Sonoita (; ood, Ṣon ʼOidag) 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 ...
(CDP) in
Santa Cruz County,
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.
[ The population was 818 at the 2010 census.]
The origin of the name of the CDP is the O'odham
The O'odham peoples, including the Tohono O'odham, the Pima or Akimel O'odham, and the Hia C-ed O'odham, are indigenous Uto-Aztecan peoples of the Sonoran desert in southern and central Arizona and northern Sonora, united by a common herita ...
''Ṣon ʼOidag'', which may be best translated as "spring field".
Geography
Sonoita is located in northern Santa Cruz County. The community is at the intersection of Arizona State Route 83
State Route 83 (SR 83) is a scenic state highway in southern Arizona, stretching from its junction with Interstate 10 near Vail south to Parker Canyon Lake. It passes through sparsely populated areas of Pima, Cochise
Cochise (; Apache: ...
and Arizona State Route 82
State Route 82 (SR 82) is an east–west state highway in southern Arizona. The western terminus of Route 82 is located at its junction with Business Loop 19 (Grand Avenue) in Nogales, Arizona, Nogales and its eastern terminus at its junction ...
. The Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains ( O'odham: To:wa Kuswo Doʼag), located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Pat ...
and the Canelo Hills
The Canelo Hills are a range of low mountains or hills in eastern Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The range consists of a series of northwest–southeast trending ridges extending from the Sonoita Creek valley southwest of Sonoita to the Parker Can ...
lie to the west and southwest respectively. The headwaters of Sonoita Creek
Sonoita Creek is a tributary stream of the Santa Cruz River in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It originates near and takes its name from the abandoned Pima mission in the high valley near Sonoita. It flows steadily for the first of its westwa ...
are just west of the site.[''Sonoita, Arizona,'' 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1996 (2002 rev.)]
Historic Fort Crittenden
Fort Crittenden, originally Camp Crittenden, was a United States Army post built in 1867 three miles from Sonoita, Arizona along Sonoita Creek. It was established for campaigning against the Apache and to protect American pioneers in the area.
...
and Fort Buchanan lie approximately four miles west of Sonoita, just north of Sonoita Creek and Route 82.[
According to the ]United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 826 people, 358 households, and 264 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 18.1 people per square mile (7.0/km2). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 8.8 per square mile (3.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.6% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.5% Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.2% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 6.5% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.5% from two or more races. 16.7% of the population were Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 358 households, out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.7.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $51,310, and the median income for a family was $58,571. Males had a median income of $46,042 versus $26,406 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $27,312. About 2.8% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
* Alex Flanagan
Alex Flanagan (née Wystrach; born September 22, 1973) is an American sportscaster. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona. She began her career as a news reporter and anchor and began covering sports in 1998. She has worked for networks ...
, sports journalist
* Mark Wystrach
Mark Wystrach (born December 17, 1979) is an American country music musician and actor. He is the lead singer of the country band Midland.
Biography
Wystrach, a native of Sonoita, Arizona, attended Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ar ...
, musician, member of country band Midland
Images
File:Sonoita Arizona 2014.JPG, Sonoita, as seen from the main intersection in town.
File:Sonoita-Fort Buchanan Bridge Ruins-1856.jpg, Ruins of the Fort Buchanan Bridge over Sonoita Creek
File:Sonoita-Camp Crittenden Marker.jpg, Camp (Fort) Crittenden Marker historic marker
See also
* Sonoita Creek
Sonoita Creek is a tributary stream of the Santa Cruz River in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It originates near and takes its name from the abandoned Pima mission in the high valley near Sonoita. It flows steadily for the first of its westwa ...
* Sonoita AVA, Arizona wine region around Sonoita
* Empire Ranch
Empire Ranch is a working cattle ranch in southeastern Pima County, Arizona, that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In its heyday, Empire Ranch was one of the largest in Arizona, with a range spanning over , and it ...
* Fort Buchanan, Arizona
Fort Buchanan was a United States Army post founded in 1856 three miles southwest of present-day Sonoita in Santa Cruz County, Arizona on the east slope of what is now called Hog Canyon. At the time, the area was under constant threat from host ...
References
External links
Sonoita
at Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
at Patagonia Area Business Association
Sonoita community website
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Populated places in the Sonoran Desert