Green River, Utah

City of Green River
City
Aerial of Green River, Utah
FIPS code		49-31670[2]
GNIS feature ID	1428398[3]
Website	greenriverutah.com

Green River is a city in Emery County, Utah, United States. The population was 847 at the 2020 census.^[4]

The city of Green River is located on ancestral

John Wesley Powell embarked on the first of two voyages down the Green River from Green River, Wyoming, more than 200 miles to the north of Green River, Utah, in May 1869 and floated the river to its confluence with the Colorado and beyond. Powell left a detailed account of the river and the surrounding landscape and prepared the first thorough maps of the river basin. Powell left his mark in other ways as well. He and his men named most of the canyons, geographic features, and rapids along the Green River during his two voyages in 1869 and 1871. Powell also paved the way for later generations of explorers and scientists interested in the unique geology of the basin of the Green River.

The settlement of the Green River started as a river crossing for the U.S. mail. In 1876, Mr. Blake set up a ferry and way station on the east side of the river. It became a stopover for travelers with a ferry transporting people, supplies, and animals across the river. Today, the river is primarily used for recreational and education rafting, canoeing, and kayaking trips. The "Gates of Lodore" portion is most common for recreational trips, as it can be completed in 3-6 days.

The line commonly known as the Utah Division of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was built in 1883, and a train station was opened. 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 sometimes referred to by that name today. With the railroad coming, the town quickly went from a small farm hamlet to a boom town, with workers coming to build the bridge and the roadbed for the railroad. After the railroad's completion, the Green River became a fueling and 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. 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 outside Green River in 1964. It was an annex of the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. From 1964 to 1973, the Air Force launched 141 Athena missiles from the Green River complex, near the Crystal Geyser, as part of research to improve nuclear missiles.^[5]

The city is located on the banks of the

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Green River has a land area of 27.14 square miles (70,287,692 m²), and a water area 0.12 square miles (319,726 m²).^[7]

Green River has a moderate desert climate (Köppen BWk).

As of the

There were 330 households, out of which 60.9% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 18.2% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household size was 2.77.

In the city the population was spread out, with 24.1% under 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.8 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,361. About 21.1% of the population were below the

Located approximately 100 miles (160 km) from both Richfield, Utah, 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 (172 km) 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 (5 km) 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, and has an annual Melon Days Festival.^[10] It is also a popular freeride mountain biking spot.

A proposed nuclear power plant, the Blue Castle Project, is located approximately five miles west-northwest of the town.^[11]

Interstate 70, along with U.S. 6, U.S. 191, and U.S. 50, also passes through Green River, the first eastbound services after Salina and the final westbound services, because the two cities are 110 miles (180 km) apart, the longest stretch of the interstate with no services in the United States.

The Main road in Green River is a short State road, SR 19, with Business I-70.

• Bert Loper, river-runner

The town becomes the new home of the Mousekewitz-family in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West as well as the main location in the subsequent television series Fievel's American Tails.

Two chapters of Stephen King's novel The Stand are set in a post-apocalyptic Green River.

Green River is the home of three of the characters in Edward Abbey's novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang.^[12]

• List of municipalities in Utah

Further reading

• Geary, Edward A. (1994), "Green River", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press,
  ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the original
  on March 21, 2024, retrieved May 7, 2024
• 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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Green River, Utah.

• City of Green River official website