Clarkdale

History

Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a company smelter town by William A. Clark, for his copper mine in nearby Jerome. 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 a planned community. The Clark Mansion, a local landmark, was built in the late 1920s by William Clark III, Clark's grandson and heir to the United 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. The town center and business district were built in Spanish Colonial style, and feature the Clark Memorial Clubhouse and Memorial Library, both still in use. The Clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The entire original town site is also on the National Register as the Clarkdale Historic District. A portion of the Apache Nation is within Clarkdale's boundaries.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarkdale has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Clarkdale is at above sea level at the confluence of Bitter Creek and the Verde River in Yavapai County, northern Arizona. The town is about southwest of Flagstaff and about 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 to the southwest, and Cottonwood, about to the southeast. Tuzigoot National Monument, a Sinagua pueblo ruin, is between Clarkdale and Cottonwood, Arizona, on land donated to the National Park Service by Phelps 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 north-northwest of Clarkdale. The average temperature in Clarkdale in January is , and in July it is . The highest recorded temperature for the town was in 1994, and the lowest was in 1990. The wettest month is August, averaging about of precipitation. Little snow falls in Clarkdale. Between 1949 and 1977, Cottonwood, Clarkdale's close neighbor, received an average of about 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.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Mingus Union High School
  High · COTTONWOOD · 1,226 students · 20.4:1 ratio
• Dr Daniel Bright Elementary School
  Elementary · COTTONWOOD · 625 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Cottonwood Community School
  Elementary · COTTONWOOD · 500 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary School
  Elementary · CLARKDALE · 475 students
• Mountain View Preparatory School
  Elementary · COTTONWOOD · 403 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• American Heritage Academy - Cottonwood
  Other · COTTONWOOD · 238 students
• Oak Creek Elementary School
  Elementary · Cornville · 235 students · 13.8:1 ratio
• Desert Star Community School
  Elementary · CORNVILLE · 155 students