| Kingman, Arizona | |
| Motto: | "The Heart of Historic Route 66" |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Image Map1: | Kingman-az-map.jpg |
| Mapsize1: | 250px |
| Map Caption1: | U.S. Census map |
| Coordinates: | 35.2083°N -114.0258°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Established Date: | 1882 [1] |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Ken Watkins[2] |
| Area Footnotes: | [3] |
| Area Total Km2: | 97.25 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 37.55 |
| Area Land Km2: | 97.25 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 37.55 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Elevation M: | 1016 |
| Elevation Ft: | 3333 |
| Population Footnotes: | [4] |
| Population Total: | 32689 |
| Population Density Km2: | 336.14 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 870.62 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 86401, 86402, 86409 |
| Timezone: | MST
|
| Utc Offset: | −7 |
| Blank Info: | 04-37620 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Kingman is a city in and the county seat of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is named after Lewis Kingman, an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is located southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and northwest of Arizona's state capital, Phoenix.[5] The population was 32,689 at the 2020 census.
Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a U.S. Navy officer in the service of the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, was ordered by the U.S. War Department to build a federal wagon road across the 35th parallel. His secondary orders were to test the feasibility of the use of camels as pack animals in the Southwestern desert. Beale traveled through the present-day Kingman in 1857 surveying the road and in 1859 to build the road. Beale's Wagon Road became part of U.S. Route 66 and later Interstate 40. Remnants of the wagon road can still be seen in White Cliffs Canyon in Kingman.
Kingman was founded in 1882 before statehood, in Arizona Territory. Situated in the Hualapai Valley between the Cerbat and Hualapai mountain ranges, Kingman had its modest beginnings as a simple railroad siding near Beale Springs. Civil engineer Lewis Kingman supervised the building of the railroad from Winslow to Beale Springs. This spring had been used by Native Americans living in the area for centuries.
The Mohave County seat was originally located in Mohave City from 1864 to 1867. In 1865, the portion of Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River was transferred to Nevada after Nevada's statehood, and became part of Lincoln County, now Clark County, Nevada. The remaining territory of Pah-Ute County became part of Mohave County. Its seat was moved to Hardyville (now within Bullhead City) in 1867. The county seat transferred to the mining town of Cerbat in 1873, then to Mineral Park near Chloride. After some time, the county seat and all instruments were permanently moved to Kingman in 1887.
During World War II, Kingman was the site of a U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) airfield. The Kingman Army Airfield was founded at the beginning of the war as an aerial gunnery training base. It became one of the USAAF's largest, training some 35,000 soldiers and airmen. The airfield and Kingman played a significant role in this important era of America's history. Following the war, the Kingman Airfield was one of the largest reclamation sites for obsolete military aircraft.
Postwar, Kingman experienced growth as several major employers moved into the vicinity. In 1953, Kingman was used to detain those men accused of practicing polygamy in the Short Creek raid, which was at the time one of the largest arrests in American history.[6] In 1955, Ford Motor Company established a proving ground (now one of the Chrysler Proving Grounds) in nearby Yucca at the former Yucca Army Airfield. Several major new neighborhoods in Kingman were developed to house the skilled workers and professionals employed at the proving ground. Likewise, the development of the Mineral Park mine near adjacent Chloride, and construction of the Mohave Generating Station in nearby Laughlin, Nevada, in 1971 contributed to Kingman's population growth. Also, the location of a General Cable plant at the Kingman Airport Industrial Park provided steady employment.
See main article: Kingman explosion. The Kingman Explosion, also known as the Doxol Disaster or Kingman BLEVE, was a catastrophic boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) that occurred on July 5, 1973, during a propane transfer from a Doxol railroad car to a storage tank on the Getz rail siding near Andy Devine Avenue/Route 66.
Firefighters Memorial Park in Kingman is dedicated to the 11 firefighters who died in the blaze.
The 1915-built Mohave County Courthouse and 1909-built Jail were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The downtown and other areas of Kingman were evaluated for historic resources in a 1985 study, the Kingman Multiple Resources Area study. The study identified 63 historic resources in Kingman and led to many of them being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[7] The county courthouse and jail, a 1928-built locomotive (the Santa Fe 3759), a World War II gunnery school radio tower, and about 50 various houses and other buildings in Kingman are listed on the National Register, comprising the majority of National Register listings in Mohave County.
Kingman is in central Mohave County, along Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 93. The city is served by three exits on I-40, which leads east to Flagstaff and southwest to Needles, California. US-93 leads northwest to Las Vegas and southeast to Wickenburg, from Phoenix. US 93 is planned to be replaced by Interstate 11 once built to interstate highway standards. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Kingman has a total area of, all land.[3]
Kingman sits on the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert, but it is located in a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) due to its plateau location. Kingman's higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley keeps summer high temperatures away from the extremes (115F or more) experienced by Phoenix and the Colorado River Valley. The higher elevation also contributes to winter cold and occasional snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90F frequently, but rarely exceed 107F. Summertime lows usually remain between 60F70F. Winter highs are generally mild, ranging from around 50F60F, but winter nighttime lows often fall to freezing, with significantly lower temperatures possible, and occasional snow.
The record low temperature in Kingman was set on January 9, 1937, at 6F, and the record high temperature occurred on July 15, 2023, at 114°F.[8] The wettest year was 1919 with 21.22inches and the driest year was 1947 with 3.58inches. The most rainfall in one month was 9.85inches in September 1939. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 6.03inches on November 28, 1919. The snowiest year was 1949 with 18.2inches. The most snowfall in one month was 14inches in December 1932.[9] [10] On December 31, 2014, and January 1, 2015, Kingman received 6.5 inches of snow. The storm was so significant that it was a contributing factor for closing Interstate 40 at the US 93 Junction for 24 hours.
American Community Survey estimates, there were people and households.[11] [12] The population density was 880.3PD/sqmi. There were housing units at an average density of 397.6/sqmi.[13] [12] [14] The racial makeup of the city was 85.2% White, 2.9% some other race, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.6% Asian, and 1.0% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 7.4% from two or more races.[12] Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 16.6% of the population.[12]
Of the households, 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% were couples cohabitating, 20.3% had a male householder with no partner present, and 27.9% had a female householder with no partner present.[11] The median household size was and the median family size was .[11]
The age distribution was 21.1% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was years.[15] For every 100 females, there were males.[12]
The median income for a household was $, with family households having a median income of $ and non-family households $. The per capita income was $.[16] [17] Out of the people with a determined poverty status, 13.4% were below the poverty line. Further, 18.7% of minors and 9.4% of seniors were below the poverty line.[18]
In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 17.8% of the population of the town, followed by English at 13.3%, Irish at 10.5%, American at 5.2%, Italian at 4.9%, French at 3.5%, Polish at 2.5%, Norwegian at 2.4%, Dutch at 1.8%, Scottish at 1.7%, Swedish at 1.2%, Russian at 1.0%, Scotch-Irish at 1.0%, Welsh at 0.9%, Portuguese at 0.6%, French Canadian at 0.5%, and Hungarian at 0.5%.[11]
At the 2020 census, there were 32,689 people.
At the 2010 census, there were 28,068 people.
At the 2000 census, there were 20,069 people, 7,854 households and 5,427 families residing in the city. The population density was 669.7/mi2. There were 8,604 housing units at an average density of 287.1/mi2. The racial make-up of the city was 88.0% White, <0.1% Black or African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race comprised 12.2% of the population.
There were 7,854 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94.
25.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64 and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median household income was $34,086 and the median family income was $41,327. Males had a median income of $32,036 and females $21,134. The per capita income was $17,181. About 8.2% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
The city operates under the council-manager form of government. The city council, which is the policymaking and legitimate authority, consists of a mayor, vice-mayor, a five-member council and the city manager. The mayor is Ken Watkins and the vice-mayor seat is vacant. The city council consists of five elected officials – councilmembers SueAnn Mello, Jamie Scott Stehly, Deana Nelson, Cherish Sammeli and Keith Walker. The city manager is Ron Foggin. The city attorney is Carl Cooper.
The city government also includes boards and commissions that assist the council in decision making. They are the:
Arizona State Prison – Kingman, a privately run prison of the Arizona Department of Corrections, is located in unincorporated Mohave County near Kingman.[19]
The United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management has a field office located in Kingman.
Mohave County Superior Court is located in Kingman.
Mohave County Administration offices are located in Kingman.
The Mohave County Fairgrounds are located in Kingman.
According to Kingman's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[20] the top employers in the city are:
| Employer |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingman Regional Medical Center | 1,800 | |
| 2 | Mohave County | 1,271 | |
| 3 | Kingman Unified School District | 740 | |
| 4 | Mohave Community College | 700 | |
| 5 | American Woodmark | 689 | |
| 6 | Walmart | 440 | |
| 7 | City of Kingman | 374 | |
| 8 | Laron Inc | 187 | |
| 9 | The Home Depot | 135 | |
| 10 | Indiana Western Express, Inc. | 119 |
The Kingman Airport is located 9miles northeast of Kingman on Arizona State Route 66. The airport was originally built as Kingman Army Air Field during World War II and was the location of the Kingman Aerial Gunnery School. The airport was turned over to Mohave County for civilian use in 1949. There are air ambulance and air charter services, but no commercial flights. The closest commercial airport is Harry Reid International Airport in Paradise, Nevada, approximately northwest of Kingman. The Kingman airport now primarily exists as a location for long-term aircraft storage due to its suitable large ramp space and a long, decommissioned runway. Kingman is a non-towered airport.
Located downtown, the Kingman station station has daily services on Amtrak's Amtrak Southwest Chief between Los Angeles and Chicago. The historically significant station is constructed in Mission Revival style. Prior to the establishment of Amtrak in 1971, the building had fallen into disrepair. A total renovation was completed in 2010. The station houses a model railroad museum. Amtrak Thruway offers connecting service to Las Vegas.
Kingman is located on the Southern Transcon route of the BNSF Railway which is the main transcontinental route between Los Angeles and Chicago, which carries approximately 100 to 150 freight trains per day.
In August 2012, the Kingman Terminal Railroad (KGTR) opened at the Kingman Airport Authority and Industrial Park. The KGTR is a short line railroad owned by Patriot Rail. Patriot Rail owns and operates 13 railroads in 13 states across the U.S. The KGTR interchanges with BNSF and delivers to businesses at the industrial park.
The City of Kingman operates Kingman Area Regional Transit.[21] Kingman is served by the intercity bus companies Greyhound and TUFESA. FlixBus boards from a stop at 915 W Beale St. Tri-State Shuttle connects Kingman with Harry Reid International Airport in Paradise.[22]
Amtrak Thruway is Kingman station bus service that travels to Las Vegas's stations at South Strip Transit Terminal, Airport Terminal One and Las Vegas downtown, called the Amtrak Kingman-Las Vegas Thruway Motorcoach, a 107miles trip. There is also a Laughlin to Kingman Amtrak Station at the Tropicana Laughlin in Laughlin, Nevada, a 34miles trip.[23] [24]
The water system uses groundwater. The same aquifer serving the city is used by the industrial agriculture in the surrounding desert.[25]
Kingman has one public school district, one charter school district and one Christian school.
Kingman Unified School District (KUSD) consists of 12 schools, ranging from Kindergarten to high school.[26]
Elementary schools
Middle schools
High schools
K–12
Kingman has been used as a filming location for several movies and television shows.