Parowan

History

Fremont culture and Anasazi people were the first known inhabitants of the area where Parowan now exists. Petroglyphs, pithouses, arrowheads, pottery, and manos dating from A.D. 750 to 1250 found in the area are evidence that it was on a major thoroughfare of early indigenous peoples. At Parowan Gap, a mountain pass northwest of Parowan, ancient people inscribed petroglyphs on smooth-surfaced boulders that feature snakes, lizards, mouse-men, bear claws, and mountain sheep. Located near the Parowan Gap there are dinosaur tracks. East of the Gap and petroglyphs hikers can discover Hadrosaurs tracks that were originally formed in non-resistant mudstone. The tracks have three toes and can be found on the side of 12800 N.  Later, the Old Spanish Trail passed through the area. Parowan was founded on January 13, 1851, twelve months after Parley P. Pratt and members of his exploring party discovered the Little Salt Lake Valley and nearby deposits of iron ore in the Iron Mountain District. On January 8, 1850, Pratt had raised a liberty pole at Heap's Spring and dedicated the site as "The City of Little Salt Lake". Based on Pratt's exploration report, Brigham Young called for the establishment of settlements in the area to produce much-needed iron implements for the pioneer state. Mormon apostle George A. Smith was appointed to head the establishment of this "Iron Mission" in 1850. The first company of 120 men, 31 women, and 18 children braved winter weather traveling south from Provo during December. They sometimes built roads and bridges as they traveled, and they finally reached Center Creek on January 13, 1851. After enduring two bitterly cold nights, they moved across the creek and circled their wagons by Heap's Spring and Pratt's liberty pole, seeking the protection of…

Geography

Parowan sits on the southeastern edge of Parowan Valley, at the mouth of Parowan Canyon. A distinct red-top mountain known as Valentine Peak () overlooks the valley and is used as a common landmark for the city. Interstate 15 runs along the northwestern edge of the city, with access from Exits 75 and 78. I-15 leads north to Cove Fort and Interstate 70, and southwest to Cedar City. Utah State Route 143 leads south up Parowan Canyon to Cedar Breaks National Monument. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Parowan has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The data below are from the Western Regional Climate Center for the period from 1893 to 2010.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  614
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  285
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  264
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  249
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  223
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  191
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  190
• Brewer's Blackbird

  Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler, 1829) · Aves
  182

Largest nearby schools

• Parowan School
  Elementary · PAROWAN · 420 students · 20:1 ratio
• Parowan High
  High · PAROWAN · 363 students · 18.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.63 — 2026-09-21
  10 km NE of Marysvale, Utah
• M 2.63 — 2026-09-15
  16 km NE of Milford, Utah
• M 3.13 — 2026-09-12
  16 km NE of Milford, Utah
• M 2.52 — 2026-09-03
  17 km NE of Milford, Utah
• M 2.56 — 2026-08-13
  16 km NE of Milford, Utah
• M 2.78 — 2026-08-05
  9 km N of New Harmony, Utah