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 ...

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 par ...

, Arizona, 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 Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

, 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 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 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 (

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, 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, it experiences a rain shadow 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 agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

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 nort ...

Attractions

A087, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Alpine, Arizona, USA, 2004

* Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest * The

Coronado Trail Scenic Byway Coronado may refer to: People * Coronado (surname) * Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado" * Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847 Places United S ...

, a segment along

(formerly US-666) between

Springerville Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States, within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP Code is 85938. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,961. Springerville sits at an elevation of above sea level. ...

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 A ...

* Escudilla Mountain (), a pine and aspen-covered mesa, 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 Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to so ...

, 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 par ...

operates the Alpine Public Library.Alpine Public Library
."

. 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

References

External links

Alpine Area Chamber of Commerce

at 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