Willcox, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willcox
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City
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View of Dos Cabezas peaks from downtown Willcox
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Location of Willcox in Cochise County, Arizona
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 Willcox, Arizona
Location in the United States
Willcox, Arizona
Location in Arizona
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Arizona | |
| County | Cochise | |
| Founded | 1880 | |
| Incorporated | 1915 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6.28 sq mi (16.27 km2) | |
| • Land | 6.15 sq mi (15.92 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.35 km2) | |
| Elevation | 4,170 ft (1,270 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,213 | |
| • Density | 522.52/sq mi (201.76/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST (no DST)) | |
| ZIP Codes |
85643-85644
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| Area code | 520 | |
| FIPS code | 04-83090 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412266 | |
Willcox is a city located in Cochise County, Arizona, in the United States. It sits in the Sulphur Springs Valley, which is a wide, flat area with few people. This valley has lakes that appear only during certain seasons.
Willcox is surrounded by some of Arizona's biggest mountains. These include the Pinaleño Mountains and the Chiricahua Mountains. Six of Arizona's ten tallest mountains are within 70 miles of the city. These include Mount Graham, Chiricahua Peak, Mount Lemmon, Miller Peak, Mica Mountain, and Mount Wrightson.
Many birds, like sandhill cranes, spend the winter here. Some of these birds travel all the way from Siberia! A very large dry lakebed, called the Willcox Playa, is about five miles south of the city. It's what's left of a huge lake from the Ice Age.
Willcox has a high desert climate. This means the temperature changes a lot between day and night. This kind of climate is perfect for growing wine grapes.
Contents
History of Willcox
The town was first called "Maley." It was started in 1880 as a whistlestop on the Southern Pacific Railroad. A whistlestop was a small stop where trains would briefly pause. Willcox was chosen because it was about halfway between El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1889, the town was renamed Willcox. This was done to honor a visit from General Orlando B. Willcox. In the early 1900s, Willcox was a major center for cattle farming in the country. Farming is still important to the local economy today.
Now, Interstate 10 is the main way people travel to and from Willcox. This highway runs just north of the town. Because of this, much of the city's economy is now connected to the highway.
Willcox is famous as the birthplace of Rex Allen. He was known as "The Arizona Cowboy." Rex Allen wrote and sang many songs. He also starred in several Western movies in the early 1950s. He was also in the TV show Frontier Doctor from 1958 to 1959.
Parts of the 1993 movie Red Rock West were filmed in Willcox. This movie starred famous actors like Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper. In 2018, a short film called "Lonesome Willcox" was made. It was about the town's country music radio station, KHIL.
In 2016, Willcox became Arizona's second official wine-growing area. This means it's a special place recognized for its wine production.
Geography and Mountains
Willcox is located in the northern part of Cochise County. It is in the Sulphur Springs Valley. Interstate 10 has three exits that serve the city. This highway goes about 35 miles southwest to Benson. It also goes about 74 miles east to Lordsburg, New Mexico.
The city covers a total area of about 6.3 square miles (16.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.3 square kilometers), is water.
Notable Mountains Near Willcox
Willcox is surrounded by many impressive mountains. Here are some of the most well-known peaks in the area:
| Mountain | Height (base to peak) | Rank (Arizona) | Miles from Willcox | Peak Elevation | Mountain Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Graham | 6,340 | 1 | 30 | 10,720 | Pinaleño Mountains |
| Mount Lemmon | 5,177 | 3 | 56 | 9,157 | Catalina Mountains |
| Chiricahua Peak | 5,149 | 4 | 40 | 9,759 | Chiricahua Mountains |
| Miller Peak | 5,011 | 5 | 63 | 9,466 | Huachuca Mountains |
| Mica Mountain | 4,604 | 7 | 40 | 8,664 | Rincon Mountains |
| Mount Wrightson | 4,591 | 8 | 69 | 9,453 | Santa Rita Mountains |
| Dos Cabezas Peaks | 3,244 | 19 | 11 | 8,354 | Dos Cabezas Mountains |
| Bassett Peak | 3,133 | 23 | 30 | 7,663 | Galiuro Mountains |
| Apache Peak | 2,899 | 29 | 45 | 7,711 | Whetstone Mountains |
| Mount Glenn | 2,899 | 29 | 21 | 7,519 | Dragoon Mountains |
Climate and Weather
Willcox is located at a high elevation. This gives it a milder climate compared to hotter areas like the Valley of the Sun and the Sonoran Desert. Willcox also gets more rain than cities like Tucson and Phoenix. This extra rain comes from the summer monsoons.
Because of its climate, Willcox has what is called a cold semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not a true desert, and it can get cold.
| Climate data for Willcox, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
99 (37) |
105 (41) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
91 (33) |
81 (27) |
112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 72.6 (22.6) |
77.2 (25.1) |
83.7 (28.7) |
90.1 (32.3) |
97.5 (36.4) |
104.7 (40.4) |
104.9 (40.5) |
101.6 (38.7) |
98.6 (37.0) |
92.7 (33.7) |
82.2 (27.9) |
73.4 (23.0) |
106.3 (41.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 61.3 (16.3) |
64.9 (18.3) |
71.9 (22.2) |
78.7 (25.9) |
87.2 (30.7) |
96.6 (35.9) |
96.1 (35.6) |
93.6 (34.2) |
90.4 (32.4) |
81.7 (27.6) |
70.5 (21.4) |
60.2 (15.7) |
79.4 (26.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) |
48.4 (9.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
60.2 (15.7) |
68.4 (20.2) |
77.7 (25.4) |
80.8 (27.1) |
79.1 (26.2) |
73.8 (23.2) |
63.3 (17.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
44.2 (6.8) |
62.3 (16.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.4 (−2.0) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
36.2 (2.3) |
41.6 (5.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
58.8 (14.9) |
65.5 (18.6) |
64.6 (18.1) |
57.3 (14.1) |
44.9 (7.2) |
34.3 (1.3) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
45.1 (7.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.2 (−8.2) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
47.7 (8.7) |
56.3 (13.5) |
56.5 (13.6) |
46.3 (7.9) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) |
2 (−17) |
6 (−14) |
9 (−13) |
18 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
42 (6) |
41 (5) |
30 (−1) |
15 (−9) |
8 (−13) |
−7 (−22) |
−7 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.02 (26) |
0.93 (24) |
0.66 (17) |
0.22 (5.6) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.45 (11) |
2.62 (67) |
2.48 (63) |
1.21 (31) |
0.68 (17) |
0.70 (18) |
1.09 (28) |
12.40 (315) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.7 (4.27) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.2 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 58.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Economy and Industries
The main jobs and businesses in Willcox are in agriculture, making wine, and tourism.
Some of the biggest employers in Willcox include Riverview LLP, NatureSweet greenhouse, and Northern Cochise Community Hospital. Other important employers are Valley Telephone Cooperative, the Border Patrol, Safeway, and the Willcox Unified School District.
The wine industry provides jobs for over 400 people in the area. Farmers who grow crops also employ many hundreds of workers.
Willcox Wine Country
The Willcox wine region grows 74 percent of all the wine grapes in Arizona. It is the largest area for growing grapes in the state. You can find many different kinds of wines here.
Some of the grape types grown include Petite Sirah, Malvasia Bianca, Sangiovese, Chenin blanc, Syrah, Colombard, Sauvignon blanc, Corvina, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre.
Arts, Events, and Culture
Willcox has two main festival seasons each year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Spring events include the Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival. This usually happens on the third weekend of May. There is also the Willcox West Fest in April.
Fall events include Rex Allen Days, which lasts for several days during the first weekend in October. The Willcox Wine Country Fall Festival is on the third weekend of October. Other fall events are the Willcox Flyer Bike Ride in early September and the BoulderDash 13k/30k in mid-October.
Winter festivals include the Christmas Light Parade and Craft Fair in December. The Wings Over Willcox Birding Festival takes place during Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.
Rex Allen Days started in 1951 to honor Rex Allen. This event includes a yearly parade, rodeos, fairs, and a car show.
The Willcox Wine Country festivals are very popular. They happen on the third weekends of May and October. These events get bigger every year and feature live music and many arts and crafts vendors. The Willcox Wine Festivals are even listed as one of the top 10 wine festivals in North America!
Willcox West Fest celebrates the town's cowboy culture. This culture is still strong today because many families have been ranching for generations. The event includes a rodeo and a chuck wagon cook-off. It usually happens in April.
Saguaro Man is a special gathering for "Burners" in Arizona. It celebrates different kinds of art, including fire arts. This event happens around May each year on their own land.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 396 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,632 | — | |
| 1920 | 905 | −44.5% | |
| 1930 | 806 | −10.9% | |
| 1940 | 884 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,266 | 43.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,441 | 92.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,568 | 5.2% | |
| 1980 | 3,243 | 26.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,122 | −3.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,733 | 19.6% | |
| 2010 | 3,757 | 0.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,213 | −14.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 3,733 people living in Willcox. These people lived in 1,383 households, and 947 of those were families. The city had about 622 people per square mile.
About 75% of the people were White. About 1.6% were Native American, and 0.8% were Asian. About 17.6% were from other races, and 4.2% were from two or more races. About 41.7% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
The average income for a household in the city was $24,334. About 21.6% of families and 27.0% of all people lived below the poverty line. This included 36.6% of those under 18 years old and 24.6% of those 65 or older.
Seventeen miles north of Willcox, there are many apple orchards and pistachio groves. These used to be part of the York ranch.
Media and News
KHIL "Classic Country" is a radio station that has served the Willcox area since 1958. You can listen to it on 1250 AM and 98.1 FM. The local newspaper, The Herald, provides news and listings for all of Cochise County, including Willcox.
Notable People from Willcox
- Rex Allen (1920–1999) – He was a famous film and TV actor, singer, and songwriter.
- Ted DiBiase (born 1954) – He is a former professional wrestler.
- Warren Earp (1855-1900) – He was the youngest of the Earp brothers and is buried here.
- Lilly McElroy (born 1980) – She is a photographer.
- Tanya Tucker (born 1958) – She is a country music artist who spent her early childhood in Willcox.
- Chalky Wright (1912–1957) – He was a boxing champion and is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Willcox (Arizona) para niños
