La Verkin, Utah

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La Verkin, Utah
—  City  —
Location of La Verkin, Utah
Coordinates: 37°12′49″N 113°16′0″W / 37.21361°N 113.266667°W / 37.21361; -113.266667Coordinates: 37°12′49″N 113°16′0″W / 37.21361°N 113.266667°W / 37.21361; -113.266667
Country United States
State Utah
County Washington
Settled 1897
Incorporated 1927
Founder Thomas Judd
Named for Spanish: La Virgen: 'The Virgin'
Area
 • Total 16.1 sq mi (41.8 km2)
 • Land 16.1 sq mi (41.8 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 3,192 ft (973 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 4,719
Time zone Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code 84745
Area code(s) 435
FIPS code 49-43440[1]
GNIS feature ID 1429398[2]

La Verkin is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,719 as of 2010, an increase from 3,392 in 2000. La Verkin is within walking distance of Hurricane, Utah, and the two cities have historically had close ties.

Theories about the origin of the city's name suggest that it may be a corruption of the Spanish la virgen, after the nearby Virgin River,[3] or possibly an error in the transcription of the term "beaver skin."[4]

The city made national headlines in 2001 when the City Council passed an ordinance declaring La Verkin a "United Nations-free zone".[5][6]

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.1 square miles (41.8 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1910 120
1920 173 44.2%
1930 236 36.4%
1940 349 47.9%
1950 387 10.9%
1960 365 −5.7%
1970 463 26.8%
1980 1,174 153.6%
1990 1,771 50.9%
2000 3,392 91.5%
2010 4,719 39.1%

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,392 people, 1,053 households, and 840 families residing in the city. The population density was 210.3 people per square mile (81.2/km²). There were 1,158 housing units at an average density of 71.8 per square mile (27.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.81% White, 0.12% African American, 1.27% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.92% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.60% of the population.

There were 1,053 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.61.

Protest sign in LaVerkin

In the city the population was spread out with 35.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,949, and the median income for a family was $39,432. Males had a median income of $30,051 versus $19,602 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,113. About 10.1% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ http://digital-desert.com/virgin-river/
  4. ^ http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/l/LAVERKIN.html
  5. ^ "U.N.-Free Zone" Hurricane Valley Journal, October 15, 2003
  6. ^ "ACLU of Utah Asks La Verkin City Council to Repeal the United Nations Free Zone Ordinance", ACLU of Utah, July 17, 2001

[edit] External links

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