St. Johns, Arizona
City
City of St. Johns
Downtown St. Johns
Downtown St. Johns
Flag of St. Johns, Arizona
Flag
Motto: 
Town of Friendly neighbors[1]
St. Johns, Arizona is located in Arizona
St. Johns, Arizona
St. Johns, Arizona
Location of St. Johns in Arizona
St. Johns, Arizona is located in the United States
St. Johns, Arizona
St. Johns, Arizona
St. Johns, Arizona (the United States)
Coordinates: 34°30′07″N 109°22′42″W / 34.50194°N 109.37833°W / 34.50194; -109.37833
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyApache
Government
 • MayorSpence Udall
Area
[2]
 • Total26.09 sq mi (67.56 km2)
 • Land25.91 sq mi (67.10 km2)
 • Water0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2)
Elevation
[3]
5,745 ft (1,751 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,417
 • Density131.89/sq mi (50.92/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Arizona Time Zone)
ZIP Code
85936
FIPS code04-62350
GNIS feature ID2411761[3]
Websitewww.sjaz.us

St. Johns (Navajo: Tsézhin Deezʼáhí, pronounced [tsʰéʒìn téːzʔáhí])[4][5] is the county seat of Apache County, Arizona, United States.[6] It is located along U.S. Route 180, mostly west of where that highway intersects with U.S. Route 191. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 3,480.[7]

History

The location was originally called Tsézhin Deezʼáhí in Navajo, a reference to its rock formations.[4] The site of a useful crossing of the Little Colorado River, it was later called El 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 in Zuni territory to Prescott, 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 to San 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 Mormon Ammon M. Tenney in 1875 or 1879. A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community named Salem and led by David King Udall was established just north of the town under the direction of Wilford Woodruff on March 29, 1880, and then moved to higher ground by Erastus 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, to Springerville; in 1882 St. Johns again became the county seat, and it has remained so ever since.[12][11]

Geography and climate

St. Johns is located in the White Mountains in northeast Arizona.[13] According to the United 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 is cold semi-arid (BSk) with cold, dry winters and hot summers with relatively greater precipitation via erratic thunderstorms. Large diurnal 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) 73
(23)		 78
(26)		 85
(29)		 95
(35)		 99
(37)		 103
(39)		 104
(40)		 104
(40)		 99
(37)		 92
(33)		 82
(28)		 78
(26)		 104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 62.0
(16.7)		 68.5
(20.3)		 76.1
(24.5)		 82.6
(28.1)		 89.9
(32.2)		 97.2
(36.2)		 98.3
(36.8)		 94.8
(34.9)		 90.4
(32.4)		 83.9
(28.8)		 73.2
(22.9)		 64.0
(17.8)		 98.9
(37.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.6
(9.8)		 55.8
(13.2)		 63.6
(17.6)		 70.8
(21.6)		 79.8
(26.6)		 90.0
(32.2)		 91.1
(32.8)		 88.0
(31.1)		 83.1
(28.4)		 72.5
(22.5)		 60.0
(15.6)		 49.3
(9.6)		 71.1
(21.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 35.1
(1.7)		 39.9
(4.4)		 46.3
(7.9)		 53.1
(11.7)		 61.9
(16.6)		 71.2
(21.8)		 75.3
(24.1)		 72.8
(22.7)		 66.8
(19.3)		 55.4
(13.0)		 43.7
(6.5)		 34.5
(1.4)		 54.7
(12.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.6
(−6.3)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 28.9
(−1.7)		 35.3
(1.8)		 44.0
(6.7)		 52.4
(11.3)		 59.5
(15.3)		 57.6
(14.2)		 50.5
(10.3)		 38.2
(3.4)		 27.4
(−2.6)		 19.8
(−6.8)		 38.2
(3.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 5.7
(−14.6)		 9.5
(−12.5)		 15.0
(−9.4)		 23.2
(−4.9)		 31.9
(−0.1)		 42.7
(5.9)		 51.6
(10.9)		 51.1
(10.6)		 38.7
(3.7)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 12.6
(−10.8)		 3.6
(−15.8)		 1.1
(−17.2)
Record low °F (°C) −29
(−34)		 −13
(−25)		 −7
(−22)		 7
(−14)		 17
(−8)		 25
(−4)		 38
(3)		 38
(3)		 23
(−5)		 7
(−14)		 −21
(−29)		 −25
(−32)		 −29
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.58
(15)		 0.56
(14)		 0.28
(7.1)		 0.27
(6.9)		 0.39
(9.9)		 0.19
(4.8)		 1.94
(49)		 1.95
(50)		 1.13
(29)		 0.86
(22)		 0.55
(14)		 0.66
(17)		 9.36
(238.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.2
(3.0)		 0.7
(1.8)		 0.2
(0.51)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0.9
(2.3)		 2.5
(6.4)		 6.2
(15.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 2.9 2.6 1.9 1.6 1.9 1.3 6.7 7.4 3.3 2.6 2.1 2.4 36.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.5 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.0 3.0
Source 1: NOAA[15]
Source 2: National Weather Service[16]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880546—
1890482−11.7%
1910835—
19201,38666.0%
19301,3860.0%
19501,469—
19601,310−10.8%
19701,3200.8%
19803,368155.2%
19903,294−2.2%
20003,269−0.8%
20103,4806.5%
20203,417−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

As of the census[18] 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 per square mile (81.4/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% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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. The per capita income for the city was $13,331. About 12.5% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

St. Johns is home to the Apache County Historical Society Museum and has four National Register of Historic Places:

St. Johns is near the Placerias Quarry, the site where dozens of Placerias fossils were discovered in 1930 by Charles Camp and Samuel Welles, of the University of California, Berkeley.

Saint Johns is along the shortest and most scenic route from Phoenix to Albuquerque, New Mexico.[13] Within an hour's drive from St. Johns are Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest,[19] Petrified Forest National Park, the Painted Desert, and Lyman Lake State Park, as well as Indian reservations such as the Navajo Nation, Fort Apache Indian Reservation, San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, and Zuni Indian Reservation.[13]

Annual events

  • Pioneer Days sponsored by the St. Johns Arizona Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
  • San Juan Fiesta sponsored by St. Johns Catholic Church
  • Apache County Fair
  • Christmas Light Parade

Education

Primary and secondary schools

St. Johns is served by the St. Johns Unified School District. The city is served by Coronado Elementary School, St. Johns Middle School, and St. Johns High School.[20] The city is home to the St. Johns Center of Northland Pioneer College.

Public libraries

The Apache County Library District has its headquarters facility and the St. Johns Public Library in St. Johns.[21][22]

Economy

The Salt River Project operates the Coronado Generating Station near St. John's.[23]

Transportation

BNSF Railway serves the Coronado Generating Station on its Coronado Subdivision.

Notable people

Udall family

See also

References

  1. ↑ Official website of St. Johns
  2. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. Johns, Arizona
  4. 1 2 Wilson, A. Navajo Place Names Audio Forum 1995 ISBN 0-88432-825-2
  5. ↑ Young, Robert W. and William Morgan, Sr. The Navajo Language. Revised Ed. Albuquerque, New Mexico: 1987. p. 732, column1, entry 27
  6. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  8. ↑ Byrd H. Granger (1960). Arizona Place Names. University of Arizona Press. p. 21. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  9. ↑ Andrew Jensen. Encyclopedic History of the Church. p. 732
  10. ↑ teax of monument in St. Johns about Salem Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 Official website of Apache County, Arizona
  12. ↑ Byrd H. Granger (1960). Arizona Place Names. University of Arizona Press. p. 18. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 St. Johns, Arizona from the Travel & Explore section of The Arizona Republic website
  14. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): St. Johns city, Arizona". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Saint Johns, AZ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  16. ↑ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Flagstaff". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  18. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  19. ↑ Recreation and Leisure Archived 2009-02-04 at the Wayback Machine from the city's official website
  20. ↑ "St. Johns Unified SD - SJUSD Home". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Home Archived 2011-01-29 at the Wayback Machine." Apache County Library District. Retrieved on January 30, 2011. "Apache County Library District PO Box 2760 30 South 2nd West St Johns, Arizona 85936"
  22. ↑ "St. Johns Public Library." Apache County Library District. Retrieved on January 30, 2011.
  23. ↑ "SRP: Coronado Generating Station".
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