Blanding, Utah

Blanding (/ˈblændɪŋ/ (listen)) is a city in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,375 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city in San Juan County. It was settled in the late 19th century by Mormon settlers, predominantly from the famed Hole-In-The-Rock expedition. Economic contributors include mineral processing, mining, agriculture, local commerce, tourism, and transportation.

Blanding, Utah
City
LDS Church South Chapel
Motto(s): 
Basecamp to Adventure
Location in San Juan County and the state of Utah.
Coordinates: 37°37′24″N 109°28′44″W
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountySan Juan
Founded1905
Founded byWalter C. Lyman
Named forAmelia Blanding Bicknell
Government
 • MayorJoe B. Lyman
Area
 • Total13.22 sq mi (34.23 km2)
 • Land13.18 sq mi (34.13 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation
6,106 ft (1,861 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total3,375
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
3,633
 • Density275.73/sq mi (106.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
84511
Area code435
FIPS code49-06370 [3]
GNIS feature ID1438903 [4]
WebsiteVisit Blanding

Blanding is located near both the Navajo and White Mesa Ute Native American reservations, and a significant percentage of Blanding's population has family ties to these nearby cultures. Blanding is a gateway to an abundance of nearby natural and archaeological resources, including The Dinosaur Museum, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley and the Four Corners area, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Lake Powell), Cedar Mesa archaeological and wilderness area, the San Juan River including Goosenecks State Park, and the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. It is located approximately 1 hour south of the popular recreation hub of Moab and Arches National Park.

History

First known as Grayson (after Nellie Grayson Lyman, wife of settler Joseph Lyman), the town changed its name in 1914 when a wealthy easterner, Thomas W. Bicknell, offered a thousand-volume library to any town that would adopt his name. Grayson competed with Thurber, Utah (renamed Bicknell) for the prize. Grayson was renamed Blanding after the maiden name of Bicknell's wife, and each of the towns received 500 books.[5]

On the morning of June 10, 2009, sixteen Blanding residents were arrested in more than a dozen raids performed by federal agents and indicted as part of an undercover investigation of violations of the Archeological Resources Protection Act. Eight others from around the Four Corners region were also indicted.[6] The raid was the largest undercover sting of its kind in the country.[7][8] The raid was the conclusion of a two-year investigation by FBI and BLM agents code-named "Cerberus Action" in which an undercover agent was able to purchase 256 artifacts for $335,685. One indicted resident, Dr. James DeMar Redd, died by suicide on June 11. The undercover agent, Ted Gardiner, died by suicide on March 1, 2010.[9]

Geography

Blanding is located at 37°37′24″N 109°28′44″W (37.623199, -109.478943)[10] in the Four Corners area of the Colorado Plateau.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), all land.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1910385—
19201,072178.4%
19301,001−6.6%
19401,43843.7%
19501,177−18.2%
19601,80553.4%
19702,25024.7%
19803,11838.6%
19903,1621.4%
20003,1620.0%
20103,3756.7%
2019 (est.)3,633[2]7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 3,375 people, 1,013 households, and 785 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,332.7 people per square mile (515.1/km2). There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of 417.7 per square mile (161.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.1% White, 0.3% African American, 29.4% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, .5% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 1,013 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.19 and the average family size was 3.71.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 39.2% under the age of 19, 9.87% from 20 to 24, 22% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,946, and the median income for a family was $50,833. Males had a median income of $42,667 versus $21,615 for females. About 14.1% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.0% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The San Juan School District operates Blanding Elementary School, Albert R. Lyman Middle School, and San Juan High School in Blanding.

Climate
Climate data for Blanding, Utah. (data from 1904-2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 63
(17)		 71
(22)		 86
(30)		 88
(31)		 98
(37)		 110
(43)		 109
(43)		 106
(41)		 100
(38)		 99
(37)		 74
(23)		 65
(18)		 110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 39.2
(4.0)		 44.9
(7.2)		 53.0
(11.7)		 62.4
(16.9)		 72.5
(22.5)		 83.6
(28.7)		 88.8
(31.6)		 86.3
(30.2)		 78.4
(25.8)		 66.0
(18.9)		 51.6
(10.9)		 41.2
(5.1)		 64.0
(17.8)
Average low °F (°C) 17.3
(−8.2)		 22.4
(−5.3)		 28.0
(−2.2)		 34.5
(1.4)		 42.4
(5.8)		 51.1
(10.6)		 58.2
(14.6)		 56.4
(13.6)		 48.6
(9.2)		 38.2
(3.4)		 27.0
(−2.8)		 19.3
(−7.1)		 37.0
(2.8)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)		 −23
(−31)		 −3
(−19)		 10
(−12)		 15
(−9)		 28
(−2)		 32
(0)		 38
(3)		 20
(−7)		 10
(−12)		 −7
(−22)		 −13
(−25)		 −30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.40
(36)		 1.22
(31)		 1.02
(26)		 0.86
(22)		 0.71
(18)		 0.44
(11)		 1.15
(29)		 1.36
(35)		 1.28
(33)		 1.44
(37)		 1.03
(26)		 1.39
(35)		 13.29
(338)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.9
(28)		 7.4
(19)		 4.3
(11)		 1.9
(4.8)		 0.2
(0.51)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.4
(1.0)		 3.2
(8.1)		 10.1
(26)		 38.3
(97)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[12]

See also
  • List of cities and towns in Utah
Community
Geographically
Roadways

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-87480-345-4.
  6. "A breakdown of the artifact theft charges". The Salt Lake Tribune. 2009-06-10. Archived from the original on 2009-06-16.
  7. O'Donoghue, Amy Joi (2018-05-10). "Blanding artifacts raid raises questions, criticism years later". KSL.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-03. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  8. Riccardi, Nicholas; Tankersley, Jim (2009-06-11). "24 charged in crackdown on Native American artifact looting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  9. Mozingo, Joe (2014-09-21). "A Sting in the Desert". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
  10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
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