| La Paz County, Arizona | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Arizona |
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 Arizona's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Parker |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
4,513 sq mi (11,689 km²) 13 sq mi (34 km²), 0.30% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
19,715 5/sq mi (2/km²) |
| Website: www.co.la-paz.az.us | |
La Paz County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2000 census its population was 19,715. The county seat is Parker. The county name means "the peace" in Spanish, and is taken from the early settlement (now ghost town) of La Paz along the Colorado River.
La Paz County was established in 1983 after voters approved separating the northern portion of Yuma County, making it the first and only new county created since Arizona statehood in 1912. As a result, Arizona laws were changed to make splitting other existing counties much more difficult.
The Colorado River Indian Reservation is located in the western portion of the county.
Contents |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,513 square miles (11,690 km²), of which, 4,500 square miles (11,655 km²) of it is land and 13 square miles (35 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
Major highways
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Adjacent counties
- Mohave County, Arizona - north
- Yavapai County, Arizona - northeast
- Maricopa County, Arizona - east
- Yuma County, Arizona - south
- Imperial County, California - southwest
- Riverside County, California - west
- San Bernardino County, California - northwest
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San Bernardino County, California | Mohave County | Yavapai County | |
| Riverside County, California |  |
Maricopa County | ||
 La Paz County, Arizona  |
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| Imperial County, California | Yuma County |
National protected areas
- Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
As of the census[3][page needed] of 2000, there were 19,715 people, 8,362 households, and 5,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 15,133 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.15% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 12.53% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 9.35% from other races, and 2.68% from two or more races. 22.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.90% reported speaking Spanish at home [1].
There were 8,362 households out of which 21.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.20% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the county the population was spread out with 21.10% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 20.40% from 25 to 44, 26.60% from 45 to 64, and 25.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 105.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,839, and the median income for a family was $29,141. Males had a median income of $26,642 versus $20,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,916. About 13.60% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.50% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
Census-designated places
Other communities
Natural history
There are a variety of flora and fauna associated with La Paz County.[4] The endangered California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera has a small number of grove occurrences within the county.[5]
References
- ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&_county=La+Paz+County&_cityTown=La+Paz+County&_state=05000US04012
- ^ http://www.mapzones.org/La_Paz_County_Arizona.html
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Forrest Shreve and Ira Loren Wiggins. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran Desert, p 50 et seq., Stanford University Press, 1740 pages ISBN 0804701636, 9780804701631.
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2009. California Fan Palm: Washingtonia filifera, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
External links
- County website
- "Bills tackle county growth", Arizona Republic, Feb. 10, 2005
- "Arizona County Formation", Arizona Association of Counties
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Coordinates: 33°50′25″N 113°56′34″W / 33.84028°N 113.94278°W
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