Blanding, Utah
Blanding is a city of 3,275 people in San Juan County, Utah, founded in 1905.
Why visit Blanding
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum and Swallow's Nest.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Blanding
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Blanding
Blanding (Navajo: Shash Jaaʼ) is a city in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,394 at the 2020 census, making it the most populated city in San Juan County. It was settled in the late 19th century by Mormon settlers, predominantly from the famed Hole-In-The-Rock expedition. Economic contributors include mineral processing, mining, agriculture, local commerce, tourism, and transportation.
From the Wikipedia article Blanding, Utah (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
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Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
State park in Utah, United States
Swallow's Nest
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Building in Utah, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes9
Homestead Steak House
Restaurant · Steak House · 1.9 mi
121 East Center Street, Blanding
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:00; Sa 16:00-20:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.8 mi
82 South Main Street, Blanding
Mo-Fr 08:00-22:00; Sa 09:00-22:00; Su 09:00-21:00
History
First known as Grayson (after Nellie Grayson Lyman, wife of settler Joseph Lyman), the town changed its name in 1914 when a wealthy easterner, Thomas W. Bicknell, offered a thousand-volume library to any town that would adopt his name. Grayson competed with Thurber, Utah (renamed Bicknell) for the prize. Grayson was renamed Blanding after the maiden name of Bicknell's wife, and each town received 500 books.
On the morning of June 10, 2009, sixteen Blanding residents were arrested in more than a dozen raids performed by federal agents and indicted as part of an undercover investigation of violations of the Archeological Resources Protection Act. Eight others around the Four Corners region were also indicted. The raid was the largest undercover sting of its kind in the country. The raid was the conclusion of a two-year investigation by FBI and BLM agents code-named "Cerberus Action" in which an undercover agent was able to purchase 256 artifacts for $335,685. One indicted resident, Dr. James DeMar Redd, died by suicide on June 11. The undercover informant, Ted Gardiner, died by suicide on March 1, 2010.
From the History section of Blanding, Utah on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare2
Map of Blanding
52 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 22°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 26°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 32°F | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 38°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 72°F | 46°F | 0.8 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 56°F | 0.3 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 62°F | 1.1 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 60°F | 1.2 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 53°F | 1.3 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 42°F | 1.4 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 31°F | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 23°F | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Blanding Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
San Juan County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-07-12: Deer Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2021-06-10: Pack Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Blanding Municipal Airport (BDG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Monticello 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Dove Creek 34 mi east, about 56 min by car
- Red Mesa 45 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- La Sal 49 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Towaoc 51 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Teec Nos Pos 53 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Cortez 54 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Blanding Utah city office, Ntsimp, Public domain
- Edge of Cedars Indian Ruin, Blanding, Utah, Pma03, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nov 14, 2023 - RAC members meet in Blanding (53345820789), BLMUtah, Public domain
- Corey Spillman, Blanding Fire Chief Receives Radios (49199924233), BLMUtah, Public domain
- South face of Mormon Church meetinghouse in Blanding, Utah, USA, in fall 2018, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blanding, Utah (14223866993), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blanding, Utah (14200432041), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- San Juan High School, Blanding, Utah, May 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blanding Municipal Airport terminal, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Utah National Guard Armory, Blanding, Utah, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- City of Blanding Fourth Reservoir Culinary Water Storage, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sun sculpture Edge of the Cedars Park, Scott Catron ( talk · contribs ). On flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS002-E-9774 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Tarbosaurus, DaBler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- King Kong (1933), Brontosaur, DaBler, Public domain
- Haynesite, BLFrank, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Juan Theater, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Juan School District Business Office, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168990855), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168990860), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168515428), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168990895), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168508456), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52167485972), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168508471), BLMUtah, Public domain
- 2022 Painted Mountains Tour (52168990885), BLMUtah, Public domain
- Open Pack of Marlboro Reds (American), AnonymousEditor95, CC BY 4.0
- Pinenut Knoll, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Albert R. Lyman Middle School, May 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Swallow's Nest, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Swallow's Nest plaque, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eagle Air Med - Sceni Aviation Inc. hangar, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pinenut Knoll east face, February 2019, Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nov 14, 2023 - sunset at Bears Ears National Monument (53345498391), BLMUtah, Public domain
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