Topaz, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Topaz, California
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 Topaz, California
Location in California
Topaz, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mono |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.474 sq mi (34.90 km2) |
| • Land | 12.177 sq mi (31.54 km2) |
| • Water | 1.297 sq mi (3.36 km2) 9.63% |
| Elevation | 5,033 ft (1,534 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 150 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
96133
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| Area code(s) | 760; 442 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583165 |
Topaz, also known as Topaz Post Office, is a small community in Mono County, California, United States. It's a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's an area identified by the government for statistics, but it's not officially a city or town. Topaz is about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Coleville. It sits at an elevation of 5,033 feet (1,534 meters) above sea level. The ZIP Code for Topaz is 96133. In 2020, about 150 people lived there.
Contents
A Look at Topaz History
The Topaz post office first opened in 1885. It closed for a short time in 1922 but then reopened in 1926. The name "Topaz" came from the original village site. This village grew on a ranch owned by T.B. Rickey. Mrs. Rickey chose the name because of the beautiful color of the local quaking aspen trees. Since the 1920s, the Robert William Mckay Family Ranch has operated the post office.
Exploring Topaz Geography
Topaz is the community farthest north in Mono County. To its south is the community of Coleville. The Nevada state line borders Topaz to the northeast. The community of Topaz Lake, Nevada is right next to the northern part of Topaz. Experts believe that the Antelope Valley, which includes Topaz, will see more people moving there in the future.
U.S. Route 395 is a major road that goes through Topaz. This road leads south about 38 miles (61 km) to Bridgeport, which is the main town for Mono County. If you go north on Route 395, it's about 42 miles (68 km) to Carson City, Nevada.
Land and Water in Topaz
The Topaz CDP covers an area of about 13.5 square miles (35 square km). Most of this area, about 12.2 square miles (31.6 square km), is land. The rest, about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square km), is water. This means about 9.63% of Topaz is water. The West Walker River flows through Topaz and then goes north into Nevada. Topaz Lake is partly in the northwest corner of Topaz and also extends into Nevada.
Topaz Climate and Weather
Topaz has warm, dry summers. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6°F (22°C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Topaz has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This type of climate is often shown as "Csb" on climate maps.
Who Lives in Topaz?
In 2010, the United States Census reported that 50 people lived in Topaz. Most of the people, 44 (88%), were White. One person (2%) was Native American. About 5 people (10%) were from other races. Many residents, 24 people (48%), identified as Hispanic or Latino. All 50 people lived in homes, not in group living places.
There were 21 households in Topaz. In 5 of these homes (23.8%), children under 18 lived there. Most households, 13 (61.9%), were married couples. The average household had 2.38 people. There were 13 families, with an average of 3.08 people per family.
The population of Topaz included people of all ages:
- 11 people (22%) were under 18.
- 2 people (4%) were aged 18 to 24.
- 10 people (20%) were aged 25 to 44.
- 13 people (26%) were aged 45 to 64.
- 14 people (28%) were 65 or older.
The average age in Topaz was 45.7 years.
Most homes in Topaz were owned by the people living in them (61.9%). The rest were rented (38.1%).
Fire Protection for Topaz
Topaz is protected by the Antelope Valley Fire Protection District. This district was started in 1947. It covers about 33 square miles (85 square km) of the Antelope Valley. The district has a fire station right in Topaz.
Water Services in Topaz
The Antelope Valley Water District provides water to Topaz. This water district was created in 1961 to serve the area.
See also
In Spanish: Topaz (California) para niños
