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 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
5,820 ft (1,770 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
786
 • Estimate 
(2019)
798
 • Density241.7/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.