Cameron ( nv, ) 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, suc ...

(CDP) in

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai ...

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, on 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 ...

. The population was 885 at the 2010 census. Most of the town's economy is tourist food and craft stalls, restaurants, and other services for north–south traffic from Flagstaff and

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

. There is a ranger station supplying information and hiking permits for the

as well as a small selection of books for sale. There is also a large craft store run by the Nation itself; most vendors in the area operate from small private stalls. It is named after

Ralph H. Cameron Ralph Henry Cameron (October 21, 1863 – February 12, 1953) was an American businessman, prospector and politician who served as both Arizona Territory's Delegate to Congress and as an Arizona United States Senator. As a Territorial delegate, h ...

, Arizona's first senator.

Geography

Cameron is located at (35.855410, -111.421465) on the

. Elevation is above sea level. It is immediately south of the

Little Colorado River The Little Colorado River () is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about i ...

, just above the beginning of the Little Colorado River Gorge and the stream's descent into the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

. Cameron lies at the intersection of

US 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section ...

and State Route 64, not far from the Desert View entrance to

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often conside ...

. 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 th ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is water.

Demographics

Cameron's population was 63 in 1940, and was 20 in the 1960 census. As of the census of 2000, there were 978 people, 236 households, and 194 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 317 housing units at an average density of 17.2/sq mi (6.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.7% Native American, 1.7%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.1% Asian, 0.8% 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 2.6% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 236 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.61. In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 41.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 13.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,773, and the median income for a family was $21,420. Males had a median income of $21,786 versus $12,614 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 $5,970. About 38.0% of families and 36.5% 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 ...

, including 42.0% of those under age 18 and 52.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The area is served by the

Tuba City Unified School District The Tuba City Unified School District is the school district headquartered in Tuba City, Arizona. It operates a Tuba City High School Tuba City High School is a high school in Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated tow ...

. The community has one elementary school called Dzil Libei Elementary School, which is a K–6 grade school serving the community. There is also a local preschool run by the Navajo Nation.

Tuba City High School Tuba City High School is a high school in Tuba City, Arizona, under the jurisdiction of the Tuba City Unified School District The Tuba City Unified School District is the school district headquartered in Tuba City, Arizona. It operates a Tuba ...

and Tuba City Elementary School serve Cameron.

Transportation

Express provides connecting bus service to

Images of historic Cameron, Arizona

Pictured are some of the structures of Cameron, as they looked in 2019. Also, included is a short description of the structures pictured. * Tanner's Crossing Bridge – A suspension bridge built in 1911, by the Midland Bridge Co. for the Office of Indian Affairs. The one track suspension bridge was erected over a gorge of the Little Colorado River. The bridge, which was bypassed 1959, was named after Seth Tanner, a Mormon prospector from

Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1986, reference: #86001206. * Cameron Trading Post – The trading post, first known as the "Little Colorado Trading Post", was established by the brothers Hubert and C.D. Richardson in 1913. The post was later changed to the Cameron Trading Post in honor of Arizona Senator Ralph Cameron. * The Grand Canyon Hotel – Sometimes referred to as the "Grand Canyon Motel", was built in 1928 and is still operating as such. * The Cameron Post Office – Established in 1916. * The Cameron Trading Post Warehouse – built in 1916. * A Navajo Swtloghome – A Navajo Swtloghome is a three-bedroom, two-bath 1,810-square-foot log cabin.Honest Abe's Log Cabins
/ref>

References

External links

* * {{authority control Census-designated places in Coconino County, Arizona Populated places on the Navajo Nation