BlockQuartzsite, Arizona
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1942 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the Parker census division. It lies in ZIP code area 85346. It stands on La Cholla Wash. The Survey maps it on the Quartzsite quadrangle. 2,413 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 879 feet above sea level.
On record in Quartzsite
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Hi Jolly Monumentlisted 2011
Population over time
2 figuresQuartzsite fell from 3,677 to 2,413 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3,677 | |
| 2020 | 2,413 | -1,264 (-34%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 17 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1942 USGS Blythe quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1962 USGS Quartzsite quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1986 USGS Blythe quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
- 1990 USGS Quartzsite quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
52 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 52 fires within 5 miles of Quartzsite between 1993 and 2020, burning about 7 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 38 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Colorado River District | SAWTOOTH |
| 30 September 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Colorado River District | OLDMAN |
| 28 September 2005 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Colorado River District | LA POSA |
| 24 September 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado River District | EXTINGUISHER |
| 17 September 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Colorado River District | CHOLLA |
| 4 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado River District | DOME ROCK |
| 3 August 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | not named |
| 20 August 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Colorado River District | GRANITE MOUNTAIN |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 17 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 17 workings within 5 miles of Quartzsite: 8 past producers, 4 unknowns, 3 occurrences, 2 prospects. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Gold, Silver, Uranium, Gold, Tungsten, Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Joe | Copper, Gold, Silver | Unknown | ||
| Dumortierite | Kyanite | Prospect | ||
| Grace 1 and 2 | Limestone, General, Marble, Dimension | Occurrence | Sedimentary | |
| Julian Mine Group | Gold, Silver, Zinc, Copper, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Mariquita Prospect | Gold, Copper, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Past Producer | Vein | |
| Mariquitta Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Oro Fino Gold Placers | Gold, Silver, Lead, Tungsten | Past Producer | ||
| Stetler Mill | Tungsten | Past Producer | ||
| Topaz Claims | Gold, Tungsten, Copper, Molybdenum, Uranium | Occurrence | Vein | |
| State Lease | Uranium | Unknown |
Storms near this place
32 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Quartzsite in 32 storm reports between 1996 and 2023: 16 flash flood, 11 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $200,000 | Extensive damage in town due to microburst winds. Power poles were knocked down and trailers were overturned. The Desert Gardens Mobile Home and Car Sales sustained the heaviest damage with several mobile homes destroyed.. Signs along I-10 were blown down, and Arizona highway 95 was closed for a short time. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $125,000 | Isolated high based thunderstorms developed across La Paz county during the evening hours on July 10th. The storms produced wind gusts estimated to be in excess of 50 knots. Video footage taken by an amateur photographer showed several power poles being snapped by high winds along highway 95 north of Quartzsite. Video footage indicated that the poles were snapped between mileposts 112 and 113 on highway 95. Additional public reports indicated a total of 17 power poles were blown over or snapped by high winds. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $100,000 | A line of intense thunderstorms developed across central La Paz county during the middle of the afternoon on July 8th and they moved slowly towards the west, affecting the community of Quartzsite. The storms produced damaging microburst winds, estimated to be in excess of 70 mph. The storms prompted the issuance of s Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Quartzsite area, which was in effect from 1605MST until 1745MST. According to the Quartzsite Fire and Rescue, the storms heavily damaged a number of RV properties in La Paz Valley as well as areas approximately 6 miles to the south of Quartzsite. A number of thunderstorm damage photos were posted to the Quartzsite Fire Twitter feed during the late afternoon hours. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $50,000 | Thunderstorms developed across the southern portion of La Paz County during the afternoon hours on August 3rd and one of the stronger storms affected areas around the town of Quartzsite. A storm located about 6 miles south of Quartzsite produced gusty damaging outflow winds estimated to be as high as 70 mph. According to local law enforcement, at 1500MST, strong microburst winds damaged several sheds, a trailer and an off-road vehicle in Laz Paz Valley, just west of Highway 95. The trailer was completely blown over. The damage was confirmed by La Paz County Sheriff's Dispatch as well as a witness. No injuries were reported due to the strong winds. |
| September 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $40,000 | A late evening thunderstorm swept through Quartzsite and Vicksburg and left 15 downed 69-kv poles in its wake, as well as isolated damage to the distribution system across the Quartzsite, Vicksburg and Bouse areas. |
| July 2014 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $25,000 | Intense thunderstorms developed in the Quartzsite area during the late afternoon hours on July 8th and they produced very heavy rainfall. Radar indicated that rainfall rates were in excess of 2 inches per hour. The heavy rain led to flash flooding in Quartzsite, especially the eastern and southern parts of town. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect from 1700MST until 1930MST. Flash flooding was evident on a number of pictures posted on the Quartzsite Fire Twitter feed; area washes were running full and overflowing and vehicles were stranded in the middle of flowing washes, necessitating swift water rescues. Fortunately no injuries were reported due to the flash flooding. |
| August 2017 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $10,000 | Thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz county, including the area around Quartzsite, during the evening hours on August 10th and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rainfall with peak rain rates up to 2 inches per hour. The heavy rains were sufficient to cause episodes of flash flooding near and to the southwest of the town of Quartzsite. Heavy rain falling on nearby mountains such as the Dome Rock Mountains resulted in rapid runoff which filled area washes such as the Tyson Wash and drained into subdivisions leading to rapid flooding. According to a public report, heavy rainfall on Sawtooth and La Cholla mountains, just northeast of the Dome Rock Mountains, led to heavy runoff which filled a wash that flowed through Rainbow Acres and produced flash flooding. This occurred at about 2000MST in an area around 5 miles to the southwest of Quartzsite. No injuries were reported due to the flooding. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the area beginning at 1650MST and ending at 2045MST. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | $10,000 | Power poles down. |
| July 2018 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $5,000 | Thunderstorms developed over portions of La Paz County, including around the community of Quartzsite, during the early afternoon hours on July 11th. The storms generated locally heavy rains with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The heavy rain led to an episode of flash flooding north of Interstate 10 and around the Quartzsite area. According to a local emergency manager, at 1430MST flash flooding resulted in the closure of several roads in Quartzsite including Moon Mountain Avenue and Quail Trail. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time and was originally issued at about 1300MST. The warning remained in effect through 1700MST. No accidents or injuries were reported due to the flash flooding. |
| August 2018 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $5,000 | Thunderstorms with locally heavy rain developed over portions of La Paz county during the late evening hours on August 9th and the storms continued into the early morning on August 10th. The stronger storms produced very heavy rain with peak rain rates over 2 inches per hour; the heavy rain led to some flash flooding in the vicinity of Interstate 10 and Highway 95. According to the La Paz County Dispatch, at midnight, or 0000MST, several roads in the area became impassable due to flash flooding. The roads were Tyson, Quail and Kuehn. Due to the water over the roads and the impassable nature of them, they were closed. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time, but the warning was actually for an area to the west of where the road closures occurred. There were no reports of accidents due to the flooding and subsequent hazardous driving conditions. |
| August 2017 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $5,000 | Thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz county during the early afternoon hours on August 10th and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rains which led to an episode of flash flooding along the Interstate 10 corridor east of Quartzsite. Based in radar rainfall estimates, peak rain rates approached 2 inches per hour, more than sufficient to cause flash flooding. At 1455MST the Arizona Department of Highways reported that the right (eastbound) lane of Interstate 10 was closed due to flash flooding between mileposts 33 and 34. This was near the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. highway 60 about 3 miles southwest of the town of Brenda. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time of the flooding; it was issued at 1421MST and was in effect through 1715MST. |
| August 2017 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $5,000 | Thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz County, particularly along the Interstate 10 corridor, during the afternoon hours on August 10th. Some of the stronger storms produced intense rainfall with peak rain rates approaching 2 inches per hour. The very heavy rain led to episodes of flash flooding in the town of Quartzsite and along U.S. highway 95. At 1617MST the Arizona Department of Highways reported that highway 95 was closed in both directions at milepost 104 in Quartzsite due to the flash flooding and flooding was also reported across the town of Quartzsite. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time of the flooding; it was issued at 1527MST and it remained in effect through 1930MST. |
| August 2009 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $5,000 | Highway 95 about 6 miles north of Quartzsite was closed due to flooding. |
| November 2019 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | $2,000 | A powerful Pacific low pressure system developing over the desert southwest led to widespread rain across portions of La Paz County during the evening hours. Rain was moderate to heavy at times and resulted in some flash flooding that occurred near the community of Quartzsite. According to the La Paz County Sheriff's Office, at 2022MST flash flooding resulted in all washes being flooded out along Highway 95 from milepost 90 north to the town of Quartzsite. The report was initiated from French Creek in the middle of the flooded area. Fortunately there were no reports of accidents in the area due to the flooded roads and hazardous driving conditions. |
| September 2023 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | An image on social media showed elevated flow within Tyson Wash through La Paz Valley, making a low water crossing impassable. No damage or injuries were reported. |
| October 2022 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Flooding reported on US-95 near Milepost 104 in Quartzsite. No damages or injuries were reported. |
| September 2022 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Flooding with water 3-4 feet deep was reported along US-95 about 14 miles south of Quartzsite. No damages or injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Flooding reported along SR-95 northbound near the Yuma and La Paz County Line. No damages or injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Multiple instances of flooding were reported along SR 95 south of Quartzsite, impacting travel on the roadway. No injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Flooding reported along SR-95 Northbound near Blevens Road. No damages or injuries were reported. |
| September 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | - | Scattered thunderstorms developed over the western portion of La Paz County during the afternoon hours on September 7th and some of the stronger storms produced gusty outflow winds in excess of 60 mph. At 1712MST a mesonet weather station labeled YP010 measured a wind gust to 66 mph. The station was located 18 miles west of Palm Canyon, to the west of the Kofa Mountains, and over the southwestern portion of the county. No damage was reported due to the strong wind gust. |
| August 2016 | Heavy Rain | Quartzsite | - | Thunderstorms developed over the western portion of La Paz county during the afternoon hours on August 20th and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rains that produced some flooding along Highway 95 south of Quartzsite. The storms prompted the issuance of a Significant Weather Advisory based on the potential for heavy rain. At 1827MST Arizona Department of Highways personnel reported some flooding along Highway 95 about 10 miles south of Quartzsite between mileposts 89 and 93, near Crystal Road. This was not flash flooding and there were no reports of the highway being closed. A Small Stream Flood Advisory was not issued. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz county during the evening hours on August 31st, and they affected the community of Quartzsite. Due to the very moist nature of the atmosphere, the storms produced locally heavy rain with rainfall rates in the neighborhood of 2 inches per hour, based on radar rainfall estimates. The heavy rain caused area washes, such as the Tyson and Plumosa washes, to run heavily and flash flooding occurred. According to a newpaper report, at 2300MST the intersection of South Riggles Avenue and Rodgers was impassable due to flash flooding. The intersection was about 1 mile east of Quartzsite and just south of Interstate 10. A Flash Flood Warning was issued at 2224MST for the community of Quartzsite and it remained in effect through 0015MST on September 1st. |
| April 2005 | Funnel Cloud | Quartzsite | - | Motorist on Interstate 10 observed funnel cloud. |
| September 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | - | Winds knocked down 3 power poles resulting in a 12 hour power outage for Quartzsite residents. |
| July 1999 | Flood | Quartzsite | - | Very heavy rains left washes running in parts of the county. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | - | Semi blew off Interstate 10. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and power lines. Shingles, tar paper and sheets of tin were blown off buildings and roofs. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Quartzsite | - | The Quartzsite Marshal's Office reported quarter-sized hail in the east side of town. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Quartzsite | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Quartzsite | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Flash Flood | Quartzsite | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Paz Valley | 6.0 miles | 17 | |
| Plomosa | 6.3 miles | 18 | |
| La Paz (historical) | 10.5 miles | 25 | |
| Morgantown | 11.3 miles | 25 | |
| Brenda | 15.2 miles | 16 | |
| Olive City (historical) | 16.1 miles | 21 | |
| Ehrenberg | 16.2 miles | 21 | |
| Pioneer | 17.8 miles | 16 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Quartzsite | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q991047 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 9866. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.