Hurricane was first settled in 1896 and received its name after a whirlwind blew the top off a buggy in which Erastus Snow was riding. Snow exclaimed, "Well, that was a Hurricane. We'll name this 'Hurricane Hill'."[5]
Hurricane, which is pronounced "Her-ah-kun" by local residents (mimicking the accent of early Liverpudlian settlers), is in eastern Washington County.[6] The community was settled as part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's (LDS Church) President Brigham Young's "Cotton Mission", intended to establish the southern end of Utah for agricultural purposes. The town once operated a large peach and apricot orchard for the LDS Church and is historically known for small farms of peaches, pecans, and pistachio nuts.
The town has multiple parks, a dog park, a city pool and large community center, several ranked golf courses, two recreational reservoirs (Sand Hollow and Quail Creek State Parks), and a small municipal airfield. The Hurricane Valley Heritage Park Museum is located on the corner of State Street and Main. The area has several medical clinics.
Hurricane Canal was focal to the Hurricane Valley for approximately 80 years. It was built in 11 years (1893–1904), mostly by pick and shovel. Since 1985, the canal has been empty. In 2000, special interest groups came together to preserve the canal, receiving grants and volunteering time to construct a trail in tribute to the efforts the early settlers put forth to make the canal a reality. A monument at the trailhead briefly recounts the canal story. Much of the trail, which covers a small section of the canal, is the actual west bank of the canal, which "canal riders" rode every day when the canal was in operation to ensure there were no leaks or other problems, because the bank was somewhat unstable. The trail provides views of the towns of Hurricane and La Verkin throughout. The trail ends before reaching the Virgin River Gorge, approximately five miles from the canal's former headwaters.
Sand Hollow State Park contains a 1,322 acre reservoir, multiple camping locations, and off-roading trails, and is located in the south part of Hurricane.[9] In addition to the sand beaches which are open to OHV's, the state park provides tunnel access across Utah State Route 7 to the neighboring Sand Mountain, which houses the popular Hurricane Sand Dunes. Sand Hollow can be accessed from Utah State Route 9, via Sand Hollow Road, or from the State Route 7.
Quail Creek State Park has a 600-acre reservoir and a campground.[10] The reservoir it partially fed by Quail Creek to the north. The reservoir is for fishing, boating, kayaking, and paddle-boarding. The state park can be accessed from either State Route 9 or Old Highway 91 via 5300 W/State Route 318.
The Virgin River forms nearly all of Hurricane's north border. It travels through the city's Confluence Park and crosses State Route 9 at both the Hurricane-La Verkin border and near Quail Creek 3 miles from Harrisburg Junction. The river indirectly provides water to Hurricane and most of Washington County.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.5 square miles (82km2), of which 31.1 square miles (81km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0km2) (1.39%) is water.[11]
Transportation
U.S. Interstate 15 forms part of the northwest border of Hurricane. It has one exit, exit 16, that is located in Hurricane, and another exit, exit 27, that provides access to Hurricane from the north. I-15 is the main means of transportation to nearby St. George and also connects the town to Salt Lake City, 290 miles to the north, and Las Vegas, 138 miles to the south.
Utah State Route 9 begins in Hurricane, at Harrisburg Junction. It travels east through Hurricane, forming State Street. SR-9 links Hurricane to the nearby Zion National Park and to U.S. Route 89. State Route 9 is also Hurricane's main connector to I-15.
Utah State Route 59 ends in Hurricane, at the intersection of SR-9 and Main Street. It connects Hurricane with the nearby Hilldale and indirectly connects Hurricane to Kanab and Lake Powell through Arizona State Route 389.
Utah State Route 7, also known as Southern Parkway, when finished with construction, will begin at State Route 9 just south of Hurricane's business district and provide access to Washington and South St. George. State Route 7 has its western terminus just north of the Arizona border in St. George where it becomes Sun River Parkway at I-15.
Hurricane Municipal Airport, located in the south of Hurricane, is the city's only public airstrip. It has only one runway, no taxiway, and only services small personal aircraft.[12]
At the 2010 census,[15] there were 13,748 people, 4,609 households and 3,545 families residing in the city. The population density was 540 inhabitants per square mile (210/km2). There were 5,461 housing units at an average density of 435.8 per square mile (168.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% White, 0.5% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 3.32% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.
There were 4,609 households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.32.
Age distribution was 32.3% under the age of 19, 5.6% from 20 to 24, 11.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median household income was $32,865, and the median family income was $36,955. Males had a median income of $30,172 versus $19,588 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,353. About 10.8% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
State Street and Main StreetSunrise over Hurricane
The one main boulevard is State Street, renovated and designated Utah SR-9. From 100 East to 400 West, the shopping district is designated as a historical district, with ongoing preservation efforts. Three of the larger homes in town are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hurricane is on Utah State Route 9, between Interstate 15 and Zion National Park. As a result, the city has numerous motels, restaurants, and other businesses available to the millions of tourists who visit Zion National Park each year.[16] Hurricane benefits from visitors to Lake Powell and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park via Utah State Route 59, which intersects State Route 9 within Hurricane city limits. The Hurricane area is a destination for mountain biking in Southwestern Utah,[17] as the city is near the Gooseberry Mesa, J.E.M and Little Creek mountain biking trails.
Old U.S. Highway 91 houses distribution centers for many companies. The biggest is the Walmart Distribution Center, which employs an estimated 700 people.[18] The road has distribution centers for Orgill, Pepsi-Cola, BlvdHome, PrimeSource Sanitary Supply, and many smaller businesses.[19][20]
Education
Hurricane is a part of the Washington County School District. Hurricane has one high school, Hurricane High School (encompassing grades 10–12), attended also by students from the surrounding communities including La Verkin, Toquerville, and Springdale. There are two elementary schools, an intermediate school (grades 6–7), a middle school (grades 8–9), and one charter school, Valley Academy (grades K-8).
Emery County is a county in east-central Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,825. Its county seat is Castle Dale, and the largest city is Huntington.
Millard County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 12,975. Its county seat is Fillmore, and the largest city is Delta.
Rich County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,510, making it the third-least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Randolph, and the largest town is Garden City. The county was created in 1864. It was named for an early LDS apostle, Charles C. Rich.
Summit County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a rugged and mountainous area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 42,357. Its county seat is Coalville, and the largest city is Park City.
Sevier County is a county in Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 21,522. Its county seat and largest city is Richfield.
Uintah County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 35,620. Its county seat and largest city is Vernal. The county was named for the portion of the Ute Indian tribe that lived in the basin.
Washington County is a county in the southwestern corner of Utah, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 180,279, making it the fifth-most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is St. George. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1856. It was named after the first President of the United States, George Washington. A portion of the Paiute Indian Reservation is in western Washington County. Washington County comprises the St. George, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,486, making it the fourth-least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Loa.
Weber County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,223, making it Utah's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Ogden, the home of Weber State University. The county was named after a fur trapper John Weber.
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Perry is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,512 at the 2010 census.
Alpine is a city on the northeastern edge of Utah County, Utah, United States. The population was 10,251 at the time of the 2020 census. Alpine has been one of the many quickly-growing cities of Utah since the 1970s, especially in the 1990s. This city is thirty-two miles southeast of Salt Lake City. It is located on the slopes of the Wasatch Range north of Highland and American Fork. The west side of the city runs above the Wasatch Fault.
La Verkin is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,060 as of 2010, an increase from 3,392 in 2000. La Verkin is within walking distance of Hurricane, and the two cities have historically had close ties.
St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the northeasternmost part of the Mojave Desert, immediately south of the Pine Valley Mountains, which mark the southern boundary of the Great Basin. St. George lies slightly northwest of the Colorado Plateau, which ends at the Hurricane Fault. The city is 118 miles (190 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 300 miles (480 km) south-southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, on Interstate 15.
State Route 9 (SR-9) is a 57.075-mile-long (91.853 km) state highway in southern Utah, serving Zion National Park. It starts at the western terminus at exit 16 on Interstate 15 (I-15), passing through Zion National Park, and ending at the eastern junction with U.S. Route 89 (US-89). The entire length of the highway has been designated the Zion Park Scenic Byway. There is a fee to travel through Zion National Park, but the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is open to private vehicles year-round. A separate fee is required for vehicles 7'10" wide and/or 11'4" tall or larger. This fee pays for a park employee to stop traffic from the other side of the Zion - Mt. Carmel Tunnel to allow the larger vehicles to pass through. There is a smaller tunnel in Zion National Park that does not require an escort. Commercial vehicles are prohibited from using SR-9 and are directed to use SR-20 instead.
State Route 7 (SR-7), also known as Southern Parkway, is a 26.1-mile (42.0 km) east-west state highway in southern Washington County in the extreme southwestern portion of the US state of Utah. It connects the southern periphery of St. George with Hurricane, while providing access to the St. George Regional Airport.
State Route 59 (SR-59) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Utah. The highway connects Hurricane to the twin cities of Hildale and Colorado City, Arizona. The highway connects to US-89A through Arizona State Route 389. The route was added to the state highway system in 1914, and has had several designations.
Quail Creek State Park is a state park of Utah, United States, featuring a 600-acre (240 ha) reservoir. The park is located within Hurricane, Utah, 9 miles (14 km) west of the city center and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the historic ghost town of Harrisburg. Quail Creek State Park offers camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) is a water district covering Washington County, Utah. It was formed in 1962 by local petition. The district provides wholesale water to the cities of St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Santa Clara, Ivins, Toquerville, La Verkin, Leeds, and the town of Virgin. The cities are required to engage in water conservation and recycling, and the district is required to develop water sources to meet the needs determined by city governments. The district also supplies drinking water to retail customers in the unincorporated areas of Sky Ranch, Cliffdweller Ranch, Casa de Oro, and (seasonally) Kolob.
↑ Daughters of the Utah Pioneers historic marker dated September 25, 1931, currently located at Heritage Park at 35 W. State Street, Hurricane, Utah. See also Utah History Research Center online database entry taken from the Utah State Historical Society's 1995-1996 survey of historic markers and monuments.
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