Little Ruin Canyon - panoramio - runt35, 2008
Montezuma Creek’s story
67 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1959Montezuma Creek is settled
Montezuma CreekUT
The town was settled in 1959 and has 239 residents today.
Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
239
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$38K
Census ACS
Median age
39.4
years
Land area
12 sq mi
Settled
1959
67 years ago
Is Montezuma Creek a good place to live?
43% of residents live below the poverty line in Montezuma Creek, above both the Utah town median (6.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 120 in Utah we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Montezuma Creek. Montezuma Creek’s concentration of trails is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both Utah’s towns (1.1) and U.S. towns (0.4). Montezuma Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
239 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Montezuma Creek.
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Montezuma Creek is lower than in the typical Utah or U.S. town
3risk score of 100
58% of Montezuma Creek’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by inland flooding at 17%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Montezuma Creek’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Montezuma Creek’s public school: 282 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma Creek SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 282 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
The climate in Montezuma Creek brings four seasons and hot summers
7″snow a winter
A winter brings about 7 inches of snow, with January nights at 21° and July afternoons at 97°.
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–47°
Spring40–72°
Summer62–95°
Fall41–72°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Utah and the rest of the country, more of Montezuma Creek’s adults report frequent mental distress
Of the 119 Utah towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Montezuma Creek. The share of adults in Montezuma Creek who say their health is fair or poor: 38%. Also worth knowing: this Utah town beats the Utah average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 25. Two figures for adults locally: 24% smoke cigarettes, 22% have diabetes.
| Montezuma Creek | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 15% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 8% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 8.4% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Utah
2 better5 too close to call25 worse
| What stands out | Montezuma Creek | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 8.9% | 12.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 71.5% | 65.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 44.7% | 9.8% |
Blue Mountain Hospital
24 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Montezuma Creek has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
0.8%conserved
30 miles of trail.
0.8%
conserved · 62 of 7,808 acres
30 mi
of trails · 2.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Montezuma Creek
15pages on Montezuma Creek
The big questions
Out and about
Getting set up
Moving to Montezuma Creek: who provides what
Montezuma Creek is unincorporated, so San Juan County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNavajo Tribal Utility Authority14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMontezuma Creek Ntua water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSan Juan CountySan Juan County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Utah you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Juan County ClerkSan Juan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8453484534 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 13, 2026.
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Montezuma Creek; the nearest are
Dine CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Tsaile, AZ66.3 mi$1,410 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM70.3 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Montezuma Creek residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Utah.
About Montezuma Creek
Census-designated place in Utah, United States
Montezuma Creek (Navajo: Díwózhii Bikooh) is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 284 at the 2020 census, a decrease from the 2010 figure of 335.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,416 ft
- ZIP code
- 84534
- Area code
- 435
Questions about Montezuma Creek
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Montezuma Creek, UT a good place to live?
Montezuma Creek has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Montezuma Creek is in here
Say something about Montezuma Creek.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.