San Juan County is a part of the Colorado Plateau, a geologic region formed mostly of sandstone and limestone that includes two-thirds of the state of Utah as well as parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Mighty rivers like the Colorado and the San Juan have carved deep canyons and unusual erosion forms through the colorful sedimentary rock, and many people find the area to be spectacularly beautiful on a grand scale. In prehistoric times, the San Juan country was the home of the Anasazi, whose cliff houses, pictographs, and petro glyphs have baffled and fascinated visitors to the country since their disappearance shortly after A.D. 1300. The Basket makers, the earliest phase of the Anasazi Culture, were first identified and studied in Grand Gulch. The Navajo Indians, who were perhaps a cause of the disappearance of the Anasazi, now occupy a large part of San Juan County–from the San Juan River to the Arizona border. Although there were a few white residents along the San Juan River before 1879, the Mormon scouts who planned the famous Hole-in-the-Rock Trail that year began the full-scale settlement of San Juan County. The 230 pioneers who left Escalante in the fall of that year arrived at the present site of Bluff on 6 April 1880.

San Juan County Utah Lawyers

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San Juan County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,746. Its county seatis Monticello, while its most populous city is Blanding. The county was named by the Utah State Legislature for the San Juan River, itself named by Spanish explorers (in honor of Saint John). San Juan County borders Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico at the Four Corners.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 7,933 square miles (20,550 km2), of which 7,820 square miles (20,300 km2) is land and 113 square miles (290 km2) (1.4%) is water. It is the largest county by area in Utah. The county’s western and southern boundaries lie deep within gorges carved by the Colorado and San Juan Rivers. Tributary canyons, cutting through rock layers of the surrounding deserts, have carved the land up with chasms, cliffs and plateaus. In the center of the county are Cedar Mesa, Comb Wash, Natural Bridges and Hove weep National Monuments. Canyon lands National Park is primarily within the county borders. The Eastern side of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area / Lake Powell in also in San Juan County. Rising above all, the Blue (Abajo) Mountains reach to nearly 12,000 feet (3,700 m) and the La Sal Mountains rise to 13,000 feet (4,000 m). Both ranges are covered with lush forests vividly contrasting with the scenery below. The elevation change within the county is from near 13,000 feet (4,000 m) in the La Sal Mountains to 3,000 feet (910 m) at Lake Powell, an elevation change of 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The county is cut by deep and spectacular canyons, red rock and mountain meadows, desert, and evergreen forest. The towns run primarily on a north/south axis along U.S. Route 191 and U.S. Route 163 from La Sal in the north to Monument Valley in the south. The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan.

The magistrate judges are located in the adjacent Federico Degetau Federal Building, and several senior district judges hold court at the Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Old San Juan. The old courthouse also houses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Most appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which is headquartered in Boston but hears appeals at the Old San Juan courthouse for two sessions each year. Patent claims as well as claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act are appealed to the Federal Circuit. The United States first established a federal court in Puerto Rico under the Foraker Act of 1900. This court was a territorial court, operating within what the Supreme Court would soon define in the Insular Cases as an unincorporated territory of the United States. As such, the court was established under Article IV rather than Article III of the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court of the United States discussed the nature of the court in Balzac v. Porto Rico, 258 U.S. 298 (1922). Because the court was a territorial court rather than full-fledged District Courts, its judges did not enjoy Article III protections such as life tenure.

The District Court in Puerto Rico continued to be an Article IV court even after Puerto Rico attained its commonwealth status. However, in 1966, the U.S. Congress conferred life tenure on the federal judges of Puerto Rico, transforming the court into a full-fledged Article III district court with the same status as the other United States District Courts throughout the country. The congressional report on the bill making this change described the change of status as being “appropriate in light of the court’s caseload and the conferral of Commonwealth status on Puerto Rico,” and also explained: There is no reason why the U.S. District Judges for the District of Puerto Rico should not be placed in a position of parity as to tenure with all other Federal Judges throughout our judicial system. Moreover, federal litigants in Puerto Rico should not be denied the benefit of judges made independent by life tenure from the pressures of those who might influence his chances of reappointment, which benefits the Constitution guarantees to the litigants in all other Federal Courts. These judges in Puerto Rico have and will have the exacting same heavy responsibilities as all other Federal district judges and, therefore, they should have the same independence, security, and retirement benefits to which all other Federal district judges are entitled.

Adjacent counties
• Grand County (North)
• Mesa County, Colorado (Northeast)
• Montrose County, Colorado (Northeast)
• San Miguel County, Colorado (East)
• Dolores County, Colorado (East)
• Montezuma County, Colorado (East)
• San Juan County, New Mexico (Southeast)
• Apache County, Arizona (South)
• Navajo County, Arizona (South)
• Coconino County, Arizona (Southwest)
• Kane County (West)
• Garfield County (West)
• Wayne County (West)
• Emery County (Northwest)

San Juan County is bordered by more counties than any other county in the United States, at 14.

San Juan County in Utah and New Mexico are two of twenty-two counties or parishes in the United States with the same name to border each other across state lines. The others are Union Parish, Louisiana and Union County, Arkansas, Big Horn County, Montana and Big Horn County, Wyoming, Sabine County, Texas and Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Bristol County, Massachusetts and Bristol County, Rhode Island, Kent County, Delaware and Kent County, Maryland, Escambia County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida., Pike County, Illinois and Pike County, Missouri, Teton County, Idaho and Teton County, Wyoming, Park County, Montana and Park County, Wyoming, and Vermilion County, Illinois and Vermillion County, Indiana. Respectively. (Note, despite the different spellings, the source of the name is the same for Vermilion County, Illinois and Vermillion County, Indiana—the Vermillion River which flows through both counties.)

As of the current census of 2010, there were 14,746 people and 4,505 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 50.4% Native American, 45.8% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American and 2.3% reporting two or more races. 4.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2000 census there were 14,413 people, 4,089 households and 3,234 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 5,449 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 40.77% White, 0.12% Black or African American, 55.69% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.70% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. 3.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In the 2000 census, there were 4,089 households out of which 47.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.90% were non-families. 18.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 4.02.

In the county, the population was spread out with 39.30% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 17.10% from 45 to 64, and 8.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,137, and the median income for a family was $31,673. Males had a median income of $31,497 versus $19,617 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,229. About 26.90% of families and 31.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.70% of those under age 18 and 35.10% of those ages 65 or over.

San Juan County UT Cities, Towns, & Neighborhoods
• Aneth
• Blanding
• Bluff
• Halchita
• Halls Crossing
• La Sal
• Mexican Hat
• Montezuma Creek
• Monticello
• Navajo Mountain
• Oljato-Monument Valley CDP
• Spanish Valley
• Tselakai Dezza
• White Mesa

Other Populated Places in San Juan County
• Clay Hills Crossing
• Ducket Crossing
• Eastland
• Fry Canyon
• Goulding
• Gravel Crossing
• Indian Village
• La Sal Junction
• Little Water
• Old La Sal
• Oljato
• Rainbow City
• Red Lake Village
• Rowleys Trailer Park
• Soldier Crossing
• Ucolo
• Verdure
• Westerner Trailer Park
• White Mesa Village
• White Rock Curve Village

Climate in San Juan County, Utah

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure. Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

San Juan County, Utah gets 10 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. San Juan County averages 17 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. On average, there are 254 sunny days per year in San Juan County. The US average is 205 sunny days. San Juan County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 52 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights
• Summer High: the July high is around 94 degrees
• Winter Low: the January low is 21
• Rain: averages 10 inches of rain a year
• Snow: averages 17 inches of snow a year
National protected areas
• Canyon lands National Park
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Manti-La Sal National Forest
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Rainbow Bridge National Monument
• Bears Ears National Monument

Natural resources

The only operating Uranium Processing plant in the United States operates in the town of Blanding, population 3,375. San Juan County is home to numerous oil and gas fields that produce primarily from the Desert Creek.

San Juan County Utah Court Directory

The Utah trial court system consists of District Courts, Juvenile Courts, and Justice Courts.

District Courts in San Juan County

• 7th District Court – San Juan County
297 South Main Street, PO Box 68, Monticello, UT 84535
Phone: 435-587-2122
Juvenile Courts in San Juan County
• 7th District Juvenile Court – San Juan County
• 297 South Main Street, PO Box 68, Monticello, UT 84535
• Phone: 435-587-2122
Justice Courts in San Juan County
• Blanding Justice Court
167 East 500 North, Blanding, UT 84511
Phone: 435-678-2334
Fax: 435-678-1507
• Monticello Justice Court
PO Box 1058, Monticello, UT 84535
Phone: 435-587-2544
Fax: 435-587-2171
• San Juan County Justice Court
297 South Main Street, PO Box 833, Monticello, UT 84535
Phone: 435-587-2544
Fax: 435-587-2171
https://www.sanjuanco.com

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