Yucca, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Yucca is an unincorporated community
in Mohave County
, Arizona
, United States
. Located along Interstate 40
, it lies southwest of Kingman
, just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains
and west of the Hualapai and McCracken Mountains in the Sacramento Valley
. Yucca has a ZIP Code
of 86438; in 2000, the population of the 86438 ZCTA
was 282. Students in Yucca attend schools in the Kingman Unified School District.
; 33 miles southwest of Kingman, Arizona; and 45 miles east of Needles, California. The climate of Yucca is fairly moderate all year long with mild winter temperatures and cooler summers compared to other parts of the state. Summer temperatures may reach in the low 100's. In the winters, the temperatures may occasionally go into the low 20's. The average temperatures in the winter are usually 30-45 degrees. The sun shines throughout the winter with almost all the rain falling in the summer with tropical monsoons.
Yucca's average annual precipitation is 7.69 inches per year.
The average low temperature is 53.7 degrees farenheit.
The average high temperature is 87 degrees farenheit.
(affiliated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
) in the 1880s. It was part of a rail line commissioned by congress spanning from St. Louis, Missouri
to Needles, California
. This rail line grew to be transcontinental and is a major freight corridor to Southern California.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces
purchased 2284 acres (9.2 km²) of land and developed the Yucca Army Airfield
for training pilots. In 1954 the air base was purchased by Ford Motor Company
and along with additional land, was turned into the Arizona Proving Ground comprising nearly 4000 acres (16.2 km²). Chrysler
purchased the proving grounds
in November 2007 from Ford for $34.9 million.
Yucca became part of Route 66
in 1952 when the highway was realigned bypassing Oatman, Arizona
. This was the heyday for the small town when motels, cafes, and a Whiting brothers truck stop operated. In the early 1970s Interstate 40 replaced the section of Route 66 going through Yucca. The motels and truck stop went out of business as people used facilities in larger Kingman, Arizona
, and Needles, California
. A small general store/cafe, post office, automotive service center, real estate office, and bar were the only retail businesses remaining by 2008.
In 1997 a land exchange between the Santa Fe Railroad and the US Government of approximately 70000 acres (283.3 km²) was completed just southwest of Yucca. Much of the land subsequently owned by the railroad was subdivided into typically 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) parcels and offered to the general public as the Stage Coach Trails development. This land has primarily been purchased by individuals for residential use or long term investment. Other smaller developments opened just north of Yucca in 2006. Over time these residential developments may spur renewed business growth in the area.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located along Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
, it lies southwest of Kingman
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
, just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
and west of the Hualapai and McCracken Mountains in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
. Yucca has a ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 86438; in 2000, the population of the 86438 ZCTA
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
was 282. Students in Yucca attend schools in the Kingman Unified School District.
Location and climate
Yucca is located about 35 miles north of Lake Havasu City, ArizonaLake Havasu City, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,938 people, 17,911 households, and 12,716 families residing in the city. The population density was 974.4 people per square mile . There were 23,018 housing units at an average density of 534.8 per square mile...
; 33 miles southwest of Kingman, Arizona; and 45 miles east of Needles, California. The climate of Yucca is fairly moderate all year long with mild winter temperatures and cooler summers compared to other parts of the state. Summer temperatures may reach in the low 100's. In the winters, the temperatures may occasionally go into the low 20's. The average temperatures in the winter are usually 30-45 degrees. The sun shines throughout the winter with almost all the rain falling in the summer with tropical monsoons.
Yucca's average annual precipitation is 7.69 inches per year.
The average low temperature is 53.7 degrees farenheit.
The average high temperature is 87 degrees farenheit.
History
Yucca started as an order office and water fill station for Atlantic and Pacific RailroadAtlantic and Pacific Railroad
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjoint segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Southern California. It was incorporated by the U.S. Congress in 1866 as a...
(affiliated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
) in the 1880s. It was part of a rail line commissioned by congress spanning from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
. This rail line grew to be transcontinental and is a major freight corridor to Southern California.
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
purchased 2284 acres (9.2 km²) of land and developed the Yucca Army Airfield
Yucca Army Airfield
Yucca Army Airfield is a former military airfield located about west of Yucca, in Mohave County, Arizona. It is on the east side of Interstate 40, south of Kingman. It is presently used as a testing facility by Chrysler LLC.- Military use:...
for training pilots. In 1954 the air base was purchased by Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and along with additional land, was turned into the Arizona Proving Ground comprising nearly 4000 acres (16.2 km²). Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
purchased the proving grounds
Chrysler Proving Grounds
Chrysler LLC operates proving grounds around North America, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.-Arizona Proving Ground :Location:The Arizona Proving Ground is a vehicle test facility established in 1955 in Yucca, Arizona...
in November 2007 from Ford for $34.9 million.
Yucca became part of Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
in 1952 when the highway was realigned bypassing Oatman, Arizona
Oatman, Arizona
Oatman is a former mining town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Located at an elevation of , it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915, though the area had been already settled for a number of years. Oatman's...
. This was the heyday for the small town when motels, cafes, and a Whiting brothers truck stop operated. In the early 1970s Interstate 40 replaced the section of Route 66 going through Yucca. The motels and truck stop went out of business as people used facilities in larger Kingman, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
, and Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
. A small general store/cafe, post office, automotive service center, real estate office, and bar were the only retail businesses remaining by 2008.
In 1997 a land exchange between the Santa Fe Railroad and the US Government of approximately 70000 acres (283.3 km²) was completed just southwest of Yucca. Much of the land subsequently owned by the railroad was subdivided into typically 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) parcels and offered to the general public as the Stage Coach Trails development. This land has primarily been purchased by individuals for residential use or long term investment. Other smaller developments opened just north of Yucca in 2006. Over time these residential developments may spur renewed business growth in the area.