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Hurricane, Utah is located in the southwest corner of Utah at an elevation of 3,266
feet. It is 23 miles from the northern border of Arizona, 25 miles from Zion
National Park, and 18 miles northeast of St. George, Utah.
The crossroads to Zion National Park, Lake Powell
and the Grand Canyon are smack in the heart of downtown Hurricane, Utah.
This picturesque town sits at the foot of the world famous Hurricane
Ridge which delineates the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. Known
for its beautiful fruit orchards and farms, Hurricane has a rich
heritage and profound community pride.
HISTORY AND HERITAGE:
Hurricane is a community with a powerful history linked to the building
of the Hurricane Canal in the early 1900s. Hurricane was established in 1905 after pioneers, spending 11
years building a canal to water the two thousand acres of fertile land, finished this historic task without modern tools and equipment. The fertile lands produce many fruits, vegetables and nuts, and is known as southern Utah's "Fruit Basket".
That heritage is fittingly celebrated at the
annual Peach Days festival at the Hurricane Heritage Park on the
southwest corner of the town's main intersection. The park and its
museum are a must stop for travelers. Hurricane Valley Pioneer
Heritage Park beautifully depicts the valley's unique history.
Hurricane lies in line with traffic going to the National Parks and Lake Powell. Average daily traffic on Hurricane's State Street has increased considerably over the last five years. Daily traffic is 7,397 visitors per day, or over 2.7 million visitors a year.
Hurricane is primarily a rural community with a rich heritage of Pioneer traditions. The area still maintains the quiet rural life and retirement atmosphere that has made it a pleasing place to live.
Hurricane got it's name from an incident that happened in 1865 when a sudden gust of wind blew the top
off of Erastus Snow's buggy. He exclaimed "my that was a hurricane". The Hurricane Hill, and the longest fault in the
world, extending from Central Utah to the Colorado River, was named after
this event. Although the town was named for a hurricane, it has never seen and actual one, and the climate remains mild year round.
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