Wayne County is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,486,^[1] making it the fourth-least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Loa.^[2]

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Wayne County
County
Tithing Office in Loa, Utah.
Location within the U.S. state of Utah
Utah's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°22′N 110°54′W
Country	United States
State	Utah
Founded	March 10, 1892
Named for	Wayne County, Tennessee
Seat	Loa
Largest town	Loa
Area
• Total	2,466 sq mi (6,390 km2)
• Land	2,461 sq mi (6,370 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,486
• Density	1.0/sq mi (0.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.waynecountyutah.org

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Due to its remoteness and harsh terrain, settlements did not appear in the future Wayne County until the 1880s. By 1892, there was enough settlement and enough interest in a separate county (due mainly to the difficulty of accessing the Piute County seat), that Utah Territory passed an act (effective date March 10, 1892)^[3] to separate the east portion of Piute into a separate county.^[4] The county was named for Wayne County, Tennessee, itself named for Anthony Wayne.^[5] The county boundaries have remained unchanged since its creation.^{[citation needed]}

The eastern border of Wayne County is delineated by the meanders of the Green River, which flows southward to discharge into the Colorado River. After the two rivers join, the combined southwestern flow forms the remaining portion of the county's eastern border. The central part of the county is drained by the Fremont River and Muddy Creek. The Fremont begins at Fish Lake in Sevier County and flows into Wayne County near its northwestern corner. It joins the Muddy near Hanksville to form the Dirty Devil River, which flows southeastward out of the county's southern border to discharge into Colorado. Wayne County terrain varies from rough forestland on the west to arid poor soil carved by drainages and rocky outcrops.^[6] The terrain slopes to the east and south; its highest area is near its NW corner, at 9,888 ft (3,014 m) ASL.^[7] The county has a total area of 2,466 square miles (6,390 km²), of which 2,461 square miles (6,370 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[8]

The Green River, passing through the canyons of Canyonlands National Park, forms the eastern boundary. The San Rafael Desert occupies the center of the county. Thousand Lake Mountain and Boulder Mountain flank Rabbit Valley on the western end of the county, where beautiful forests contrast with the deserts to the east. The small population of the county is centered in Rabbit Valley, with one town of 200, Hanksville, located in Graves Valley north of the Henry Mountains. Wayne County is also home to Capitol Reef National Park.

Wayne County voters are traditionally Republican. In only one national election since 1948 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Utah
• For additional History of Wayne County Utah see "Utah's Stolen Treasures" by Gene Covington ISBN 978-1-62516-335-6 (e-book) or ISBN 978-1-61897-954-4 (paperback)