St. George known by Utah natives as the San Diego of the Southwest and Utah's Dixie is located in the southern part of Utah. Its climate is very mild when compared to the rest of Utah, and typical of the northeastern edge Mojave Desert, in which it lies.
Once part of Mexico and settled by the Southern Paiutes, it was first inhabited by Mormon settlers in 1854, as part of Brigham Young's (President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) efforts to establish an Indian Mission in the region. St. George was founded as a cotton mission in 1861 under the direction of Apostle Erastus Snow of the Mormon church. The settlement was named St. George after George A. Smith, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 1861 when Brigham Young selected 300 families to take over the area and grow cotton, grapes, and other crops the region was nicknamed Dixie by him. While early settlers cultivated cotton as a commodity crop, they did not succeed in producing it at competitive market rates. Cotton farming eventually was abandoned and replaced by tourism. Early railroads began to carry visitors to the nearby Zion National Park.
Over the years the St. George area has become a place for "Snowbirds" to escape to. When winter comes and temperatures fall, people from higher latitudes and colder climates of the northern United States and Canada come visit by the thousands.
But why is St. George a popular tourist destination? It is central to some of the most natural beauty in the American west. The breathtaking beauty of this area is something to behold for the young and old. Surrounded by Zion National Park, the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness area and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, it easy to see why people from all over the world are drawn to St. George.
It is a gateway city to 3 National Parks, Grand Canyon (North Rim), Zion and Bryce Canyon as well as numerous National Monuments and State Parks. There are three reservoirs within a 30 minute drive as well as the two largest man - made bodies of water in North America named Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Those lakes are less than 2 hours away. Besides all the stunning vistas there are hundreds of biking and hiking trails and golf courses to keep anyone busy.
Winter skiing is just an hour away at nearby Brian Head. Cedar City which is 30 miles away has it's annual Shakespearean Festival and numerous civic theater venues. The St. George Tuachan Center for the Performing Arts has shows all year round. Everything from rock and comedy concerts to broadway musicals can be seen there surrounded by red-rock. Watching entertainment in the Tuachan outdoor theatre is always enhanced by the brilliant, natural red-rock backdrop.
Then there is the annual city arts festival which showcases the many artists and craftsmen in the area and from all over the world. Other annual events include the St. George Marathon, Iron-Man competition, Fourth of July Parade and the annual fireworks concert.
Utah is one of those places that's a paleontologist's dream. Lots of dinosaur fossils have been found all across the state. And around St. George, you can see some fine examples of preserved dinosaur footprints. The best place to start is the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, where you can see fossilized dinosaur footprints.
Las Vegas is less than 2 hours away. Mesquite Nevada is closer at just 20 minutes away if you feel like taking a chance in the casinos.
Besides the natural beauty another big reason the St. George area has become a retirement and recreational haven is due to its pleasant winter climate. In the winter (December to January), temperatures average in the mid to upper 50s F. during the day with nighttime temperatures averaging just below freezing. Heavy snowfall is rare. It does snow now and then with slight accumulation typically once or twice during these cooler months, usually completely melting in a day or two. The humidity is extremely low (usually below 25% in the summer), and the area receives an average of about 8 to 10 inches of rainfall annually. Summers are hot with high temperatures exceeding 100 °F. (40 °C.) at times from about late May through September, with the exception of the cooling rains of the southwest Monsoon.
St. George was voted Utah's "Best City" by the state's residents in 2016. In 2015 Money magazine named St. George the best place to retire in America. The St. George metro area is the fastest-growing in the U.S., according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. In April 2015, St. George was ranked in the top 10 of safest cities in the U.S. by Law Street using FBI crime statistics.
If you get a chance come to St. George. The people are friendly plus there is lot's to see and do.