Kanab Area Information

2000 Census Population: 4,492

Elevation: 4,950 feet

Average Temperatures:
Summer - high 93, low 58
Winter - high 47, low 22

Distance from Kanab (miles):
Salt Lake City 303
St George 83
Phoenix, AZ 345
Las Vegas, NV 203
Zion National Park 40
Lake Powell 73
Grand Staircase 14
Paria Movie Set 32
Coral Pink Sand Dunes 23

Kanab is the County Seat of Kane County

• Southern Utah News

  Kanab is home to the Southern Utah News, Kane County's award-winning local news source. Subscriptions and other info available online.

• Kanab City Administration

  Kanab City Administration - City Council meeting minutes and news from the city office

• Salt Lake Tribune

  State and regional news from the Salt Lake City Tribune.

• Deseret News

  Breaking news, sports, entertainment, and headlines for Salt Lake City and Utah.

• Kanab, Utah - Google News

  News stories for Kanab, Utah from Google News.

You may be surprised to learn that Kanab and Kane County played a major role in the production of the great Western movies and television series that are so much a part of our American heritage.

This area has some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world and there are a variety of outdoor activities available to you during your visit. Our only request is that you leave the land as you found it, so that others can enjoy the beauty and history of this area with future generations and for many years to come.

Please take some time to discover some of the Hidden Treasures of Kanab and Kane County. Never been to a slot canyon? Kane County has a number of slot canyons and a host of local guides and outfitters to help you find the best slots this side of Las Vegas. The sunsets at Navajo Lake are incredible and the fall colors in Duck Creek are breathtaking. Check them out.

If you like to ride ATV's or off-road vehicles, Kanab is the place to be with hundreds of trails for your enjoyment and city ordinances that are ATV-friendly. Check with one of our visitor centers for maps and information on off-road rules and regulations and suggested destinations. Make sure to stop off at Coral Pink Sand Dunes and see our version of the Pink Sahara. It is truly inspiring.

Kanab is affectionately known as “Little Hollywood” after serving as the site to numerous Classic Western Movies. You are officially invited to attend our signature event each year as we celebrate our rich Western movie history with the Western Legends Roundup held in late August. Check out the famous Kanab site of the popular TV series ~ Gunsmoke, which is located just east of town.

Our hope is that you have enough time to see it all. If not, make plans to join us again as our doors are always open to new friends. Get ready to experience some of our hometown hospitality in Kanab, Utah USA.

Enjoy your visit to Kanab and Southern Utah’s Kane County.

Kane County, Utah School District Overview

by Tracy Hiscock

The Kane County School District is a vast, rural school district which serves students from the county seat, in Kanab, to the far corners of the county’s rugged terrain, from Big Water School, one hour east of Kanab, to Lake Powell School, a six hour drive to the north and east of Kanab.

The Kane School District mission is to “provide excellent instruction to students thereby empowering immeasurable opportunity.” To further this goal, the District has placed a heavy emphasis on professional development for teachers over the last five years, helping all teachers to become highly qualified. The District’s Schools all routinely score higher than the state average on state and standardized tests, as well as compared to the surrounding school districts.

District High School Students participate in the state’s Sterling Scholar program each year, competing for college scholarships. Community, business, and volunteer support of district schools and school activities is particularly strong in the county area. Five years ago the District created the Kane Schools Foundation for Students, a nonprofit education foundation dedicated to educational excellence in Kane County. The Board is comprised of volunteer professionals from the community.

Kanab has three schools within the town’s borders. Kanab Elementary (K-6) currently serves around 425 students, with a low student/ teacher ratio of approximately 21 to one. All elementary students from first grade on have music, art, library, physical education and computers once a week in addition to the regular school curriculum. String instrument instruction is offered to students beginning in fifth grade.

Kanab Middle School serves around 109 7th and 8th grade students, with a student/teacher ratio of about 18 to one. In addition to the required curriculum, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, including strings, band, art, yearbook, drill team, volleyball, soccer, football, basketball and baseball.

Kanab High School has a population of around 255 students from grades 9-12, with a student/teacher ratio of about 18 to one. In addition to the state required curriculum, high school juniors and seniors are able to take college level classes through the Utah Education Network’s two-way interactive, digital, distance education system. Extracurricular activities at the school include strings, band, chorus, art, drama, football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, wrestling, golf drill team, soccer, rodeo, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

Valley Elementary School and Valley High Schools are located in the town of Orderville, 22 miles north of Kanab on scenic Highway 89. The elementary school serves about 145 students from grades Kindergarten through 6th, with a low student/teacher ratio of about 18to one. It has a strong orchestral program beginning in the lower grades, which continues through the high school, as well as an impressive library and computer education program, in addition to the regular school curriculum. Valley High School serves about 141 students from grades 7-12, with a student/teacher ratio of about 16 to one. In addition to the state required curriculum, junior and senior students are able to take college level classes through the Utah Education Network’s two-way, interactive digital, distance education system. Extracurricular activities at the school include drama, strings, baseball, basketball, track & field, cross-country, volleyball, and golf. Additionally, the school participates in the Future Community & Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) program and has a very strong Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.

Big Water School is located in the small community of Big Water, near the Arizona border and Lake Powell. It serves about 36 students from grades Kindergarten through eight grade, with a very low student/teacher ratio of about six to one. The school has excellent instruction, with the kind of individualized and hands on learning that a small school can provide.

Lake Powell School is the District’s most remote school, located on the extreme east end of Kane County, at Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell. The School has about 47 students, with a low student /teacher ratio of about seven to one. Again, the small school setting provides great opportunities for individualized instruction and special projects.

All of the schools of Kane County are located in the finest of outdoor classrooms, where geology is on display, wildlife is abundant and the history is rich. The District provides field trips to many of the outstanding places throughout the county. The mild climate and good air make it possible for kids to play and learn outside throughout the year.