The Washington County Utah Temple will be the twentieth temple built in Utah. The temple was announced in the 141st anniversary year of the St. George Utah Temple. The Washington County Utah Temple and the St. George Utah Temple are the third pair of temples in Utah to be built in the same city, following the Jordan River Utah Temple (1981) and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (2009) in South Jordan, Utah; and the Provo Utah Temple (1972) and Provo City Center Temple (2016) in Provo, Utah.
When the Washington County Temple was announced, President Daniel K. Frei, Santa Clara Utah Stake president, said, "Many people are moving here. We do have a temple, but only so much work can be done, and a lot of temple work is being done. We are already at capacity." He added: "This will provide an opportunity for more Church members to serve in the temple. It is also an indication of the Lord's confidence in the people who live in the area. We will need to staff the new temple and do the work — it creates more opportunity for us to serve."