Utah Is Pickleball Crazy…Tops in the Lower 48
Utah’s love affair with pickleball is not slowing down.
A new CanadaSportsBetting.ca study ranked Utah as the No. 3 most pickleball-obsessed region in North America, behind only Hawaii and Prince Edward Island. That makes Utah the top-ranked state in the lower 48. The study gave Utah a Pickleball Obsession Index score of 7.73, pointing to 1,378 annual pickleball searches per 100,000 residents and 1,694 courts statewide.
The ranking is based on three factors: pickleball venues per capita, Google search volume for pickleball-related terms and Google Trends interest. In other words, Utah is not just talking about pickleball — it has been building places to play.
Desert Pickleball Hub
Southern Utah is a big part of that story. St. George and Washington County have the kind of weather that makes year-round pickleball possible. Visit Utah describes St. George as a year-round desert hub with mild winter temperatures and a climate closer to Arizona or Las Vegas than northern Utah. That means outdoor courts stay busy through much of the year, even when other parts of the country are dealing with snow and ice.
St. George pickleball coach April Schepman says it's all a perfect storm in Southern Utah.
"Pickleball is huge nationwide, but definitely St. George is a huge hub for Pickleball players. Pickleball is an easy sport to learn and a low-cost barrier to get started, but in order to play Pickleball, you need a court. I think the city of St. George was really good years ago about starting to build Pickleball courts and has continued to invest in maintaining their Pickleball courts and building more all throughout the city, which allows more people to play. Also, the weather here in St. George is great for Pickleball because most people can play year-round outside here on free city courts."
The court count backs up Schepman's insight. Pickleheads lists 313 pickleball locations and 1,694 courts statewide. It identifies St. George as having 103 courts, Washington with 53 and Hurricane with 17. Its broader location list also shows Santa Clara’s Archie H. Gubler Park with six courts and Black Desert Resort in Ivins with 21. Combined, that points to roughly 200 listed indoor and outdoor pickleball courts across Washington County communities.
Listen Here: Pickleball Coach April Schepman on Southern U-Talk on KDXU
St. George alone has become a pickleball hub. The city lists 33 courts at Little Valley, six at Vernon Worthen Park, seven at Bloomington Park and four at The Ledges.
No Longer a Trend
Indoor options are growing, too. The Picklr lists an eight-court indoor St. George location, while The Pickle Pad says its St. George indoor pickleball entertainment hub is opening in summer 2026. Black Desert Resort has also announced 21 courts in Ivins.
For Utah, pickleball is no longer a trend. It is becoming part of the recreation identity.
LOOK: The top holiday toys from the year you were born
Gallery Credit: Stacker
