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 civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Kane County,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

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

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

state line. This area was first settled in 1864, and the town was founded in 1870 when ten

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 severa ...

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 groups do not form a single set. The term "Paiu ...

word meaning "place of the willows," Fort Kanab was built on the east bank of Kanab Creek in 1864 for defense against the Indians and as a base for the exploration of the area. The population was 4,312 at the 2010 census and an estimated 4,798 in 2018. 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 Paria ...

Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park () is an American national park 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 eastern ...

, the Grand Canyon (North Rim),

Zion National Park Zion National Park is an American national park 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 variety of ...

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 listed ...

, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and

Lake Powell Lake Powell is an artificial 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 is the second largest artificial reservoir by maximum ...

. 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 ...

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 be ...

, the privately owned

Moqui Cave Moqui Cave is a sandstone erosion cave in southern Utah, United States. It is located roughly north of Kanab, Utah, Kanab, along U.S. Route 89. Etymology The name comes from the Moqui (or Moki), which some archeologists believe to be an ancie ...

, and the largest animal sanctuary in the United States,

Best Friends Animal Society Best Friends Animal Society, (BFAS) founded in its present form in 1993, is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization. BFAS does outreach nationwide with shelters, rescue groups and members to promote pet adoption, no-kill an ...

. 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'' (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 ...

'', ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television 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 ...

''. '' Gunsmoke'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 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 beyond the we ...

'', '' El Dorado'' (1966), ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

(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 S ...

'', ''

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 of the Ra ...

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

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

'' (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 C ...

'' (1943), '' Buffalo Bill'' (1944), ''

Westward the Women ''Westward the Women'' is a 1951 Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire. Plot In 1851, Roy Whitman wants to keep the lonely men who live in Whitman's Valley from leaving, so he ...

'' (1952), '' 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 starring James Garner in his first Western after leaving the long-running tv series ''Maverick'', as well as Sidney Poitier in his first ever Western. Based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel ' ...

'' (1966), '' Ride in the Whirlwind'' (1965), ''

The Shooting ''The Shooting'' is a 1966 American Western film 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 was produced by ...

'' (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, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldi ...

'' (1976).

Geography and climate

Kanab is located on the western Colorado Plateau. U.S. Routes 89 and 89A meet in the center of town. US 89 leads north to Orderville and southeast to Page, Arizona, 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 the ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, 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 ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

in the Grand Canyon. 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 sem ...

(

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

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

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

. 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 atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

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.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

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: 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 geographical ...

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 A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

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 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 t ...

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

Transportation

Kanab is served by the

Kanab Municipal Airport Kanab Municipal Airport is in Kane County, Utah, two miles south of the city of Kanab, which owns it. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 categorized as a ''general aviation'' facility.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 the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

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 are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

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

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. :"On the fifth anniversary of the Sutherland Institute it was said that 'words matter'. They have to be followed by deeds, and you have to be prepared to communicate them clearly, vividly, simply, and with repetition that is unending. Today there are large waves coming towards us in all directions, the most serious is the denigration of the natural family as the fundamental unit of society. It has been determined that the natural family results in healthier, happier, more productive, and more civically-engaged adults as well as healthier, happier, safer, and better educated children. We envision a local culture that upholds the marriage of a woman to a man, and a man to a woman, as ordained of God. This culture affirms marriage as the best path to health, security, fulfillment, and joy. It casts the home built on marriage as the source of true political sovereignty and ordered liberty. We envision parents as the first educators of their children." The nonbinding resolution was formulated by the Sutherland Institute, a conservative advocacy group in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

. 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 Frommer (born July 17, 1929) is a travel writer. He founded the Frommer's brand of travel guides. Frommer was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, and moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was 14. He graduated from New York University in 1950 ...

's monthly travel column, Frommer called the city "

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

" 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 two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...

s and men's swim briefs at the city's new swimming pool. The ban was rescinded within a month.

Search for Montezuma's treasure

In 1914 Freddy Crystal arrived in Kanab saying that, while researching in Mexico, he had discovered that the great treasure of Montezuma, spirited away by the king's men before he died, was to be found in the mountains around the town. Many searches and digs by Crystal and those who followed him ended when a plan to drain a lake, in the belief that the treasure resided in an under-water cave, was stopped by the government, because it was one of the few refuges of the Kanab ambersnail.Massey, Peter; Wilson, Jeanne. ''Backcountry Adventures Utah: The Ultimate Guide to the Utah Backcountry for Anyone with a Sport Utility Vehicle''. Adler Publishing. 2006. ASIN B014N7UYGU. p. 259.

Kanab ambersnail

Three Lakes, a privately owned wet meadow 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 activists that staged an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January 2016. After it began, the group organized themselves as the Citizens for ...

– 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 ...

* Levi Stewart * William Thomas Stewart *

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

* Mary Elizabeth Woolley Diligence Wells Fargo.JPG, Wells Fargo U.S. Mail Service 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

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