Monroe is a city in Sevier County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,515 at the 2020 United States Census.

Geography

Monroe is located in rural central Utah. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5&nbsp;square miles (9.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all land. Monroe is bordered by mountains on the east and south, and farmers' fields to the west and north.

Monroe is home to naturally occurring hot springs with travertine deposits, a result of the Monroe-Red Hill geothermal system found along the Sevier fault. On the east side of town, hot water surfaces at a temperature of 168&nbsp;°F and a rate of about 200 gallons per minute. A travertine mound has formed, known as the Monroe Mound. This deposit stretches one mile across, 200 yards wide, and a few hundred feet thick. There is another hot water source about a mile north of town called the Red Hill Hot Springs. It also surfaces at 168&nbsp;°F, but at a rate of about 100 gallons per minute. The Red Hill mound is about one-third of a mile across, and deep red in color.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Monroe had a population of 2,515. The median age was 37.8 years. 29.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.9 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 854 households in Monroe, of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 64.4% were married-couple households, 13.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 2,322 || 92.3%

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| Black or African American || 9 || 0.4%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 23 || 0.9%

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| Asian || 5 || 0.2%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 5 || 0.2%

|-

| Some other race || 49 || 1.9%

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| Two or more races || 102 || 4.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 108 || 4.3%

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,845 people, 707 households, and 480 families residing in the Monroe. Most, if not all, of the first Settlers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), who had immigrated to Utah. Around 4 to 5 months before the first small group of men entered Monroe valley to begin settlement, an advanced team, also led by George Wilson, began to lay some foundation work to help prepare the settlement.

Initially settling in the Salt Lake Valley did not provoke the Native Americans to war, but further settlement outside of Salt Lake provoked the Native Americans to more aggressive behavior. As settlement in these valleys increased, the Native Americans were pushed back into the mountains. The hot springs enjoyed many years of prosperity until around 1950. It was revitalized in the 1970s. The name was changed to Mystic Hot Springs in 1995.

Present day

thumb|310px|right|Monroe City Library

Monroe has many subdivisions and is nicknamed "The Little Green Valley" due to the many fields that surround the city.

Education

The schools for most of the surrounding areas are also located in Monroe, which has Monroe Elementary (K-5), South Sevier Middle School (6-8), and South Sevier High School (9-12). School-age children are traditionally bused from the neighboring towns of Central Valley, Annabella, Elsinore, Joseph, and Sevier to Monroe to attend school. Navajo placement students are also traditionally bused to the schools from a dormitory in Richfield.

LDS Chapel 2024 New Year's Eve carbon monoxide poisoning

Over 50 Latter-Day Saint churchgoers were reported to be sickened from carbon monoxide poisoning at the LDS Monroe East chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sevier County, Utah, on December 31, 2023, New Year's Eve, as reported by the Sevier County Sheriff’s office. The sheriff reported they were transported to a local hospital for treatment. It was determined that the heating system malfunctioned, causing a release of carbon monoxide into the chapel, where services were being held. Carbon monoxide poisoning at the Monroe Latter-day Saint chapel in Utah led to 22 hospitalizations on Sunday, and 54 people experienced symptoms of poisoning, and 49 were treated.

The local fire department checked the building for carbon monoxide, and high levels were discovered and the building was evacuated. Members who re-entered the building continued to experience poisoning symptoms and were transported for medical care. 22 individuals required hospitalization and 10 ambulance transports were required to evacuate victims to a local hospital that had a hyperbaric chamber that could treat the patients. The church made a public statement that the building would be checked and the heating system repaired.

Notable people

  • B.F. Larsen – artist
  • Ralph Okerlund — state senator

See also

  • Fremont Indian State Park

References

Further reading

  • (1994) "Monroe" article in the Utah History Encyclopedia. The article was written by M. Guy Bishop and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022, and retrieved on October 3, 2024.
  • Official Monroe City Website
  • Monroe City Library