Clarkdale | |
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| Clarkdale, Arizona | |
.jpg) Public Works Building | |
 Flag | |
| Motto: "A Place That Makes Sense" | |
 Location of Clarkdale in Yavapai County, Arizona. | |
  Clarkdale Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Clarkdale Clarkdale (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°44′40″N112°03′29″W / 34.74444°N 112.05806°W /34.74444; -112.05806 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yavapai |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.32 sq mi (26.74 km2) |
| • Land | 10.18 sq mi (26.36 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.38 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,586 ft (1,093 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,424 |
| • Density | 434.7/sq mi (167.83/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| ZIP code | 86324 |
| Area code | 928 |
| FIPS code | 04-13890 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413206[2] |
| Website | Town of Clarkdale |
Clarkdale is a town inYavapai County, Arizona, United States. TheVerde River flows through the town as does Bitter Creek, an intermittent tributary of the river. According to the 2021 census, the population of the town was 4,419.[3]
Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community and arts community.
Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a companysmelter town byWilliam A. Clark, for hiscopper mine in nearbyJerome. Clarkdale was one of the most modern mining towns in the world, including telephone, telegraph, electrical, sewer and spring water services, and was an early example of aplanned community.[4] The Clark Mansion, a local landmark, was built in the late 1920s by William Clark III, Clark's grandson and heir to theUnited Verde Copper Company. The structure, east of town across the Verde River near Pecks Lake, was destroyed in 2010 by a fire of "suspicious" origin.[5]
The town center and business district were built inSpanish Colonial style, and feature the Clark Memorial Clubhouse and Memorial Library, both still in use. The Clubhouse is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. The entire original town site is also on the National Register as theClarkdale Historic District.[4]
The mine and smelter closed in 1953, and Clarkdale entered hard times. Clarkdale was bought and sold by several different companies. In 1957, Clarkdale was incorporated as a town. The 1959 construction of thePhoenix Cement Company (now Salt River Materials Group) plant restored a modest prosperity to the community.[4]
Clarkdale was asegregated town for much of its early history. Mexican and Mexican-American laborers were restricted to living in Patio Town (seeneighborhoods), with a separate swimming pool and park; the town swimming pool was marked "whites only." Additionally, Upper Clarkdale was designated for engineers and executives, while Lower Clarkdale was for the "working class."[6]
A portion of theApache Nation is within Clarkdale's boundaries.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarkdale has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km2), of which 7.3 square miles (19 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) is water.
Clarkdale is at 3,545 feet (1,081 m) above sea level at the confluence of Bitter Creek and the Verde River in Yavapai County, northern Arizona. The town is about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Flagstaff and about 90 miles (140 km) north of Phoenix.Arizona Route 89A skirts the town on its south edge, while Historic Route 89A passes through Clarkdale. Nearby towns include Jerome, about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the southwest, and Cottonwood, about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the southeast.[7]
Tuzigoot National Monument, a 42-acre (17 ha)Sinaguapueblo ruin,[8] is between Clarkdale andCottonwood, Arizona, on land donated to theNational Park Service byPhelps Dodge in 1938.
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness lies several miles north of town. Sycamore Creek, which flows through the wilderness, enters the Verde River canyon about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northwest of Clarkdale.[9]
The average temperature in Clarkdale in January is 45 °F or 7.2 °C, and in July it is 84 °F or 28.9 °C. The highest recorded temperature for the town was 118 °F or 47.8 °C in 1994, and the lowest was 8 °F or −13.3 °C in 1990. The wettest month is August, averaging about 2 inches or 50 millimetres of precipitation.[10] In theKöppen Climate Classification system, Clarkdale has acool semi-arid climate, abbreviatedBSk on climate maps.[11]
Little snow falls in Clarkdale. Between 1949 and 1977, Cottonwood, Clarkdale's close neighbor, received an average of about 4 inches or 0.10 metres of snow a year. About half of this fell in December. The average snow depth in Cottonwood during the period of record was reported as zero.[12]
| Climate data for Clarkdale, Arizona | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 63 (17) | 69 (21) | 78 (26) | 88 (31) | 97 (36) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 92 (33) | 81 (27) | 69 (21) | 58 (14) | 79 (26) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30 (−1) | 34 (1) | 38 (3) | 44 (7) | 52 (11) | 60 (16) | 67 (19) | 66 (19) | 59 (15) | 47 (8) | 36 (2) | 30 (−1) | 47 (8) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.16 (29) | 1.15 (29) | 1.08 (27) | 0.59 (15) | 0.35 (8.9) | 0.22 (5.6) | 1.69 (43) | 2.02 (51) | 1.52 (39) | 1.02 (26) | 0.79 (20) | 1.16 (29) | 12.75 (322.5) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[10] | |||||||||||||
The Salt River Materials Group (formerly Phoenix Cement Co. is Clarkdale's only major industry. The cement plant was built in 1959 to supplyPortland cement for the construction ofGlen Canyon Dam and is owned by theSalt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Clarkdale is home to theVerde Canyon Railroad, a scenic excursion train that follows part of the route of the Verde Valley Railroad, constructed in 1911–12 to serve Clark's mine and smelter, toDrake andPerkinsville, now ghost towns.[13]Yavapai College also has a campus in Clarkdale.
Several motion pictures have been shot in Clarkdale, includingDesert Fury,Midnight Run,Universal Soldier,Benefit of the Doubt andBrothel.[14]
The Made in Clarkdale organization hosts an annual invitational art show each December in the Clark Memorial Clubhouse.[15] and free concerts are offered in Clarkdale Park through the summer months.[16] TheArizona Copper Art Museum is located in the city.
Clarkdale's neighborhoods are not strictly defined, but include:
Much of Clarkdale is in theClarkdale-Jerome Elementary School District.[17] That district operates Clarkdale–Jerome School in Clarkdale, a facility which also takes students fromJerome. The public schoolhas enrollment from kindergarten to eighth grade.[18] A portion of Clarkdale is in theCottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary School District.[17]
All of Clarkdale is inMingus Union High School District.[17]Mingus Union High School inCottonwood takes Clarkdale high school students.[19] There are also charter schools in Cottonwood. In addition, Yavapai College has a community college campus in Clarkdale. The campus is home to the newly opened Southwest Wine Center.
Historically, Clarkdale had an elementary school, located in Lower Clarkdale, a junior high school, located at the top of Miller's Hill in Upper Clarkdale, and a high school, next to the junior high school. Clarkdale High School combined with Mingus High School in Jerome in 1960 to form Mingus Union High School, then located in Jerome. The combined high school adopted the name of the Jerome school and the colors of the Clarkdale school. The school then moved to Cottonwood in 1972.[20] In 1983, the junior high school burned down. A new elementary school was built, becoming the K-8 school at 16th and Main Streets in Upper Clarkdale in 1985.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 2,435 | — | |
| 1930 | 5,526 | 126.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,609 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,095 | −31.9% | |
| 1970 | 892 | −18.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,512 | 69.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,144 | 41.8% | |
| 2000 | 3,422 | 59.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,097 | 19.7% | |
| 2020 | 4,424 | 8.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[21] | |||
As of thecensus[22] of 2000, there were 3,422 people, 1,433 households, and 994 families residing in the town. The population density was 466.9 inhabitants per square mile (180.3/km2). There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 210.9 per square mile (81.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 84.5%White, 0.3%Black orAfrican American, 6.8%Native American, 0.4%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 5.4% fromother races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 11.8% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,433 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% weremarried couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,911, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $28,824 versus $21,811 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $18,441. About 7.4% of families and 10.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Clarkdale became one of the municipalities in Arizona to recognizecivil unions for same-sex partners and opposite-sex partners seeking a form of recognition other than marriage.[23][24]
Municipalities and communities ofYavapai County, Arizona,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
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| Populated places | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
