Cibola is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) in

La Paz County La Paz County () is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the western part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,557, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Park ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States. The population was 250 at the 2010 census, up from 172 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. It is named for the famed city of gold of the same name.

History

The town of Cibola formed in 1898 and construction began on a 16 mile canal to bring water from the river to the town.

Geography

Cibola is located in southwestern La Paz County at (33.3164215, -114.6649570), in the Cibola Valley on the east side of the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

. The community is bordered to the west, across the river, by the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The river is crossed by River Road in the eastern part of the CDP; River Road leads south to Cibola Park in the center of the CDP, while to the north Neighbors Boulevard leads to Ripley, California. The northern end of Cibola National Wildlife Refuge occupies the southern part of the CDP. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 3.3%, are water.

Climate

This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Cibola has a

desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 172 people, 65 households, and 39 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 161 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 76%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 6% Native American, 12% from other races, and 3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 34% of the population. There were 65 households, out of which 29% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39% were non-families. 28% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.3. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 31% under the age of 18, 4% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 135.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $21,719, and the median income for a family was $43,250. Males had a median income of $60,313 versus $17,500 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $15,772. None of the families and 13% of the population were living 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 no under eighteens and 27% of those over 64.

History

The population of Cibola was 20 in the 1960 census.

Infrastructure

The Cibola Water Improvement District provides drinking water to Cibola.https://cibolamutualwatercompany.com/

Cibola in popular culture

* Epitome of ''Far from Civilization'',

Paul Auster Paul Benjamin Auster (February 3, 1947 – April 30, 2024) was an American writer, novelist, memoirist, poet, and filmmaker. His notable works include '' The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), '' The Music of Chance'' (1990), ' ...

uses the town in his 1994 novel '' Mr. Vertigo''.

References

External links

Cibiola
– ghosttowns.com {{authority control Census-designated places in La Paz County, Arizona Census-designated places in Arizona Communities in the Lower Colorado River Valley Lower Colorado River Valley Populated places in the Sonoran Desert Ghost towns in Arizona