St. George (Utah)

St. George is a city in southwestern Utah, on the Utah-Arizona border, known regionally as "Utah's Dixie" (a nickname given to the area for its warm southern Utah climate which was used to grow cotton by early settlers). The city is nestled in a scenic valley of desert vistas in the northeastern Mojave Desert, adjacent to the majestic Pine Valley Mountains.

Understand

St. George has seen unprecedented growth and has become well-known for its spectacular scenery, proximity to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon National Park; a growing arts and cultural scene; year-round golf, big-city fine dining and shopping variety; recreation, mild climate of over 300 sunny days a year, internationally known events and a major southwestern retirement destination. In the 1990s, the city was dubbed Utah's Palm Springs as retirees were flocking here. Today, however, St. George is growing into a diverse city of all walks of life, with a population of over 80,000 and metropolitan area of over 160,000 (2016). For locals and visitors, from the avid outdoor enthusiast to the more cosmopolitan type, the area offers everything from 'A to Zion'.

Visitor information

Get in

By car

St. George is on Interstate 15, which travels southwest through Las Vegas, Nevada and into Southern California, and north through Salt Lake City into Idaho and Montana. Access from Denver, the Midwest and the east coast can be achieved by Interstate 70, 2 hours to the north via I-15. Access from Phoenix and Albuquerque, New Mexico can be achieved by Interstate 10 and Interstate 40, about 2 hours to the southwest via I-15 and US Route 93.

There are a few rental car places at the airport, and an Enterprise at 652 E. St. George Blvd, +1 435 634-1556.

The St. George area is served directly by exits 2 (Southern Pkwy.), 4 (Brigham Road), 5 (Dixie Drive), 6 (Bluff Street), 8 (St. George Blvd), 10 (Green Springs Dr.) and 13 (Washington Pkwy). Bluff Street and St. George Blvd make up the downtown I-15 business loop where the bulk of lodging and services can be found.

By plane
  • 🌍 St. George Regional Airport (SGU  IATA). Is served by Skywest Airlines, operating as Delta Connection with flights to and from Salt Lake City, Denver and Phoenix. Hertz, Avis, National, and Budget rental car companies have counters at the airport. 
  • Harry Reid International Airport (LAS IATA) in Las Vegas is the nearest international airport. The drive from Las Vegas to St. George takes approximately 1.5 hours via I-15.

By bus

Greyhound serves St. George, stopping at the McDonald's at 1235 S Bluff, (corner of S. Bluff and Main Streets) just off I-15 exit 6.

There are also a few shuttle/bus companies serving St. George. St George Shuttle and Aztec Shuttle operates van service to Las Vegas International Airport and Salt Lake City. St George Express operates a shuttle to and from McCarran Las Vegas Airport (pick up at Level 0) and drops off at Howard Johnson Inn in St. George.

Get around

By car

St. George, like all cities in Utah, follows a well-defined grid system that makes it easy to get around and find your destination. For example, let's take the address 650 South 300 East. Each hundred represents one block radiating out from the center point at Tabernacle Street (running east-west) and Main Street (running north-south). To find 650 South 300 East, starting from the intersection of Main and Tabernacle, you would drive 3 blocks to the east, then just over 6 blocks to the south. St. George Boulevard, a major east-west artery, takes the place of 100 North.

While the grid system in the heart of town is well-defined, it can be become difficult to follow in the outlying areas and new subdivisions on the outskirts of the city. While in some cases the addresses will still follow the grid pattern, the blocks will become smaller and more irregularly spaced, and there will be more streets that don't follow the grid system at all.

By bus

SunTran is St George's public transit system, with over 140 bus stops and six fixed routes serving St. George and Ivins.

By bicycle

St. George also has a good urban trail network offering some very scenic routes for pedestrians, bicyclists, and skaters.

See
  • 🌍 St. George Utah Temple, 490 South 300 East, ☏ +1 435 673-5181. Daily 9AM-9PM. This beautiful, white temple is the oldest continually-used temple of the LDS Church, and it is a dominating landmark of the town. You can't enter the temple (unless you have a LDS Temple Recommend) but you can enter the visitors' center and tour the grounds. Free. 
  • Downtown Historic District. Centered around the intersection of St. George Boulevard and Main Street. Most of the town's preserved historic structures are here, as well as some shops and inns. Notable landmarks include the Old Pioneer Courthouse, Opera House, the Old Dixie Academy, and a number of historic homes and storefronts. 
    • 🌍 Brigham Young Winter Home, 67 West 200 North, ☏ +1 435 673-2517. Daily 9AM-6PM (closes at 5PM in winter). Brigham Young, the Mormon leader who was instrumental in the settling of Utah, spent many of his winters here. Free. 
    • 🌍 St. George Tabernacle, 18 South Main St (corner of Main and Tabernacle). Daily 9AM-6PM (closes at 5PM in winter). The Tabernacle was once considered the center of town, and was often used as a meeting hall. The pointed clock tower makes this building a landmark in the district. Free. 
    • 🌍 McQuarrie Memorial Pioneer Museum, 145 North 100 East, ☏ +1 435 682-7274. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Operated by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers society, this museum has a lot of items from the pioneer era. Free. 
  • 🌍 St. George Art Museum, 47 East 200 North, ☏ +1 435 627-4525. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Permanent exhibits with artworks from Utah artists and changing exhibits. $3 adults, $1 children, children under age 3 free. (updated Mar 2020)
  • 🌍 St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site, 2180 East Riverside, ☏ +1 435 574-3466. M-Sa 10AM-6PM. In 2000, some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world were found on a farm here, and since then a museum has been built around it where you can observe the dino tracks and fossil replicas. $3 adults, $2 children, children under 4 free. 
  • 🌍 Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum, 1835 Convention Center Dr, ☏ +1 435 656-0033. M noon-9PM, Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM. A massive museum full of realistic replicas of wild animals in their "natural" habitat. $8 adults, $6 seniors, $4 children, children under 2 free. 
  • 🌍 Tuacahn Amphitheater, 1100 Tuacahn Dr, Ivins, toll-free: +1-800-746-9882. Beautiful setting in a with red rock canyon walls surrounding. In the summer you can see wonderful musicals. 
  • 🌍 Red Cliffs Utah Temple, 1555 S Red Cliffs Temple Ln. This beautiful, reddish-white temple is the second LDS Temple built in St. George and it is a dominating landmark of the town. You can't enter the temple(unless you have a LDS Temple Recommend) but you can enter the visitors' center and tour the grounds. Free. (updated Nov 2023)

Do

Hiking
  • 🌍 Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The 62,000-acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve lies immediately North of Saint George. Popular for hiking and mountain biking. The 3-mile (round trip) Owen's Loop Trail begins 5 blocks north of the old downtown and features a stunning ridge trail with great views. Free. 

Golf

St. George is notable for its abundant golf opportunities, owing to the city's year-round warm climate. There are a number of golf courses to choose from:

Mountain biking
  • Bear Claw Poppy, Easy, short ride.
  • Green Valley Raceway, Home to many local races.
  • Gooseberry Mesa North and South Rim, A must-do! Slickrock coupled with singletrack.
  • Paradise Canyon Loop, A quick fun ride.
  • Hurricane Cliffs Trail System, Excellent singletrack.
  • Stucki Springs Trail, Fun trail close to town.
  • Broken Mesa Rim Trail, Technical trail in the desert reserve.
  • Church Rocks Loop with Prospector, A popular trail, especially in the winter.

Spectator sports
  • Utah Tech Trailblazers. The sports teams representing Utah Tech University, known before May 2022 as Dixie State University. (The name change didn't become legal until July 1, but the forward-facing name was changed a few weeks earlier.) Members of the Western Athletic Conference, the Trailblazers are in the midst of a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I that will end in 2024. Utah Tech lacks the high profile of some other schools in the state, most notably Utah in Salt Lake City and BYU in Provo, in no small part because its football team plays in the second-level Division I FCS in the newly formed and football-only United Athletic Conference. On the plus side, this means ticket prices are considerably lower than those for more prominent teams. The most prominent venues, both on campus, are 🌍 Greater Zion Stadium for football and soccer and 🌍 Burns Arena for basketball. 

Events

Buy
  • 🌍 Red Cliffs Mall is the only indoor shopping mall between Las Vegas and the Wasatch Front, it's anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Dillards and Barnes and Noble as well as over 65 retailers located on Red Cliffs Drive at the underpass between I-15 exits 8 and 10.
  • 🌍 The Outlets at Zion / Promenade at Red Cliffs offers a variety of local and national retailers and restaurants. Both shopping centers are on Red Cliffs Drive across the street from each other, just north of the St. George Boulevard exit.
  • 🌍 Red Rock Commons / Rimrock Center's major stores include Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta, Old Navy, Gap, TJ Maxx, Target, Ross and Lowe's. Both shopping centers located on River Road about two blocks apart, just south of the St. George Boulevard exit.
  • 🌍 Telegraph Marketplace's stores include Best Buy, Mattress Store, Payless Shoe Source, and America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.
  • 🌍 Middleton Shopping Center, 1552 Gateway Dr. USD. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 🌍 Cotton Mill Center. Stores include: The Home Depot, Walmart, Suile Salons, Petco, & Red Rock Spas. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 🌍 Cotton Mill II. Stores Include: Kohls, Joann Fabric Crafts, DownEast, Shoe Carnival, Natural Grocers, & Dollar Tree. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 🌍 Telegraph II (Unnamed). Stores include: AT&T, GOAT Haircuts, & Sleep Number. (updated Nov 2023)
  • 🌍 East Ridge Mall. A strip mall with 5 Major Stores (updated Nov 2023)

Eat
  • 🌍 Bear Paw Coffee Co, 75 N Main St, ☏ +1 435 634-0126. Place serves excellent fresh breakfast dishes all day. 
  • 🌍 Riggattis Pizza, 974 W Sunset Blvd, ☏ +1 435 674-9922. Great wood fired pizza (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, 15 S River Rd, ☏ +1 435 656-0200. 
  • 🌍 Nielsen Frozen Custard, 445 E St George Blvd, ☏ +1 435-628-5579. Great ice cream-like frozen custard. 
  • 🌍 Painted Pony, 2 W Saint George Blvd, ☏ +1 435 634-1700. M-Sa 11:30AM-10PM, Su 4-9PM. Fine dining restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Steak and seafood are the specialties, and there is a good wine list. $8-10 lunch, $18-30 dinner. 
  • 🌍 Pancho & Lefty's, 1050 S Bluff St, ☏ +1 435-628-4772. Great Mexican food and an overall good clean place to eat. 
  • 🌍 Peppers Cantina, 144 West Brigham Rd, ☏ +1 435 628-4660. Great Mexican food with wonderful flavor. 
  • 🌍 Pizza Factory, 2 W St. George Blvd, ☏ +1 435 628-1234. Pizza restaurant. Downstairs is a sister restaurant, the Pasta Factory, which has a patio dining area. The food is very good and reasonably priced. (updated May 2015)
  • Bishop's, a local ma and pop American food restaurant/cafe, has two locations: 🌍 929 N 3050 East Ste B6 and at 🌍 Sunset Plaza on the corner of Sunset and Dixie Drive.
  • Morty's Cafe, 702 East St. George Blvd St, ☏ +1 435-359-4439. 10AM - 9PM. (updated Mar 2021)

Drink

Sleep

Go next
  • Zion National Park, the most popular National Park in Utah.
  • Snow Canyon State Park, a must-visit gem right in St. George's backyard.
  • Hurricane, small town with hot springs sometimes open to the public, near Silver Reef ghost town
  • Colorado City unique polygamist community on Utah-Arizona border
  • Mesquite Golf, gamble, get away in St. George's favorite place to let loose
Routes through St. George
Salt Lake City ← Cedar City ← Jct E ←  N  S  → Mesquite → Las Vegas


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