Iron County is a county in Utah, United States, along the Nevada border in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 57,289 at the 2020 census and covers 3,297 square miles (8,540 km2) of land, centred near 37°52′N 113°17′W.
Parowan is the county seat, and its postal code is 84761. Cedar City, home to Southern Utah University, is the county’s largest city. Iron County contains three incorporated cities, three incorporated towns, and more than twenty unincorporated communities. The county observes Mountain Time, and its FIPS code is 49021.
Towns & Villages in Iron County
Iron County’s roughly two dozen named places split between six incorporated municipalities and a long list of unincorporated ranching, mining and railroad communities scattered across the Escalante Desert and Parowan Valley. Type key: City = incorporated city, Town = incorporated town, CDP = census-designated place, Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no census designation.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City | City | — | 84720 / 84721 |
| Enoch | City | — | 84721 |
| Parowan | City · seat | — | 84761 |
| Brian Head | Town | — | 84719 |
| Kanarraville | Town | — | 84742 |
| Paragonah | Town | — | 84760 |
| Avon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beryl | Unincorp. | — | 84714 |
| Beryl Junction | Unincorp. | — | 84714 |
| Cedar Highlands | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Desert Mound | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Johnson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Halivah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamiltons Fort | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamlin Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heist | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iron Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iron Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Latimer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lund | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Modena | Unincorp. | — | 84753 |
| Newcastle | Unincorp. | — | 84756 |
| North View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Irontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| State Line | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summit | Unincorp. | — | 84772 |
| Wheatgrass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yale Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zane | Unincorp. | — | — |
Old Irontown is a 19th-century ghost town, the site of the county’s original iron works, not a living community. Lund, Modena, Zane, Heist and Yale Crossing began as sidings on the historic Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad line across the Escalante Desert.
ZIP Codes
- 84720 — Cedar City
- 84721 — Cedar City (also serves Enoch)
- 84761 — Parowan
- 84760 — Paragonah
- 84714 — Beryl (also serves Beryl Junction)
- 84756 — Newcastle
- 84742 — Kanarraville
- 84772 — Summit
- 84719 — Brian Head
- 84753 — Modena
Smaller unincorporated places without their own post office, such as Avon, Hamiltons Fort and Iron Mountain, use the ZIP code of the nearest listed town.
Geography
Iron County spans the transition from the flat Escalante Desert in the west to the forested plateaus of the Markagunt Plateau in the east. Brian Head, at 11,307 feet, is the county’s highest point and sits within the Dixie National Forest near Cedar Breaks National Monument. The Parowan Valley, drained by Parowan Creek and Coal Creek, holds most of the county’s farmland and its two largest cities.
Iron County borders Beaver County to the north, Garfield County to the east, Kane County to the southeast, Washington County to the south, and Lincoln County, Nevada, to the west.
Demographics
Iron County had 57,289 residents at the 2020 census. Cedar City and Enoch are its two largest communities, together holding most of the county’s population within the Parowan Valley. Median household income in the county runs below the Utah median of $93,421, reflecting a mix of agricultural, education-sector and service-industry wages. Population density is light, well under 20 people per square mile across the county’s 3,297 square miles of land.
Economy & Local Life
Southern Utah University, a public university in Cedar City, is the county’s largest single employer and anchors the local economy alongside the Cedar City hospital and school district. Cedar City hosts the Tony Award–winning Utah Shakespeare Festival each summer, drawing visitors from across the region. Tourism tied to Cedar Breaks National Monument and the Brian Head Resort ski area supports lodging and outfitting businesses in the eastern part of the county, while cattle ranching and alfalfa farming continue in the Parowan Valley and on the Escalante Desert to the west.
History
Iron County was created by the Utah territorial legislature on January 31, 1850, and organized January 17, 1851, one of Utah’s original counties. It is named for the iron ore deposits southwest of present-day Cedar City. Brigham Young sent the “Iron Mission” of Latter-day Saint settlers to the area in 1851 to found Parowan and mine iron; Cedar City followed the same year as the mission’s iron-smelting camp. The venture struggled against a lack of suitable fuel and eventually closed, but the settlements it founded became the county’s permanent towns.
Getting There
Interstate 15 runs the length of the county north–south through Cedar City and Parowan; US-56 and State Route 130 connect the Escalante Desert communities to the west, and State Route 143 climbs east to Brian Head and Cedar Breaks.
- Cedar City — 0 miles (county seat area)
- Parowan — 20 miles north of Cedar City
- St. George — 55 miles south via I-15
- Las Vegas, Nevada — 170 miles southwest via I-15
Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) offers commercial service; Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport is the nearest major hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Iron County, Utah?
It is in southwestern Utah along the Nevada border, between Beaver County to the north and Washington County to the south.
What is the population of Iron County?
57,289 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Iron County?
3,297 square miles (8,540 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Iron County?
Parowan, though Cedar City is the county’s largest city.
How many towns and cities are in Iron County?
Three incorporated cities, three incorporated towns, and about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Iron County?
Ten ZIP codes, led by 84720/84721 (Cedar City) and 84761 (Parowan).
What is Cedar City known for?
Southern Utah University and the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Utah.