Vernal

Vernal is the county seat and largest city in Uintah County. It is located 175 miles (280 km) east of Salt Lake City and 20 miles (32 km) west of the Colorado border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,089. The population has since grown to 10,370 as of the 2018 population estimate. The city's economy is based on natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, and Gilmore Gilite (more commonly known as Gillette) The city is in the Uinta Basin, bordered on the north by the U Inta Mountains, one of the relatively few mountain ranges which lie in an eastwest rather than the usual north to south direction. The Book Cliffs lie to the south, and Blue Mountain to the east, while Vernal itself lies in Ashley Valley, named in honor of William H. Ashley, an early fur trader who entered this area in 1825 by floating down the Green River in a bull boat made of animal hides. The average annual temperature in Vernal is 46.9 °F (8.3 °C) with a mean high of 59.8 °F [15.4 °C] and a mean low of 34.0 °F (1.1 °C). The city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²) according to the United States Census Bureau, and is located on the northern edge of the Colorado Plateau.

History

Vernal is the primary city name, but also Naples are acceptable city names or spellings, Dry Fork, Maeser on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Brigham Young sent a scouting party to the area Uintah Basin in 1861 and received word back the area was good for nothing but nomad purposes, hunting grounds for Indians, and "to hold the world together" That same year, President Abraham Lincoln set the area aside as the Uinta Indian Reservation, with Captain Pardon Dodds appointed Indian agent. Dodds later built the first cabin erected by a white man in the Uintsah Basin around 1868. Settlers began to filter in after that, and built cabins in various spots on or near Ashley Creek. In 1879 many came close to perishing during the infamous "Hard Winter" of that same year. In the early 1900s, the town of Vernal, Utah, was founded by a group of Mormon Settlers. The town was named after Vernal's first white settler, who built a cabin on Ashley Creek in the early 1800s. It was later renamed Vernal after the Vernal River, which runs through the center of the town. It is the only town in Utah not to have been settled by Mormon settlers. It has a population of about 2,000 people, the majority of whom live in Vernal and its surrounding areas. The city's name is derived from the word "vernal," which means "valley" or "town" in the Old Spanish language. It also means "home" in Spanish, which was used to refer to Vernal when it was first established.

Geography

Vernal is located on the northern edge of the Colorado Plateau. It is in Ashley Valley, named in honor of William H. Ashley, an early fur trader who entered this area in 1825 by floating down the Green River in a bull boat made of animal hides. The Book Cliffs lie to the south, and Blue Mountain to the east, while Vernal itself lies in the Uintah Basin. The city has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk) with low humidity. The average annual temperature is 46.9 °F (8.3 °C) with a mean high of 59.8 °F [15.4 °C] and a mean low of 34.0°F (1.1 °C). The city is in a high desert area of theColorado Plateau and lies on the Utah-Wyoming state line. It has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²) according to the U.S. Census Bureau, all of which is land. The Uinta Mountains lie on the north, while the Book Cliff lies to the north-northeast, and the Blue Mountain is on the south-easterly side of the city. Vernal is located at 40°2717N 109°3208W (40.2717W - 109.3208 W) and has a mean annual temperature of 46.7 °F.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,714 people, 2,709 households, and 1,977 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,683.4 people per square mile (650.3/km²). There were 2,957 housing units at an average density of 645.3 per squaremile (249.3 /km²) The racial makeup of the city was 94.52% White, 0.18% African American, 2.31% Native American,0.34% Asian, 1.05% Pacific Islander and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population. The city's population was spread out, with 32.3% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 12. 3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there are 96.4 males. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.28. the city's median income was $30,357. The per capita income for the city is $13,497. About 14.7% of families and 14.8%. of the town's population were below the poverty line, including 20.6. of those under age 18 and 8.7%. of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Vernal's economy is based on extracting natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, phosphate, and Gilsonite. This has led to the establishment of branch offices of companies such as Halliburton and Schlumberger. Tourism also plays a role in Vernal's economy due to the town's roots in the Old West and being a large site of ancient dinosaur fossils. Vernal and the surrounding area are popular among outdoor enthusiasts as they are situated near plentiful spots for fishing, fly fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. The town of Vernal is home to the National Museum of Natural History, which contains the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the world. It is also home to a National Park Service facility, which houses a collection of rare and rare species of plants and animals. The city is also known for being a popular destination for fly-fishing and hunting, as it is located near a number of popular fishing spots for the sport. It has a population of around 2,000 people, with the majority of the population living in the town and surrounding areas. The population of the town is about 2,200 people, and the town has a GDP of about $1.5 million. The majority of people live in the city and its surrounding area, with most of the rest of the city's residents living in nearby towns and rural areas. In Vernal, there are more than 1,000 businesses, with many of them based in the area's towns and villages. The economy is largely based on natural resources.

Education

Vernal's public schools include Ashley Valley Education Center, Uintah High, and Vernal Middle School. In 2015, the Terra Academy opened as a K12 charter school. Private schools include White House Academy and Uintahs Basin Christian Academy. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Rocky Mountain River Base is located in Vernal. In 2007, the district built new buildings for two elementary schools, Maeser and Naples Elementary, to accommodate increased enrollment and eliminate unsafe older buildings. Other area schools include Davis Elementary, Lapoint Elementary, and Eagle View Elementary (pre-K8). The district also has a branch of Utah State University in the town of Vernal, which is home to the Utah State College of Art and Design. The district has a number of other colleges and universities in the area, including Brigham Young University and Brigham Young College of Science and Technology. The school district has also had a partnership with the University of Utah, which has a campus in the city of Provo, Utah, and a satellite campus in Ogden, Utah. It also has its own chapter of the National Organization for Women, which was founded in the 1970s and is based in Provo. It is the first of its kind in the U.S. to have a chapter in the state, and the only one in Utah. The U.N. has a presence in several other states, including Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The area has a population of about 4,000.

Transportation

Vernal is along an eastwest federal highway, U.S. Route 40. The city's Vernal Regional Airport has scheduled nonstop air service to Denver (DEN) operated by United Express with CRJ-200 jet aircraft. Passenger service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. Vernal is served by two out of the three Basin Transit Association routes, the Vernal - Roosevelt route (connection available to the Duchesne route in Roosevelt) The Vernal Circulator, as well as a Salt Lake Express route to Salt Lake City, is also available in the city. It is located on the eastern edge of the Wasatch Range, which is the largest mountain range in the state. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of its residents living in or near the city of Vernal. The town is located in the eastern part of the Utah Wasatch Mountains, which are the highest mountains in the United States. It also has the highest elevations in the State of Utah, at 4,000 feet (1,300 meters) and the lowest elevations of 1,200 feet (400 meters) (Vernal's elevation is 2,100 feet (600 meters) The city is located near the junction of two major federal highways, Route 40 and Route 191. The two highways overlay each other heading west from the city, and the city is on the western edge of Utah's Wasatch Plateau, the state's highest mountain range.

Attractions

The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo is an annual PRCA rodeo held in Vernal during the second weekend of July. The G.A.M. Convention is a multi-genre convention having video games, card games, cartoons, costumes, tournaments, tabletop gaming, and similar activities. The Uintah County Fair occurs Thursday through Saturday each year in the second week of June. The Gun & Knife Show happens the first Saturday and Sunday of March. The Outlaw Trail Theater presents stage plays during the summer in June and July. There is an Easter Egg hunt at the Utah Field House of Natural History each year on the Saturday before Easter. Vernal has been the host of the Tournament of Champions wrestling tournament for high school wrestlers since 1973. It is the longest continuing invitational wrestling tournament in the state of Utah. The Vernal branch of Zion's Bank was mailed through USPS one brick at a time until the end of the 20th century. The town is located in the western edge of Ashley Valley, the valley in which Vernal is situated. It has a population of around 2,000 people and is located on the eastern edge of the Wasatch Range. The city is home to the Utah State Museum, which is open to the public for special events such as the National Park Service's "Dinah the Pink Dinosaur" event. It also hosts the National Museum of American History, which has a collection of more than 1,000 photographs of the local area. There are also a number of outdoor walking events that occur throughout the year including 5K runs and other outdoor walks.

Notable buildings

The Bank of Vernal was constructed in 1916-1917 by William H. Coltharp, a Vernal businessman and entrepreneur. He took advantage of inexpensive Parcel Post rates to ship some 80,000 masonry bricks in fifty-pound (22.6 kg) packages via the U.S. Post Office the 180 miles (290 km) from Salt Lake City to Vernal. The full trip was over 420 miles (675.9 km) long. After completing delivery of the bricks, the Post Office hastily changed its regulations, establishing a limit of 200 pounds (91 kg) per day per sender. Today the building is used as a branch office of Zions Bank. The Quarry Visitor Center in Dinosaur National Monument, and the Vernal Utah Temple are other historic Vernal buildings. The Vernal Temple is a small LDS temple in the old Vernal Tabernacle. It was built as the result of a local movement to save the old tabernacle when it was scheduled for demolition. The building is a registered historical building in the Uintah County Landmark Register. It is located at 3 West Main Street, Vernal, Utah, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Vernal, Uintah County, Utah = 98. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 80. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 90. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Vernal = 4.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,963 individuals with a median age of 30.1 age the population grows by 8.13% in Vernal, Uintah County, Utah population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,180.7 residents per square mile of area (871.95/km²). There are average 2.62 people per household in the 3,089 households with an average household income of $40,975 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.00% of the available work force and has dropped -2.63% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 27.74%. The number of physicians in Vernal per 100,000 population = 98.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Vernal = 14.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 60.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 81. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 238. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 9.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 67, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Vernal, Uintah County, Utah which are owned by the occupant = 60.56%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 33 years with median home cost = $89,500 and home appreciation of -7.32%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $6.12 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,130 per student. There are 21.7 students for each teacher in the school, 759 students for each Librarian and 601 students for each Counselor. 6.58% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.25% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.99% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).