Garfield

Formed March 9, 1882 (24^th county)

Garfield County (5,172), Panguitch (1,520)

The red brick and rock Victorian courthouse was built in 1907.  An Annex was added in 2011.  The insides feature wooden stairs.  Richard C. Watkins was the original building architect.  The courthouse was renovated in 1939 and enlarged in 1984.  The structure is on Main Street at 100 South Street.  United States Highway 89 is one block east of the courthouse.  The county was founded on March 9, 1882 from Iron County as the 24^th county with Panguitch as the only county seat.  The county is named for United States President James A. Garfield.  Panguitch is a Native American word meaning “water.” 

Garfield County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Two District Court Judges and One Juvenile Court Judge serve Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne counties.  The county is in southern Utah.  Salt Lake City, Utah is north and Las Vegas, Nevada is southwest of the county.  The Colorado River forms its eastern border.  The county center is 59.8 miles East of Panguitch nearer Escalante.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wayne, San Juan, Kane, Iron, Beaver, and Piute counties. 

The area of the county is 5208 square miles.  It is 5 out of 29 in the state.  It ranks 25 out of 29 in population in the state.  It has a density of 0.99 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 29 in the state.  Garfield County has 75.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 89 passes north to south through the western part of the county from Piute County to Kane County.  The county is shaped like a rectangle with the top half shifted east.  Panguitch is located near the western border of the county.  Panguitch is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced PAN-GWITCH.