Antares is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

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 ...

(CDP) in

Mohave County, Arizona Mohave County is in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 213,267. The county seat is Kingman, and the largest city is Lake Havasu City. It is the fifth largest county in the United St ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 132. It exists along part of historic

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

Etymology

Antares is named after the star

Antares Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It has the Bayer designation α Scorpii, which is Latinised to Alpha Scorpii. Often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion", Antares is flanked by σ Scorpii and τ S ...

, in the constellation of Scorpio; the word is

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and means "rival of Mars", given to the star because of its prominent red color.

History

The village of Antares began as a

railroad siding A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

. The

Atlantic and Pacific Railroad The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjointed segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Needles in Southern California ...

was laying tracks through the area in 1883 and had to reroute around the

Peacock Mountains The Peacock Mountains are a small, 26 mi (42 km) long mountain range in northwest Arizona, US. The range is a narrow sub-range, and an extension north, at the northeast of the Hualapai Mountains massif, which lies to the southwest. The ran ...

, diverting south of the mountains to the easier gradient through nearby Hackberry; when continuing west, the gradient was lower in the

Hualapai Valley Hualapai Valley is a valley in Mohave County, Arizona. Location Hualapai Valley is an endorheic basin and its watershed terminates in the dry lake or playa called Red Lake at an elevation of 2762 feet. It is bounded on the east by the Grand W ...

to the north of Hackberry, where Antares now lies. The railroad thus took a large curve to travel through this point down into Kingman. The siding built on the curve became incorporated as Antares after the

National Old Trails Highway National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland (some old maps indicate Ne ...

was constructed in 1910, following the railroad in this part of Arizona; when

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

was built in 1926 it also ran parallel to the railroad. Antares was first recorded as a "town and railroad station" in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

of 1923. There are over 6,000

mining claim Mineral rights are property rights to exploit an area for the minerals it harbors. Mineral rights can be separate from property ownership (see Split estate). Mineral rights can refer to sedentary minerals that do not move below the Earth's surfac ...

s in and around Antares, of which 5,566 are closed. There are 213 identifiable mines in the area, which primarily dug for

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

, and

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

Geography

Antares is located in northwestern Arizona, in central Mohave County, northeast of Kingman, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. The Antares census-designated place encompasses of land, and is at elevation above sea level. The southern edge of the CDP follows

State Route 66 The following highways are numbered 66: Australia * Barkly Highway (Northern Territory) * Riddoch Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 66 * Highway 66 (Ontario) Finland * Kantatie 66 ( Orivesi — Lapua) France * A66 autoroute Germany * Bu ...

(former U.S. 66) and so curves, peaking near the center of the village. The eastern border is a roughly south–north road that is called Kingman Road south of Colorado Drive, and Kingman Drive north of this intersection. The western border runs parallel and is called Boulder Road. The village is bisected by Antares Road, which forms part of the northern border where California Drive, the west–east road at the village limit, staggers: the California Drive section from Boulder Road to Antares Road is slightly further south than East California Drive, which continues due east of the village until it reaches North Music Mountain Road. Only the eastern border road and California Drive west of Antares Road are entirely contained within Antares village limits. There are several other roads in the village, all named for nearby features and locations. The Valle Vista planned community is west of Antares. Most of the buildings in Antares lie to the west of Antares Road, though there are some in the southeast corner, some in the tourist spots in the center-south on Route 66, and a few buildings on the extension of Boulder Road that lies to the northwest of the village limits. Mailboxes for the residents all lie at the Route 66–Antares Road intersection.

Demographics

Antares first appeared on the 2010 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP). Of the 126 Antares residents , 64 (50.8%) were male and 62 (49.2%) were female. The median age of its citizens was of 64.1 years at that time. The majority of the population is

White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...

, with a small number of Native Americans and no others. The town's population density rated at 194.81 per square mile, ranking the town as #217 in population density. The city experienced a 17.6% decrease in population from 2006 to 2010.

Climate

Transportation

Road and rail

Antares is along

, which is the main road of the village. The

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

runs parallel to Route 66. An unpaved side road called Antares Road and described as "fine for all vehicles" also runs north through the Hualapai Valley. Antares Road is a

county road A county highway (also county road or county route; usually abbreviated CH or CR) is a road in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario that is designated and/or maintained by the County (United States), county highway departme ...

. It runs from Route 66 heading roughly northwest until it meets Pierce Ferry Road, giving access to Meadview and the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

Lake Mead Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. ...

. The U.S. Geological Survey says that "Antares Road is unpaved for 31 of the 32 miles; however, Mohave County does maintain the road to a native material standard." Antares Road is designated County Highway 149, and after the intersection at Pierce Ferry Road it continues as County Highway 139/Gregg's Hideout Road. The part of Route 66 that runs through the village is a long curve. This curve, known as "Antares Point", is the longest continuous curve on any United States Highway, running for about .

Air

The local airport, Music Mountain Air Ranch, operates two dirt runways, both of which had become overgrown by 2004. Formerly Kingman Number 3 Army Airfield and also known as Hackberry Airfield, the airport is located off Antares Road just to the north of the village—the western runway intersects the road. Kingman Airport is the closest commercial airport, west of Antares. The Kingman Army Airfield had opened during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport is a public use airport located north of the central business district of Bullhead City, in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is owned by Mohave County. The airport is across the Colorado River ...

Bullhead City Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the em ...

is the closest international airport, having formerly had charter flights to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and is also relatively close.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil–military public airport east of downtown Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport, and among the largest commercial airports in th ...

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

and

Harry Reid International Airport Harry Reid International Airport is an international airport in Paradise, Nevada, and is the main government airport for public use in the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada, about south of Downtown Las Vegas. ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

are the closest large international airports to Antares.

Services

The Valle Vista District Fire Station #2 is located on Antares Road, half a mile north of State Route 66. Some electrical services for the nearby

Hualapai The Hualapai (, , yuf-x-wal, Hwalbáy) is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Arizona with about 2300 enrolled members. Approximately 1353 enrolled members reside on the Hualapai Reservation, which spans over three counties in Nort ...

Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...

are connected on Antares Road.

Tourism

The main destination in Antares is a camp park known both as Kozy Corner RV park and Ranchero Motel. The site also features the "Giganticus Headicus" attraction, a homemade monument resembling the Easter Island heads. The park is on the Antares Point curve. The RV park is isolated, bracketed between the

and Route 66 and the

Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

, which run parallel; it began as a camp for railroad workers in the early 1900s. A local legend claims that

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...

stayed at the motel and named the Antares ship in ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' after its location.

References

External links

Images of Antares Point
at Route 66 Photos {{DEFAULTSORT:Antares, Arizona Populated places in Mohave County, Arizona Census-designated places in Mohave County, Arizona U.S. Route 66 in Arizona