St. Johns, Arizona | |
|---|---|
City | |
| City of St. Johns | |
 Downtown St. Johns | |
 Flag | |
| Motto: Town of Friendly neighbors[1] | |
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  St. Johns, Arizona Location of St. Johns in Arizona Show map of Arizona St. Johns, Arizona St. Johns, Arizona (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°30′07″N109°22′42″W / 34.50194°N 109.37833°W /34.50194; -109.37833 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Apache |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Spence Udall |
| Area | |
• Total | 26.09 sq mi (67.56 km2) |
| • Land | 25.91 sq mi (67.10 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,745 ft (1,751 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,417 |
| • Density | 131.89/sq mi (50.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Arizona Time Zone) |
| ZIP Code | 85936 |
| FIPS code | 04-62350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411761[3] |
| Website | www |
St. Johns (Navajo:Tsézhin Deezʼáhí,pronounced[tsʰéʒìntéːzʔáhí])[4][5] is thecounty seat ofApache County, Arizona, United States.[6] It is located alongU.S. Route 180, mostly west of where that highway intersects withU.S. Route 191. As of the2010 census, the population of the city was 3,480.[7]
The location was originally calledTsézhin Deezʼáhí in Navajo, a reference to its rock formations.[4] The site of a useful crossing of theLittle Colorado River, it was later calledEl Vadito (Spanish for "the little crossing") by Spaniards as they first explored the area. Starting in 1864, a trader named Solomon Barth began crossing the area as he moved salt from a salt lake inZuni territory toPrescott, Arizona. In a poker game in 1873 Barth earned enough money to purchase cattle and enough land in St. Johns to start a ranch with his brothers Nathan and Morris. He changed the name from El Vadito toSan Juan. There is some controversy as to whether this was in honor of the first woman resident, Maria San Juan Baca de Padilla, or of the feast of San Juan. William R. Milligan arrived in 1866, followed by Frank Walker in 1870. By 1872 a Spanish-American agricultural community had developed. A stone cabin was erected by Juan Sedilla in 1874. Solomon Barth sold out to MormonAmmon M. Tenney in 1875 or 1879. AChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community named Salem and led byDavid King Udall was established just north of the town under the direction ofWilford Woodruff on March 29, 1880, and then moved to higher ground byErastus Snow on September 19 of the same year.[8][9][10]
St. Johns has been the county seat for almost all of Apache County's history. When the county was created on February 24, 1879,Snowflake was designated the county seat.[11] After the first election in fall 1879,county government was set up in St. Johns, though it was moved again in 1880, toSpringerville; in 1882 St. Johns again became the county seat, and it has remained so ever since.[12][11]
St. Johns is located in theWhite Mountains innortheast Arizona.[13] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.1 square miles (67.6 square kilometers), of which 25.9 square miles (67.1 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2), or 0.68%, is water.[14]
The climate ishumid continental (Dsb) with cold, snowy winters and warm summers with relatively greater precipitation via erraticthunderstorms. Largediurnal temperature variations are typical, so warm days are often followed by freezing nights.
| Climate data for St. Johns, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) | 72 (22) | 76 (24) | 80 (27) | 86 (30) | 95 (35) | 92 (33) | 91 (33) | 90 (32) | 84 (29) | 73 (23) | 69 (21) | 95 (35) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 61 (16) | 65 (18) | 71 (22) | 79 (26) | 86 (30) | 88 (31) | 83 (28) | 81 (27) | 76 (24) | 68 (20) | 62 (17) | 89 (32) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) | 47.5 (8.6) | 50.5 (10.3) | 59.1 (15.1) | 67.2 (19.6) | 76.3 (24.6) | 77.1 (25.1) | 75.0 (23.9) | 72.9 (22.7) | 65.0 (18.3) | 55.1 (12.8) | 48.5 (9.2) | 61.7 (16.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 32.3 (0.2) | 39.5 (4.2) | 45.8 (7.7) | 54.2 (12.3) | 60.1 (15.6) | 58.7 (14.8) | 53.8 (12.1) | 45.1 (7.3) | 35.4 (1.9) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 42.3 (5.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.7 (−14.1) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 14.2 (−9.9) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 32.1 (0.1) | 43.0 (6.1) | 42.2 (5.7) | 34.6 (1.4) | 25.1 (−3.8) | 15.8 (−9.0) | 9.4 (−12.6) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17 (−27) | −14 (−26) | −6 (−21) | 7 (−14) | 15 (−9) | 22 (−6) | 35 (2) | 34 (1) | 25 (−4) | 15 (−9) | −1 (−18) | −11 (−24) | −22 (−30) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −40 (−40) | −33 (−36) | −27 (−33) | −9 (−23) | 4 (−16) | 12 (−11) | 23 (−5) | 25 (−4) | 16 (−9) | 3 (−16) | −15 (−26) | −30 (−34) | −40 (−40) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.89 (73) | 1.84 (47) | 2.34 (59) | 1.15 (29) | 0.43 (11) | 0.98 (25) | 4.92 (125) | 4.93 (125) | 2.17 (55) | 2.04 (52) | 1.47 (37) | 2.70 (69) | 27.86 (707) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 24.8 (63) | 17.9 (45) | 17.4 (44) | 6.3 (16) | 1.1 (2.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.8 (4.6) | 7.4 (19) | 21.2 (54) | 97.9 (248.4) |
| Source: WRCC[15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 546 | — | |
| 1890 | 482 | −11.7% | |
| 1910 | 835 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,386 | 66.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,386 | 0.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,469 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,310 | −10.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,320 | 0.8% | |
| 1980 | 3,368 | 155.2% | |
| 1990 | 3,294 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 3,269 | −0.8% | |
| 2010 | 3,480 | 6.5% | |
| 2020 | 3,417 | −1.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] | |||
As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 3,269 people, 989 households, and 805 families residing in the city. The population density was 494.8 inhabitants per square mile (191.0 inhabitants per square kilometer). There were 1,392 housing units at an average density of 210.7 units per square mile (81.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.5%White, 0.4%African American, 6.2%Native American, 0.3%Asian, <0.1%Pacific Islander, 9.1% fromother races, and 3.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 23.2% of the population.
There were 989 households, out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.19 and the average family size was 3.55.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 35.5% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,215, and the median income for a family was $37,478. Males had a median income of $38,477 versus $24,009 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $13,331. About 12.5% of families and 15.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
St. Johns is home to the Apache County Historical Society Museum and has fourNational Register of Historic Places:
St. Johns is near the Placerias Quarry, the site where dozens ofPlacerias fossils were discovered in 1930 byCharles Camp andSamuel Welles, of theUniversity of California, Berkeley.
Saint Johns is along the shortest and most scenic route fromPhoenix toAlbuquerque, New Mexico.[13] Within an hour's drive from St. Johns areApache-Sitgreaves National Forest,[18]Petrified Forest National Park, thePainted Desert, andLyman Lake State Park, as well asIndian reservations such as theNavajo Nation,Fort Apache Indian Reservation,San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, andZuni Indian Reservation.[13]
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St. Johns is served by theSt. Johns Unified School District. The city is served by Coronado Elementary School, St. Johns Middle School, andSt. Johns High School.[19] The city is home to the St. Johns Center ofNorthland Pioneer College.
TheApache County Library District has its headquarters facility and the St. Johns Public Library in St. Johns.[20][21]
TheSalt River Project operates the Coronado Generating Station near St. John's.[22]
BNSF Railway serves the Coronado Generating Station on its Coronado Subdivision.[citation needed]
Municipalities and communities ofApache County, Arizona,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| 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 | |
