The largest town and county seat of Washington County was founded during the LDS Church’s Cotton Mission of 1861.
The Early Native American inhabitants of St. George also included the Virgin River Anasazi. Their presence is still depicted through their rock art and archaeological sites that have remained.
St. George is named in honor of George A. Smith, who did not participate in the town's settlement but personally selected most of the company of the pioneers of 1861.
The city's population has grown rapidly in the last quarter of the 20th century. In 1950 it was at 4,562, exploding to a whopping 28,500 in 1990.