San Manuel, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Manuel, Arizona
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A view from Redington Rd SE of San Manuel with Galiuro Mountains in background.
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| Motto(s):
"A Proud Past – An Epic Future"
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Location in Pinal County and the state of Arizona
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 San Manuel, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Pinal |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.75 sq mi (53.75 km2) |
| • Land | 20.75 sq mi (53.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,451 ft (1,052 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,114 |
| • Density | 150.04/sq mi (57.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| ZIP code |
85631
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| Area code(s) | 520 |
| FIPS code | 04-63540 |
| GNIS feature ID | 34022 |
San Manuel is a small community in Pinal County, Arizona, in the United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a special area defined for collecting population data. In 2020, about 3,114 people lived here.
San Manuel was built in 1953 as a "company town." This means a company, Del E. Webb Construction Company, built the whole town for its workers. They worked at the new San Manuel copper mine, which had a mill and a smelter (a place to melt metal).
In 1955, the San Manuel Arizona Railroad was built. It helped connect the mine to other places. But in the late 1990s, copper prices dropped. The mine and smelter closed in 1999, and many people lost their jobs. The mine officially closed forever in 2003.
Today, San Manuel is a fun place to visit. It's near the Sonoran Desert, where you can see tall saguaro cacti. You can also see the beautiful San Pedro River valley and the Galiuro Mountains. People come here for hunting, sightseeing, and especially for off-road adventures with dirt bikes, UTVs, and ATVs.
San Manuel also has interesting museums, like a mining museum and a motorcycle museum. It's a starting point for exploring The Arizona Trail. Nearby towns like Oracle and Mammoth are close by, forming a group of three communities.
Contents
Exploring San Manuel's Location and Landscape
San Manuel is located at 32°36′18″N 110°38′0″W / 32.60500°N 110.63333°W. It sits in the San Pedro River Valley. The town is about 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) above sea level.
It's about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Tucson. The area of San Manuel is about 20.9 square miles (54.1 square kilometers), and it's all land.
Getting Around San Manuel: Roads and Routes
The main road in San Manuel is Veterans Memorial Boulevard. It connects the town to Arizona State Route 77. This highway helps people travel to other parts of Arizona.
From 1962 to 1988, Veterans Memorial Boulevard was part of a state highway called SR 76. It was a direct route from San Manuel to the copper mine and then to the rest of the state.
There were plans to extend SR 76 to Interstate 10 in Benson. However, this project was stopped. Only small parts of the road were built. Today, you can still see an unfinished part of the highway at the end of Veterans Memorial Boulevard.
San Manuel Ray Blair Airport
San Manuel has its own public airport, called San Manuel Ray Blair Airport (E77). It's located about 2 miles (3 kilometers) northwest of the town. The airport has one paved runway that is 4,207 feet (1,282 meters) long and 75 feet (23 meters) wide, with lights for night use. It also has a paved taxiway.
Fun Things to Do and See in San Manuel
San Manuel offers several interesting places to visit and activities for all ages:
- JWJ Cycles: A cool museum dedicated to motorcycles.
- San Manuel Historical Museum: Learn about the town's history, especially its mining past.
- Arizona Trail: A famous long-distance trail perfect for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. It's located just west of San Manuel.
- Peppersauce Cave: A natural cave that's fun to explore.
Exciting Events in San Manuel
The community of San Manuel hosts several annual events:
- San Manuel Copper Classic: An exciting off-road motorcycle race held every March. It's organized by The Trail Riders of Southern Arizona.
- Copper Town Days: An annual event held on the second Saturday in October. It features a car show, delicious food, and live entertainment.
- San Manuel Chili Cook-Off: A tasty event with music, games, vendors, and, of course, chili tasting!
- Santa Catalina Weekend: A weekend dedicated to bicycle races.
San Manuel's Population Over Time
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 4,524 | — | |
| 1970 | 4,332 | −4.2% | |
| 1980 | 5,443 | 25.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,009 | −26.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,375 | 9.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,551 | −18.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,114 | −12.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 4,375 people living in San Manuel. About 43% of households had children under 18. Most households were married couples. The average household had 3 people.
The population was spread out by age:
- 32.6% were under 18 years old.
- 27.0% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- 10.5% were 65 years or older.
The average age was 32 years.
Images for kids
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Off-road adventure with UTV's at San Manuel, Arizona.
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JWJ Cycles - Motorcycle museum in San Manuel, Arizona
See also
In Spanish: San Manuel (Arizona) para niños
