Daggett County (/ˈdæɡət/ DAG-ət) is a county in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 935, making it the least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Manila.^[1] The county was named for Ellsworth Daggett, the first surveyor-general of Utah.^{[citation needed]} The small community of Dutch John, located near the state line with Colorado and Wyoming, became an incorporated town in January 2016.^{[citation needed]}

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Daggett County
County
Daggett County Courthouse in Manila, May 2008
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40.89°N 109.51°W / 40.89; -109.51
Country	United States
State	Utah
Founded	January 7, 1918
Named for	Ellsworth Daggett
Seat	Manila
Largest town	Manila
Area
• Total	721 sq mi (1,870 km2)
• Land	697 sq mi (1,810 km2)
• Water	24 sq mi (60 km2)  3.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	935
• Density	1.3/sq mi (0.50/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.daggettcounty.org

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Due to dangerous roads, mountainous terrain, and frequent bad weather preventing travel via a direct route, 19th century residents in the north portion of Uintah County had to travel 400 to 800 miles (640 to 1,290 km) on both stagecoach and rail to conduct business in Vernal, the county seat, a mere 50 miles (80 km) away.^{[citation needed]} The journey involved overland travel to a train station in Wyoming, to either Mack, Colorado, Price, or Salt Lake City, then a stagecoach to Vernal.^{[citation needed]} In the fall 1917 election, the Uintah county voters voted to establish a separate county on the northern slope of the Uinta Mountains.^[2] The act establishing the county was approved on January 7, 1918, naming Manila as the county seat.

The boundary between Daggett and Uintah counties was adjusted in 1919, with some territory being returned to Uintah. Daggett County boundaries have remained unchanged since 1919.^[3]

Daggett County lies at the lower northeastern corner of Utah. Its northern border abuts the south border of the state of Wyoming, and its eastern boundary abuts the western border of the state of Colorado. Its main geographical features are the Uinta Mountains, which comprise its southwestern portion and delineate part of its southern border, and the Green River, which has carved a deep gorge through the east-central part of the county.^[4] In 1958, the United States Bureau of Reclamation took advantage of this natural feature to construct the Flaming Gorge Dam, creating the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which began filling in 1964.

The county terrain slopes to the north and east on the northern flank of the Uintas. The county's highest point is on a mountain crest along its south border, at 12,276 ft (3,742 m) ASL.^[5] The county has a total area of 721 square miles (1,870 km²), of which 697 square miles (1,810 km²) is land and 24 square miles (62 km²) (3.3%) is water.^[6] It is the fourth-smallest county in Utah by area. Over 90% of the land of Daggett County is under federal ownership.

Daggett County is governed by three commissioners, an auditor/HR director, a recorder/treasurer, a clerk, an assessor, and a sheriff, all elected for four-year terms in partisan elections. Judges stand for a non-partisan retention election every four years. Current officeholders and the year the current term began:

• Commission Chairman: Matt Tippets (R) 2022
• Commissioner: Randy Asay (R) 2020
• Commissioner: Jack Lytle (R) 2022
• Auditor/HR Director: Keri Pallesen (R) 2022
• Recorder/Treasurer: Brianne Carter (R) 2020
• Clerk: Brian Raymond (R) 2020
• Assessor: Lesa Asay (R) 2020
• Sheriff: Eric L. Bailey (R) 2022
• Justice Court Judge: Judge Jeri Allphin (appointed 2022)

Daggett County has traditionally voted Republican. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

The few commercial establishments in Daggett County exist to service tourists and users of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Throughout the county, there is one small general store, several gas stations, five cafes or restaurants, five inns/motels, and a few miscellaneous businesses that offer raft rentals. Some businesses offer guided fishing trips on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Green River. The economy is primarily related to recreation, management of government land, and ranching. There are no railroads within Daggett County.

• List of counties in Utah
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Daggett County, Utah
• USS Daggett County (LST-689)