidential election results for Box Elder County, Utah[25]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 22,853 77.91% 5,274 17.98% 1,205 4.11%
2020 21,548 78.87% 4,473 16.37% 1,299 4.75%
2016 12,230 61.53% 2,282 11.48% 5,366 26.99%
2012 17,101 88.11% 1,984 10.22% 323 1.66%
2008 15,228 79.24% 3,311 17.23% 678 3.53%
2004 15,751 85.75% 2,244 12.22% 373 2.03%
2000 12,288 79.36% 2,555 16.50% 640 4.13%
1996 8,373 62.65% 3,170 23.72% 1,822 13.63%
1992 7,712 49.58% 2,186 14.05% 5,657 36.37%
1988 12,585 81.40% 2,736 17.70% 140 0.91%
1984 13,243 86.65% 1,983 12.98% 57 0.37%
1980 12,500 82.72% 2,142 14.18% 469 3.10%
1976 9,319 69.02% 3,353 24.84% 829 6.14%
1972 9,880 77.22% 2,134 16.68% 780 6.10%
1968 7,680 65.71% 3,093 26.46% 915 7.83%
1964 6,851 57.26% 5,113 42.74% 0 0.00%
1960 6,594 63.23% 3,831 36.74% 3 0.03%
1956 5,804 68.34% 2,689 31.66% 0 0.00%
1952 5,850 66.22% 2,984 33.78% 0 0.00%
1948 3,790 50.70% 3,667 49.06% 18 0.24%
1944 3,058 42.47% 4,138 57.46% 5 0.07%
1940 3,248 40.67% 4,736 59.30% 2 0.03%
1936 2,180 30.15% 5,001 69.16% 50 0.69%
1932 3,048 44.65% 3,695 54.12% 84 1.23%
1928 3,317 56.94% 2,488 42.71% 20 0.34%
1924 3,086 56.18% 1,841 33.52% 566 10.30%
1920 3,421 58.86% 2,330 40.09% 61 1.05%
1916 2,416 44.67% 2,957 54.68% 35 0.65%
1912 1,650 40.61% 1,402 34.51% 1,011 24.88%
1908 2,396 62.15% 1,417 36.76% 42 1.09%
1904 2,400 66.76% 1,151 32.02% 44 1.22%
1900 1,635 52.72% 1,460 47.08% 6 0.19%
1896 735 28.12% 1,879 71.88% 0 0.00%

Communities

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Map of Box Elder County municipalities and CDPs

Cities

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Towns

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Census designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 Census Redistricting Data: Box Elder County, Utah". Census Data Explorer. United States Census Bureau. September 16, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "[[Newberry Library]]. Individual County Chronologies - Box Elder County UT (accessed March 25, 2019)". Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  4. ^ Huchel, Frederick M. (1999). A history of Box Elder County (PDF). Utah centennial county history series. Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-913738-16-0. Alternate ISBN 978-0-913738-09-2
  5. ^ "California Trail". Trails West. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  6. ^ Cabrero, Alex (October 19, 2015). "New York man creates 'sovereign nation' in Box Elder County". KSL-TV. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  7. ^ Box Elder County UT Google Maps (accessed 13 March 2019)
  8. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Box Elder County UT" Google Maps (accessed 13 March 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  14. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  15. ^ "QuickFacts. Box Elder County, Utah". Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  16. ^ 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Utah
  17. ^ United States Census Bureau. "2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC)". Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  18. ^ United States Census Bureau. "American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2022)". Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  19. ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  20. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  21. ^ "Senator Sandall Utah Senate". senate.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  22. ^ "Rep. Ferry, Joel". Utah House of Representatives. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  23. ^ "Rep. Gwynn, Matthew". Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  24. ^ "Jennie Earl". www.schools.utah.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
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