Moving to Apple Valley, Utah

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, USGS, and the Utah State Tax Commission. Prices move, so ask me for current numbers.

Apple Valley is a small town of about 950 people in Washington County, on SR-59 at about 4,750 feet. The town covers nearly 40 square miles. Smithsonian Butte and Canaan Mountain fill the skyline, with the back side of Zion beyond them. I would call it rural by choice.

Hurricane is about 17 minutes west, and St. George is about 40. The south entrance of Zion National Park is about 50 minutes away, by SR-59 to Hurricane and then SR-9 east. Cedar City and Kanab are each about an hour away. A dirt road toward Rockville looks shorter on a map, but it is not a normal route, and the outdoors topic says why.

Building began in 1986, when the first subdivisions, Apple Valley Ranch and Gooseberry, were laid out. Many roads there are still dirt. The town became a town in 2004. The 2020 Census counted 855 people, and the 2025 estimate is 951.

Lots are big. The county map lists 932 tax parcels in town. About two in three are an acre or larger, and about three in ten are five acres or larger. Many lots allow horses and other large animals, with limits by the acre. The communities topic has the zones and the named areas.

Land is the draw, and setup is the homework. The town runs the water system, but many homes use private wells. There is no town sewer, so homes use septic tanks. There are no gas lines, so homes heat with electricity, propane, or wood. Water decides what a lot is worth, and the home checks topic covers it parcel by parcel.

There is no school, clinic, or grocery store in town. On SR-59 you will find a fuel stop, and a coffee shop next door. Schools, the 24 hour emergency room, and the big stores are in Hurricane. The shopping topic and the healthcare topic give the drive times.

Big plans have come and gone here. In February 2026 the town council ended seven development agreements. The new construction topic tells that story.

Want elbow room, big views, and dark skies within an hour of St. George? Apple Valley is worth a serious look. Want curbs, a grocery store, and a school in town? It will frustrate you. Think about both halves before you drive out.

For other common questions about moving to Utah, see the Utah FAQ. My Apple Valley guides on The Local go deeper on the plateau, the water letter, and Canaan Mountain. Your nearest bigger town has its own guide: Hurricane.

Sources: the U.S. Census Bureau (population), the U.S. Geological Survey (elevation), the Utah Division of State History (the town's start), the Washington County parcel map (lots), the town's own notices, and drive times from Town Hall, 1777 N Meadowlark Dr.

Apple Valley has a high desert climate. It sits about 2,000 feet higher than St. George, and you feel that in every season. Summers are hot, but a step down from the valley below. Winters have cold nights and a little snow.

No weather station sits in Apple Valley. These numbers come from the station in Colorado City, Arizona, about 12 miles south. It is about 260 feet higher than Town Hall, so Apple Valley may run a touch warmer. Its record ended in 2012, and its 1991 to 2020 normals are still the official NOAA numbers for this spot.

Compared with Hurricane and La Verkin, this high ground runs about 4°F cooler in July. It gets about nine times the snow.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. Look at December and January. Winter days reach the high 40s, and winter nights drop to the 20s.

• JanuaryHigh 49°F, low 24°F
• FebruaryHigh 53°F, low 28°F
• MarchHigh 61°F, low 33°F
• AprilHigh 68°F, low 38°F
• MayHigh 78°F, low 46°F
• JuneHigh 89°F, low 54°F
• JulyHigh 95°F, low 62°F
• AugustHigh 92°F, low 62°F
• SeptemberHigh 85°F, low 54°F
• OctoberHigh 72°F, low 42°F
• NovemberHigh 59°F, low 31°F
• DecemberHigh 48°F, low 24°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, from the Colorado City, Arizona station, about 12 miles from Town Hall.

Rain is light. A normal year brings about 14.3 inches of rain and melted snow. February is the wettest month, at about 1.8 inches, and June is the driest, at about 0.3.

Frost comes at the usual times for this height. The last spring freeze is usually around April 26, and the first fall freeze around October 25. That leaves about 180 frost-free days. One spring in ten, the last frost comes as late as May 15. A normal year has about 120 nights at freezing or colder, and about 73 of them fall from December through February.

Hurricane, next door, has milder winters and hotter summers. Its Hurricane guide shows the weather from the low ground.

Apple Valley gets a little snow. The Colorado City station logs about 12.4 inches in a normal year. February is the snowiest month, at 3.6 inches, then December at 3.1 and January at 2.9. March adds about 1.1 inches. Winter, from December to February, brings about 9.6 inches of the total.

Snow comes a few times a winter and does not stay long. A normal year has about 4 days with an inch or more of new snow. About 8 days a year have an inch or more on the ground. Snow can linger on shaded dirt roads after it has melted in town.

Storms can also close the dirt road toward Rockville. Use the paved route through Hurricane when the weather turns, and see the outdoors topic for that road.

If you want more snow, drive up. Cedar City is about an hour away and gets about 60 inches in a normal year. Brian Head Resort is about an hour and a half away. St. George, about 40 minutes down the hill, gets about 1 inch.

Sources: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020 (the snow flag is provisional, from 17 to 20 years of record).

Summer here is hot, but not as hot as St. George. A normal July afternoon reaches about 95°F. The normals show about 72 days a year at 90°F or hotter, and about 8 days at 100°F or hotter. Nights cool off, with a normal July low of about 62°F.

A good air conditioner still matters. You also learn to live early and late. Walk, ride, and water the yard in the morning or after sunset, and spend the middle of the day inside or at the water.

Summer also brings a storm season. The National Weather Service counts June 15 to September 30 as monsoon season in the Southwest. July through September brings about 4.1 inches of rain here, and August and September are the wettest months. Dry washes can fill in minutes. Six inches of fast moving water can knock an adult down, and 12 inches can carry away most cars.

Dirt roads take the worst of it. A hard storm turns them to clay, so plan extra time on storm days.

Sources: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, from the Colorado City, Arizona station; the National Weather Service flood and monsoon pages.

The plateau is open, and the wind is part of the package. No one has measured wind in Apple Valley. The nearest weather stations with wind records are at the St. George and Kanab airports. Both are far off and sit in different settings, so I do not print a wind number for the town.

Spring is the windy season on open ground like this. Warm air moves in fast and the wind follows. Summer storms can bring strong gusts too. Fall and winter are calmer.

Plan a lot with the wind in mind. Place outbuildings with care, tie down trampolines, and think about a row of trees as a windbreak. Wind also dries the ground, so bare dirt blows in a dry spring.

An inversion is when cold air gets trapped in a valley under a lid of warmer air, and smog builds up for days. The Salt Lake and Utah valleys are known for them in winter. Apple Valley does not have that problem. The county record shows almost none. In the six winters from 2020 to 2026, fine particles pushed county air past the good range on only 8 days. Fine particles are tiny bits of soot and smoke.

Washington County is not on the EPA list of Utah counties that fail, or once failed, a federal air standard. That list names nine counties, and Washington is not one of them. The county is outside the state's mandatory no-burn rule for winter smog days too. That rule covers seven counties in northern Utah.

Source: EPA AirData, daily air quality index for Washington County, 2020 to 2025. A day is good at 50 or under and moderate at 51 to 100.

Ozone is the main pollutant. It is a gas that forms in strong sunlight, and it sets the daily reading on most days of the year. It pushed the county past 50 on 59 to 89 days a year from 2020 to 2025. Summer and fall can also bring smoky days, most likely from wildfires. Fine particles pushed the reading past 50 on 27 summer and fall days in 2020. In 2023 and 2024, that happened on just 1 day each.

The county monitors sit in Hurricane and in Zion Canyon. None of them is in Apple Valley, so these readings are a guide for the area, not a reading from your street.

Fire is a local concern. The county wildfire map lists three fires on Bureau of Land Management land in the Little Creek area. The largest was in 2004 and burned about 613 acres. The town runs its own volunteer fire department, and its calls include wildland fires.

Check the air on any day at the state's air quality site, the way you check the weather.

Sources: EPA Green Book, EPA AirData, the Utah Division of Air Quality, the Washington County wildfire history map, and the Utah DEQ no-burn page.

People come to Apple Valley for land. Many lots here are an acre or more, and some are much bigger. You get more acreage for your money than anywhere in the Hurricane valley. The glance box at the top shows the typical home value from the Census. What you trade for that land is the cost of country living. You pay for water on its own, and every errand is a drive to Hurricane, about 17 minutes away.

Fuel is in town, but the nearest grocery stores are 18 to 20 minutes away, and the shopping topic lists them. The town also adds a monthly trash and storm drain fee to your bill. Compared with the same acreage near Hurricane or Springdale, Apple Valley trades drive time and rural utilities for less money up front. I can run a side by side against where you live now, so you see the real difference.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, and the Washington County parcel records. Water fees are from the town fee schedule for 2026. Compare the nearest bigger town in the Hurricane guide.

For general information only. This is not tax or financial advice. Tax rates and home prices change. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Three taxes matter most when you move here: sales tax, state income tax, and property tax. Here is each one in plain terms, with the rate in effect as I write this.

Apple Valley's sales tax is one of the lowest in the county. It is 6.45%, and it did not change when other valley towns added a fire district tax in April 2026. A town ordinance posted in November 2025 sets a 1.5% town energy tax on power bills. Ask the town to confirm the rate on your bill.

The primary home exemption

Utah gives a tax break to the home you live in. A primary home is taxed on 55% of its market value, not the full value. To get it, you must live in the home at least 183 days in a row each year. On a big lot, know that the break covers the house and up to one acre of land. The rest of the land is taxed in full. Second homes and rentals are taxed on the full value.

Washington County asks you to apply. You can apply online on the county assessor's page, or call (435) 301-7020. From January 1, 2027, state law makes this the rule across Utah whenever a home changes owners.

Car fees and tests

Utah does not tax your car as property. Instead, you pay an age-based fee each year when you register it. The fee is below for 2026, for cars, light trucks, SUVs, and vans. Registration fees come on top. Washington County has no emissions test. A car that is new to Utah needs a quick VIN check.

Sources: Utah State Tax Commission (sales tax rates and the 2025 property tax report), the Apple Valley energy tax ordinance of November 2025, Utah DMV, the Washington County Assessor, S.B. 60 of 2026, and Utah Code 59-2-103.5. Questions about your own bill go to the Washington County Assessor.

For general information only. This is not tax or financial advice. Tax rates and home prices change. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

The glance box at the top of this page shows the typical home value from the Census. Apple Valley has only about 380 homes, so few sell in any month. One big sale can move an average, so I would not trust any one headline number. Prices and the number of homes for sale change through the year, so ask me for the latest.

Most homes are site-built houses. About 88% are detached houses, and about 8% are manufactured homes. The Census puts the middle year built at 2003, and about 96% went up after 1990. The town began in 1986. About nine in ten homes are lived in by their owners. The numbers come from a small town, so each has a wide margin.

Lots are the main story. Of the town's 932 tax parcels, about two in three are an acre or more, and about three in ten are five acres or more. Zoning, septic, road access, and water decide what a lot is worth, and the topics below cover each one. A lot with a town water hookup, a lot on standby, and a lot that hauls water are three different things. The photos can look the same.

Shop for a home

Sources: Census ACS 2020 to 2024 (housing type, year built, owner share), the Washington County parcel records, the town's rural estate zone text, and the town's short-term rental rules and fee schedule. Ask me about any one address.

Apple Valley does not sort into tidy neighborhoods. Site-built homes, manufactured homes, and open acreage sit side by side. So think in areas, not subdivisions.

Most homes sit in the town's rural estate zones. RE-1 needs at least one acre a lot, and RE-5 needs five. The zone text says the rural estate zone is for small farms and hobby farms. Animal limits use a point system. The zone text posted in 2026 allows about four horses or cows an acre, and no more than 10 on five acres. Ask the town what a lot allows.

Below are nine areas, from Town Hall outward. Lot sizes are the middle size on the county's records, so they are rough. Drive times are to downtown Hurricane.

• Town centerApple Valley RanchAround Town Hall, along SR-59One of the two original 1986 subdivisions, with about 200 lots. The middle lot is about an acre, and Hurricane is about 16 minutes away. A wash runs through part of it, so look up flood status on any lot.
• Town centerWells EstatesJust east of Town HallAbout 26 lots, and the middle lot is close to 2 acres. Hurricane is about 18 minutes away.
• NorthGooseberryAbout a mile and a half north of Town Hall, toward the Gooseberry Mesa roadThe second of the 1986 plats, with about 100 lots of about an acre. Hurricane is about 22 minutes away. It sits at the town's north edge, where the hazard maps reach, so the before you buy topic matters here.
• SR-59 westCabins and unplatted landBoth sides of SR-59, west of the centerLarge unplatted parcels, plus two cabin lots on Apple Valley Drive. Planned land here includes Jepson Canyon across from Little Creek Station and Oculta Roca on the south side of the highway. The new construction topic covers both.
• MiddleUnplatted acreage, north and middleSpread across the middle of townParcels with no plat name. The middle size is about 6 to 7 acres in the north and about 10 acres in the middle.
• SoutheastCedar PointAt the southeast end, along SR-59, about 6 miles from Town HallAbout 96 lots with the smallest lots in town, about half an acre. Hurricane is about 21 minutes away. Cedar Point has its own water story: since July 2025 it runs on the main town system. The before you buy topic tells it.
• SoutheastSouth Zion EstatesNext to Cedar Point, along SR-59About 42 lots of about an acre, on the highest platted ground in town. Hurricane is about 21 minutes away.
• Far southeastCanaan Mountain EstatesAlong SR-59, toward HildaleAbout 14 lots, and the middle lot is about 2.4 acres, with Canaan Mountain rising behind. Hurricane is about 23 minutes away.
• SouthUnplatted acreage, southSouth and southeast of the centerParcels with no plat name, with a middle size of nearly 10 acres. A few small lot splits of about 5 acres sit near Cedar Point.

Want to compare lots, prices, and views side by side? Tell me what you are looking for and I will pull the plat, the zoning, and the water status before you drive out. To see homes now, open Apple Valley homes for sale.

Sources: Washington County parcel and plat records, the town zoning text, and the 2026 town fee schedule, checked October 4, 2026. Lot sizes are the middle size of the parcels on each plat. Drive times are from a road router and are rough.

New building in Apple Valley is mostly lot by lot. Owners build custom homes and barndominium-style homes, and they place manufactured homes on their own land. No large builder has a community in town. For many buyers that is the draw, because you can build what you want on land you chose. The checklist is a rural one, though, and the steps below put it in order.

Big plans have come and gone here. In February 2025 the town signed a master agreement for Crimson Peaks, a plan of well over a thousand homes and cabins. Six other master agreements covered other plans. On February 25, 2026, the Town Council voted to end all seven. It also repealed the matching rezoning. The developer's attorney disputed the claim that the terms were broken. None of the seven is a live project today.

Two other plans are on paper. Jepson Canyon is about 312 acres south of SR-59, across from Little Creek Station. Town meeting records show that an amended agreement replaced an older plan in November 2025. The older plan had about 550 homes, a golf course, and a lodge. The new one allows 227 lots, with 169 of at least half an acre and 58 of at least one acre. It also sets aside a 2.5-acre public park and about 23 acres for businesses along the highway. The developer may not use the town's aquifer, so it must drill new wells in a different one. The plan is to build in phases over about 10 years or more.

Oculta Roca is a planned development of about 525 acres on the south side of SR-59, at Cinder Hills Road. A change on the April 2026 council agenda proposed up to 84 rental cabins and 50 single-family lots. Ask the town about the current status of each plan, and look for ground that has actually been broken.

The build checklist

1. Water will-serve letter. Get the town to say in writing whether it can serve the lot. The before you buy topic explains what it does and does not promise.
2. Septic feasibility. There is no town sewer, so the health department must approve a septic system for the lot.
3. Zoning and road access. Check the zone, the setbacks, and whether the road to the lot is public, paved, or dirt.
4. Power to the lot. Rocky Mountain Power serves the town. Ask the utility for a quote to bring a line to a bare lot.

Sources: Apple Valley Town Council resolutions and minutes (February 2026), Planning Commission minutes (November 2025), the Jepson Canyon amended agreement, and the Oculta Roca council packets for August 2025 and April 2026. Plans change, so ask me what is open right now.

In Apple Valley, check the water first. The town runs the water system, and the town says its aquifer is fully used. The town took over from the old Big Plains water district on July 16, 2025. Its water comes from town wells, and Canaan Springs serves the southern part of town. The town's own water plan says that in many cases homeowners must rely on private wells.

So two homes that look the same can have different water. One may have a town hookup, one may pay a standby fee, and one may use a well or hauled water. Get the answer for the exact address before you write an offer. A will-serve letter is the town's written answer on a lot. The town issues it with a building permit application, and only if water is available. The town does not guarantee that water will be there. The will-serve letter guide explains it step by step.

Every new building that needs a building permit must also pay for a water main extension. That holds even if it has its own water from another source. In March 2026 the town took up a change that lets a meter go in before the permit. You still need a permit and a final inspection to live in the home.

The 2023 outage and the Cedar Point fix

On September 20, 2023, a main pump failed and drained the one-million-gallon tank. About 170 Cedar Point households had no water for four days. Testing then found radium and other readings above state limits in the Cedar Point system. A six-mile pipeline and a booster station, finished in July 2025, now tie Cedar Point to the main town system. It cost about $3.4 million, and testing showed the water meeting state standards.

A map shows an area, and a lot can differ from its neighbor. I will walk through each of these with you on any home you like.

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: Apple Valley Town Council packets, the 2026 water fee notice, the town water code and conservation plan, and news reports on the Cedar Point pipeline. Also the Washington County hazard map (checked parcel by parcel, October 4, 2026), FEMA, the Utah Geological Survey, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Have a licensed inspector look at any home before you buy.

The best thing you can do before you shop for a home is get pre-approved. That means a lender checks your finances and tells you how much you can borrow. It shows you what you can spend, and it makes your offer stronger when the right home comes up. In a town this small, few homes list in any month. A buyer who is ready is the buyer who gets the chance.

Financing here has more variety than in a city of look-alike homes. A site-built home, a manufactured home, bare land, and a construction project each follow a different path to a loan. The kind of property you fall for decides your path. Rural land can also bring appraisal and road access questions that a city lot never sees. None of it is a dealbreaker. It just helps to sort the financing before you search, not after.

Loan types include conventional, FHA, and VA. USDA loans are worth a look too. On USDA's map, no part of Apple Valley falls in the area marked ineligible for its rural home loan. Check any address on USDA's own lookup. Talk about financing before the showing.

I am licensed in both real estate and lending. On any one purchase I take one role. If I am your lender, I can tell you early if a home could be hard to get a loan on. The loan guides on this site explain each loan type in plain English.

How my dual role works. I am licensed in both real estate and lending. On any one purchase I take one role. Every role is disclosed, and you are always free to choose your own agent and your own lender. The full explanation is on How I Work. This section is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.

Apple Valley has no large employer. The town government and its volunteer fire department are the main local jobs. A handful of home-based and farm businesses round out the picture. Most people who work outside the home drive to Hurricane, about 17 minutes west, or on to St. George, about 40.

The traffic topic has the commute times from the census survey.

Work from home is the other half of the story. About 1 in 5 workers here works from home. In Toquerville the share is about 15%, and in La Verkin it is about 7%. South Central Communications fiber reaches about 97% of home addresses in town, so a big lot and a fast connection can go together. Check the exact address before you make an offer.

The jobs close to town are in the Hurricane valley. Construction, tourism, and services are the practical job market there. Employers include the Litehouse Foods plant in Hurricane.

Working from home? My guide for remote workers in Utah covers what to check before you move.

Sources: the U.S. Census Bureau survey for 2020 to 2024 (small sample, wide margins), the town's 2024 water plan for connection counts, and the Utah state broadband map layer, checked October 2026.

There is no clinic, pharmacy, or emergency room in Apple Valley. Care starts in Hurricane. The Intermountain Hurricane Valley Clinic campus is at 75 North 2260 West, about 22 minutes from Town Hall. It has InstaCare urgent care, where you do not need an appointment, plus family medicine, imaging, and lab work.

The same campus has Hurricane Emergency. It is an emergency department open all day, every day, and it is run as a satellite of St. George Regional Hospital. It opened in October 2023. Patients who need to be admitted move on to St. George.

St. George Regional Hospital is the full hospital, with a Level II trauma center. A Level II trauma center treats serious injuries around the clock. The hospital is at 1380 East Medical Center Drive, about 31 miles and 40 minutes from Town Hall.

Closer to the southeast, a community health center called Creek Valley Health Clinic is at 1065 North Hildale Street in Hildale, about 20 minutes away. Ask the clinic what it offers. Hurricane also has a community health clinic, Family Healthcare Hurricane Clinic.

The fire department covers about 40 square miles and about 450 homes. Calls include house and wildfires, medical emergencies, crashes, and flooding. A hospital is far away, so the first help on a call comes from the town's volunteers. If someone in your home needs fast care for a health condition, map the drive from the exact home first.

Sources: Intermountain Health, the town's fire department notice (February 2026), and a road routing model run from Town Hall in October 2026. Services, hours, and counts change.

The Washington County School District serves Apple Valley. There is no public school in town. The district's boundary maps send every home address in Apple Valley to the same four schools, all in Hurricane. Three Falls Elementary comes first. Then come Hurricane Intermediate, Hurricane Middle, and Hurricane High.

The district's grades run kindergarten to grade 5, grades 6 and 7, grades 8 and 9, and grades 10 to 12. Three Falls Elementary is about 22 minutes from Town Hall, and Hurricane High is about 20. The district had 34,396 students in October 2025.

Valley Academy is a public charter school in Hurricane. It teaches kindergarten to grade 8. It is a separate school with its own enrollment.

I do not rate schools, and I would be wary of anyone who tells you which one is best. Look at the boundaries, programs, and ratings yourself. The links below go to the district and to independent sites.

Boundaries come from the district's own maps, checked October 2026 for the home addresses inside town limits. Ratings come from independent third parties, not from me.

Apple Valley is not a college town. The nearest campuses are in St. George, about 40 minutes away. Utah Tech University is a public university with about 13,000 students. Dixie Technical College teaches trades and career skills.

Southern Utah University is in Cedar City, about an hour away. From Apple Valley, a campus trip is an occasional drive, not a daily one. Online programs do much of the work for people here, which is one more reason to read the internet topic closely.

Sources: Utah Tech University (fall 2025 enrollment) and a road routing model run from Town Hall in October 2026.

SR-59 is the only highway through Apple Valley. It runs northwest to Hurricane, where SR-9 and I-15 take over. To the southeast it passes Hildale and reaches the Arizona line, where it goes on as AZ-389 toward Fredonia and Kanab. The slow spots on a drive are not in Apple Valley. They are in Hurricane and St. George.

The census survey for 2020 to 2024 shows how long people drive. The average trip to work is about 30 minutes. About a third of commuters take 45 minutes or more. Of about 500 workers, about 320 drove alone. The sample is small, so the numbers can be off.

Many roads off SR-59 are dirt or gravel. The first lots here were platted in 1986 with dirt roads, and many still have them. Ask about the road to any lot you like, and what it is like after rain or snow. A vehicle with extra ground clearance helps.

Time a drive from the exact address on a weekday morning. It will teach you more than any survey.

Sources: the U.S. Census Bureau survey for 2020 to 2024 (small sample, wide margins) and the state road network. No traffic counts were found for Apple Valley.

Apple Valley has no public transportation. The SunTran Zion Route is the nearest bus. It stops in St. George, Washington, Hurricane, La Verkin, Virgin, and Springdale. The closest stops to you are in Hurricane. The route runs Monday to Saturday, from 5:40 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and a one way ride costs $5. There is no Sunday service.

Shuttles to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City leave from St. George. Two companies that run them are St. George Shuttle and Salt Lake Express. Plan on a car for daily life, and plan to drive to Hurricane or St. George for any bus or shuttle.

If someone in your home will not drive, ask what trips you need before you move. Distances here are long, and lots are big.

Source: the City of St. George SunTran pages, checked October 2026. Routes and fares change.

Apple Valley has no airport. The closest airline airport is St. George Regional Airport (SGU), about 36 miles and 47 minutes away. Delta flies from there to Salt Lake City. United flies to Denver and Los Angeles. American flies to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth.

• St. George (SGU)~36 mi · ~47 min
• Las Vegas (LAS)~157 mi · ~2 hr 40 min

Harry Reid International in Las Vegas (LAS) has the widest choice of flights. It is about 157 miles and 2 hours 40 minutes away. Check each airport's flight board before you book, because routes change by season.

Sources: the St. George airport flight board (October 2026) and a road routing model run from Town Hall. Flight lists change by season.

Apple Valley is a long way from most things, and that is part of the deal. One highway leads out, and most errands are 20 minutes or more away. In return you get a quiet town with room around you. Here is how long common trips take from Town Hall.

• Hurricane ER (24/7)~22 min
• Walmart, Hurricane~25 min
• Sand Hollow State Park~30 min
• St. George Regional Hospital~40 min
• Zion, south entrance~50 min
• Grand Canyon North Rim~2 hr 25 min

The longer drives are below.

Hurricane

~13 mi · ~17 min

St. George

~31 mi · ~40 min

Kanab

~51 mi · ~1 hr

Cedar City

~53 mi · ~1 hr

Las Vegas

~154 mi · ~2 hr 35 min

Salt Lake City

~303 mi · ~4 hr 35 min

A few shorter trips are worth knowing. Little Creek Station, the fuel stop in town, is about 4 minutes away. Hildale is about 17 minutes southeast on SR-59. Kolob Canyons is about 40 minutes, and Springdale is about 45 to 50.

The Smithsonian Butte backway, a dirt road toward Rockville, is not a normal route, and the outdoors topic says why. The paved way to Zion goes through Hurricane and SR-9, and that is the 50 minute drive above. The backway guide has the details.

The Gooseberry Mesa trailheads sit at the end of about 6 miles of dirt off SR-59. I give no drive time for them, because the road decides it. The nearby topic covers the towns around you, and the outdoors topic covers the trails.

Going somewhere else? Look up any Utah drive between 138 towns.

Drive times come from a road routing model, run from Town Hall in October 2026. Real trips vary with weather, road work, and the season.

Almost nobody puts this on a real estate site, but it is what you need in your first week. Apple Valley is a small town, so a few offices do a lot. The town runs the water department. The county solid waste district runs trash, and the town bills it. Most homes use septic, not sewer, and there are no gas lines.

The town bills a storm drain fee of $10 a month, and trash is $14.66 a month as of January 2026. The water fees are in the before you buy topic. Fees change, so ask the town for current numbers.

Set up services through the Town of Apple Valley. Buying land or a well? The Local has a guide to the will-serve letter, and my guides cover well water homes and hauled water and cisterns.

Sources: the town's posted notices and fee schedule, the county solid waste district, the state electric service layer, and the census survey for 2020 to 2024. Fees and phone numbers can change.

Fiber is the main choice for home internet. South Central Communications fiber shows up at about 97% of home addresses in town, which is 335 of 347 on the state broadband map. That is a high share for a town of big lots.

Other options cover the rest. South Central fixed wireless, which sends the signal through the air, shows at almost every address. Satellite from Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat shows at nearly all of them. T-Mobile and Verizon home internet show at about 100 addresses each. The map shows no CenturyLink or TDS service in town.

Maps are only a guide. Check the exact address before you make an offer. Cell coverage also varies by carrier here, so look at your carrier's map for that spot.

Source: the Utah Broadband Center map layer, queried October 2026 for the home addresses inside town limits. I list who offers service, not speeds or prices.

Moving day is only the start. Here is a short list for your first 90 days in Apple Valley, in the order most people do it. Many offices are in Hurricane, about 20 to 30 minutes away, so group your errands.

1. Set up water and trashCall Town Hall at 435-877-1190. Water, the storm drain fee, and trash all come on the town bill. Look up your pickup day on the county solid waste district's calendar.
2. Start power and line up propaneRocky Mountain Power serves the town. If the home heats with propane, get on a fill schedule before winter.
3. Get your Utah driver licenseThe Driver License Division office is in Hurricane at 102 South 5300 West. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., about 30 minutes from Town Hall. Check the state site for current hours.
4. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days to register a vehicle. The taxes topic in chapter 2 lists the yearly fee and the tests.
5. Register to voteRegister online at vote.utah.gov.
6. Claim the primary home tax breakApply with the Washington County Assessor, online or at 435-301-7020. The taxes topic explains the break.
7. Sign up for schoolContact the Washington County School District. Check the boundary maps for your address first.
8. License the dogDog licenses run through the town office, and the fee schedule lists them at $10 to $20 a year.
9. Find the libraryThe Hurricane Valley Library is at 36 South 300 West, about 20 minutes away.

Moving on military orders? My military PCS guide has timing notes.

Rules and office hours change. Check each office before you go.

Apple Valley has no grocery store and no restaurant row. It does have a fuel stop. Little Creek Station, a Chevron at 1354 North State Street on SR-59, sells fuel. It is about 4 minutes from Town Hall. The coffee shop next door is in the restaurants topic.

For a weekly shop, you drive. Bee's Marketplace in Colorado City, Arizona is about 18 minutes away. Lin's Fresh Market in Hurricane is about 20. Bee's is in Arizona, so Arizona sales tax applies. Check its hours before you go. Walmart Supercenter, at the west end of Hurricane, is about 25 minutes away.

The runs from town

Hardware and the rest

Bucks Ace is Hurricane's hardware store, about 20 minutes away. True Value is inside Davis Food & Drug in La Verkin, about 22. Target, Lowe's, Sprouts, and Hobby Lobby are still a St. George trip. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and IKEA are a Las Vegas trip.

The Hurricane Farmers Market runs on Saturday mornings, from about June into November, about 20 minutes away. Check the market's site for this year's dates.

Store lists and hours change. Drive times come from a road routing model run from Town Hall in October 2026. Bee's Marketplace is in Arizona.

Apple Valley sits on the quiet side of Zion country. A wilderness is behind town, and one of the best-known mountain bike areas in the state is a short drive up a dirt road. Most of this is public land with no fee, and it is far quieter than Zion. Here is where I would start.

The night sky is part of the draw, and the town has a lighting rule to help keep it dark. Seasons change what you can reach out here, so look at the weather before you head up a dirt road.

Also close by

Fees, gates, and road conditions change, so call the BLM St. George Field Office at 435-688-3200 before a dirt road trip. Facts come from the BLM pages for Canaan Mountain, Gooseberry Mesa, and the Smithsonian Butte byway.

Zion's south entrance is about 50 minutes from Apple Valley. The paved way goes through Hurricane on SR-59 and then east on SR-9, and it is about 36 miles. Springdale, the town at the gate, is about 45 to 50 minutes.

The dirt road over the top is shorter on a map, but it is not a normal route, and the outdoors topic says why. Plan on the paved way.

Drive times are map estimates from Town Hall with no traffic. Fees are for 2026 and come from the National Park Service. Check before you go.

Brian Head Resort is the closest place with ski lifts. It is about an hour and a half from Apple Valley. It sits in the mountains east of Cedar City. The base sits at 9,600 feet.

The resort usually opens in November, so check its site for opening day. Snow at home is light, as the snow topic shows, so skiing always means a drive.

Eagle Point Resort, in Beaver County, is closed for the 2026-27 winter.

Thinking about a home up the mountain? See the Brian Head page. Drive times are map estimates from Town Hall with no traffic.

There is no golf course in Apple Valley. The nearest public courses are all in Hurricane, about 17 minutes from town.

More courses are farther on. Washington City and St. George have several, and Black Desert in Ivins is public. The PGA TOUR's Bank of Utah Championship ran there October 1 to 4, 2026.

Course facts come from Greater Zion and Sand Hollow Resort. Call a course for tee times and today's conditions. Drive times are map estimates from Town Hall.

Apple Valley has no restaurant row. It does have a fuel stop and a coffee shop next door, both on SR-59. A sit-down meal means a drive to Hildale or Hurricane.

Five places to know

• CoffeeBitter Bean Coffee Co.1352 State St, Apple ValleyNext to the station. Coffee, tea, smoothies, baked goods, and hand-scooped ice cream. About 4 minutes from Town Hall.
• Breakfast and barbecue, HildaleEl Cappuccino1065 Utah Ave, HildaleCoffee and breakfast in the morning. Burgers, sandwiches, and smoked barbecue later, with a patio. About 15 minutes away.
• Bakery, HurricaneBonrue Bakery11 S Main St, HurricanePastry, coffee, and sandwiches on house bread. About 17 minutes away.
• Diner, HurricaneRooster Run Cafe635 W State St, HurricaneBreakfast, lunch, and dinner, with burgers, pies, and shakes. About 20 minutes away.
• Chains, HurricaneState Street and 3400 WHurricaneThe chain restaurants are in Hurricane, about 20 to 25 minutes from town.

I chose these because each one shows a current website or a 2026 listing. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be on it. Hours change, so check before you drive.

Groceries, fuel, and errands are covered under Groceries and shopping.

I will not oversell this. Apple Valley itself is quiet on purpose. There is no movie theater and no pool in town. Most evenings, the entertainment is a sunset on the butte and a sky with no streetlights.

The trade works because of what is around town. The land is the main attraction, and the town runs a small calendar of events, told under festivals and events. For anything indoors, drive to Hurricane, St. George, or Las Vegas.

• OutsideThe land around townBehind and beside Apple ValleyThe trails, the dirt roads, and the night sky are the town's real weekend plan. The outdoor recreation topic has the list.
• Town eventsTown Hall and the community garden1777 N Meadowlark DrThe Apple Valley Events Committee runs the town's gatherings. The events topic has the months.
• Movies, HurricaneCoral Cliffs Cinema 8State Street, HurricaneThe nearest movie theater, about 17 minutes away. A museum and parks are across town.
• PoolsWashington CityNearest public poolsHurricane's city pool is closed for a rebuild, so the nearest public pools are in Washington City.
• Bigger nightsSt. GeorgeAbout 40 minutesTheaters, big stores, and a long list of restaurants.
• Concerts and pro gamesLas VegasAbout 2 hours 35 minutesThe long drive for a major show or a pro game.

Hours and prices change, so check each place before you go. The pool, theater, and museum facts come from the Hurricane pages and the Hurricane City Leisure Services site.

Apple Valley has no gallery, museum, or theater of its own. The arts are in Hurricane, and farther on in St. George and Ivins. In town, the closest thing is the community events the volunteer committee puts on.

Details come from Hurricane City Leisure Services and Hurricane Theatrical. Check before you go.

Apple Valley has a small calendar of town events. A volunteer group called the Events Committee runs most of them. They include an Easter egg hunt, a Fourth of July celebration, Founders Day, Trunk or Treat, and chili cook-offs. Hurricane adds the big valley events.

• JanuaryNo town event is listed. Trails and golf stay open.
• FebruaryNo town event is listed.
• MarchThe committee has held a chili cook-off in March. The Hurricane Mountain Bike Festival is usually in late March, with rides on Gooseberry. The 15th ran March 27 to 28, 2026.
• AprilThe Apple Valley Easter egg hunt is at the Community Garden on a Saturday near Easter. It ran April 4, 2026. The Washington County Fair ran April 10 to 18 in 2026, at Legacy Park in Hurricane.
• MayThe Epson Tour plays the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane. In 2026 it was May 14 to 16.
• JuneNo town event is listed.
• JulyThe town has held its Fourth of July celebration at Town Hall. Check the town calendar for this year.
• AugustNo town event is listed.
• SeptemberHurricane Peach Days, the weekend before Labor Day. It ran September 3 to 5 in 2026, with a parade, a rodeo, and fireworks.
• OctoberFounders Day marks the town's start, and Trunk or Treat is the Halloween event. In 2024 Founders Day was on October 19, with a parade.
• NovemberThe fire department has held a chili cook-off in early November. Brian Head usually opens for skiing.
• DecemberThe committee lists a Christmas cookie exchange. Check the town calendar for the date.

These are the usual seasons, and dates move each year. 2026 dates appear only where a source confirms them. Check the Apple Valley Events Committee page before you plan a trip.

Apple Valley sits on SR-59, between the Hurricane valley and the Arizona line. That puts a lot of country within a day trip. Some of it is on dirt roads. Here are the nearby towns and places, with drive times from Town Hall.

Hurricane is the nearest full town. It has the big grocery stores, urgent care, and the 24 hour emergency room. Hildale is the next town southeast, with the Water Canyon trailhead and a few places to eat. Kanab is about an hour east, by way of Arizona, for the cliffs of the Grand Staircase.

Longer drives

• Hurricane~13 mi · ~17 min
• St. George~31 mi · ~40 min
• Kanab~51 mi · ~1 hr
• Cedar City~53 mi · ~1 hr
• Las Vegas~154 mi · ~2 hr 35 min
• Salt Lake City~303 mi · ~4 hr 35 min

Hurricane has a page of its own, with the stores and services you will use most. Read about Hurricane next.

Drive times are map estimates from Town Hall with no traffic. Gooseberry Mesa is about 6 miles of dirt off SR-59, told under outdoor recreation.