How Far Is Duck Creek Village From St. George, Utah? 82 Miles and 20 Degrees Cooler

Duck Creek Village sits about 82 road miles from St. George, Utah. Take I-15 north for 52 miles to Cedar City, then Highway 14 east for 29 miles up the mountain to the village. Plan on 1 hour 40 minutes without stops. You finish about 5,700 feet higher than you started, and about 20 degrees cooler in spring, summer and fall.

St. George sits at 2,860 feet in the desert corner of the state. The village sits at 8,507 feet on the Markagunt Plateau, in pine and aspen forest. Those two numbers decide how the drive feels, what the weather does at each end, and what you pack.

The climb comes after Cedar City

The interstate leg feels flat at highway speed, and it climbs anyway. Between downtown St. George and the Cedar City exit, I-15 gains about 3,100 feet over 52 miles.

Highway 14 is a different road. It leaves Cedar City up Coal Creek and Cedar Canyon and gains about 4,000 feet in the 16.5 miles to Midway Summit. A fifth of the distance carries more than half the climbing. Past the summit the road gives back 1,400 feet over the last 12 miles into the village. Our post on the drive up from Cedar City covers that canyon mile by mile.

Fill the tank and buy groceries in Cedar City. Our grocery post found no supermarket on the 29 miles of Highway 14 above town, and the village has one gas station. Our getting here page lists drive times from every town around the mountain.

Through Zion or up I-15

A second route runs through Zion National Park. It follows SR-9 east through Springdale, up the switchbacks and through the tunnel, then north on US-89 and west on Highway 14 at Long Valley Junction.

The park route adds 18 miles and about an hour before any stop. The National Park Service fee page leaves no room for doubt: if you enter Zion, even to pass through, you buy a pass. Non-US residents age 16 and older also owe the $100 nonresident fee unless they carry an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Vehicles over 7 feet 10 inches wide or 11 feet 4 inches tall cannot use the tunnel at all, and our Zion tunnel post has the full limits.

Take the park route when Zion Canyon is part of the plan. For a straight transfer with luggage, I-15 wins by an hour.

Kolob Canyons sits at exit 40

Kolob Canyons, the quiet northwest corner of Zion, sits right on the I-15 leg at exit 40, about 33 miles from downtown St. George and 17 miles short of Cedar City. A five mile scenic road climbs from the visitor center into the red rock canyons. You show a Zion pass or pay the entrance fee at the visitor center, which the park lists as open 8 am to noon and 1 pm to 5 pm.

The park says the Kolob Canyons Road stays open most of the year and closes often in winter for snow or ice. The road runs five miles each way, and it turns a transfer day into a Zion day without the shuttle or the tunnel.

Subtract 20 degrees for the village

Air cools as it rises. The International Standard Atmosphere puts the drop at 6.5C per kilometer, about 3.6F for every 1,000 feet. Across the 5,650 feet between St. George and the village, that predicts a gap of about 20 degrees. The real numbers land close to it.

The St. George figures come from the NCEI 1991 to 2020 normals. The village figures come from the station data in our weather posts for each month. In April, July and October the gap runs 19 to 24 degrees, right on the rule. January breaks it, with the village about 14 degrees cooler, and St. George nights drop to 28F that month too.

Snow tells the bigger story. St. George averages 1.2 inches a year. Near the village, snow covered the ground on Christmas Day in 12 of the last 13 years. A St. George household can leave home in a light jacket and build a snowman before lunch. Pack boots and gloves in the car rather than in the suitcase, and check the Highway 14 road cameras before you head up from Cedar City. Our January weather post has the cold season numbers.

Quick answers about St. George and Duck Creek Village

How long does the drive from St. George to Duck Creek Village take?

About 1 hour 40 minutes for 82 miles through Cedar City. Give it two hours with a fuel stop.

Is it faster to go through Zion?

No. The Zion route runs about 100 miles and 2 hours 40 minutes, and it needs a park pass even to pass through.

How much cooler is Duck Creek Village than St. George?

About 20 degrees on a spring, summer or fall afternoon, and about 14 degrees in January.

Does Highway 14 stay open in winter?

Yes. UDOT plows it all year, but storms bring short closures and traction rules, so check the road cameras before you leave.

Can a big RV drive from St. George to Duck Creek Village?

Yes, by I-15 and Highway 14. Rigs over the Zion tunnel limits need to skip the park route.

St. George gives you the desert and Duck Creek gives you the forest, 82 miles apart. If you want the cool half of that trip, our cabins in Duck Creek Village sit at the top of the climb.