[4] The community was settled in 1878 by a band of thirteen Mormons led by Jefferson Tidwell.

The town was named for Justus Wellington Seeley, Jr., of the Emery County Court.

[5] Many residents commute to nearby Price for their jobs, or work in one of the various coal mines in the area.

Wellington is located southwest of the center of Carbon County along U.S. routes 6/191, which leads northwest 6 miles (10 km) to Price, the county seat, and southeast 57 miles (92 km) to Green River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.3 km2), all land.