Central is an unincorporated rural community in northwestern Washington County, Utah. Central is located along the edge of the Dixie National Forest and Utah State Route 18. Central is located north of the city of St. George, the county seat of Washington County. Central has an elevation of over 5,253 feet above seal level. Although Central is unincorporated, it has a post office served by zip code 84722.

Washington County is located in the corner of southern Utah, bordering Arizona and Nevada. Major highways passing through Washington County include Interstate 15, and Utah's State Route 9, State Route 17, State Route 18, State Route 59. The largest nearby city to Washington County is Las Vegas, Nevada, located about 100 miles to the southwest. The heavily populated areas in the Salt Lake City region are several hundreds miles to the north of Washington County.

A large portion of Washington County is occupied by parts of Dixie National Forest and Zion National Park. Together both of these large parks dominate the scenic beauty of Washington County and offer most of the local recreational opportunities.

According to the U.S. census of 2000, Washington County has a population of more than 90,000 people. The county has a total area of 2,430 square miles with only 3 square miles of water.

Washington County has a total of 21 communities, consisting of cities and towns. Washington County of Utah is mostly rural in nature, with most of the residents living in St. George, the county seat and largest city with a population of over 75,000. The rest of the population is also mostly concentrated near St. George.

Washington County School District provides public education for the students of the county. Dixie State College of Utah of St. George is the largest and major higher education institution in Washington County.