Duchesne County is a county in Utah, United States, on the south slope of the Uinta Mountains in the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 19,596 at the 2020 census and covers 3,256 square miles (8,430 km2), of which 3,241 square miles are land and 15 square miles are water, centred near 40°17′N 110°26′W.
Duchesne is the county seat, and its postal code is 84021. The county has three cities, two towns, and more than a dozen unincorporated communities. It observes Mountain Time and has no civil townships.
Towns & Villages in Duchesne County
Duchesne County has five incorporated municipalities — three cities and two towns — plus a scatter of unincorporated communities across the Uinta Basin. Type legend: City · seat = the county seat; Unincorp. = unincorporated place with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duchesne | City · seat | 1,588 | 84021 |
| Roosevelt | City | 6,747 | 84066 |
| Myton | City | — | — |
| Altamont | Town | — | — |
| Tabiona | Town | — | — |
| Altonah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arcadia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bluebell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boneta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bridgeland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedarview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fruitland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hanna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ioka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Home | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Neola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Talmage | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upalco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Utahn | Unincorp. | — | — |
Roosevelt is the county’s largest city by population and its commercial hub; Duchesne, the seat, sits about 15 miles west along US 40. Several small communities in the table — Altonah, Boneta, Bridgeland, Ioka, Neola, and Upalco — cluster on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation lands shared with neighboring Uintah County.
ZIP Codes
- 84021 — Duchesne (county seat)
- 84066 — Roosevelt
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated communities receive mail through the Duchesne or Roosevelt post offices rather than having a dedicated ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Duchesne County spans the transition from the high, glaciated Uinta Mountains in the north to the arid Uinta Basin badlands in the south. Kings Peak, at 13,528 feet (4,123 m), is Utah’s highest natural point and lies within the county’s northern high country. The Duchesne River, which gives the county its name, flows east across the basin and joins the Green River system; the Strawberry River and Lake Fork River are other principal drainages. Much of the southern county lies on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation.
Duchesne County borders Summit County to the north, Daggett County to the northeast, Uintah County to the east, Carbon County to the south, Utah County to the southwest, and Wasatch County to the west.
Demographics
The county’s population was 19,596 at the 2020 census. Roosevelt (6,747) and Duchesne (1,588) are its two largest communities. The county’s median household income was reported at $61,655, below the Utah median of $93,421 in the 2023 American Community Survey. With 19,596 residents spread across 3,241 square miles of land, population density is roughly 6 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state outside Utah’s true frontier counties.
Economy & Local Life
Oil and gas extraction in the Uinta Basin has long anchored the county’s economy, alongside ranching, hay and alfalfa farming, and government employment. Roosevelt functions as the retail and medical center for the eastern Uinta Basin, and the Ute Indian Tribe’s Uintah and Ouray Reservation government is a major regional employer. Hunting, fishing, and the Uinta Mountains’ backcountry trailheads draw seasonal visitors, particularly around the Mirror Lake Highway and the reservoirs near Hanna and Mountain Home.
History
Duchesne County was created by the Utah Legislature and proclaimed on January 4, 1915, following a local referendum splitting it from Wasatch County. It takes its name from the Duchesne River, itself said to have been named by early-19th-century fur trappers in honor of Rose Philippine Duchesne, a Roman Catholic nun and missionary. Much of the county’s land was opened to non-Native homesteading in the early 1900s under federal allotment policy affecting the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, a history that still shapes land ownership patterns in the southern county today.
Getting There
US Highway 40 crosses the county east-west through Duchesne and Roosevelt, and US Highway 191 and State Route 87 provide north-south connections toward the Uinta Mountains and the Uintah Basin oil fields. State Routes 35, 121, 150, and 208 serve the mountain and reservation communities.
- Salt Lake City — about 130 miles west
- Vernal — about 30 miles east
- Heber City — about 55 miles west
- Price — about 55 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Salt Lake City International Airport; Roosevelt Municipal Airport serves general aviation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Duchesne County?
It is in northeastern Utah, United States, on the south slope of the Uinta Mountains and across the Uinta Basin.
What is the population of Duchesne County?
19,596, at the 2020 census.
How big is Duchesne County?
3,256 square miles (8,430 km2), of which 15 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Duchesne County?
Duchesne is the county seat; Roosevelt is the largest city.
How many towns and cities are in Duchesne County?
Five incorporated municipalities — Duchesne, Myton, and Roosevelt (cities) and Altamont and Tabiona (towns) — plus more than a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Duchesne County?
84021 for Duchesne and 84066 for Roosevelt are the county’s two main ZIP codes.
What is Duchesne County known for?
Kings Peak, Utah’s highest point, and the Uinta Basin’s oil and gas fields both lie within the county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Utah.