Mexican Hat is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

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 ...

in the United States. It is on the San Juan River on the northern edge of the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation (), also known as Navajoland, is an Indian reservation of Navajo people in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The seat of government is located in ...

's borders in south-central San Juan County. The population was 31 in the 2010 census, a sharp decline from the previous two censuses.

History

The name "Mexican Hat" comes from a curiously

sombrero In English, a , ; ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck, and shoulders of the w ...

-shaped rock outcropping on the northeast edge of town; the rock measures wide by . The "Hat" has two

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

routes ascending it. Mexican Hat has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. In 2016, the U.S. Route 163 bridge crossing the San Juan River on the south border of the town was renamed the " Jason R. Workman Memorial Bridge" after a member of

SEAL Team Six The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and unofficially known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often r ...

who was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. Workman was a 1997 graduate of the nearby San Juan High School.

Geography

The CDP is on U.S. Route 163, just south of the junction with State Route 261, and is just outside the northern boundary of both the

and

Monument Valley Monument Valley (, , meaning "valley of the rocks") is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, with the largest reaching above the valley floor. The most famous butte formations are located in northeas ...

. Goosenecks State Park is located west-northwest, Alhambra Rock is west-southwest, and the

Valley of the Gods The Valley of the Gods is a scenic sandstone valley near Mexican Hat, Utah, Mexican Hat in San Juan County, Utah, San Juan County, southeastern Utah, United States. Part of Bears Ears National Monument, the Valley of the Gods is located north of ...

is to the north on U.S. 163. 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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land (96%) and is water (4%).

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Mexican Hat has a

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 ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

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 31 people in 17 households residing in the CDP. 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 3.8 people per square mile (1.5/km²). There were 23 housing units at an average density of 2.8/sq mi (1.1/km²). The racial make-up of the CDP was 9.7% Native American and 90.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

. There were 17 households, out of which 5.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.4% 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, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 64.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.56. In the CDP, the population skewed older since the last census, with 6.4% under the age of 15, zero residents aged 15 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 42% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.5 years. As of 2012, the median income for a household in the CDP was $80,767, and there were no families or individuals living 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 ...

.Demographics for Mexican Hat, Utah
/ref> As of the 2020 Census, 61.9% of the population is non-Hispanic White alone, 28.6% is non-Hispanic American Indian alone, 4.8% is non-Hispanic some other race alone, and 4.8% is Hispanic of any race.

References

External links