Topaz (also Topaz Post Office) 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, suc ...

(CDP) in

Mono County Mono County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. The county seat is Bridgeport. The coun ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States. It is located north of Coleville, at an elevation of . Topaz's ZIP Code is 96133. The population was 150 at the 2020 census.

History

The Topaz post office opened in 1885, closed in 1922, and re-opened in 1926. The name was transferred from the original site of the village, which developed on the ranch of T.B. Rickey. Mrs. Rickey named it based on the color of the local

quaking aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...

trees. The post office is now located and has been operated by the Robert William Mckay Family Ranch since the 1920s.

Geography

Topaz is the northernmost community in Mono County.Report of the Mono County Planning Department regarding the Antelope Valley Fire Protection District
It is bordered to the south by the community of Coleville and to the northeast by the

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

state line. The community of

Topaz Lake, Nevada Topaz Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 157 at the 2010 census. Geography The CDP is located on the northwest shore of Topaz Lake just north of the California border. U.S. Rout ...

, touches the northernmost part of the Topaz border. According to the Mono County government,

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is located in northern Los Angeles County, California, and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated between the Tehachapi, Sierra Pelona, and ...

, including Topaz, is expected to see significant population growth.

U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...

passes through Topaz, leading south to

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonn ...

, the Mono

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 ...

, and north to

Carson City, Nevada Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on th ...

. 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 Topaz CDP covers an area of , of which are land and , or 9.63%, are water. Topaz is drained by the West Walker River, which flows north into Nevada.

Topaz Lake Topaz Lake is a reservoir located on the California-Nevada border, about south of Reno. The census-designated place of Topaz Lake, Nevada, is located along its northwest shore. The modern reservoir was formed by diverting waters from the West ...

occupies the northwest corner of the Topaz CDP and extends north into Nevada.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Topaz 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 ...

, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that Topaz had a population of 50. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . The racial makeup of Topaz was 44 (88.0%)

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 (0.0%)

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 ...

, 1 (2.0%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%)

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 ...

, 5 (10.0%) 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 0 (0.0%) from two or more races.

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 were 24 persons (48.0%). The Census reported that 50 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 21 households, out of which 5 (23.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13 (61.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 0 (0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 0 (0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 0 (0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (9.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6 households (28.6%) were made up of individuals, and 3 (14.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38. There were 13 families (61.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.08. The population was spread out, with 11 people (22.0%) under the age of 18, 2 people (4.0%) aged 18 to 24, 10 people (20.0%) aged 25 to 44, 13 people (26.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 14 people (28.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.6 males. There were 42 housing units at an average density of , of which 13 (61.9%) were owner-occupied, and 8 (38.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 7.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 33.3%. 29 people (58.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 21 people (42.0%) lived in rental housing units.

Fire protection district

Topaz is served by the

Antelope Valley Fire Protection District The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammal ...

, which was formed in 1947 and covers of the Antelope Valley. The District maintains a fire station in Topaz.

Water district

Topaz is served by the

Antelope Valley Water District The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammal ...

, which was formed in 1961.Report of the Mono County Planning Department regarding the Antelope Valley Water District

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Mono County, California Census-designated places in California 1885 establishments in California