Escalante, Utah

Escalante, Utah
Escalante and the Straight Cliffs from the north
Location in Garfield County and state of Utah
Coordinates: 37°46′13″N 111°36′8″W / 37.77028°N 111.60222°W / 37.77028; -111.60222
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyGarfield
Settled1875
Named afterSilvestre Vélez de Escalante
Government
  MayorMayor Melani Torgersen
  Town ClerkStephanie Steed
Area
  Total
3.30 sq mi (8.55 km2)
  Land3.30 sq mi (8.55 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
5,820 ft (1,770 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
786
  Estimate 
(2019)
798
  Density241.74/sq mi (93.33/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
84726
Area code435
FIPS code49-23750
GNIS feature ID2410452
State Routes
Websitewww.escalantecity-utah.com

Escalante (locally /ˌɛskəˈlænt(i)/ ) is a city in central Garfield County, Utah, United States, located along Utah Scenic Byway 12 (SR-12) in the south-central part of the state. As of the 2020 census, 786 people were living in the city.

The city is named after Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, a Franciscan missionary and a member of the first European expedition into what is now southern Utah.

The nearest towns are Boulder which is 27 miles (43 km) to the northeast on SR-12, and Henrieville, which is 30 miles (48 km) to the southwest on SR-12.

The Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is located west of the city. Sections of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) abut much of the city's limits. The Hole-in-the-Rock Road, which begins 5 mi (8.0 km) east of Escalante, is the main access road into the eastern section of GSENM. The road leads to the Canyons of the Escalante, the Devils Garden and the Hole-in-the-Rock.