Joseph City, Arizona

{{Short description| Unincorporated community in the state of Arizona, United States}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Joseph City, Arizona | settlement_type = Census-designated place | image_skyline = Joseph City-Welcome to Joseph City.jpg | image_alt = Welcome to Joseph City | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = Navajo_County_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Joseph_City_highlighted.svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Location in Navajo County and the state of Arizona |pushpin_map = USA |pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States | coordinates = {{coord|34|57|21|N|110|20|02|W|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Arizona}} | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Navajo | established_title = Settled | established_date = 1876 | established_title2 = Unincorporated | established_date2 = | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = | leader_name = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 19.20 | area_total_sq_mi = 7.41 | area_land_km2 = 19.17 | area_land_sq_mi = 7.40 | area_water_km2 = 0.04 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.01 | unit_pref = Imperial  | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_04.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref> | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 5043 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 1307 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_metro = | population_density_km2 = 68.19 | population_density_sq_mi = 176.62 | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone = MST | utc_offset = −7 | timezone_DST = no DST/PDT | utc_offset_DST = −7 | postal_code_type = ZIP code | postal_code = 86032 | area_code = 928 | iso_code = | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = {{FIPS|04|36430}} | blank1_name = GNIS ID(s) | blank1_info = 2582803<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2582803}}</ref> | website = | footnotes = |pop_est_as_of = |pop_est_footnotes = |population_est = }}

'''Joseph City''' (elevation 5,000 ft) is a census-designated place located in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It is located on Interstate 40, approximately eighty miles east of Flagstaff and about thirty-five miles west of Petrified Forest National Park. In 2010, there were 1,386 inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/en.html|title=Census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==History== thumb|left|200px|Joseph City in 2004 Joseph City was settled in 1876 by colonists who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This band of 73 pioneers was led by Captain William C. Allen.<ref>Tanner, George S and J Morris Richards, ''Colonization on the Little Colorado: The Joseph City Region'' (Flagstaff, Arizona: 1977) 16.</ref> They traveled to the Little Colorado River basin of Arizona. Joseph City was one of four Little Colorado River colonies.<ref>Tanner, George S and J Morris Richards, ''Colonization on the Little Colorado: The Joseph City Region'' (Flagstaff, Arizona: 1977) xiii.</ref> The other colonies were Brigham City, Sunset, and Obed. Joseph City is the only remaining colony.<ref>Tanner, George S and J Morris Richards, ''Colonization on the Little Colorado: The Joseph City Region'' (Flagstaff, Arizona: 1977) 21, 32, 34.</ref>

The hardest challenge for the new colonists was trying to get water for their crops. This meant that they had to tame the Little Colorado River, which was difficult due to the flooding season that would destroy dams along the river. The first dam was built in 1876, shortly after the colonists arrived in the area. In the next 18 years the colonists built ten more dams. The eleventh dam was built in 1894. This dam lasted 29 years. In 1923, the eleventh dam was destroyed and the colonists were forced to build a new dam. This dam still stands and directs water to the inhabitants in the city.<ref>Tanner, George S and J Morris Richards, ''Colonization on the Little Colorado: The Joseph City Region'' (Flagstaff, Arizona: 1977) 41–50.</ref>

The name of the colony changed twice since its founding. The area settled by Captain Allen's group was called Allen's Camp, in honor of their leader. The name changed in January 1878 to St. Joseph. This change came about when the Little Colorado Stake was organized, to honor Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. In 1923 there was a final name change to Joseph City. Due to mail and freight shipment confusion, the Santa Fe Railway, which also ran through Saint Joseph, Missouri, asked St. Joseph, Arizona to change its name. The residents of the town voted and the name became Joseph City.<ref>Tanner, George S and J Morris Richards, ''Colonization on the Little Colorado: The Joseph City Region'' (Flagstaff, Arizona: 1977) 36.</ref>

==Geography== According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|7.41|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|7.4|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|km2}} is water.

===Climate===

Joseph City has a semi-arid climate (''BSk'') with cold to cool winters and hot summers. Although the mean snowfall is {{convert|0.16|m|in|2}}, the median is zero, so the majority of winters do not have measurable snow.

{{Weather box|width=55em | location = Joseph City, Arizona | single line = Y | collapsed = Yes | Jan record high F = 74 | Feb record high F = 99 | Mar record high F = 89 | Apr record high F = 93 | May record high F = 101 | Jun record high F = 108 | Jul record high F = 106 | Aug record high F = 109 | Sep record high F = 106 | Oct record high F = 96 | Nov record high F = 89 | Dec record high F = 78 | year record high F = 109 | Jan high F = 50.6 | Feb high F = 57.9 | Mar high F = 65.1 | Apr high F = 73.3 | May high F = 81.9 | Jun high F = 92.2 | Jul high F = 95.4 | Aug high F = 92.2 | Sep high F = 86.3 | Oct high F = 74.7 | Nov high F = 61.6 | Dec high F = 51.5 | year high F = 73.6 | Jan low F = 20.9 | Feb low F = 25.2 | Mar low F = 30.3 | Apr low F = 35.9 | May low F = 43.3 | Jun low F = 51.4 | Jul low F = 59.8 | Aug low F = 59.0 | Sep low F = 50.9 | Oct low F = 38.2 | Nov low F = 27.6 | Dec low F = 20.9 | year low F = 38.6 | Jan record low F = −20 | Feb record low F = −19 | Mar record low F = 2 | Apr record low F = 10 | May record low F = 13 | Jun record low F = 30 | Jul record low F = 41 | Aug record low F = 36 | Sep record low F = 18 | Oct record low F = 15 | Nov record low F = −10 | Dec record low F = −21 | year record low F = −21 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 0.71 | Feb precipitation inch = 0.66 | Mar precipitation inch = 0.72 | Apr precipitation inch = 0.37 | May precipitation inch = 0.38 | Jun precipitation inch = 0.20 | Jul precipitation inch = 1.17 | Aug precipitation inch = 1.51 | Sep precipitation inch = 1.18 | Oct precipitation inch = 1.07 | Nov precipitation inch = 0.66 | Dec precipitation inch = 0.57 | Jan snow inch = 1.5 | Feb snow inch = 1.3 | Mar snow inch = 0.7 | Apr snow inch = 0.8 | May snow inch = 0 | Jun snow inch = 0 | Jul snow inch = 0 | Aug snow inch = 0 | Sep snow inch = 0 | Oct snow inch = 0 | Nov snow inch = 1.1 | Dec snow inch = 0.9 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch | Jan precipitation days = 4.0 | Feb precipitation days = 3.5 | Mar precipitation days = 4.6 | Apr precipitation days = 2.7 | May precipitation days = 3.3 | Jun precipitation days = 1.6 | Jul precipitation days = 6.0 | Aug precipitation days = 8.0 | Sep precipitation days = 5.4 | Oct precipitation days = 4.1 | Nov precipitation days = 3.0 | Dec precipitation days = 3.6 | unit snow days = 0.1 inch | Jan snow days = 0.8 | Feb snow days = 0.7 | Mar snow days = 0.6 | Apr snow days = 0.1 | May snow days = 0 | Jun snow days = 0 | Jul snow days = 0 | Aug snow days = 0 | Sep snow days = 0 | Oct snow days = 0 | Nov snow days = 0.6 | Dec snow days = 0.6

| source 1 = <ref>{{cite web | url = http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/az/024089.pdf | title = Holbrook, AZ | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = December 5, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140910050559/http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/az/024089.pdf | archive-date = September 10, 2014 | url-status = dead }}</ref> | date = December 2011 }}

==Demographics== {{US Census population | align = right | 2010 = 1386 | 2020 = 1307 | footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>{{cbignore}} | align-fn = center }} {{clear|left}}

===2020 census===

As of the 2020 census, Joseph City had a population of 1,307. The median age was 37.1 years. 30.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.7 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=place%3A36430&in=state%3A04|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=place%3A36430&in=state%3A04|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=place%3A36430&in=state%3A04|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 438 households in Joseph City, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.7% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 529 housing units, of which 17.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.3%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

{| class="wikitable" |+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL"/> ! Race !! Number !! Percent |- | White || 957 || 73.2% |- | Black or African American || 5 || 0.4% |- | American Indian and Alaska Native || 251 || 19.2% |- | Asian || 1 || 0.1% |- | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 3 || 0.2% |- | Some other race || 24 || 1.8% |- | Two or more races || 66 || 5.0% |- | ''Hispanic or Latino (of any race)'' || 113 || 8.6% |} ==Economy== The Cholla Power Plant is located near Joseph City.

==Education== Joseph City is served by the Joseph City Unified School District. Two schools, Joseph City Elementary School, and Joseph City High School, serve the community. Their schools have a very high AIMS standard. The current Superintendent of Joseph City Unified School District is Bryan Fields.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.josephcityschools.org/index.cfm?pID=2378 |title=Joseph City: Administration |access-date=February 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221172956/http://www.josephcityschools.org/index.cfm?pID=2378 |archive-date=February 21, 2014 }}</ref>

==References== {{Commons}} {{wikivoyage|Joseph City}} <references />

Category:Unincorporated communities in Navajo County, Arizona Category:U.S. Route 66 in Arizona Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1876 Category:Unincorporated communities in Arizona Category:1876 establishments in Arizona Territory