Moving to St. George, Utah

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, NOAA, Utah State Tax Commission, and my St. George market report for Q3 2026 (single-family homes). Prices move, so ask me for current numbers.

St. George sits at about 2,860 feet in the far southwest corner of Utah. This is where the high Colorado Plateau steps down into the Mojave Desert. It is the main city of Washington County and the largest city in Southern Utah. About 108,700 people live here, by the 2025 Census estimate. Red sandstone and black lava rock ring the valley, and the Pine Valley Mountains rise to the north.

Settlers came in 1861 to grow cotton, and that gave the area its old nickname, "Utah's Dixie." The old tabernacle and the temple still stand as landmarks downtown.

St. George is not Cedar City. It is bigger, lower, warmer, and busier. Summers are long and hot, and winters are mild and sunny. This is the hub of the region. The main hospital, the airport, the most shopping and dining, and Utah Tech University are all here. Snow Canyon is 15 minutes away, and Zion is about 50. You can golf in January.

Do you want red rock outside your door and mild winters, in a real city that is still not a big one? Then St. George is worth a close look. The rest of this page is the honest detail, summer heat and fast growth included.

Want to know what the city is known for? My guide on what St. George is known for goes deeper on the red rock, the golf, and Zion. For other common questions about moving to Utah, see the Utah FAQ.

St. George sits low, at the edge of the Mojave Desert. That gives it a long, hot summer and a mild, sunny off-season. The heat is the headline. The rest of the year is the reward. These numbers come from the weather station in town, which has kept records since 1893.

Month by month

These are the normal highs and lows for each month. Look at July. Even the normal night stays above 70°F, so the house does not cool off much after dark.

• JanuaryHigh 54°F, low 28°F
• FebruaryHigh 59°F, low 32°F
• MarchHigh 68°F, low 39°F
• AprilHigh 75°F, low 46°F
• MayHigh 85°F, low 56°F
• JuneHigh 96°F, low 65°F
• JulyHigh 102°F, low 72°F
• AugustHigh 100°F, low 70°F
• SeptemberHigh 92°F, low 61°F
• OctoberHigh 79°F, low 47°F
• NovemberHigh 64°F, low 35°F
• DecemberHigh 53°F, low 28°F

Source: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, the St. George weather station, at about 2,857 feet.

Rain is rare. The station logs about 9 inches of rain and melted snow in a normal year. June is the driest month, with less than a fifth of an inch. February is the wettest, with about 1.4 inches.

Frost is mild and short. The last spring freeze usually comes around March 14, and the first fall freeze around November 10. That leaves a frost-free season of about 239 days. A normal year has about 62 nights at freezing or colder, and 52 of them fall from December through February.

Comparing the south end of the state with the cooler north? Cedar City and St. George side by side shows how far 50 minutes of driving can change the weather.

Snow is rare in St. George. The weather station logs about 1 inch in a normal year. In most years it does not snow measurably at all. When it does, it melts fast. A snowfall of a tenth of an inch or more happens on fewer than one day a year.

The last big snow came in February 2019, when 7.8 inches fell over five days. Two smaller ones came in February 2015 (2.7 inches) and March 2021 (2.5 inches). Winters like those are the exception. Normal snow only shows up in January, February, and March.

If you want real snow, you drive up. Brian Head Resort is about 1.5 hours away. Its base sits at 9,600 feet, and Brian Head gets about 87 inches of snow a year by the NOAA normal at the Bryce Canyon station. Two other snow trips are closed right now. The Pine Valley Recreation Area is closed after the June 2025 Forsyth Fire and the October 2025 floods. Check the Forest Service for when it reopens. The Eagle Point ski area in Beaver County is closed for the 2026-27 winter.

For the full story of the mild season, read Winter in St. George on The Local. The ski access topic below has the drive and the resort details.

Sources: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020, and the station's daily snow record. Brian Head figures are from Ski Utah. Pine Valley and Eagle Point closures: Deseret News and KUTV, 2025 and 2026.

Summer here is hot, and it is long. A normal July afternoon reaches about 102°F. The normals show about 63 days a year at 100°F or hotter, and about 128 days at 90°F or hotter. Your first July here will change what you think "hot" means.

The record is 117°F. It was set on July 5, 1985, and tied in July 2021. That is the highest temperature ever measured in Utah. Summer 2026 ran hot too. By September 13, 2026, the station had logged 78 days at 100°F or hotter, and its hottest reading was 112°F on August 2.

You learn to live early and late. Walk, hike, and water the yard in the morning or after sunset. Let the house handle the middle of the day.

The summer storm season has its own risk. The National Weather Service counts June 15 to September 30 as monsoon season in the Southwest. In St. George, the storms come mostly in July and August. The airport reports thunder on about 8 days in each of those months. Dry washes can fill in minutes, and city streets can flood. In August 2020, a storm flooded streets across town and closed Red Hills Parkway overnight.

Sources: NOAA climate normals, 1991 to 2020; the station's daily record through September 2026. Also the National Weather Service flood and monsoon pages, and KJZZ, August 24, 2020.

St. George is breezier than Logan and calmer than Cedar City. The wind at St. George Regional Airport averages 6.1 miles an hour over the year. That comes from about 115,900 hourly readings between 2012 and 2025. Cedar City, on the same count, averages 7.4.

Spring and summer are the windy seasons, tied at 7.6 miles an hour. Fall averages 5.1 and winter 4.2. May and June are the windiest months at 8.4. December is the calmest at 3.5.

Strong gusts are not common. Gusts of 30 miles an hour or more show up in about 3 or 4 hours out of every 100 in spring. In winter it is less than 1 hour in 100. Calm air is common in the cooler months. In winter, about 4 hours in 10 are dead calm.

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. St. George does not have that problem. The record shows almost none. In the six winters from 2020 to 2026, tiny particles of soot and smoke pushed the air past the good range on only 8 days.

Washington County is also 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 also outside the state's mandatory no-burn rule for winter smog days. 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 bring a few 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.

One thing to know about the numbers. The county has two air monitors, in Hurricane and in Zion Canyon. Neither one sits in St. George. So these readings describe Washington County air, not a single street in town.

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, and the Utah DEQ no-burn page.

St. George costs more than most of Southern Utah, and you feel it most in housing. You are paying for the weather, the red rock setting, and the services of a real city. Groceries, gas, and utilities cost about the national average. Utah's property taxes are low next to most of the country, and the state charges one flat income tax rate for everyone.

Whether your total costs go down depends on where you are coming from. St. George housing is a big part of that math. Ask me for current numbers and a side by side with where you live now.

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.

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. The break covers the house and up to one acre of land.

Washington County already asks you to apply. The county says the owner must apply to get the break. 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, Utah DMV, the Washington County Assessor, 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 latest median sale price for a single-family home, from my St. George market report. Prices and the number of homes for sale change through the year, so ask me for the latest numbers.

St. George has the most homes for sale in Southern Utah, and the widest mix. Fast growth has filled the valley in layers. Older neighborhoods sit on the south side. Rows of new homes spread across the east and south. Custom homes and golf homes line the hillsides. The region's largest group of 55+ communities is here too. Next to Cedar City, you usually pay more per square foot. In return, you get more homes to choose from and more variety.

In a normal year, you will find townhomes and condos near downtown. Newer, bigger homes fill the growing parts of town. Custom view homes and gated neighborhoods climb the hillsides. If you want room, look for land and bigger lots at the edges of the valley and toward the smaller towns.

Shop by price

Shop by kind of home

St. George spreads across a wide valley, and the feel changes as you move around it. The old south side is settled and mature. The east and south are filling with new homes. The hillsides up north have red and black rock and long views. Many of these areas are master-planned, which means one plan sets the streets, parks, and builders. Here are nine to start with, from north to south. Each card opens a full community page with lot sizes, home styles, what homes cost, and current listings.

NorthThe LedgesOn the north end against Snow Canyon, with newer homes and a championship golf course set among red and black rock. It has some of the best views in the valley.Explore the areaNorthwestSeven HillsA gated northwest community set among the black rock, with a clubhouse. Several smaller neighborhoods sit inside it, including the Terraces, Sagewood, and Stone Gate.Explore the areaEast hillsideStone CliffA gated hillside neighborhood on the east side, with custom homes, long views of the valley and the red rock, and a set-apart feel just minutes from downtown.Explore the areaWestStonebridgeA west-side community near the golf courses off Stonebridge Drive. It mixes single-family neighborhoods with condo and townhome groups like Huntington and Twin Creeks.Explore the areaSouthwestSouthgateA southwest area built around the Southgate Golf Course, with townhomes and single-family neighborhoods close to downtown and the Tonaquint area.Explore the areaSouthBloomingtonOne of St. George's first master-planned communities, on the south side around the Bloomington Country Club golf course. It has established areas like the Country Club and Bloomington Ranches, with unusually mature landscaping.Explore the areaSoutheastLittle ValleyA fast-growing southeast area with newer homes and bigger lots. Some pockets have a little room for horses or other things you want to keep at home. The city pickleball complex is here.Explore the areaSoutheastDesert CanyonsA fast-growing master plan on the southeast side near the regional airport. It has new single-family neighborhoods and townhome groups along Desert Canyons Parkway.Explore the areaFar southDesert ColorA newer master-planned community near the Arizona line, built around a swimming lagoon. It has houses, townhomes, and lagoon-front resort homes.Explore the area

Five more areas are worth a look. Green Valley is an established west-side area near golf and the Bearclaw Poppy bike trails. Entrada is a guard-gated golf community on the north end, against Snow Canyon. Divario is a large west-side master plan, with several builder villages and trails between them. Sunbrook is an established golf community along the Santa Clara River. Hidden Valley is an Ivory Homes master plan in south St. George, near I-15, with townhomes, patio homes, and villas.

These 14 are the big ones. Most hold many smaller subdivisions, and more are added as the valley grows. The full community index lists them all. Want to compare lots, prices, and styles side by side? Tell me what you are looking for and I will point you to the right ones.

St. George has more new homes going up than anywhere else in Southern Utah. Most of the building is in master-planned communities on the east and south sides of the valley. Large builders put up one-story and two-story homes block by block. Custom builders work the hillsides and view lots. In several price ranges, new homes compete head to head with older homes, so you get a real choice.

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

Builders and phases change, so the listings pages and a quick talk with me are the fastest way to see what is open right now. These builders show a community open on their own websites as of October 2026.

Source: each builder's own website, checked October 3, 2026. This is a sample, not every builder in town.

Every town has its own list of things to check. St. George has a few that come from its desert ground. None of them should scare you off. They are the questions I would ask about any home here, and each one has a free tool you can use for a single address.

I will walk through each of these with you on any home you like, and I will tell you what I see.

This is general information, not legal, engineering, or insurance advice. Sources: the Utah Geological Survey, FEMA, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and the Washington County Water Conservancy District. 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. That head start matters here, most of all if you are moving from out of town and want to act fast.

Buyers in St. George use every kind of loan, including conventional, FHA, and VA. Some of the rural areas around the county also qualify for USDA loans. 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.

St. George has one of the most mixed economies in Southern Utah. Big employers include the Washington County School District, SkyWest Airlines, Utah Tech University, St. George Regional Hospital, and city and county government. SkyWest has its headquarters here and calls itself the largest regional airline in the United States. Around them, people work in building, shops, factories, and the visitor trade tied to the parks, Tuacahn, and the race calendar.

Federal job counts show about 89,800 jobs in Washington County in 2025, up from about 70,600 in 2020. That is a rise of about 27% in five years. The jobless rate for the St. George area was 3.8% in August 2026, which is a preliminary number. The average yearly pay in the county was about $50,900 in 2025.

Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, largest employers in Utah, 2024 average, updated November 2025. The SkyWest count is for all of Utah, not only St. George.

Where the jobs are, by group

Tech Ridge is a 180-acre business district on the old airport mesa above downtown. Companies have been there since 2021, and Dixie Technical College has its campus there. Two title companies broke ground on a shared headquarters on Tech Ridge in July 2026.

Many people bring their work with them when they move here. Remote work is common, and fiber internet reaches much of the valley. Inside the valley most commutes are short, and people from the smaller towns nearby drive into St. George to work. My guide for remote workers in Utah covers what to check before you move.

St. George Regional Hospital, part of Intermountain Health, is the main hospital for all of Southern Utah. It has 284 beds and an emergency room that is open all day, every day. People come from Cedar City, Kanab, Mesquite, and the towns around for higher-level care. A wide network of clinics, urgent care, and private doctors fills in across the valley.

The hospital is a Level II trauma center. That means trauma surgeons and other specialists are ready for badly hurt patients. It is the only Level II center south of Utah County. Cedar City Hospital and Garfield Memorial are Level IV centers.

The hospital goes back to 1913, and the current campus opened in 2003. A new three-story surgical tower is under construction, with the finish planned for late 2027.

For everyday medicine, specialty care, and emergencies, you are covered close to home. That is a real difference from the smaller towns nearby. If you are moving on military orders, my military PCS guide has VA access notes.

Sources: Intermountain Health, the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services trauma list, and the VA. Drive times are from the city center.

The Washington County School District runs the public elementary, middle, and high schools in St. George. It is the largest district in Southern Utah. The district counted 34,396 students on October 1, 2025. That includes 3,305 students in its Utah Online School.

Across the whole district there are 27 elementary schools, 6 intermediate schools, 6 middle schools, and 10 high schools. In 2025 to 2026, elementary school runs from kindergarten to grade 5. Intermediate is grades 6 and 7, middle school is grades 8 and 9, and high school is grades 10 to 12.

The traditional high schools in St. George are Dixie High, Desert Hills High, Pine View High, and Snow Canyon High. Career Tech High and Millcreek High, an alternative school, are in the city too. Crimson Cliffs High is in nearby Washington. The valley also has charter schools, including George Washington Academy, Success Academy at Utah Tech, and Utah Arts Academy, and there are private schools.

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, with what matters to you in mind. The links below go to the district and to independent sites, so you can check current school assignments yourself.

Ratings and boundaries come from independent third parties and the district, not from me. Many of the St. George community pages note which schools serve that area.

Utah Tech University sits at the center of St. George life. The public university counted 13,207 students in fall 2025. It shapes the city the way a university does, with arts, sports, lectures, and a steady run of events downtown. It leans into technology, health sciences, and hands-on "active learning" programs.

The school was called Dixie State University until July 1, 2022, when it became Utah Tech. Its teams play NCAA Division I sports. On July 1, 2026, Utah Tech joined the Big Sky Conference as a full member.

Dixie Technical College is also in town, at 610 South Tech Ridge Drive. It had 1,347 students in fall 2024. Its programs include welding, automotive and diesel work, culinary arts, medical assisting, and practical nursing. Between the two schools, a city this size has many ways to keep learning or train for a new job.

St. George is a car city, like most of Southern Utah. The street grid is easy, and most trips are short. Traffic is real, though, and it grows with the city. The busiest places are near the freeway and along the big cross streets.

From downtown

• A trailhead (Pioneer Park)~5 min
• St. George Regional Hospital~8 min
• Snow Canyon State Park~15 min
• St. George airport (SGU)~25 min
• Sand Hollow State Park~25 min
• Zion, south entrance~50 min

The state counts the cars on each road. The busiest stretch of I-15 in town is between St. George Boulevard and Green Springs Drive, Exits 8 to 10. It carried 72,000 vehicles a day in 2024, up from 58,000 in 2019.

Source: UDOT traffic counts for 2024. A count shows how busy a road is, not how long you wait.

The city runs a bus system called SunTran. It has seven local routes in St. George, Ivins, and Washington. There is no bus on Sundays or on listed holidays. There is no rail. As in most of Southern Utah, plan on a car for daily life.

Once you reach Zion Canyon, the National Park Service runs a free shuttle inside the park for much of the year. Check the park's page for this season's dates. Even so, most daily trips here mean driving.

Fares and hours come from the city's SunTran pages, checked in October 2026. They can change.

St. George Regional Airport (SGU) sits on the mesa southeast of town. Three airlines fly there, all flown by SkyWest. Delta flies nonstop to Salt Lake City. United flies nonstop to Denver and Los Angeles. American flies nonstop to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth.

• St. George (SGU)~15 mi · ~25 min
• Las Vegas (LAS)~127 mi · ~2 hr 10 min
• Salt Lake City (SLC)~300 mi · ~4.5 hr

For many trips, that saves the long drive to Las Vegas. About 432,000 passengers used SGU in 2025, up from about 253,000 in 2022. The terminal opens two hours before the first flight of the day.

For the widest schedules and long flights, Harry Reid International in Las Vegas (LAS) is a little over two hours down I-15. If you will make that drive often, my guide on how far St. George is from Las Vegas covers it in more detail.

St. George sits right on Interstate 15, the main road through the whole region. SR-18 (Bluff Street) climbs north past Snow Canyon toward Pine Valley. Red Hills Parkway and Bluff Street carry traffic across town. As in most of Southern Utah, you will want a car, but the grid is easy and most trips are short.

Here is how long the common long drives take from downtown.

Mesquite, Nevada

~40 mi · ~45 min

Cedar City

52 mi · ~50 min

Las Vegas

~124 mi · ~2 hr

Bryce Canyon

~142 mi · ~2 hr 20 min

Grand Canyon North Rim

~147 mi · ~3 hr

Salt Lake City

~300 mi · ~4.5 hr

The towns around St. George are close. Here is how far each one is by road.

Zion's south entrance is about 50 minutes from town. Brian Head, where the snow is, is about an hour and a half away. The Pine Valley Recreation Area is closed after the 2025 Forsyth Fire and floods. Check the Forest Service for when it reopens.

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

Almost nobody puts this on a real estate site, but it is what you need in your first week. In St. George, the first thing to learn is which company sends your power bill. It depends on which side of the Virgin River the home sits.

Set up city utilities through the City of St. George website.

You have real choices for home internet in St. George. The state's data shows fiber at every spot in town that was checked, including Bloomington, Little Valley, Green Valley, the Ledges, and Desert Color. Wireless and satellite fill in the gaps. What you can get still depends on the street, so check the exact address before you buy.

Source: the Utah Broadband Center's provider data, updated October 2026. I list who reports service, not speeds or prices.

Moving day is only the start. Here is the short list for your first 90 days in St. George, in the order most people do it. One surprise: there is no driver license office in the city. You will drive to Hurricane.

1. Turn on the utilitiesCity power and water north of the Virgin River, or Dixie Power south of it. Gas is Enbridge Gas Utah. Do this about a week before you move in, because the city needs up to three business days.
2. Get your Utah driver licenseThe only Driver License office in the county is at 102 South 5300 West in Hurricane, about 19 minutes from downtown. Book an appointment. Bring proof of who you are, your Social Security number, proof of your Utah address, and your current license. There is a written test.
3. Register your carUtah gives you 60 days to register after you set up a permanent home. The state DMV office is next door to the license office. Washington County does not require an emissions test. A car that is new to Utah needs a quick VIN check.
4. Register to voteDo it online at vote.utah.gov once you have your Utah license or state ID. The county clerk is at 111 East Tabernacle Street.
5. Claim the primary home tax breakWashington County asks the owner to apply. You can apply online, or call the assessor at 435-301-7020. See the taxes topic in chapter 2 for the rule that starts in 2027.
6. Sign up the kids for schoolRegister through the Washington County School District. Check the boundary map for your address first.
7. Learn your trash and recyclingCans come from Washington County Solid Waste. Glass goes to a drop-off site, not the curb.

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

You can do your weekly shopping without leaving town. St. George has full grocery stores on every side, two Costco warehouses, a Target, and an enclosed mall. The big stores gather in three places: near I-15 Exit 10 in the east, along River Road, and along Bluff Street in the west.

Just over the line, Washington has a Walmart, an Albertsons, and Natural Grocers, Utah's first. Santa Clara has a Harmons. The Downtown Farmers Market meets at Vernon Worthen Park, 300 South 400 East, on Saturdays. It runs 8 a.m. to noon from May to October. A winter market runs in late winter and spring, and the market is closed in January. Check the market site for the current hours.

Malls and bigger stores

What people still drive to Las Vegas for

A few things are not in Southern Utah. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and IKEA are in Las Vegas, and so is the Apple Store. The nearest Sam's Club is in North Las Vegas. Big concerts and pro sports are there too. That is a trip of about two hours each way.

Store lists change. These were checked against store and news pages in October 2026.

This is what sells many people on St. George. Red rock, slickrock, and reservoirs sit close to town. The winters are mild, with January highs near 54°F. These four are where I would start.

Also close by

Fees and closures change, so check before you go. Details come from Utah State Parks, the BLM, and the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.

Zion is the big draw, and it is close. The south entrance is about 50 minutes from downtown, so people here treat it as a regular day trip. The quieter Kolob Canyons side of the park is about 35 minutes away, right off I-15.

My Zion from St. George guide on The Local covers the drive and the quieter side of the park.

Drive times are map estimates from downtown with no traffic. Fees and dates are for 2026 and come from the National Park Service and Nevada State Parks. Check before you go.

Brian Head Resort is the closest place with ski lifts. It is about an hour and a half north of St. George, in the mountains east of Cedar City. Its base sits at 9,600 feet, the highest base of any Utah resort.

Ski Utah counts 72 runs and 8 lifts. Brian Head gets about 87 inches of snow a year by the NOAA normal at the Bryce Canyon station. In 2025 Brian Head opened on November 21, the first Utah resort open. The resort usually opens in November. Check its site for opening day.

In town, it hardly ever snows. St. George gets about 1 inch in a normal year, so skiing means a drive. Eagle Point Resort, in Beaver County, is closed for the 2026-27 winter. A wildfire in June 2026 burned part of the ski area and its Canyonside Lodge. The owners plan to rebuild, with no date yet.

Thinking about a place up the mountain? See the Brian Head page. Resort details come from Ski Utah and local news reports from August 2026.

St. George is known for golf. The city owns four courses, and Greater Zion, the county tourism office, counts 14 courses within 20 miles. January highs average about 54°F, and July highs about 102°F.

Black Desert Resort in Ivins sits on an old lava field. It was Tom Weiskopf's last design and opened to the public in 2023. The PGA Tour's Bank of Utah Championship is played there each fall, on October 1 to 4 in 2026. The LPGA event ran once, in 2025, and is not held in 2026.

Course lists come from Greater Zion and the city golf page. Call a course for tee times and today's conditions.

St. George has the biggest dining scene in Southern Utah. Downtown, around Main Street and St. George Boulevard, you can walk between barbecue, pizza, Thai food, and more. More places line Sunset Boulevard on the west side and Bluff Street. Newer chains gather at the south end, in Desert Color.

You can find Mexican food, wood-fired pizza, Thai and sushi, Chinese, barbecue, brewpubs, and bakeries. In September 2026, the city closed Main Street for Dinner on Main, a sit-down dinner with local chefs.

Six places people know

• BarbecuePica Rica BBQDowntown, 25 N Main StCentral Texas style barbecue with a Mexican twist. It opened in April 2023 and took part in the city's 2026 Dinner on Main.
• Seasonal AmericanWood Ash RyeDowntown, 25 W St. George Blvd, inside The Advenire hotelA menu drawn from Southern Utah pioneer heritage and local farms, with its own bakery. Breakfast and lunch run 7 am to 3 pm, and dinner starts at 5 pm.
• Dinner with a viewCliffside RestaurantTech Ridge, 511 S Tech Ridge DrIt sits on the bluff above downtown, with a three level patio and a Saturday brunch.
• Wood-fired pizzaSandtown PizzaBluff Street, 195 S Bluff StThe owner started with pizza from his backyard, then sold out at the Downtown Farmers Market. The shop opened in September 2024 and is closed Sunday and Monday.
• MexicanAngelica's Mexican GrillDowntown, 101 E St. George BlvdStreet tacos and a salsa bar. It is open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 9 pm, and closed Sunday.
• Thai and sushiBenja Thai & SushiAncestor Square, 2 W St. George BlvdA Thai and sushi restaurant with a second store, Benja's Thai Garden, at 435 N 1680 E. On Sunday it opens at 4 pm.

I chose these because each has a current website or a 2026 city page, and each was open when I checked in October 2026. This is not a ranking, and no one paid to be listed.

Coffee, treats, and more

Hours change, and small places come and go. Check before you drive. Several places close on Sundays.

St. George keeps a full calendar for a city its size. Some of it is just outside town, in Ivins. Here is what is here today.

• Outdoor theaterTuacahn AmphitheatreIvins, in Padre CanyonBroadway shows with a red cliff, about 1,500 feet high, as the stage backdrop. The outdoor season runs from about May to October, with new shows each year.
• MoviesMegaplex theatersRed Cliffs Drive and Bluff StreetMegaplex Pineview Stadium 10 and Megaplex Sunset Corner Stadium 8.
• DinosaursSt. George Dinosaur Discovery Site2180 E Riverside DrA museum at a real dinosaur trackway. It is open 10 am to 5 pm and closed Tuesdays. Adults pay $10.
• PlaygroundThunder Junction All Abilities ParkTonaquint Park, 1851 S Dixie DrA free park with a dinosaur theme, a splash pad, and a small train. It is fully wheelchair accessible.
• Family funFiesta Fun Family Fun CenterSt. GeorgeIt reopened in July 2026 after an expansion, with bowling, go-karts, mini golf and an arcade.
• PickleballLittle Valley Pickleball Complex2330 Horseman Park DrThere are 33 lighted courts, free to play and open to reserve. Utah Business calls it the largest public pickleball facility in the state.
• Rodeo arenaDixie SunbowlSt. GeorgeThe rodeo arena, built in 1947, reopened in September 2026 after a $10.5 million rebuild. It seats about 7,300.

Downtown

The old downtown is the 1861 street grid around Main Street and St. George Boulevard. You can walk to the St. George Tabernacle, a pioneer landmark. Ancestor Square, Town Square with its antique carousel, the Opera House, and the Electric Theater are close by too. The Red Hills Desert Garden hosts a holiday lights display in winter.

A bigger night out

For a major concert or a pro game, people drive to Las Vegas, about 2 hours away. The city has the NFL Raiders, the NHL Golden Knights, the WNBA Aces, and the Sphere. A new stadium for the MLB Athletics is aiming to open in spring 2028.

Hours and prices change. Check each place before you go.

St. George has more arts than you might expect, and much of it is free. In August 2026 a renovated performing arts center opened on the Utah Tech campus. Here is where to start.

Dates and hours come from the city museum page, St. George Musical Theater, and Utah Tech. Check before you go.

The calendar stays full, and the busiest stretch runs from September into October. The St. George Marathon turns 50 in 2026. Fall also brings the rodeo, Swiss Days, and the Senior Games.

• JanuaryTuacahn's indoor stage opens its winter run.
• FebruaryThe St. George Area Parade of Homes. The 2026 show ran February 13 to 22.
• MarchThe Southwest Symphony plays a spring concert. Johnson Canyon at Snow Canyon closes on March 15.
• AprilThe St. George Art Festival fills Town Square on Good Friday weekend, with nearly 200 artists and free entry. The Washington County Fair runs in Hurricane, and the Kayenta Street Painting Festival is in Ivins.
• MayTuacahn's outdoor season opens. IRONMAN 70.3 St. George ended with the May 2025 race, and nothing has replaced it.
• JuneTuacahn shows run all summer. Highs average 96°F, and monsoon season starts on June 15 by the weather service count.
• JulyThe Fourth of July parade down Tabernacle Street, a Town Square celebration, and fireworks at night.
• AugustMonsoon storms are most common in July and August. The America First Performing Arts Center opened on August 28, 2026.
• SeptemberDixie Days, with the Dixie Round-Up Rodeo in the rebuilt Sunbowl and Dinner on Main. Santa Clara Swiss Days on the last weekend.
• OctoberThe St. George Marathon on the first Saturday, the PGA Tour in Ivins, and the Huntsman World Senior Games in early to mid October.
• NovemberChristmas in the Canyon at Tuacahn and Holiday Lights at the Red Hills Desert Garden start at the end of the month.
• DecemberThe Symphony plays a holiday concert, and the Electric Theater holds a free holiday concert.

The marathon and the Games

The 2026 St. George Marathon is the 50th running. It starts high above town and runs downhill, with buses leaving from Vernon Worthen Park. The Huntsman World Senior Games follow, with 43 sports for people age 50 and over.

Sports to watch

The Utah Tech Trailblazers play NCAA Division I sports. They joined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. Football is played at Greater Zion Stadium. Basketball and volleyball are at Burns Arena, which has 4,779 permanent seats.

These are the usual months, and dates move a little each year. 2026 dates are shown where I have them. Check the city marathon page and the Greater Zion calendar before you plan a trip.

One quiet advantage of St. George is where it sits. Within an hour you can reach a national park, state parks, and small town Main Streets. Here are the places close by, with drive times from downtown.

Longer drives

• Mesquite, Nevada~40 mi · ~45 min
• Cedar City52 mi · ~50 min
• Las Vegas~124 mi · ~2 hr
• Bryce Canyon~142 mi · ~2 hr 20 min
• Grand Canyon North Rim~147 mi · ~3 hr
• Salt Lake City~300 mi · ~4.5 hr

Drive times are map estimates from downtown with no traffic. Pine Valley's recreation area is closed after the 2025 Forsyth Fire and floods. Check the Forest Service for when it reopens.