Alpine is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
in
Apache County
Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns.
Most of the county is occupied by part ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, United States,
in Bush Valley in the east central part of the state. As of the
2010 census, it had a population of 145.
It is located near the eastern border of the state.
History
Located approximately 75 miles south of the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
, Alpine was settled in 1876 by Anderson Bush, a European-American who built a log house there. He originally used it as a trading post known as "Fort Bush". Bush sold his holdings in 1879 to William Maxwell and Fred Hamblin,
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
settlers who established the town as a Mormon community.
They named the community for its lofty elevation.
The Alpine post office has the
ZIP code of 85920.
Geography
Alpine is located at an elevation of above sea level in the eastern end of the
White Mountains and surrounded by the
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Alpine is near the headwaters of the
San Francisco River and six miles from the
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
border. Alpine is a popular destination for hunting, fishing, and camping. As of 1960, it was the highest place in the United States where farming was successfully conducted.
Demographics
Alpine first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as the Alpine Precinct of Apache County. It also was recorded in 1930. In that census it had a white majority. All county precincts were combined into three districts in 1940. Alpine's population was 165 in 1940. The 1960 census estimated 300 persons. In 2010, it was defined as a census-designated place (CDP).
Climate
Alpine has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Csb'') influence by its very high altitude and the
North American Monsoon
The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, the New Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon is a pattern of pronounced increase in thunderstorms and rainfall over large areas of the southwestern Uni ...
, which brings frequent thunder showers during the summer. Although temperatures are generally comfortable during the daytime, the sun is very intense and at night frosts have occurred even in summer and are an almost daily occurrence from October to May.
Winters are cold, with storms bringing precipitation mostly in the form of snow. Because Alpine is on the eastern end of the
Mogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...
, it experiences a
rain shadow
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
from the
White Mountains and receives less snowfall than points west at a similar elevation.
On February 25, 1987, Alpine tied the 24-hour snowfall record for Arizona at ; it shares the record with Heber Ranger Station, which first set the record on December 14, 1967.
Government and infrastructure
The
U.S. Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...
operates the Alpine Post Office on
U.S. Route 191
U.S. Route 191 (US 191) is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for from the north ...
.
Attractions
*
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
* The
Coronado Trail Scenic Byway, a segment along
U.S. Route 191
U.S. Route 191 (US 191) is a spur of U.S. Route 91 that has two branches. The southern branch runs for from Douglas, Arizona on the Mexican border to the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The northern branch runs for from the north ...
(formerly
US-666) between
Springerville and
Clifton, Arizona
Clifton is a town in and is the county seat of Greenlee County, Arizona, United States, along the San Francisco River. The population of the town was 3,311 at the 2010 census, with a 2018 population estimate of 3,700. It was a place of the Ariz ...
*
Escudilla Mountain
Escudilla Mountain is located in Apache County, Arizona, and is part of the White Mountains. The peak is approximately 3.5 miles from the Arizona-New Mexico border. The summit is the highest point in the Escudilla Wilderness which is administer ...
(), a pine and aspen-covered
mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...
, popular for hiking, horseback-riding, and viewing fall colors
*
Luna Lake, southeast, a popular fishing and camping spot
Education
The
Alpine Elementary School District
Alpine Elementary School District is a K-8 public school district with headquarters in Alpine, unincorporated Apache County, Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It i ...
, operating Alpine Elementary School, serves Alpine.
The
Apache County Library District
Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns.
Most of the county is occupied by part ...
operates the Alpine Public Library.
[Alpine Public Library]
." Apache County Library District
Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns.
Most of the county is occupied by part ...
. Retrieved on January 30, 2011.
Picture gallery
Alpine Country Store (and Laundry).jpg, Alpine Country Store
Alpine, Arizona, November 1990 (98079207).jpg, Alpine in November 1990
Alpine, AZ, Wallow Fire 2011 Burn Around the Community, Whitewater-Baldy Plume on the Horizon, May 24, 2012 - panoramio.jpg, Wallow Fire in 2011
Alpine, Az..jpg
FLOWERS, sp (7-23-2014) alpine c g, apache co, az -02 (14806964584).jpg
See also
*
List of census-designated places in Arizona
The 2010 Census defines 360 census-designated places or CDPs within the state of Arizona, with a combined population of 894,461 accounting for 14% of the state population. CDPs are defined as populated areas that are not organized into incorporate ...
*
Luna, New Mexico
Luna is a census-designated place in northwestern Catron County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 158. It is situated on the San Francisco River and U.S. Route 180, east of the Arizona border and nort ...
References
External links
Alpine Area Chamber of Commerceat White Mountains Online
{{authority control
White Mountains (Arizona)
Census-designated places in Apache County, Arizona
Populated places established in 1876
1876 establishments in Arizona Territory