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La Paz County, Arizona facts for kids

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La Paz County
Trigo Mountains
Official seal of La Paz County
Seal
Map of Arizona highlighting La Paz County
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Map of the United States highlighting Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Arizona
Founded January 1, 1983
Seat Parker
Largest town Parker
Area
 • Total 4,514 sq mi (11,690 km2)
 • Land 4,500 sq mi (12,000 km2)
 • Water 14 sq mi (40 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 20,489
 • Estimate 
(2019)
21,108
 • Density 4.5390/sq mi (1.75251/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional district 4th
Courthouse Rock, Eagletail Mts
Courthouse Rock in the Eagletail Mountains, northeastern La Paz County
Wulfenite-258734
Classic wulfenite specimen from the old Red Cloud Mine, western La Paz County

La Paz County is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the western part of the state. As of the 2010 census, its population was 20,489, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Parker. The name of the county is the Spanish word for "the peace", and is taken from the early settlement (now ghost town) of La Paz along the Colorado River.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,514 sq mi (11691 km²), of which 4500 sq mi (11655 km²) is land and 14 sq mi (36 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Flora and fauna

HadjiAliMonument20080707
Hi Jolly monument near Quartzsite

La Paz County hosts a variety of flora and fauna. The endangered California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera grows in a few spots in the county.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1990 13,844
2000 19,715 42.4%
2010 20,489 3.9%
2019 (est.) 21,108 3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1990–2000 2010–2018

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 20,489 people, 9,198 households, and 5,584 families living in the county. The population density was 4.5//sq mi (1.8/km2). There were 16,049 housing units at an average density of 3.56/sq mi (1.37/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.8% white, 12.8% American Indian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 12.5% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 23.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.4% were German, 15.9% were Irish, 15.3% were English, and 2.1% were American.

Of the 9,198 households, 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.3% were non-families, and 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age was 53.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,147 and the median income for a family was $37,721. Males had a median income of $35,464 versus $27,484 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,165. About 14.3% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

  • I-10 (AZ).svg Interstate 10
  • US 95.svg U.S. Route 95
  • US 60.svg U.S. Route 60
  • Arizona 72.svg State Route 72
  • Arizona 95.svg State Route 95

Air

Avi Suquilla Airport (FAA LID: P20) is a public use airport located one nautical mile (1.9 km) east of the central business district of Parker, Arizona. It is owned by the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

Rail

The county is served by the Arizona and California Railroad for freight through Parker, Arizona.

Communities

La Paz County Incorporated and Unincorporated areas
Map of La Paz County showing Indian reservation, incorporated areas, and unincorporated area

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated community

Ghost towns

Indian reservations

Colorado River Indian Reservation

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of La Paz County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Population (2010 Census) Municipal type Incorporated
1 Quartzsite 3,677 Town 1989
2 Parker 3,083 Town
3 Cienega Springs 1,798 CDP
4 Salome 1,530 CDP
5 Ehrenburg 1,470 CDP
6 Bouse 996 CDP
7 Wenden 728 CDP
8 Bluewater 725 CDP
9 La Paz Valley 699 CDP
10 Brenda 676 CDP
11 Parker Strip 662 CDP
12 Vicksburg 597 CDP
13 Poston 285 CDP
14 Cibola 250 CDP
15 Utting 126 CDP
16 Alamo Lake 25 CDP
17 Sunwest 15 CDP

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de La Paz para niños

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