Tonopah, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tonopah, Arizona
Census-designated place
Tonopah Post Office
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Tonopah, Arizona Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Tonopah, Arizona Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Established	1929
Area
• Total	1.37 sq mi (3.54 km2)
• Land	1.37 sq mi (3.54 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,490 ft (450 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23
• Density	16.84/sq mi (6.50/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	N/A
ZIP code	85354
Area code(s)	623 and 928
FIPS code	04-74540

Tonopah is a small community in western Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located about 52 miles (84 km) west of downtown Phoenix, right off Interstate 10.

Tonopah is known for being close to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. This is the largest power plant in the entire country. It produces a lot of electricity for many homes and businesses.

In 2020, only 23 people lived in Tonopah. This number was lower than in 2010, when 60 people lived there. Before it was called Tonopah, the area was known as "Lone Peak."

Tonopah is in the Tonopah Desert. Many of the wells here have warm water, usually between 70°F and 95°F. Some wells even have hot water, from 110°F to 120°F.

Long ago, different groups of people lived in this area. These included the Hohokam, Patayan, and Yavapai cultures. They gathered resources from the desert here.

Tonopah's Population

In 2010, there were 60 people living in Tonopah. By 2020, the population had decreased to 23 people. This means there were about 1.13 people per square mile in 2010.

Local Schools

Tonopah has a few schools for students in the area:

• Crossroads Academy
• Ruth Fisher Middle School
• Tonopah Valley High School
• Winters Well Elementary School

Efforts to Become a Town

For a while, people in Tonopah wanted their community to become an official town. This process is called "incorporation." If a community incorporates, it can have its own local government and make its own rules.

Why Tonopah Wanted to Incorporate

In 2009, a group called Tonopah United for Our Future (TUFF) started working on this idea. They wanted Tonopah to become a real town.

Challenges from Buckeye

However, there was a problem. The nearby town of Buckeye did not agree with Tonopah's plan. State law says that a new town cannot be formed too close to an existing town without their permission. Buckeye's leaders were worried that the proposed new town of Tonopah would include land that Buckeye wanted to use in the future.

Reasons Against Incorporation

Many residents also had concerns. They thought the proposed new town was too big. It would cover about 100 square miles (259 square kilometers). This would make it one of the largest towns in Arizona by area, even though it would only have about 6,000 people. Some residents also worried that becoming a town would mean higher taxes to pay for a new government.

The Vote and Future Plans

On March 10, 2009, people voted on the plan. Most people voted against it, with 523 votes saying no and 356 votes saying yes. So, Tonopah did not become a town at that time.

However, in 2023, a new group called The Tonopah Incorporation Committee started the process again. They hope that Tonopah will become an official town by Fall 2024. If this happens, the new town is expected to have a population of about 4,300 people.

Belmont: A Future Smart City?

In November 2017, news came out that a company connected to billionaire Bill Gates bought a lot of land near Tonopah. They bought 24,800 acres (100 square kilometers) for $80 million. The company announced plans to build a "smart city" called Belmont on this land. A smart city uses technology to make life better for its residents. As of 2023, no construction has started on Belmont.

Tonopah's Climate

Tonopah has a desert climate. Here is some information about the weather:

Tonopah in Popular Culture

The song "Willin'" by Lowell George of the band Little Feat mentions Tonopah. The song is about a truck driver traveling across the country. It goes:

And I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah.

I've driven every kind of rig that's ever been made;

driven the backroads so I wouldn't get weighed.

It's not clear if the song refers to Tonopah, Arizona, or Tonopah, Nevada.

Images for kids

Here are some pictures related to Tonopah, showing its history and interesting places:

• The ruins of the house of John Beauchamp, who was an important landowner and Tonopah's first postmaster. His house was built in 1920.
• The former Saguaro Sanitarium, which is now the Motel Saguaro Mineral Wells. The first governor of Arizona, George W. P. Hunt, attended its opening ceremony in 1934.
• Ruins from the Tonopah-Belmont mine workers camp.

See also

In Spanish: Tonopah (Arizona) para niños