Duchesne

Formed January 4, 1915 (28^th county)

Duchesne County (18,607), Duchesne (1,690), Roosevelt (6,046)

The current Modern concrete facility replaced a wooden courthouse in Duchesne.  The courthouse is on Center Street between Hillside Avenue and 500 North Street.  United States Highway 40 is five blocks to the south of the site.  The building was erected in 1997 using the designs of Gillies, Stransky, Brems, and Smith Architects.  An Administration Building was also built in 1997.  Duchesne County was formed on January 4, 1915 from Wasatch County as the 28^th county with Duchesne as the only county seat.  The county and its county seat are reported to be a Native American word meaning “dark canyon” or for French trader Andre Duchesne. 

Duchesne County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four District Court Judges and Two Juvenile Court Judges serve Duchesne, Daggett, and and Uintah counties.  The county is in the northeast part of the state.  Salt Lake City, Utah is northwest and Grand Junction, Colorado is southeast of the county.  The county center is 6.6 miles North-Northwest of Duchesne.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Summit, Daggett, Uintah, Carbon, Utah, and Wasatch counties. 

The area of the county is 3256 square miles.  It is 12 out of 29 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 29 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.71 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 29 in the state.  Duchesne County has 46.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 40 crosses the county from east to west from Uintah County to Wasatch County.  United States Highway 191 enters joined with United States Highway 40 from Uintah County, splits and continues southwest into Carbon County.  The highest point in Utah, Kings Peak, is in the county.  The county is an overall rectangle.  The City of Duchesne is located in the southern third of the county.  Roosevelt is on the eastern border of the county.  Duchesne is the county seat and Roosevelt is the largest city.  Duchesne is 9.1% of the county population while Roosevelt is 32.5% of the county population.  The county and its county seat are pronounced DOO-SHAEN.