Interstate 15 is the primary arterial connecting the communities of Utah, the Beehive State. Entering Utah south of St. George, Interstate 15 retains rural characteristics as it passes through the cities of Cedar City, Parowan, Beaver, Fillmore, and Nephi. North of Nephi, Interstate 15 assumes a more urban feel, especially as it enters Provo, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Tremonton. Between Ogden and Tremonton, Interstate 15 is paired with Interstate 84; after they separate, Interstate 15 leaves Utah and enters Idaho.
This page profiles Interstate 15 in Washington County, which includes St. George, Leeds, and Kolob Canyon.
Interstate 15/Veterans Memorial Highway north
Interstate 15 enters the Beehive State of Utah just after the Black Canyon Road exit in the Grand Canyon state of Arizona. The Welcome to Utah sign is placed a mile or so past this point, after the weigh station/port of entry (exit is in the distance; see next photobox). Interstate 15 also enters the city of St. George at the state line. Immediately following the weigh station will be Exit 2, Junction Utah 7/Southern Parkway east to River Road. The site of Exit 2 was previously the Rest Area/Welcome Center interchange that is shown here as of 2003. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The Port of Entry/Weigh Station is to check the weight of commercial vehicles to ensure they are carrying loads within the legal limits as well as provide inspection facilities. Photo taken 10/24/03.
In 2004, the State of Utah was touting its hosting of the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Welcome to Utah signs, as well as the official state map and some state-sponsored visitor packets all mentioned the Olympic Games during that time period. Among infrastructure improvements for the hosting of the games was the reconstruction of Interstate 15 through Salt Lake City. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Interstate 15 is the Veterans Memorial Highway as denoted by this sign immediately after the Welcome to Utah sign. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The Utah Welcome Center features typical amenities of a tourist information center, including maps, guidebooks, tour and hiking suggestions, and accommodation and camping information. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 next meets Exit 2, Junction Utah 7/Southern Parkway. This new interchange opened on July 7, 2009, for the Southern Parkway (Utah 7). This new state highway travels east to River Road and will ultimately connect to Utah 9. Utah 7 (also known as the Dixie Beltway) will serve a new airport and industrial park to the east and connects to the Sun River development south of Bloomington. The long-term plan is to expand this into a beltway from Santa Clara to Hurricane. Photo taken 08/12/11 by Brent Ivy.
This mileage sign, located at end of the ramp from the welcome center back onto the Interstate, shows the distance to the three exits that directly serve the city of St. George: Exit 6, Junction Business Loop I-15/Utah 18 North, Bluff Street (three miles); Exit 8, Junction Business Loop I-15 South/Utah 34 West (six miles); and Exit 10, Middleton Drive (seven miles). However, it omits Exit 4, Brigham Road, which is the next exit (approximately one and a half miles ahead from here). Photo taken 10/24/03.
The first traditional exit (after the weigh station and welcome center) is Exit 4, Brigham Road (one mile). Brigham Road East leads toward Bloomington Hills, and Brigham Road West leads into Bloomington. Both of these areas are part of the city of St. George, as the city's southern boundary is the Utah-Arizona border.1 Photo taken 10/24/03.
Gore point signage for Exit 4/Brigham Road, which leads into Bloomington (residential areas are located both east and west of Interstate 15 on Brigham Road). This sign features a much larger digit "4" than similar signs in California. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along Interstate 15 north is Exit 6, Junction Business Loop I-15 and Utah 18/Bluff Street north, one and a half miles. This is the main exit from northbound Interstate 15 into downtown St. George, the largest city in southern Utah. As a gateway to Zion National Park, it is a popular vacation destination; with its warm climate, St. George is attractive to retirees. The population of the city has increased substantially over the past ten years as a result of this kind of growth. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The vicinity of St. George features a great deal of recreational activities. In addition to the Virgin River Gorge to the south, the Pine Valley Mountains (elevation 10,000 feet) and the Beaver Dam Mountains (elevation 7,000) are located to the north and west of the city via Utah 18. In addition, Utah 18 passes through Snow Canyon State Park, Dixie National Forest, and the town of Enterprise. Utah 18 reaches its northern terminus at its junction with Utah 56 in Iron County, some 63 miles north of here. Photo taken 10/24/03.
After passing this rock cut, Interstate 15 enters the city of St. George. The city lies in the valley of the Santa Clara River and is the seat of Washington County. In 2000, St. George had 49,663 people, which would put in the same league as Cheyenne or Casper in Wyoming. Santa Clara has far fewer people - only 4,630 as of 2000. Due to St. George's relatively low elevation (as compared to its neighbor Cedar City to the north), its weather is more similar to the desert that surrounds it. During the all seasons, the area experiences limited precipitation. Summers are dry and hot with temperatures in the upper 90s/low 100s; winters tend to be fairly mild with more moisture. This faded sign along northbound indicates that Exit 6, Junction Business Loop I-15 and Utah 18 North/Bluff Street, is one-half mile ahead. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Somewhat surprisingly, Utah does not use overhead sign bridges for Exit 6, which is the main exit into the city of St. George from the south. Business Loop I-15 and Utah 18 head north from this interchange into the city center via Bluff Street. While Business Loop I-15 returns to the freeway via Utah 34 (St. George Boulevard), Utah 18 continues north into Santa Clara. Santa Clara is a rapidly growing suburb of St. George that is located to the north and west of downtown. As an aside, travelers who take Arizona's Mohave County Route 91 north around the Virgin River Gorge instead of Interstate 15 (which passes through the gorge) end up on Utah 18 north of St. George in Santa Clara. To return to Interstate 15, they must turn south on Utah 18 into St. George. Photo taken 10/24/03.
As of 2003, there were 11 temples for the Church of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church) located in the state of Utah, along with countless churches (this number has almost certainly increased since then). The Mormon Church is among the most commonly practiced religions in Utah, and almost every Utah town of any size features at least one such church. Many Utah towns were established by Mormon pioneers, and the street grid pattern established by these pioneers remains the most common urban layout in Utah cities and towns. As for the 11 Mormon temples, they are located in Logan, Ogden, Bountiful, Salt Lake City, South Jordan, American Fork, Provo, Manti, Vernal, Monticello, and St. George. The St. George temple is visible in the distance to the left of the Exit 6 gore point sign along northbound. (Thanks to Jason Berntsen for clarification on the number of temples ... there are more than two in Utah!) Photo taken 10/24/03.
This Interstate 15 north reassurance shield is located after the onramp after Exit 6 (Utah 18) traffic merges back onto the freeway. Typically, the state of Utah uses a neutered shield with narrow (series "C") numerals with an extra wide space between the shield and the direction banner. More recent shield installations have featured wider numerals (series "E") but still no state name. In all of our journeys in October 2003, we could not locate a single state-name shield ... even when we traveled through some of the rural exit ramps! Photo taken 10/24/03.
There is only one advance sign for Exit 8, and this sign is not it (see next photobox). Dixie State College, which is a two-year college featuring several associate degree programs as well as a few four-year bachelor degree programs, is located in St. George. To reach the college, follow Business Loop I-15/Utah 34 west into the city. Turn south onto 700 East to reach the school. Dixie State College is about four blocks south of Utah 34/Business Loop I-15/St. George Boulevard and about seven blocks east of Main Street. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 8, Junction Business Loop I-15 south and Utah 34/St. George Boulevard west. Utah 34 is a very short state route, connecting Interstate 15 in the east with Utah 18 and the St. George Airport to the west. It is generally cosigned with Business Loop I-15 for its entire length. As noted above, this is the only advance warning sign for the Utah 34 exit from northbound. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The final St. George exit along northbound is Exit 10, which takes Middleton Drive into Washington City. Plenty of shopping is available at this exit, including a Wal-Mart. Photo taken 10/24/03.
In addition to shopping, Exit 10 provides access to the Virgin River, which gently passes through the valley en route to its cut through the Virgin River Gorge. The Virgin River is also responsible for cutting out the orange canyons of Zion National Park. To reach Zion, follow Interstate 15 north to the Utah 9 exit (Exit 16), then proceed east via Hurricane and Springdale into the park (the trip is approximately 32 miles east via Utah 9). Photo taken 10/24/03.
The Middleton Drive and Washington City exit connects to historic U.S. 91, which parallels the Interstate between Exit 10 and Exit 15. In addition, Exit 10 leads to the Dinosaur Tracks at Johnson Farm exhibit. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 10, Middleton Drive into Washington City. Even though the advance mileage sign back at the rest area (Exit 2) displayed this exit as "Middleton Drive," the sign reads "Washington City." Although not photographed here, a new exit (Washington Parkway) has been completed at Milepost 13 as of 2005. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Now departing the St. George metropolitan area, Interstate 15 labels its next two destination cities: Leeds and Cedar City. The control city remains Salt Lake City, which is almost always abbreviated to "Salt Lake" by the Utah Department of Transportation on its signs. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 15 is Exit 16, Junction Utah 9 east, which connects to the communities of Hurricane and Springdale before entering world-famous Zion National Park. Hurricane is the first community found along eastbound Utah 9, and it is a good place to stage daily visits to Zion. It is also where Utah 59 splits off to the southeast en route to northern Arizona. Open year-round with some seasonal closures, Zion National Park is home to a colorful gorge carved by the Virgin River. Camping, hiking, and sight-seeing are among the many activities in the park. Utah 9 actually passes through the park via two tunnels and descends into Mt. Carmel (Junction U.S. 89) on the eastern slope of the Markagunt Plateau. Even though this is a through route, it is very congested, and traffic moves slowly, especially at the tunnels and near the Virgin River Narrows scenic road. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Utah 9 is the gateway to other national parks in addition to Zion. The most popular of these other parks listed on this sign is Grand Canyon, which is located to the southeast in Arizona. To reach the Grand Canyon via Utah 9, follow Utah 9 east to Hurricane, then take Utah 59 southeast via Hilldale to Arizona 389. Arizona 389 connects with Alternate U.S. 89 in Fredonia, and Alternate U.S. 89 leads south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon via Arizona 67 or the South Rim via U.S. 89 and Arizona 64. Another popular destination to the east of here is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes the reservoir formed by the damming of the Colorado River: Lake Powell. The third attraction on the list is the one closest to the exit: Quail Creek State Park, which features boating, camping, and hiking. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 16, Junction Utah 9 east to Hurricane, Springdale, and Zion National Park. Former U.S. 91 did not follow Utah 9 and Utah 17; instead, it continues to follow the route of Interstate 15 along frontage roads, passing through Leeds via Utah 228 (Exit 22). Photo taken 10/24/03.
This mileage sign updates the distances to two of the next three destination cities (Leeds and Parowan, skipping the larger Cedar City) followed by the control city of Salt Lake City. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Like Nevada and Arizona, Utah is known for its wide-open spaces. This vista shows the town of Leeds nestled in the valley below this hill. The exit for Leeds is ahead (Exit 22, Junction Utah 228/Old U.S. 91, Main Street). Photo taken 10/24/03.
As noted by this sign, the Silver Reef Historic Site may be reached via this exit (using Utah 228/Main Street north to Silver Reef Road) and is approximately one and a half miles west of the freeway. The Silver Reef is particularly famous for having the only known instance in the world where silver intruded into a sandstone formation. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Utah 228 is essentially a state-maintained business route for Interstate 15 that passes through Leeds. Presumably, Leeds is too small to have its loop designated as an official business loop with green and white shields. Utah 228 extends from Exit 22 north to Exit 23, following old U.S. 91 for its entire length. Special note: Exit 23 is only accessible from southbound, and Exit 22 is only accessible from northbound. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 22, Junction Utah 228, Leeds/Silver Reef. This very short loop (between Exits 22 and 23) provides access to the town of Leeds via Main Street. Red Cliff Road follows Historic U.S. 91 southwest of Leeds. To reach Silver Reef Road, follow Utah 228/Main Street north through Leeds, then turn left (west) on Silver Reef Road, which leads into Dixie National Forest. Photo taken 10/24/03.
This mileage sign indicates the distance for two new destination cities: Kanarraville via Exit 42 in Iron County and Beaver via Exit 109 in Beaver County. Salt Lake City remains the control. Photo taken 10/24/03.
This magnificent vista represents the elevation change about to take place. From St. George to Cedar City, Interstate 15 must ascend from 2,800 feet to 5,800 feet in elevation. Therefore, Interstate 15 gradually makes it way upward as it passes through the remainder of Washington County and the southern portion of Iron County. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 27, which connects Interstate 15 to Utah 17 eastbound. Utah 17 may be used as an alternative to Utah 9, but it is not any faster for travelers along northbound. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 27, Junction Utah 17, which leads east to Toquerville and La Verkin. Utah 17 ends at its junction with Utah 9 in La Verkin, and Utah 9 continues east into Zion National Park. Photo taken 10/24/03.
This northbound Interstate 15 shield is found after the Utah 17 interchange (Exit 30). Photo taken 10/24/03.
Mileage sign along northbound for Cedar City, Fillmore, and Salt Lake City. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Scenic view of Interstate 15 northbound around Milepost 29. Zion National Park is situated to the east of here, and a unit of Dixie National Forest is located to the west. Photo taken 10/24/03.
As northbound Interstate 15 approaches Exit 30/Browse, trees become more plentiful as the freeway passes through the foothills of the Pine Valley Mountains to the west (which is part of the Dixie National Forest). Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 15 is Exit 30, Browse, one-half mile. This exit features no services, and it connects Interstate 15 to the old road (U.S. 91). Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 meets Exit 30, Browse. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Passing under the overpass for the Browse exit (Exit 30), this roadside indicates the next exit along northbound will be Exit 31, Pintura, one mile. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along Interstate 15 south is Exit 31, Pintura, one-half mile. Again, there are no services at this exit. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 31, Pintura. Photo taken 10/24/03.
In Utah, many of the local access interchanges that do not lead to a specific community, town, or city are referred to as "Ranch Exit." The first "Ranch Exit" along northbound is Exit 33. Photo taken 10/24/03.
The next exit along Interstate 15 north is Exit 33, Ranch Exit, one mile. Photo taken 10/24/03.
As Interstate 15 gains in elevation, the possibility of winter snows increases. Therefore, specific areas for installing tire chains are identified at higher elevations, including here at Exit 33. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 33, Ranch Exit. Taking this exit to the west connects to an old alignment of U.S. 91 north, but there is no outlet. Photo taken 10/24/03.
This is how Utah generally signs its exit gore points, with nice, large numerals on the gore point. This is the gore point sign for Exit 33, Ranch Exit. Photo taken 10/24/03.
This Interstate 15 north shield is located immediately after the Exit 33 onramp. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Lacking exit naming originality, the next exit (Exit 36) is also identified as a "ranch exit," with access to another old section of U.S. 91. Photo taken 10/24/03.
Northbound Interstate 15 reaches Exit 36, Ranch Exit. This exit also serves the Ash Creek Reservoir (which is not mentioned on any of the approach signs). Photo taken 10/24/03.
Signed with a rare brown guide sign, the final exit wholly located in Washington County along northbound is Exit 40, Kolob Canyons Road, one mile. This scenic route leads into the northernmost edge of Zion National Park, where the red-rock Kolob Canyons reside. Currently there is no fee required to enter this national park area. Photo taken 10/24/03.
A highly recommended side trip for sightseeing, hiking, picnicking, or photography, Exit 40 serves the Kolob Canyons unit of Zion National Park. Inaccessible from the rest of Zion, Kolob Canyon may only be reached from Exit 40. A road leads from this exit east into the park, and the road provides some of the most amazing scenery in a land of scenic superlatives, especially during the hours of the evening sunset. Photo taken 10/24/03.
At the base of the offramp from northbound Interstate 15, this sign indicates that access to Kolob Canyon is to the east (right) of the freeway. Zion National Park almost brushes against the eastern edge of Interstate 15, but the freeway does not enter the park. Photo taken 10/24/03.
