Kanab ( ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Kane County,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, United States.Find a County
". ''National Association of Counties''. Retrieved June 7, 2011. It is located on

Kanab Creek Kanab Creek ( ) is one of the many tributaries of the Colorado River. It begins in Kane County, Utah, just south of the drainage divide, watershed to the Great Basin and flows south to the Colorado River. The stream headwaters arise at at an el ...

just north of the

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

state line.

Description

The area where Kanab is located was first settled in 1864, and the town was founded in 1870 when 10

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

families moved into the area. Named for a

Paiute Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three languages do not form a single subgroup and th ...

word meaning "place of the willows," Fort Kanab was built on the east bank of Kanab Creek in 1864 for offensive operations against the original inhabitants of the area and as a base for the exploration of the area. The population was 4,683 at the 2020 census. Kanab is situated in the "Grand Circle" area, centrally located among

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is located in northern Coconino County, Arizona, United States, immediately south of the Utah state line. This national monument, in area, protects the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and P ...

Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park () is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along ...

, the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

(North Rim),

Zion National Park Zion National Park is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a ...

Pipe Spring National Monument Pipe Spring National Monument is a United States National Monument located in the U.S. state of Arizona, rich with American Indian, early explorer, and Mormon pioneer history. Administered by the National Park Service, Pipe Spring was list ...

, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and

Lake Powell Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, United States. It is a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. It holds of water when full, second in the United States to only the ...

. Other nearby attractions include

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is a United States national monument protecting the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante (Escalante River) in southern Utah. It was established in 19 ...

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park in southwestern Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County. The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located ...

, the privately owned Moqui Cave, and the largest animal sanctuary in the United States,

Best Friends Animal Society Best Friends Animal Society, (BFAS) is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization based in Kanab, Utah, with satellite offices in Atlanta, Georgia, Bentonville, Arkansas, Houston, Texas, Los Angeles, California, New York City, an ...

Referring to Kanab's proximity to the many spectacular rock formations, a welcome sign to the town calls it "The Greatest Earth on Show." Locals refer to Kanab as "Little Hollywood" due to its history as a filming location for many movies and television series, prominently

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, such as ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

'' (1939), ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'', ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

''. ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'', ''

El Dorado El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...

'' (1966), ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...

(1968)'', ''

Mackenna's Gold ''Mackenna's Gold'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring an ensemble cast featuring Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, Telly Savalas, Ted Cassidy, Camilla Sparv and Julie Newmar in lead roles. It was photographed in Sup ...

'', ''

Sergeants 3 ''Sergeants 3'' is a 1962 American comedy/ Western film directed by John Sturges and starring Rat Pack icons Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. It was the last film to feature all five members o ...

'', ''WindRunner: A Spirited Journey'', ''

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...

'' (1941), '' The Desperadoes'' (1943), ''

In Old Oklahoma ''In Old Oklahoma'' (reissued as ''War of the Wildcats'') is a 1943 American Western film directed by Albert S. Rogell starring John Wayne and Martha Scott. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Music Score of a Dramatic or Co ...

'' (1943), ''

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

'' (1944), ''

Westward the Women ''Westward the Women'' is a 1951 American western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire. Plot In 1851, the working men of Whitman's Valley in California are lonely. Local proprietor Ro ...

'' (1952), '' The Yellow Tomahawk'' (1954), '' Tomahawk Trail'' (1957), ''

Fort Bowie Fort Bowie was a 19th-century outpost of the United States Army located in southeastern Arizona near the present day town of Willcox, Arizona. The remaining buildings and site are now protected as Fort Bowie National Historic Site. Fort Bowi ...

'' (1958), '' Sergeants Three'' (1962), ''

Duel at Diablo ''Duel at Diablo'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Ralph Nelson starring James Garner and Sidney Poitier. It is based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel ''Apache Rising''. The production shot on location in southern Utah. The film wa ...

'' (1966), ''

Ride in the Whirlwind ''Ride in the Whirlwind'' is a 1966 American Western film edited and directed by Monte Hellman and starring Cameron Mitchell, Millie Perkins, Jack Nicholson, and Harry Dean Stanton. Nicholson also wrote and co-produced the film with Hellman. A ...

'' (1965), '' Convict Stage'' (1965), ''

The Shooting ''The Shooting'' is a 1966 American Western film edited and directed by Monte Hellman, with a screenplay by Carole Eastman (using the pseudonym Adrien Joyce). It stars Warren Oates, Millie Perkins, Will Hutchins, and Jack Nicholson, and wa ...

'' (1966), and ''

The Outlaw Josey Wales ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood (as Josey Wales), with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, and Joh ...

'' (1976).

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 4,312 people, 1,729 households, and 1,130 families residing in the townships. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 308 people per square mile (98.2/km²). There were 1,999 housing units at an average density of 141.8 per square mile (41.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.2% White, 0.3% African American, 1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 0.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 1,729 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, a decrease of 6.4% compared to the 2000 census. 65.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families, an increase of 7.9% over the 2000 census. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08. The median income for a household in the town was $42,286, and the median income for a family was $48,008. Males had a median income of $30,018 versus $22,205 for females. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Geography and climate

Kanab is located on the western

Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States. This plateau covers an area of 336,700 km2 (130,000 mi2) within w ...

. U.S. Routes 89 and 89A meet in the center of town. US 89 leads north to

Orderville Orderville is a town in western Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 577 at the 2010 census. The town was founded and operated under the United Order of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This system allowed the co ...

and southeast to

Page, Arizona Page is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, near the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 7,247. History Page was founded in 1957 as a housing community for workers and their f ...

, while US 89A leads south to

Fredonia, Arizona Fredonia is a town in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,314. Fredonia is the gateway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. History Fredonia was laid out in 1886. Its name is said to mean th ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.24%, are water. The city's downtown sits on flat ground to the east of Kanab Creek, which flows south to meet the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

in the

. Kanab has a borderline

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSk''), more typical of exposed regions around

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topography, topographical and geological feature cutting across Northern Arizona, the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapa ...

. The town is rather wetter, especially during the winter months, and hotter than the typical Mountain West cool

. The dry spring season from April to June is warm to hot during the day and very clear but the hot sun and thin air typical of Utah mean that nights remain cool and frosts can occur even in May. In the summer,

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

thunderstorms break up the dry weather between July and October. The winters are mild during the day and cold at night, but get more snow than most places in southern Utah. Snowfall varies a considerably from year to year, with some receiving almost none to inches falling in 2001. On average, there will be 70.9 days that reach and 7.6 that reach . Although Kanab is in hardiness zone of 7A with an average yearly low of just under , only 1.5 days fail to reach freezing on average.

Transportation

Kanab is served by the Kanab Municipal Airport, a general aviation facility.

U.S. Route 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...

(US 89) passes through the city and U.S. Route 89A within Utah is entirely within the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...

and has its northern terminus at US 89. National Park Express provides bus service from Kanab to

St. George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

and

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Jackson Flat Reservoir

In 2010, construction began on the Jackson Flat Reservoir under the direction of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. The reservoir had been in various stages of planning for 19 years. Completion of the reservoir took two years of construction, and one year of filling. The dam structure is composed of 800,000 yards of clay, dirt, and rock. The project was supervised by four engineering firms including the Utah State Engineer of Dam Safety, and the Army Corps of Engineers. The 4,228 acre-feet reservoir is an off-stream site fed by a 24-inch pipe capable of transferring 23 acre-feet of water per day. The average depth of the reservoir is , with a conservation pool that will sustain a 400 acre-foot pool of water. In April 2015, the reservoir reached 3,000 acre-feet of water. Water volumes vary throughout the year as reserves are tapped during summer months to supplement local irrigation needs, and are then refilled during the winter season based on annual rainfall. The reservoir is located directly south of Kanab, east of the municipal airport, and is visible from Highway 89A. During planning and construction, crews discovered ten sites of prehistoric

Anasazi The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as Ancestral Pueblo peoples or the Basketmaker-Pueblo culture, were an ancient Native American culture of Pueblo peoples spanning the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southea ...

ruins, including human remains. Sites which would be below the water line were fully excavated and remains turned over to the local

tribe for proper care and burial ceremonies. Sites above the projected water line remain un-excavated. The Jackson Flat Reservoir has been stocked with

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

, and

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or, in Texas, "copper nose", is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands ea ...

fish varieties. The site supports non-motorized boating, fishing, swimming, concerts, and stargazing.

Controversies

Natural Family Resolution

On January 10, 2006, then-mayor Kim Lawson and the city council unanimously passed Resolution 1-1-06R, titled "The Natural Family: A Vision for the City of Kanab":Havnes, Mark. "Kanab endorses 'natural' families - City Council resolution: Opponents call the declaration outmoded and discriminatory: Kanab votes for family declaration". ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. January 18, 2006.Kanab, Utah City Council Meeting: Meeting Minutes
. ''Kanab City Council''. City of Kanab, Utah. January 10, 2006. Archived fro
the original
on March 23, 2009. The nonbinding resolution was formulated by the

Sutherland Institute Sutherland Institute is a conservative public policy think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...

, a conservative advocacy group in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

. The symbolic resolution created controversy within the city.Havnes, Mark. "'Natural family' stand stirs Kanab". ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. January 20, 2006.Havnes, Mark. "Kanab 's 'natural family' decree spawns tourism backlash: Tourists steer clear of Kanab". ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. February 5, 2006. Hundreds of tourists canceled trips to Kanab after learning about the resolution. In

Arthur Frommer Arthur Bernard Frommer () (July 17, 1929 – November 18, 2024) was an American travel writer known for founding the Frommer's brand of travel guides. Early life Arthur Bernard Frommer was born on July 17, 1929, in Lynchburg, Virginia, the son ...

's monthly travel column, Frommer called the city "

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

" and urged readers to boycott the city. A local civic group, the Kanab Boosters, published an open letter to ask Frommer to reconsider his boycott, making it clear that "only a small number of people agree with our city council regarding the Natural Family Proclamation."Letter from Kanab Boosters to travel writer Arthur Frommer
. ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. March 30, 2016. The Boosters also designed and provided stickers for citizens and resident business owners opposed to the resolution.Havnes, Mark.
Kanab businesses open arms to all with new sticker
. ''The Salt Lake Tribune''. March 25, 2006. The stickers featured a string of rainbow-colored human figures underneath the red rocks of Kanab and the words "Everyone welcome here". In response to the criticism of the resolution, the Sutherland Institute clarified, saying that the resolution said that children are reared properly when a mother is home a significant amount of time and that a gay relationship is not a natural family.

Bikini ban

In June 2008, Kanab's city council voted to prohibit the wearing of

bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...

s and men's

swim briefs A swim brief or racing brief is any briefs-style male swimsuit such as those worn in competitive swimming (sport), swimming, Diving (sport), diving and water polo. The popularity of the Australian ''Speedo'' brand racing brief has led to the u ...

at the city's new swimming pool. The ban was rescinded within a month.Robinson, Doug.
Bikini ban fun while it lasted
. ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

''. July 1, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2017.

Kanab ambersnail

Three Lakes, a privately owned

wet meadow A wet meadow is a type of wetland with soils that are Solubility, saturated for part or all of the growing season which prevents the growth of trees and brush. Debate exists whether a wet meadow is a type of marsh or a completely separate type of ...

near Kanab, is one of only two natural habitats for the Kanab ambersnail, a snail species that was listed as endangered in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and as a species of conservation priority for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Notable people

LaVoy Finicum Robert LaVoy Finicum (January 27, 1961 – January 26, 2016) was one of the American militia movement, American militants who staged an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January 2016. After it began, the occupying f ...

– born here *

Jacob Hamblin Jacob Hamblin (April 2, 1819 – August 31, 1886) was a Western pioneer, a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a diplomat to various Native American tribes of the Southwest and Great Basin. He a ...

* William Thomas Stewart *

Kelly Sweet Kelly Melissa Sweet (born March 29, 1988), known professionally as Haliene (; stylized all caps), is an American singer of electropop and electronic dance music. She is known for her vocal collaborations with EDM artists Armin van Buuren, Seve ...

* Mary Elizabeth Woolley

Gallery

Kanab,_Utah_01.jpg, Moqui Cave Kanab,_Utah_04_Parry_Lodge.jpg, Parry Lodge, Historic Movie Motel Kanab,_Utah_02_Little_Hollywood_museum_of_western_film_sets.jpg, Little Hollywood Museum of Western Film Kanab, Utah Post Office.jpg, Kanab Post Office

References

External links

Official website

Kanab Chamber of Commerce

Kane County Office of Tourism

{{authority control Cities in Utah Cities in Kane County, Utah County seats in Utah Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in Utah Territory

Description

Demographics

Geography and climate

Transportation

Jackson Flat Reservoir

Controversies

Natural Family Resolution

Bikini ban

Kanab ambersnail

Notable people

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links