Escalante: the numbers and what's current The Census Bureau estimates Escalante's population at 817 on July 1, 2025, up 3% from the 793 in its April 2020 estimates base. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates ↗
Mayor: Melani Torgersen. Council: Marlene Stowe, Chad Lyman, Ryan Cottam, Tara Woolsey, Sally Orme. Escalante City: government ↗
The City Council meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m., and the Planning and Zoning Commission meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6 p.m. when it has business. The 2026 schedule lists council meetings through Nov. 3. Escalante City: City Council agendas and minutes ↗
From the city Checked against the city's own pages on October 28, 2026 . Dates and schedules change; confirm with the city before you plan around them.
Escalante at a glance Garfield County · Utah
Escalante is a ranching town on Scenic Byway 12 between the Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef areas. Its position near Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument has also made it a base for guides, lodging and desert trips.
The city’s website provides a local history, a historic-district walking-tour guide, ordinances and separate council and planning resources. Those records tell a civic story alongside the landscape outside town. Visitors can use the local services as a starting point, then turn to the relevant park or land manager for the places they intend to explore. Escalante posts council agenda documents and supporting packets as separate downloads under dated meeting notices. Start with the agenda to identify the item, then use the corresponding packet for background; packet contents alone do not show what action the council ultimately took.
Events and meetings Regional news
Sales tax in Escalante The combined sales and use tax rate is 8.45% (7.35% in unincorporated Garfield County). Grocery food is taxed at 3.00%, restaurant meals at 9.45% and hotel stays (transient room) at 15.02%. Rates in effect as of Oct. 1, 2026. Source: Utah State Tax Commission: Sales and Use Tax Rates ↗
Who runs Escalante Escalante City Council meets the first and third Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
FY2027 budget. Escalante City posts Resolution 2026-02 adopting its 2026-2027 budgets by fund; the document covers the General Fund, an Airport Fund and a Municipal Building Authority Fund. Budget document ↗
Read from the city's own website on November 1, 2026 . Meeting schedule ↗
Places and local character Resident essentials Plan individual desert trips with current land-manager information and weather conditions; nearby destinations are not all within the city.
Government and sources Municipal directory · Utah municipal boundary data · Roster checked Oct. 19, 2026. Check the linked agency for current services and contacts.
Local guide sources Local guide reviewed Oct 19, 2026 . Operators provide current hours, fees, reservations and access information.