Everything about Safford Arizona totally explained
Safford (
Western Apache:
Ichʼįʼ Nahiłtį́į́) is a city in
Graham County,
Arizona,
United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 8,932. The city is the
county seat of
Graham County.
Geography
Safford is located at (32.823266, -109.714613). The
Pinaleno Mountains sit prominently to the southwest of town. The Pinalenos have the greatest vertical relief of any mountain range in Arizona.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.9
square miles (20.6
km²), of which, 7.9 square miles (20.5 km²) of it's land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of
2000, there were 9,232 people, 3,331 households, and 2,394 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,166.1 people per square mile (450.1/km²). There were 3,718 housing units at an average density of 469.6/sq mi (181.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.17%
White, 1.41%
Black or
African American, 1.01%
Native American, 0.93%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 18.56% from
other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. 39.72% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 3,331 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were
married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,899, and the median income for a family was $36,696. Males had a median income of $35,915 versus $20,138 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,052. About 13.9% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
Safford was founded by
pioneers, who came from
Gila Bend, in southwestern
Arizona. They left
Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer. Upon arrival early in 1874, the villagers laid out the town site, including a few crude buildings.
The town is named after Arizona Territorial Governor
Anson P.K. Safford.
The Town of Safford was incorporated
October 10,
1901, and changed to City of Safford in 1955.
Information and Trivia
Safford is the location of the
Governor Aker Observatory. Safford is also the setting for the
1985 Albert Brooks comedy
Lost In America. Safford is also the setting for the
Jim W. Coleman book "
Omens."
Safford is also home to
Discovery Park, a unique public educational destination facility with features such as a Hall of Science, a small railway, and a restored Sonoran riparian water feature.
Recently (a location 8 miles north of) Safford has become the site of the largest new mining operation in
North America.
Phelps Dodge has cleared nearly 25 years of permitting and legal hurdles and is halfway finished with construction.
Related to this event, legislation has been suggested in state committee to transform
Eastern Arizona College from its present status as a two year community college into a full four-year educational institution.
The mountain for which the county is named,
Mount Graham, is just a few miles southwest of the city. The mountain is home to the
Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) and
Large Binocular Telescope, or LBT. It, when completed, will be the largest binocular telescope in the world. The mountain also is home to the
Vatican Advanced Telescope, or VATT. It is also home to the
Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, or SMT. The Mount Graham International Observatory complex is operated by the
University of Arizona.
Both events are expected to transform this once agricultural valley into a major regional economic hub within the next ten years.
The community is well served by rail and hosts an excellent air facility,
Safford Regional Airport. Additionally the
Arizona Department of Transportation is upgrading
Highway 191 from
Interstate 10 into a full four lane highway.
The
Arizona State Prison Complex - Safford is also located here.
Notable natives
Schools
Safford has its own school district,
Safford Unified School District. It serves the entire city of Safford and some minor outlying areas. Schools in the area include:
Lafe Nelson Elementary School
Ruth Powell Elementary School
Dorothy Stinson Elementary School
Safford Middle School
Safford High School
Mt. Graham High School
References
Further Information
Get more info on 'Safford Arizona'.
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