The presence of prehistoric people in the Cedar City area is revealed by rock art found in Parowan Gap to the north and Fremont sites dated to A.D. 1000 and 1300.

Fifty years later, in 1826, mountain man and fur trader Jedediah Smith traveled through the area, exploring a route from Utah to California.

Two companies of men led by Henry Lunt reached the fort site in a blizzard on November 11, 1851, making that date the official founding.

In 1855, a new site, closer to the iron works and out of the flood plain of Coal Creek,[7] was established at the suggestion of Brigham Young.

Cedar City continues to be a center of tourism, commercial development, education, and the arts in southwestern Utah.

On December 10, 2017, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated its Cedar City Utah Temple.

Cedar City is located in the southeast Great Basin and is approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert.

Its elevation of 5,846 feet (1,782 m) gives it a somewhat cooler climate compared to the nearby St. George region, though it retains cultural ties to the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.1 square miles (52 km2), all land.

The economy is mostly centered on a small manufacturing hub, tourism, Southern Utah University, and home construction.

A branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad serves customers on the city's western outskirts.