Moving to Roosevelt, Utah

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

Roosevelt sits at about 5,100 feet on US-40 in the Uintah Basin, with the Uinta Mountains to the north. It is the largest city in Duchesne County, with about 7,000 people by the 2025 Census estimate. The county offices are in Duchesne, about 30 minutes west. Vernal is about 30 minutes east, and Salt Lake City is about two and a half hours west. No interstate reaches town.

Ed Harmston turned a homestead claim into a townsite in early 1906. People first called it Dry Gulch City, after a nearby gulch that only runs with spring melt. His wife, Mary, did not like the name, and the town took the name of President Theodore Roosevelt. Congress had opened unclaimed reservation land to homesteaders in 1905. Roosevelt became a city on February 21, 1913. The city says it grew into the trading center on the old stage road between Price and Vernal.

After World War I, alfalfa seed carried the farm economy. The city history page says it was called the "Billion Dollar Crop." Today the town still serves the farms and ranches around it, along with the oil and gas fields. The jobs topic tells that story in full. People come here from the small towns of the Basin for shops, doctors, and school.

Growth is slow and steady. The town counted 6,046 people in 2010 and 6,747 in 2020, and about 7,000 by 2025. The short version has two sides. Homes cost far less than on the Wasatch Front, but demand rises and falls with oil, and the town is remote. The housing market topic has the homes themselves.

One thing is different here. Roosevelt sits inside the outer boundary of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the land under a home can fall in different legal categories. The home checks topic explains what to ask before you buy.

Sources: Roosevelt City history page, Census 2020 and 2025 estimates, and the city water plan for the 2010 count.

Want the street level story? Roosevelt on The Local has guides to Bottle Hollow, Constitution Park, and the mountains to the north. Read The checkerboard address for the land story. My relocating to Utah guide covers the wider move.

Roosevelt is high desert. Winters are cold and dry, summer days are hot, and the nights stay cool. The town gets only about 7.4 inches of rain and melted snow in a normal year. September is the wettest month, and November and February are the driest.

These numbers come from the NOAA weather station called Roosevelt Radio, about 2 miles east of the city offices and on the same flat ground. The station stopped reporting in February 2025. The 1991 to 2020 normals are still the official ones for this spot.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. Look at how far the temperature falls at night. Even in July, a normal night drops to about 52°F.

• JanuaryHigh 31°F, low 2°F
• FebruaryHigh 40°F, low 10°F
• MarchHigh 56°F, low 22°F
• AprilHigh 66°F, low 29°F
• MayHigh 76°F, low 38°F
• JuneHigh 87°F, low 45°F
• JulyHigh 93°F, low 52°F
• AugustHigh 90°F, low 50°F
• SeptemberHigh 81°F, low 41°F
• OctoberHigh 66°F, low 29°F
• NovemberHigh 49°F, low 18°F
• DecemberHigh 34°F, low 6°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, Roosevelt Radio station (USC00427395), about 2 miles east of the city offices.

Cold nights and frost dates

A normal year has about 27 nights at 0°F or colder, and almost all of them come from December through February. About 41 days a year never get above freezing. Plan for cold starts on a car, a water line, and a sprinkler system.

The last spring freeze usually comes about May 23, and the first fall freeze about September 22. That leaves about 121 frost-free days. In 9 years out of 10, the last freeze comes after May 9. If you plan a garden, count on a late start and an early finish.

The record low since 1986 is 47 below zero, on February 6, 1989. The record high is 105°F, on July 18, 1998. Both are far from normal.

Records are from the same station, May 1986 to February 2025.

Roosevelt gets light snow. The station logs about 16 inches in a normal year. That is a third of what Salt Lake City gets and a fraction of Midway. NOAA marks several of the monthly snow figures as provisional. Almost all of it falls from December through February.

December and January each bring about 5.2 inches, and February about 3.4. Winter adds up to about 13.8 inches of the yearly total. Spring brings about 1.8 inches, and fall about 0.8. No snow falls from May through September in a normal year.

Snow does not melt fast, because the days stay cold. In a normal year, about 39 days have at least 1 inch on the ground, and 35 of them come from December through February. Only about 2 or 3 days have 10 inches or more. The biggest one-day snowfall on record is 14 inches, on December 21, 2010.

The cold, not the snow, is what you will notice most. Roads can still turn icy, so ask your agent about the drive you will make most.

For the bigger picture on snow and water in Utah, read my guide on Utah water and snowpack.

Summers are hot and dry. A normal July afternoon reaches about 93°F at the station. That is warmer than Logan and Midway and a little cooler than Salt Lake City. The nights are the relief. A July night usually falls to about 52°F, so most homes cool off by morning.

Hot days are common. A normal year has about 59 days at 90°F or hotter, and about 56 of them come from June through August. About 3 days a year reach 100°F. The record high is 105°F, set on July 18, 1998. Storms can build on some summer afternoons.

The air quality topic covers the winter ozone that the Basin is known for.

Roosevelt is breezier than the Wasatch valleys but not stormy. The wind at the Roosevelt airport averages 5.2 miles an hour over the year. The airport is about 3 miles southwest of the city offices, on the same flat ground. That number comes from about 55,200 hourly readings between January 2018 and December 2025.

Spring is the windiest season at 6.7 miles an hour, and April is the windiest month at 7.4. Winter is the calmest season at 3.4, and January is the calmest month at 2.4. In winter, the wind is under 1 mile an hour in about 52 hours out of every 100.

Strong gusts are not common. Gusts of 30 miles an hour or more show up in about 4 hours out of every 100 in spring. In the other seasons, they come in 1.5 to 2 hours in 100. The wind blows most often from the west, in about 41 hours out of every 100 that have any wind. Southwest comes next, and then east.

An inversion is when cold air gets trapped in a basin under a lid of warmer air. The air stops mixing, and haze builds up near the ground. A storm usually clears it out. The Uintah Basin gets long winter inversions, and the winter wind readings above show why. About half of winter hours are nearly calm.

The Basin is known for a winter ozone problem. Ozone is a gas that forms when sunlight acts on certain pollutants. Utah's Division of Environmental Quality says it happens on winter days with snow on the ground, a lasting inversion, and sun. The state names oil and natural gas production as the main source of those pollutants in the Basin.

Here is what the record shows for the federal air rules.

1. August 2018The Uinta Basin became a nonattainment area for the 2015 ozone standard. That means it did not meet the federal standard. The area covers land below 6,250 feet in Duchesne and Uintah counties, and Roosevelt is inside it.
2. December 2024EPA moved the area up one step, from Marginal to Moderate, with the change set for January 2025. Utah and the Ute Indian Tribe asked EPA to reconsider, and a court stay kept the Marginal level in place.
3. April 23, 2026EPA proposed to undo the Moderate rule and find that the area met the standard by August 3, 2023. Until EPA makes that final, the area stays listed as Marginal.

The Roosevelt monitor

The state runs an air monitor in Roosevelt. The federal test uses the fourth-highest 8-hour reading each year. The limit is 0.070 parts per million. A reading above it counts against the area.

Source: EPA notice in the Federal Register, 2026-07904, Table 2. Preliminary 2025 data show one possible high day at Roosevelt, on April 21, 2025, which EPA flagged as a possible natural event.

Here is what I would do. Check the air on the state's air quality site, where the Roosevelt monitor is listed, the way you check the weather. If air matters to you, visit on a still winter morning before you buy. Read the state's Uinta Basin ozone page for the science.

Sources: EPA Green Book, the Utah Division of Environmental Quality, and the Federal Register notice of the EPA proposal.

Roosevelt costs less than the Wasatch Front, and the cost comes with two trade-offs. The first is distance. Salt Lake City is about 2 hours 30 minutes away, and Vernal, with the big stores, is about 30 minutes east. The second is oil. Jobs here rise and fall with the oil and gas business, and home demand can follow. A budget that works in a boom can feel different in a bust. The economy topic has the numbers.

The glance box at the top shows the latest typical home value, from the U.S. Census. It is what owners say their homes are worth, not an asking price. Roosevelt is a small market, so one month of sales can mislead. Compare any home with recent sales of similar homes nearby, and watch the trend over several months.

Taxes cut both ways. Property tax in Duchesne County runs higher than in most Utah counties. The sales tax is the highest in the county, but it is low for Utah. The taxes topic has the rates and the rules.

The honest comparison is with the Wasatch Front. You give up being close to big-city jobs, big stores, and a major airport. You get lower home prices and a wide-open basin. If you are weighing Roosevelt against another town, ask me and I will run the real numbers side by side for your budget.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2020 to 2024) and the Utah State Tax Commission. Costs change, so ask me for current numbers.

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. These are the rates in effect in October 2026.

The sales tax changes from town to town. Duchesne City and Ballard, next door in Uintah County, each charge 6.45%. Myton, Altamont, and unincorporated Duchesne County charge 6.35%. Utah sets these rates in a state table, and the one above took effect October 1, 2026.

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. The break covers the house and up to one acre. A second home or a home rented by the night does not qualify.

The Duchesne County assessor looks for signs that you live here. Examples are where you vote, where your vehicle is registered, and the address on your tax returns. Apply early and call the assessor at 435-738-1110 about the deadline. From January 1, 2027, a new owner has to apply for the exemption after buying.

What is in the property tax bill

Roosevelt sits in the highest tax area in the county. The bill adds up the county, the Duchesne County School District, the city, a mosquito abatement district, and two water districts. The school district is the biggest part. The county's average bill is about 0.62% of a home's value, and Roosevelt's is a little higher.

The county's yearly dates are steady. Valuation notices go out in late July. Tax notices are mailed at the end of October. Taxes are due November 30.

Where the home sits matters, too. A home with a Roosevelt mailing address east of the city line can be in Ballard or Uintah County, with that county's rates. The before you buy topic explains how to check.

Sources: Utah State Tax Commission (sales tax rates in effect October 1, 2026, and the 2025 property tax reports), the Duchesne County Assessor, S.B. 60 (2026), and Utah Code 59-2-103.5. Questions about your own bill go to the Duchesne 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 latest typical home value for Roosevelt, from the U.S. Census. That number is what owners think their homes are worth, averaged over five years. It is not a sale price. Price a home against recent sales of homes like it nearby.

Most homes here are lived in by their owners. About two in three occupied homes are owner-occupied, and about one in three are rented. Very few are second homes. About two in three homes are single-family houses on their own lots. About 8% are mobile homes, and some are in small apartment buildings of three or four units.

Roosevelt grew in two waves. Many homes went up in the 1970s, and many more from 2000 to 2019. The median home was built in 1991, and about four in ten were built in 2000 or later. Homes from the older wave are worth a careful look at the roof, the heat, and the updates.

The oil cycle

Jobs in this part of Utah follow oil and gas, and home demand has followed the jobs. This is not a knock on the place. It is a fact to plan for. Ask me for the latest Roosevelt numbers, and watch several months of sales, not one. The economy topic has the job figures.

Lot sizes and kinds of homes

The number in a zone name is the lot size in square feet. R-1-6 means at least 6,000 square feet. R-1-10 means 10,000. R-1-20 means 20,000, about half an acre. Rural Residential, R-R-1, allows some animals. Its lots start at 10,000 square feet, and the zone itself must cover at least two acres.

Shop by price

Shop by kind of home

Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2020 to 2024 and Roosevelt City zoning code (Title 17). Prices and the number of homes for sale change through the year, so ask me for the latest Roosevelt numbers.

Roosevelt is a small city, about seven square miles. Here is each area in plain words. The list runs from the center outward. Distances are straight-line from the city offices at 255 South State Street, so treat them as close, not exact.

Streets are numbered from State Street, which runs north and south, and Lagoon Street, which runs east and west. An address like 1 East Lagoon Street sits at State and Lagoon. The city offices are one block south of Main Street on State.

• CenterThe grid around State and LagoonMain Street, State Street, and the city officesThe older part of town, with city water and sewer. The stores sit along Main Street. Main Street is US-40 and US-191 together.
• NorthNorth of Lagoon StreetHospital, Central Park, and the Nature ParkUintah Basin Medical Center is about 0.6 mile north-northwest, at 250 West 300 North. Central Park is at 91 West 100 North. The Nature Park is at 500 North State.
• EastThe Lagoon Street campusesToward the county lineUtah State University Uintah Basin is about 0.9 mile east, and UBTech about 1.0 mile east. UBTech sits at the Uintah County line, with the separate town of Ballard beyond.
• WestConstitution Park and the golf courseWest side, off 200 SouthConstitution Park is about 0.8 mile west, between Lagoon Street and 200 South. The Roosevelt golf course is about 1.0 to 1.4 miles northwest.
• SouthwestThe airportAbout 3.4 miles west-southwestRoosevelt Municipal Airport is a small field for private planes. An airport overlay in the zoning code limits building heights near it.
• SouthState Street toward Poleline RoadThe south endCity records name the Southtown plat, near 1200 South State. They also name High Desert Estates, eight lots of about half an acre near Poleline Road and State Street. Poleline Road is a Duchesne County road, so ask the county about access.
• NorthwestHancock Cove and North CrescentCounty ground on city water, about 2.4 to 4 miles outHancock Cove is about 2.4 to 3.1 miles northwest. North Crescent is about 4 miles north-northwest. Both are outside the city but get water from Roosevelt. Cedarview, about 5.2 miles north-northwest, is on a nearby water district that buys water from the city.
• Outside townBluebell Road countryFrom about 3 miles northwestBluebell Road runs northwest toward Bluebell and Altamont. Homes out here are rural. Expect a well or a district water line, a septic system, and a longer drive for services.

Other plats named in city records include Hidden Lakes, Summer Hills, and Stone Gate. Ask the city or your agent where each one sits before you plan around it.

Ballard, Fort Duchesne, Myton, and Neola are all within about 20 minutes. Each has its own rules and tax rates, and the nearby cities topic has the drive to each.

What decides value here is not obvious from a listing: the land status, the water, and the septic system or sewer line. Tell me what you are after, and I will pull the full story on any home through the partner agent on the ground. That happens before you drive out.

Next door

Locations are from map points and the city's subdivision records. Zones come from the Roosevelt City zoning code. County lines and tax areas depend on the exact parcel.

In the Basin, the usual path to a new home is a custom build on a lot. Another is a manufactured or modular home placed on acreage. City records show a few plats and one larger plan for 2026.

On June 17, 2026, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission approved a preliminary plan for a 20-acre parcel that was recently rezoned R-1-10. The first phase is 20 homes on a temporary dead-end street. Sewer is planned to come from the Stone Gate subdivision. A preliminary approval lets the owner price the work and test it with the neighbors. It is not a finished plat. Earlier city records named the Southtown and High Desert Estates plats. The communities topic says where they sit.

City edges keep growing. The city has added ground by annexation, which means land outside the city asks to join it. A lot on that ground may need a sewer extension or a septic system, so ask which one before you plan the build.

If you buy a lot or build

Line up these answers in order before you fall for a lot. They decide whether a Roosevelt build works for your budget.

1. Zone and permits. All private land in the county is zoned. The city or county zoning office tells you which homes the zone allows, including manufactured homes. A building permit is needed for any building meant for people.
2. Land status. Ask the title company whether the lot is fee land or trust land, and who owns the minerals. The before you buy topic explains this.
3. Water. Ask if the lot can connect to city water, or if it needs a well. A well sample goes to the health department before anyone moves in. A new parcel under 40 acres needs an approved water source.
4. Sewer or septic. Inside the city, ask if a sewer line reaches the lot. Outside it, TriCounty Health Department reviews the site, the design, and the install before move-in. Not every parcel passes.
5. Access. Ask whether the road is a county road or a private one. The county warns that a parcel may not have legal access, and some roads can close in heavy snow.
6. Ground. Ask for a soils report. The city can require a geologic and soils report for any permit.
7. Fees. The city fee schedule lists water and sewer connection fees, a hookup fee, and a building permit fee that follows the value of the work. Sewer impact fees apply only in two areas, the Stonegate Subdivision and the area east of it. Ask the city for the current list.
8. Wildfire rules. The county follows a wildland-urban interface code, and metal roofs are required in wildfire-prone areas.

Buying new works differently from buying a resale home. You pick a lot, choose finishes, follow a build schedule, and sign the builder's contract. Builders often cover the buyer agent fee, and your agent puts that in writing before you sign. I walk you through each step, so the loan lines up with the build schedule and nothing surprises you once the walls go up.

Sources: Roosevelt City Planning and Zoning Commission (June 17, 2026), the Roosevelt City fee schedule and zoning code, and the Duchesne County land buyer guide. Builders and plans change often, so ask me for the current list.

Every town has its own list of things to check. None of these should scare you off. They are the questions I would ask about any home in Roosevelt. Check them one home at a time, because a town cannot answer them for a whole neighborhood. Land status comes first.

Radon is a gas from the ground that you cannot see or smell. State test data from 2019 covers 83 home tests in the Roosevelt ZIP code. Of those, 26.5% were at or above the level where experts say to fix it. In Duchesne County it was 22.6%, and statewide it was 35.4%. That is lower than much of Utah, but it is not zero. The samples are small, so ask for a test on every home.

One more check is the county line. Roosevelt's city limits are wholly in Duchesne County and end at the Uintah County line. A home east of that line may be in Ballard or in unincorporated Uintah County. It can have a Roosevelt mailing address and still have different tax rates and services.

None of it is exotic. It is the homework that separates a good buy from a surprise. I will walk through each of these with you on any home you like, and I will tell you what the record shows.

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: the U.S. District Court for Utah (order of March 23, 2026), Roosevelt City, Duchesne County, the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, FEMA, USDA soil survey, and Utah DEQ (2019 radon data). Have a title company and a licensed inspector look at any home before you buy.

The financing homework in Roosevelt is about fit. Much of what sells here is not a standard house on a standard lot. A lender looks at each of these in its own way. That goes for acreage with water rights, a well, and a septic system. It also goes for a manufactured or modular home, or a parcel whose land status needs a closer look. Knowing early how a specific home can be financed keeps a purchase smooth. The best first step is to get pre-approved. That means a lender checks your finances and tells you how much you can borrow.

Income can be part of the picture. Work tied to oil and gas can be seasonal or change from year to year. Lenders review that kind of income in their own way. Tell your lender early how your pay works.

Land status matters for the loan. Fee land finances the ordinary way. On trust or allotted land, the land stays in trust, and a loan works through a lease that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approves. So ask the title company which kind of land a parcel is before anything else.

On USDA's map, all of Roosevelt sits outside the area the program calls ineligible. That is the map result only. Income limits and the program's other rules still decide who qualifies. You can check any address on the USDA site. First-time buyers can start with my first-time buyer guide.

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. In Roosevelt, a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground.

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. In Roosevelt, a partner agent I trust does the work on the ground. The full explanation is on How I Work. This section is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.

Roosevelt is the shopping, medical and school center of the Uintah Basin, so much of its work is local. Oil and gas is the largest private industry. Local government is the largest group of jobs, and that includes the schools and the hospital.

Here is how the county's 9,177 jobs split in 2025, by federal data. Local government had 2,515 jobs, about 27%. That includes 975 in public schools and 879 in local hospitals. Mining and oil and gas had 1,605 jobs, about 17%. Retail had 928, transportation and warehousing 815, and construction 613.

Duchesne County pumped about 47 million barrels of oil in 2025. That was about 69% of all the oil Utah produced, in a year when the state set a record.

The swing that comes with oil

Oil work goes up and down with the price of oil. County jobs fell from 9,659 in 2014 to 7,619 in 2016, about 2,000 fewer in two years. Oil and gas jobs fell from 2,541 to 1,491 in the same years. They fell again to 1,184 in 2020, then climbed back to 1,605 in 2025.

By 2025, total county jobs were close to the 2014 peak again. The county's unemployment rate was 3.8% on average in 2025 and 4.0% in August 2026 (a preliminary figure). Utah as a whole was 3.5% that month. Anyone planning a move here should know the jobs are tied to energy prices.

Who hires in Roosevelt

This list names employers that were operating in 2026. It is not a ranking.

The city's own water plan says agriculture and the oil industry form the base of the regional economy. Cattle, sheep and hay ground surround town.

A new project area

On March 16, 2026, the Utah Inland Port Authority adopted a 2,780-acre project area in Duchesne County and Roosevelt City. It is meant for freight, logistics and related uses. The authority says land-use decisions stay with Duchesne County and Roosevelt City. A plan and budget come next.

Sources: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2014 to 2025), the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, BLS unemployment data, the Utah Inland Port Authority, and Roosevelt City. The state publishes its largest employers only on a dashboard, so this list is not ranked.

Yes. Uintah Basin Medical Center is in town at 250 West 300 North, about 3 minutes from the city offices. Its emergency room is open all day, every day. The main phone line is 435-722-4691.

The hospital is a full hospital, run by the nonprofit Uintah Basin Healthcare. The system lists emergency care, intensive care, surgery, obstetrics, dialysis, cancer care and rehabilitation. It also runs clinics in Roosevelt, Vernal, Duchesne, Altamont, Tabiona and Manila. Its listings add a heliport and a senior living and skilled-nursing campus called The Villa.

UBMC Clinic Urgent Care is at 210 West 300 North, next to the hospital. The system lists it as open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Sundays, when the emergency room covers. Call 435-725-2072 to check the hours.

The Indian Health Service runs a clinic at Fort Duchesne, about 9 minutes east. It serves people who are eligible for that service. It lists medical, dental, behavioral health, eye care and pharmacy.

On military orders? My military PCS guide covers VA loans and timing the move.

Sources: Uintah Basin Healthcare, the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services trauma list (May 2025), the Indian Health Service, and map drive estimates from the city offices.

Roosevelt is in the Duchesne County School District. The district had 4,942 students in 15 schools on the state's fall 2025 count. The district office is at 1010 East 200 North in Roosevelt, and the phone is 435-725-4500.

Five district schools sit in or near Roosevelt, and the table lists them. Elementary schools serve kindergarten to grade 5. Roosevelt Junior High serves grades 6 to 8, and Union High serves grades 9 to 12. Basin Online School is a K to 12 online school with 37 students. Neola School (155 students) and Myton School (98) are the nearby district elementary schools.

Schools on the county line

Roosevelt sits next to the Uintah County line, and the line matters for schools. Eagle View School, a K to 8 school in the Uintah School District, has a Roosevelt mailing address. Uintah River High is a public charter school for grades 9 to 12 at Fort Duchesne, with 102 students in fall 2025. Union High sits close to the county line.

A home with a Roosevelt mailing address east of the line can be in Uintah County, and then its school district changes too. The before you buy topic explains how to check the county.

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

Counts come from the Utah State Board of Education (October 1, 2025). Ratings and boundaries come from independent third parties and the district, not from me.

Not in the big-campus sense, but two schools sit on Roosevelt's east edge, about 4 minutes from the city offices. Utah State University Uintah Basin and the Uintah Basin Technical College, called UBTech, are on Lagoon Street.

USU Uintah Basin is at 987 East Lagoon Street. The Legislature funded it in 1967, and it was the first USU regional campus. USU's own page says about 500 students from Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties take part, with 27 full-time faculty. It lists five associate, 31 bachelor's, 26 master's and two doctoral degrees. The Vernal campus is at 320 North Aggie Boulevard. The phone is 435-722-1700.

UBTech is at 1100 East Lagoon Street, and the phone is 435-722-6900. It opened in 1968 and calls itself the first technical school in Utah. Its programs cover service industries, health professions, trades and energy services. It also has a Vernal campus.

Energy services at UBTech include a lineman pre-apprenticeship, tower technician, well control and commercial driver's license (CDL) training. A CDL is the license a truck driver needs. The Class A course runs about seven weeks full time, in Roosevelt and in Vernal. A course for hauling petroleum is taught only in Roosevelt. Nursing assistant and phlebotomy are on the college's home page too. UBTech does not list a petroleum technology program.

Sources: the USU Uintah Basin and UBTech sites (checked October 2026). UBTech has a Roosevelt mailing address, but a state map plots it just over the line in Ballard.

Not bad. The roads are quiet, and the long drives are the ones that leave town.

The Census counted 2,925 workers in Roosevelt for 2020 to 2024. Of the 2,748 who travel to work, 1,986 spend less than 15 minutes. That is about 72%. Only 148 spend 45 minutes or more. About 177 people, or 6%, work from home.

US-40 and US-191 run together through Roosevelt as Main Street. UT-121 runs north from town toward Neola. US-40 is the main road east to Vernal and west to Duchesne. No interstate comes near.

Winter and the mountain passes

Snow, ice and fog on US-40 are the real driving problem. In winter, cold air can sit in the Basin for days. Both main roads out of the Basin cross mountains. Daniels Summit on US-40 toward Heber City is about 8,000 feet. Indian Creek Pass on US-191 toward Price is 9,100 feet. The state has closed Indian Canyon in white-out storms.

Roadwork to know about

The state has been adding passing lanes, chain-up areas and wider shoulders on US-191 in Indian Canyon, between Duchesne and Helper. Work began in April 2025. It uses one lane with flaggers or a pilot car on weekdays. A separate fiber project along US-40 also narrows lanes. See the internet topic.

Sources: the Census ACS (2020 to 2024), UDOT project pages, and the federal byways site.

A little. Basin Transit runs buses on weekdays all year. Route 1 goes between Vernal and Roosevelt, and Route 2 goes between Roosevelt and Duchesne. Route 3 loops through Vernal. The buses do not run on weekends.

Basin Transit also runs a call-ahead ride service for people who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It covers addresses within three quarters of a mile of the routes, and riders book 24 hours ahead. The dispatch line is 435-722-5221. The agency is closed on 15 listed holidays.

Most people still drive. The Census found no one in Roosevelt who rides transit to work. Check fares and hours with Basin Transit, since its site does not list them clearly.

Sources: Basin Transit and a Federal Transit Administration agency profile. Routes and times change, so check before you rely on them.

Yes, a small one, but it has no airline. Roosevelt Municipal Airport (code 74V) is owned by the city. It sits about 3 miles southwest of town, about 8 minutes from the city offices.

It has one lighted runway, 6,501 feet long and 75 feet wide, a weather station that reports by radio, and instrument approaches. It sells aviation gas and jet fuel. It is for private planes.

For an airline flight, the closest field is Vernal Regional Airport, about 35 minutes east. It has scheduled flights on Contour Airlines. Service began on April 2, 2025. Contour's own route map shows Vernal flights to Denver and Phoenix. Check the airport's site for the current schedule.

Salt Lake City International is the big airport, about 2 hours 40 minutes by car.

Sources: FAA airport data (effective October 1, 2026), Vernal Regional Airport, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Drive times are map estimates from the city offices. Winter storms add time.

Roosevelt is a long way from the big cities, and almost every trip starts on US-40. East on US-40 leads to Vernal. West leads to Duchesne, then over the mountains toward Heber City and the Wasatch Front. Vernal is the nearest big town, about 30 minutes away.

Ballard

~5 mi · ~9 min

Vernal

~30 mi · ~30 min

Duchesne

~28 mi · ~30 min

Price

~82 mi · ~1 hr 35 min

Provo

~124 mi · ~2 hr 10 min

Salt Lake City

~140 mi · ~2 hr 30 min

From the center of town

• Uintah Basin Medical Center~3 min
• Bottle Hollow Reservoir~12 min
• Vernal Walmart~30 min
• Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation~40 min
• Dinosaur National Monument~55 min
• Moon Lake~1 hr 20 min

Here are more drives people ask about, from the city offices.

These are map estimates from the city offices in normal conditions, not official figures. Add time for snow, and check your own route.

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

Vernal has the nearest big stores, a hospital and an airport. See Vernal.

Most of the names here are local. Power comes from a member-owned co-op, not an out-of-state utility. The city runs water and sewer. Here is who to call.

Inside the city, the city fee schedule lists a water base of $30 a month plus a charge for each 1,000 gallons used. Sewer is $27.75 for a single-family home, and storm water is $4. The first trash can is $20.40. County customers served by the city pay more. Check the city for current rates.

Outside town, water and sewer are parcel by parcel. Call 811 before you dig anywhere.

Start with Roosevelt City utilities for water, sewer and trash.

Sources: Roosevelt City (the utilities page and fee schedule), Moon Lake Electric, Duchesne County, and Enbridge. Check each office for deposits and current rates.

Good in town, and thinner outside it. The state broadband map lists Strata Networks fiber at five points in town. They are City Hall, the hospital block, the USU campus, the south side, and the west edge on US-40. Strata is a telecom co-op headquartered in Roosevelt, and it marked 75 years in business in 2026.

No cable company showed at any point in the county. The other choices in town are fixed wireless from Strata or T-Mobile, plus satellite from Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat. Fixed wireless means home internet by radio signal. The state map shows what each company reports, not what a given house can order.

Service thins out of town. A point north toward Neola showed Strata phone-line internet and fixed wireless, with no fiber. A county point southeast of town showed only fixed wireless and satellite. These are single points, so check your own address.

A new fiber line along US-40

UDOT is laying more than 130 miles of fiber in conduit along US-40, from Heber City to the Colorado line. The state says it will help broadband and road technology. Work started in February 2026, and crews narrow lanes and use flaggers on weekdays.

For cell service, check each carrier's own coverage map for the address you like.

Sources: the Utah Broadband Center provider layer (data edit October 2026) and UDOT. No speeds or prices are listed on purpose.

Moving day is only the start. Here is the short list for your first 90 days in Roosevelt.

1. Turn on the utilitiesCall Moon Lake Electric for power, Enbridge Gas Utah for gas, and Roosevelt City for water, sewer and trash. Sign up with Strata for internet. Do this a week before you move in.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThe Roosevelt office is at 30 West 425 South. It is open Wednesday and Thursday only, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Vernal office at 230 South 1000 East is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Call 801-965-4437 for an appointment. There is a 25-question written test and maybe a driving test. The fee is $52, or $39 for ages 20 and under.
3. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days after you set up a permanent home. The Roosevelt motor vehicle office is at 270 North 500 West. It is open Monday to Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Thursday and Friday. A car new to Utah needs a quick VIN check.
4. Skip the emissions testDuchesne County does not require one.
5. Claim the primary home tax breakApply with the Duchesne County Assessor, 435-738-1110, and apply early. The taxes topic has the full rule.
6. Register to voteRegister online at vote.utah.gov, or in person with ID. The county clerk is at 734 North Center Street in Duchesne, 435-738-1100.
7. Sign up for schoolConfirm the county and school district for your address first, then register with the district.

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

Roosevelt has two full grocery stores, so everyday shopping stays in town. The big-box stores are in Vernal, about 30 minutes east. Costco, Target and Home Depot are on the Wasatch Front.

Stewart's Marketplace is at 245 West Highway 40. It has produce, meat, a deli and a bakery. The same building holds Stewart's Ace Hardware and a Beans & Brews coffee counter with a drive-thru. Davis Food & Drug is at 750 East 200 North, and it has a pharmacy. Its phone is 435-722-2255.

Shopping sits on two strips. One is US-40 west of downtown, with Stewart's, Ace, the IFA farm store and a Family Dollar. The other is 200 North east of downtown, with Davis and a second Family Dollar. The older downtown blocks lie in between.

What the Basin does not have

A few big names are not in the Basin, so people make a longer trip now and then. Here is the nearest one of each.

Provo is about 2 hours 10 minutes from the city offices, and Salt Lake City is about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Store lists and hours change. These come from store pages and the city business list, checked in October 2026.

Roosevelt sits at the bottom of the Uinta Mountains. The high country is north of town, and lakes are in every direction. The land around town is open for hunting, fishing, camping, and off-road riding. Here are the places to know first.

From the city offices

• Uintah Basin Medical Center~3 min
• Bottle Hollow Reservoir~12 min
• Vernal Walmart~30 min
• Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation~40 min
• Dinosaur National Monument~55 min
• Moon Lake~1 hr 20 min

Moon Lake takes the longest. The drive time above is by Bluebell Road. The Forest Service gives its own directions from Duchesne. Go north on Highway 87 for 19 miles. Then go north toward Mountain Home for 13 miles to the forest boundary. Forest Road 131 takes you the last 5 miles. The campground season runs May to September.

Bottle Hollow works differently from the state and forest waters. A Utah fishing license does not cover it. Permits come from the Tribe's Fish and Wildlife Department at 435-722-5511, and the Tribe sets the access hours. The Tribe says swimming and other recreation there are fine. It also says some bass may carry worms, so cook any fish you keep all the way through.

Hunting, riding, and winter

Deer and elk hunts follow the state's fall seasons. The general archery hunts usually open in mid August, and the rifle deer hunt comes in October. Check the state wildlife guidebook each year. Off-road riding is common on the public land around Starvation and in the national forest. In winter, snowmobilers use the groomed trails of the Uinta Basin Snowmobile Complex, which the county tourism office puts at more than 75 miles. The most used trailhead is on the Vernal side.

Sources: the Forest Service, recreation.gov, Utah State Parks, the Ute Indian Tribe, and the Duchesne County tourism office. Drive times are map estimates from the city offices.

No national park is close to Roosevelt. The nearest one is Arches, about 193 miles away, or about 3 hours 30 minutes by the city finder map estimate. Closer to home, Dinosaur National Monument is about 55 minutes east. Flaming Gorge is a national recreation area on the way to Wyoming, about 1 hr 30 min away.

Check the monument's conditions page before you go. In early October 2026, storm damage had closed Echo Park Road and washed out some trails, and Rainbow Park Road was set to stay closed through spring 2027. At Flaming Gorge, the federal government planned to release extra water between April 2026 and April 2027 to support Lake Powell. The lake can run low, so check the levels and the boat ramps first.

Sources: the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, Utah State Parks, the Forest Service, and the Utah City Finder for the Arches drive. Conditions and hours change, so check each site.

The Uinta Basin has no ski resort. The closest lift skiing is a small community hill near Vernal. The big resorts are on the Wasatch Back, over the mountains past Heber City. The nearest of them, Sundance, is about 2 hours away by the city finder map estimate.

Lift skiing means a day trip or a weekend over the mountains. Winter weather on US-40 can add time, so leave early and check the road first. Basin winters are cold and dry, with about 16 inches of snow a year in town, so snow play is mostly in the hills.

Sources: the Uintah County tourism office, the Forest Service, and the resorts. Drive times are map estimates from the city offices.

Roosevelt has its own 18 hole golf course, owned by the city. It sits on the hillside northwest of town, with the Uinta Mountains in view. The city's recreation department runs it.

The city sets a season of April 1 to October 31, with play from daylight until dusk. Weather decides the exact dates, so call before you go in early spring or late fall. Online listings say carts come with the green fee. Check that when you book.

Sources: Roosevelt City and public golf listings. Course details and rates change, so call to confirm.

Roosevelt has real places to eat, from an old soda fountain to a steakhouse. Food sits in three spots. The older downtown blocks are on 200 East and Main. A newer strip is on 200 North east of downtown, with the fast-food row. A third strip runs along US-40 on the west side.

Six places people know

• Soda fountainMarion's Variety29 N 200 EAn old-style soda fountain and diner. One family has run it since the 1930s, through four generations. It serves ice cream sodas, thick shakes, and burgers, and it sells crafts and house-made preserves.
• AmericanFrontier Grill75 S 200 EA grill beside the Frontier Motel with steak, fried chicken, burgers, and pies.
• Burgers and ice creamRocky's Place693 E 200 NBurgers, chicken, and ice cream. The closing hours differ in summer and winter, and it is closed on Sunday.
• Pizza and deliHigh Country Pizza and Deli82 N MainPizza and deli sandwiches, in the older downtown blocks.
• SteakhouseChristopher's Stk House1305 W Highway 40A steakhouse on the west US-40 strip. Reviews say hours change by season, so call first.
• Quick MexicanTacoTime670 E 200 NA fast Mexican spot open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

These are well known and long running, or have a current listing. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed. Hours change and small places come and go, so check before you drive.

Other kinds of food

Roosevelt has two full grocery stores, Stewart's Marketplace and Davis Food and Drug. The groceries and shopping topic covers them and the big stores in Vernal.

Sources: the city business list, each restaurant's own page or listing, and Fodor's. Small cafes change often, so call ahead.

In town, the weekend choices are the city parks, the pool, and the library, with a lake or Vernal a drive away. Golf, the lakes, and the festivals are covered in their own topics. Here is what else is in town.

• SwimmingRoosevelt Aquatic CenterCity recreationAn indoor pool open all year, with six lap lanes, one and three meter boards, and a zero-entry area. The outdoor pool opens from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It has a lazy river, a slide, and a splash play area. The phone is 435-722-4851.
• FishingRoosevelt Nature ParkOn city landA 14 acre park on land given by Uintah Basin Medical Center. A pond of about half an acre and 15 feet deep was built in 2023. The state stocks it with fish each year, and a Utah fishing license covers it.
• ParkConstitution ParkWest side, off 200 SouthThe main city park. It sits on the west side of town, and the Parks office is at 790 West 200 South.
• LibraryRoosevelt Library50 N 200 WA Duchesne County library branch. It is open Monday to Saturday, with the longest hours Monday to Thursday.

City parks

The city also keeps three more parks. Central Park is at 91 W 100 N. Old Mill Park is at 278 E 100 N and has a covered stage. Centennial Park is at 940 S 500 E. The city's Parks office is at 435-722-0315.

For bigger outings, Vernal is about 30 minutes east. It has more stores and restaurants, a regional hospital, and a local museum, and it is the base for Dinosaur National Monument. The nearby cities topic lists the other drives.

Sources: Roosevelt City, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Duchesne County. Hours and prices change, so check each place before you go.

Roosevelt is a small town, so the arts here are mostly community made. The big stages are in Vernal and on the Wasatch Front. The local calendar leans toward western heritage, parades, and rodeo.

For a theater or a concert hall, plan a bigger trip. Salt Lake City has the major stages, about 2 hr 30 min away. The Tribe's recreation office at 435-722-2249 can tell you about public tribal events.

Sources: the Ute Indian Tribe, Duchesne County, and Roosevelt City. Dates change each year, so check before you go.

Uintah Basin In Celebration, known as UBIC, is the big event of the year. It began in 1923 as a farm-equipment convention. It stopped in 1943 and came back in 1950. Today it is about two weeks of events that end on the first Saturday in August. That Saturday has a morning parade on Main and State streets, and an evening concert and fireworks.

In 2026 the pageants ran in late July, and the triathlons were held at the Aquatic Center. Early in August, the Duchesne County Fair runs in Duchesne with a rodeo, a free concert, and a demolition derby. Roosevelt hosts a July 3 and 4 celebration and a block party and car show in July. In early October it hosts a fall festival at the golf course.

• JanuarySnowmobiling on the groomed trails. Tubing near Vernal when snow allows. Ice fishing at Flaming Gorge. The indoor pool.
• FebruaryThe same winter list. Presidents Day is a free day at Dinosaur National Monument.
• MarchA shoulder season. The indoor pool and the library are good bets.
• AprilThe golf course usually opens April 1. The city's Spring Fling craft fair is in spring.
• MayMoon Lake and Uinta Canyon campgrounds open. The outdoor pool opens Memorial Day weekend.
• JuneThe Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal and Myton Daze, with a parade and rodeo, usually fall in June.
• JulyThe Northern Ute Celebration Powwow in Fort Duchesne. Roosevelt's July 3 and 4 events. A block party and car show. UBIC pageants begin.
• AugustUBIC ends on the first Saturday, and the Duchesne County Fair follows. Archery deer and elk seasons open mid month.
• SeptemberThe outdoor pool closes at Labor Day. Moon Lake season ends. Muzzleloader deer hunts begin.
• OctoberThe fall festival with hot air balloons at the golf course. Elk and rifle deer hunts. The golf season ends October 31.
• NovemberThe high country closes to cars. Snowmobile season starts with the snow. Veterans Day is a free day at Dinosaur.
• DecemberBuckskin Hills near Vernal aims for late December. The indoor pool and the library.

These are the usual months. Dates move each year, so check the city, the fair, and the Tribe before you plan a trip.

Roosevelt is the hub of the central Uinta Basin. Small towns are strung along US-40 in both directions. The High Uintas are north, and Vernal is the closest bigger town, about 30 minutes east. These are the drives people make most.

Winter storms can add time to any of these drives, especially on the mountain stretches west of Duchesne. The airports topic covers flights, and the public transportation topic covers the weekday buses to Vernal and Duchesne.

Drive times are map estimates from the Roosevelt city offices with no traffic.