Virgin was first settled by whites in 1857 six miles east of La Verkin. The site is enclosed by red sandstone cliffs and had an early name of pocketville because the local Indian name meant a pocket or hole. The settlement soon took the name of the nearby Virgin River.

In May 2000, a law was passed which required every homeowner to keep and maintain a firearm. This was highlighted in Michael Moore’s 2002 film Bowling for Columbine. Exceptions to this law include “the mentally ill, convicted felons, conscientious objectors and people who cannot afford to own a gun”.