History of St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah.{{GR|6}} It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles (192 km) northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles (488 km) south of Salt Lake City on Interstate 15.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, St. George had a population of 64,201 in 2005, up from 49,728 in 2000. In 2005, St. George surpassed Layton, Utah|Layton as the eighth-largest city in Utah. Its population is 14,000 fewer than Ogden, the seventh-largest city in the state. In [http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/005708.html September 2005], St. George was declared the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States behind Greeley, Colorado. From 1990 to 2000, St. George beat Las Vegas by 0.6% as the fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. In 2005, the metropolitan area had 118,885 residents, with roughly another 60,000 living in the nearby communities of Cedar City, Utah|Cedar City and Mesquite, Nevada|Mesquite.
St. George is the population and commercial center of Dixie (Utah)|Utah's Dixie, a nickname given to the area when Mormon pioneers grew cotton in the warm climate. St. George's trademark is its geology — red bluffs make up the northern part of the city with two peaks covered in lava rock in the city's center. The northeastern edges of the Mojave Desert are visible to the south. Zion National Park can be seen to the east, and mountains are nearby to the north, southeast and west. It is also near Bryce Canyon National Park. The city is a popular retirement destination and is host to the largest Spring Break parties in Utah.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
source Wikipedia