Photo courtesy of Greater Zion Pioneer Park
You heard it here first: St. George, Utah, is about to boom. So get there before everybody else does. The largest town in Southwest Utah is slowly and comfortably embracing its growth at just the right pace. A quiet community of less than 90,000 people, St. George is best known for its proximity to the great outdoors, especially Zion National Park, but it s turning into a worthwhile destination in its own right.
The story of St. George is much like other Utah cities. It was founded as a Mormon settlement, but eventually developed its own identity. While other parts of the state see snow-capped mountains throughout the year, St. George has a warm, desert climate that along with a history of cotton production earned the nickname Utah s Dixie. The tag is a source of local pride, but has obvious complications, reflected in movements currently underway to rename the Dixie Convention Center and Dixie State University.