Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin are the three small towns you pass through on the way from St. George to Zion, and buyers lump them together until they read the fine print. All three sit in Washington County, all three fall in the same Hurricane middle and high school boundaries, and all three still qualify for USDA rural home loans. The differences are in the pipes and the rules: Virgin has no public sewer at all, Toquerville makes new homes hook up to a secondary irrigation system, and La Verkin limits how long a guest can sleep in an RV in your driveway. Here is how they compare, with the source for each fact, from someone who has sold real estate in Washington County for 13 years.
How big are Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin?
La Verkin is the largest of the three with 4,354 residents in the 2020 Census, Toquerville had 1,870 and the town of Virgin had 670, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 redistricting data. The Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates put them at 4,515, 1,999 and 714 as of July 1, 2025.
They sit on two state highways. Toquerville and the north end of La Verkin line up along SR-17, which runs from I-15 at the Toquerville exit south to SR-9 in La Verkin. Virgin is further up SR-9 toward Zion, past La Verkin. Measured with UDOT's own route mileposts, the drive from the St. George Boulevard interchange is about 22 miles to the center of Toquerville (up I-15 to the SR-17 exit), about 20 miles to 500 North in La Verkin (I-15 to the Hurricane exit, then SR-9), and about 26 miles to Mill Street in Virgin. From Mill Street to Zion's west entrance is another 14 miles by the same mileposts. My commute times post explains the milepost method and the I-15 traffic counts.
| Item | Toquerville | La Verkin | Virgin | Source, checked Oct 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Census population | 1,870 | 4,354 | 670 | Census Bureau 2020 redistricting file |
| Culinary water | City system | City system | Washington County Water Conservancy District contract | City codes and town water page |
| Sewer | Ash Creek Special Service District | Ash Creek Special Service District | None, individual septic | Toquerville 8-3-1, La Verkin 8-4-1, Virgin septic page |
| Irrigation water | Secondary system required for new development | City irrigation system | Not stated by the town | Toquerville 8-2-2, La Verkin water plan |
| Elementary school | La Verkin Elementary | La Verkin Elementary | La Verkin Elementary | WCSD boundary maps |
| Miles from St. George Blvd interchange | About 22 | About 20 | About 26 | UDOT route mileposts |
Do Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin have city sewer?
Toquerville and La Verkin do, and Virgin does not. Both cities adopt the rules of the Ash Creek Special Service District, which serves Hurricane, La Verkin and Toquerville and runs the Confluence Park Water Reclamation Facility in La Verkin. Toquerville does it in City Code 8-3-1 and La Verkin in 8-4-1. The town of Virgin says plainly on its septic and sewer page that it "utilizes individual septic tanks, as no public sewer is available at this time."
That septic line changes how I write an offer in Virgin. A buyer there should budget for a septic inspection and ask for the tank's pumping records, and anyone planning a casita should talk to the health department before closing. Water works differently too. Toquerville and La Verkin each run their own culinary water systems, while Virgin buys a set number of connections from the Washington County Water Conservancy District, according to its water page. Toquerville adds one more rule: City Code 8-2-2 requires new development to connect to the Toquerville secondary water system for outdoor irrigation, so expect a second water bill on a newer home there.
What are the animal and RV rules in each town?
Toquerville and La Verkin use almost the same points system for animals: 100 points per acre, with a horse or cow counting 25 points and a goat or miniature horse 12. On a lot under half an acre neither city allows large or medium animals, a lot of 10,000 square feet or less gets 12 points, and a lot of 6,000 square feet or less is limited to household pets. The details sit in Toquerville City Code 5-1-4, where livestock is a conditional use in single-family zones, chickens need a lot of at least 12,000 square feet with a cap of 20 birds, and roosters are not allowed in single-family zones, and in La Verkin City Code 10-7-19, which bans pigs and peacocks. Virgin's residential zones, 16.32.06 for the R zone and 16.34.04 for the one-acre RR zone, allow "animals and fowl for recreational use or family food production" without a numeric limit in the zone text.
RVs are where the towns split. Virgin's code, section 16.26.06, permits RV storage in all residential zones, one per lot, with visitor stays capped at 30 consecutive days and occupancy at 90 days in any 180. La Verkin's section 10-7-14 lets a resident store an RV on a lot with a house on it, bans RV storage on a vacant lot, and caps guest occupancy at 30 cumulative days in 12 months. In Toquerville the clearest rule I found is on the street: City Code 6-2-3 bars leaving a vehicle, trailer or boat on a street for more than 72 hours in any 80-hour period. I could not find an on-lot RV storage rule in Toquerville's code, so on a Toquerville purchase I ask the city and read any recorded CC&Rs before promising a buyer the RV pad works. Read the codes yourself at the Toquerville and La Verkin code libraries and Virgin's Municode page.
Which town fits which buyer?
In my experience La Verkin is the practical choice: the most people, the only public school of the three, city sewer, and the shortest drive back to St. George. Toquerville tends to draw buyers who want bigger lots and a quieter, older townsite, and its historic district overlay in City Code chapter 10-15 covers part of the original settlement. Virgin is for people who want Zion and the Kolob Terrace Road close by, and the NPS describes that road as running north of the town of Virgin. The trade-off there is septic, fewer services, and a short-term rental door that is closed: Virgin made nightly rentals a prohibited use in its residential zones under Ord. 2024-05, so do not buy there counting on Airbnb income. My short-term rental rules post compares every city.
All three sat inside USDA Rural Development's eligible area on the eligibility map layer dated July 25, 2023, which matters for buyers with little down, though eligibility always comes down to the specific address on the USDA eligibility site. For current prices, use my market summary, and for the Hurricane side of the comparison, read my Hurricane Valley guide. The town pages for Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin show what is listed today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virgin, Utah have city sewer?
No. The town of Virgin says it uses individual septic tanks because no public sewer is available, and its code allows one septic tank of up to 2,000 gallons on residential lots under an acre. Toquerville and La Verkin are both on the Ash Creek Special Service District sewer.
What schools serve Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin?
All three fall in the La Verkin Elementary, Hurricane Intermediate, Hurricane Middle and Hurricane High boundaries on Washington County School District's maps. La Verkin Elementary is the only public school inside the three towns. Confirm any address with the district before you buy.
How far is Toquerville from St. George?
About 22 miles from the St. George Boulevard interchange to the center of Toquerville, measured on UDOT's route mileposts up I-15 to the SR-17 exit. La Verkin is about 20 miles and Virgin about 26 miles by the same method.
Can I keep horses in La Verkin or Toquerville?
Yes, on a large enough lot. Both cities use a 100 points per acre system where a horse counts 25 points, and neither allows large animals on a lot under half an acre. In Toquerville livestock is a conditional use in single-family zones, so check with the city first.
If you are weighing these towns against Hurricane or St. George, I will pull the sewer, water and zoning facts for the exact address before you write an offer. Call me at 435-200-5508 or send me a message.