Green River, Utah
Encyclopedia
Green River is a city in Emery County
, Utah
, United States
. The population was 973 at the 2000 census
.
, after which the city is named. The San Rafael Swell
region is to the west of Green River, while Canyonlands National Park
lies to the south. Today located exclusively in Emery County, it was split between Emery and Grand
counties until January 6, 2003, when Emery County's boundaries were expanded.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.7 km²), of which, 12.5 square miles (32.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.03%) is water.
Crystal Geyser
, a cold water "geyser
"---actually a carbon-dioxide driven, erupting well
---is located about nine miles southeast of town (Glennon, J.A. and Pfaff R.M. 2005).
In 1883 the railroad was built and set up a station. The west side of the river became known as Greenriver ( later changed to Green River) and the east side of the river became known as Elgin, and is still referred to by that name today. With the coming of the railroad, the town quickly went from a small farm hamlet to a boom town with workers coming to build the bridge and the road bed for the railroad. After completion of the railroad, Green River became a fueling, watering stop for the railroad, with switching yards and engine sheds. A hotel, called the Palmer House was built and became the scheduled meal stop for trains from both directions for many years. Green River enjoyed the railroad boom until 1892, when the railroad transferred most of its operations to Helper, Utah. The population of the town declined significantly.
Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s the mining of uranium played a significant role in the economy of Green River. Several trucking companies hauled ore from mines in the Four-Corners Mining District west of Green River, the San Rafael Swell, the Henry Mountains, and the area that is now Lake Powell.
The U. S. Air Force, built the Green River Launch Complex, just outside of Green River, 1964. It was an annex of the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range
. From 1964 to 1973 the U. S. Air Force launched 141 Athena Missiles
from the Green River launching area, near the Crystal Geyser as part of research to improve nuclear missiles.
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Green River station
, operating its California Zephyr
daily in both directions between Chicago
and Emeryville, California
.
of 2000, there were 973 people, 329 households, and 238 families residing in the city. The population density
was 77.8 people per square mile (30.0/km²). There were 376 housing units at an average density of 30.0 per square mile (11.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.28% White, 0.92% African American, 1.23% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.41% Pacific Islander, 7.09% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.63% of the population.
There were 329 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,000, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $28,417 versus $16,477 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,326. About 12.5% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
and Grand Junction, Colorado
, Green River's local economy primarily caters to serving passers-by on Interstate 70
since there are no services on I-70 westbound between Green River and Salina
, 107 miles away. The economy relies heavily on hotels, fast food and a few other restaurants and gas stations. A large natural gas field has been discovered 3 miles south of the city. The field is operated by Delta Petroleum headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Green River is famous for its melons, sold during the growing season.
Green River is also a popular freeride
mountain biking
spot. It can be seen in films such as New World Disorder 7
.
is the local cable television company.
Emery County, Utah
Emery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 973 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Geography
Green River is located at 38°59′36"N 110°9′0"W (38.993258, -110.149961), on the banks of the Green RiverGreen River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
, after which the city is named. The San Rafael Swell
San Rafael Swell
The San Rafael Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah, USA about 30 miles west of Green River, Utah. The San Rafael Swell, approximately by , consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide...
region is to the west of Green River, while Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
lies to the south. Today located exclusively in Emery County, it was split between Emery and Grand
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
counties until January 6, 2003, when Emery County's boundaries were expanded.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.7 km²), of which, 12.5 square miles (32.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.03%) is water.
Crystal Geyser
Crystal Geyser
Crystal Geyser is located on the east bank of the Green River approximately 4.5 miles downstream from Green River, Utah. It is a rare example of a cold water carbon dioxide driven geyser; geothermal activity does not play a role in the activity of the geyser...
, a cold water "geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
"---actually a carbon-dioxide driven, erupting well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
---is located about nine miles southeast of town (Glennon, J.A. and Pfaff R.M. 2005).
History
Green River City started as a river crossing for the U.S. Mail. In 1876, a Mr. Blake set up a ferry on the East side of the river and a way station. It became a stopover for travelers with a ferry for transporting people and animals across the river.In 1883 the railroad was built and set up a station. The west side of the river became known as Greenriver ( later changed to Green River) and the east side of the river became known as Elgin, and is still referred to by that name today. With the coming of the railroad, the town quickly went from a small farm hamlet to a boom town with workers coming to build the bridge and the road bed for the railroad. After completion of the railroad, Green River became a fueling, watering stop for the railroad, with switching yards and engine sheds. A hotel, called the Palmer House was built and became the scheduled meal stop for trains from both directions for many years. Green River enjoyed the railroad boom until 1892, when the railroad transferred most of its operations to Helper, Utah. The population of the town declined significantly.
Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s the mining of uranium played a significant role in the economy of Green River. Several trucking companies hauled ore from mines in the Four-Corners Mining District west of Green River, the San Rafael Swell, the Henry Mountains, and the area that is now Lake Powell.
The U. S. Air Force, built the Green River Launch Complex, just outside of Green River, 1964. It was an annex of the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
. From 1964 to 1973 the U. S. Air Force launched 141 Athena Missiles
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System is a United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide defense against ballistic missiles. It is part of the United States national missile defense strategy...
from the Green River launching area, near the Crystal Geyser as part of research to improve nuclear missiles.
Transportation
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Green River station
Green River (Amtrak station)
Green River is a train station in Green River, Utah. It is served by Amtrak's California Zephyr train. Originally built by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, Amtrak did not use this depot until 1994...
, operating its California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
daily in both directions between Chicago
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
and Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 973 people, 329 households, and 238 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 77.8 people per square mile (30.0/km²). There were 376 housing units at an average density of 30.0 per square mile (11.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.28% White, 0.92% African American, 1.23% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.41% Pacific Islander, 7.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.63% of the population.
There were 329 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.48.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,000, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $28,417 versus $16,477 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $11,326. About 12.5% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Located approximately 100 miles in either direction from Richfield, UtahRichfield, Utah
Richfield is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Utah, in the United States, and is the largest city in southern-central Utah. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,551. It lies in the Mormon Corridor, just off of Interstate 70 about 40 miles east of its junction with...
and Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, Green River's local economy primarily caters to serving passers-by on Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
since there are no services on I-70 westbound between Green River and Salina
Salina, Utah
Salina is a city in Sevier County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,393 at the 2000 census.-History:The first permanent settlers moved into the area in 1864 at the direction of leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, 107 miles away. The economy relies heavily on hotels, fast food and a few other restaurants and gas stations. A large natural gas field has been discovered 3 miles south of the city. The field is operated by Delta Petroleum headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Green River is famous for its melons, sold during the growing season.
Green River is also a popular freeride
Freeride
Freeride is a discipline of mountain biking closely related to downhill cycling and dirt jumping focused on tricks, style, and technical trail features. It is now recognized as one of the most popular disciplines within mountain biking....
mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
spot. It can be seen in films such as New World Disorder 7
New World Disorder (Freeride Mountain Biking Movie Series)
New World Disorder is the name given to a series of popular freeride mountain-biking movies produced by Freeride Entertainment. The series has filmed several movies; the first of which, New World Disorder I released in late 2000 was a great success, and it proved itself to be one of the most...
.
Communications
Emery Telecom is the local telephone and high speed internet provider while Satview Broadband LtdSatview Broadband Ltd
Satview is a cable television Master System Operator in the United States, with Franchise Cable Television systems in the State of Nevada. The operator serves mainly rural towns and cities...
is the local cable television company.
Further reading
- Glennon, J.A., Pfaff, R.M. (2005). "The operation and geography of carbon-dioxide-driven, cold-water geysers," GOSA Transactions, vol. 9, pp. 184–192.