Parker, Arizona

Parker, Arizona
Town
Location in La Paz County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	La Paz
Government
• Mayor	Karen Bonds
Area
• Total	22.0 sq mi (57.0 km2)
• Land	21.96 sq mi (56.9 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	423 ft (129 m)
Population  (2007)
• Total	3,181
• Density	142.7/sq mi (55.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP code	85344
Area code	928
FIPS code	04-53070
Website	http://www.ci.parker.az.us/

Parker (Mojave 'Amat Kuhwely, formerly 'Ahwe Nyava) is a town in and the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, United States,Template:GR on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. The population was 3,140 at the 2000 census.

History

Founded in 1908, the town was named after Ely Parker, the first Native American commissioner for the U.S. government. The original town site of Parker was surveyed and laid out in 1909 by a railroad location engineer by the name of Earl. H. Parker for the Arizona & California Railway. However, the town's name and origin began when a post office was established January 6, 1871, on the Colorado River Indian reservation to serve the Indian agency.

Geography

Parker is located at 34°8′41″N 114°17′23″W (34.144644, -114.289686).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.0 square miles (57 km²), of which, 22.0 square miles (57 km²) of it is land and 0.05% is water.

According to Census Bureau maps, the town is divided into two non-contiguous sections; the northern section consists of the original town and is located in the Colorado River Indian reservation and the southern section consists of a larger, roughly rectangular section of largely undeveloped territory.

Climate

Parker
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.9     67 41     0.7     73 45     0.7     79 49     0.2     87 54     0.1     95 63     0     105 71     0.3     108 78     0.6     107 78     0.6     101 71     0.3     90 59     0.3     76 47     0.6     67 41 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: Weather.com / NWS
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     22     19 5     18     23 7     17     26 9     4.3     31 12     2.3     35 17     0.5     41 22     6.9     42 26     15     42 26     14     38 22     8.1     32 15     8.4     24 8     14     19 5 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

Parker has an arid climate classification, which is characterized by extremely hot summers and warm winters.

Wintertime highs in Parker are generally in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Lows during the winter are between 40°F (4°C) and 50°F (10°C), with an occasional day dipping below 40°F (4°C). The all-time lowest recorded temperature in Parker occurred on December 31, 1911, when temperatures bottomed out at 9°F (-13°C).

Summers in Parker can be dangerously hot, with highs in June, July, August, and September remaining in the 100°F (38°C) to 110°F (43°C) range, with occasional days over 115°F (46°C) or even +120°F (49°C) not completely out of the question.

April and May both average 90°F (32°C) to 100°F (38°C) daytime highs. Even the month of October has an average high of 90°F (32°C). The all time highest recorded temperature in Parker was 127°F (53°C), which occurred on July 7, 1905.

Temperatures in Parker have reached 110°F (43°C) in seven months of the year at least one time throughout its history; only November (100°F), December (92°F), January (87°F), February (96°F), and March (102°F) have not.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,140 people, 1,064 households, and 791 families residing in the town. The population density was 142.8 people per square mile (55.2/km²). There were 1,157 housing units at an average density of 52.6 per square mile (20.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.04% White, 1.88% Black or African American, 23.09% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 7.45% from other races, and 4.52% from two or more races. 29.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,064 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,625, and the median income for a family was $37,663. Males had a median income of $26,542 versus $21,006 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,016. About 10.6% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Avi Suquilla Airport (FAA LID: P20) is a public use airport located one nautical mile (1.8 km) east of the central business district of Parker. It is owned by the Colorado River Indian Tribes. The Arizona & California Railroad is headquarted in Parker, after replacing the Santa Fe Railway in 1991. The railroad line crosses the Colorado River in a 5 span truss bridge in the town's northern limits.

See also

• Vidal, California
• Blythe, California
• Bouse, Arizona
• Parker Valley

External links

• Town website