Sacaton, Arizona
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1907 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Gila River census division. It lies in ZIP code area 85147. The Survey maps it on the Sacaton quadrangle. 3,254 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,283 feet above sea level.
On record in Sacaton
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 3 records
C. H. Cook Memorial Churchlisted 1975
Sacaton Dam Bridgelisted 1988
San Tan Canal Bridgelisted 1988
Surveyed buildings and structures 12 of 16 shown
- Indian Framed Adobe Farmhouse, Sacatonfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Indian Framed Adobe Farmhouse, Sacatonfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Indian House with Bow Roof, Sacatonfederal building survey, 2 photographs
- Indian House with Shelter, Sacatonfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Indian House with Veranda, Sacatonfederal building survey, 2 photographs
- Indian House, Sacatonfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Indian House, Vah Ki Vicinity, Sacatonfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Sacaton Hospital Residence, 315 West Casa Blanca Road, Sacatonfederal building survey, 11 photographs
- San Carlos Irrigation Project, Agency Canal, South of Gila River, Coolidgefederal building survey, 1 photograph
- San Carlos Irrigation Project, Casa Blanca Canal, Gila River, Coolidgefederal building survey, 10 photographs
- San Carlos Irrigation Project, Lands North & South of Gila River, Coolidgefederal building survey, 4 photographs
- San Carlos Irrigation Project, Sacaton Dam & Bridge, Gila River, T4S R6E S12/13, Coolidgefederal building survey, 34 photographs
Population over time
3 figuresSacaton grew from 1,584 to 3,254 between 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,584 | |
| 2010 | 2,672 | +1,088 (+69%) |
| 2020 | 3,254 | +582 (+22%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 18 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.
- 1907 USGS Sacaton quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 1954 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1957 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:250000
- 1964 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS Sacaton quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1971 USGS Sacaton quadrangle1:24000
- 1994 USGS Mesa quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Photographs
2 photographs,Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Fires near this place
1,167 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1,167 fires within 5 miles of Sacaton between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,857 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 116 were 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 | 727 |
| Debris and open burning | 244 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 116 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 32 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 25 |
| Smoking | 8 |
| Fireworks | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Other causes | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Firearms and explosives use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Pima Agency | GRANDE |
| 9 September 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | CONLEY |
| 9 September 1997 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Pima Agency | HOTDOG |
| 9 September 1993 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Pima Agency | BLUE BIRD |
| 8 September 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Pima Agency | FOUR LAW |
| 6 September 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Pima Agency | GARCIA |
| 5 September 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Pima Agency | W. PIMA |
| 5 September 1993 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Pima Agency | #7SEEDFARM |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 22 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 22 workings within 5 miles of Sacaton: 18 past producers, 3 occurrences, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Silica, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Quartz, Silica. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Mining Co.Property | Corundum, Copper, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Silica | Occurrence | ||
| Five Mile Peak | Quartz, Silica | Occurrence | Vein | |
| Stone Quarry | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Five Mile Peak | Silica | Prospect | ||
| North Bank - Gila River | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | Sedimentary | |
| Olberg | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | Basalt, Granite | |
| Borrow Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
10 since 2002Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Sacaton in 10 storm reports between 2002 and 2022: 7 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | $500,000 | Damage from strong winds extended over a large area of north central and northwest Pinal County. Trees were uprooted in Coolidge and homes were damaged in Florence. Winds were clocked at 55 mph on an automatic weather station 20 miles south of Queen Creek. A spotter reported two roofs ripped off maintenance buildings at the Sacaton Middle School, where winds were estimated as high as 80 mph. Another spotter driving along I-10 near Casa Grande reported freeway signs blown down as dense blowing dust hit the area. A power pole was also blown down across McCartney Road just south of Casa Grande. Eight mature trees were uprooted at the Central Arizona College with power and telephone outages lasting into Wednesday morning. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | $150,000 | According to a local storm chaser, strong thunderstorm microburst winds estimated to be in excess of 50 knots knocked down 20 power poles approximately 4 miles west of Sacaton. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | $25,000 | Strong thunderstorms with damaging microburst winds affected the community of Sacaton during the evening hours on July 5th. According to Pinal county Emergency Managers, gusty winds estimated to be around 65 knots uprooted two twenty inch trees. The two trees then fell on the police station located at the Gila River indian community. No injuries were reported. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Sacaton | $20,000 | Thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall developed across much of the greater Phoenix area during the morning hours on July 24th, and with peak rain rates reaching 2 inches per hour at times, episodes of flash flooding developed as a result. One of the communities affected by flash flooding was the town of Sacaton, to the southeast of Phoenix. According to a report from the public, at 0900MST flash flooding occurred about 3 miles southeast of Sacaton; flood waters partially submerged a truck and they also washed away a number of palm trees located roughly at Sacaton and highway 87. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time, but it was slightly north of the location of the flash flooding, over portions of Apache Junction and Queen Creek. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | $8,000 | Isolated to scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of the greater Phoenix area, including area to the southeast of Phoenix, during the afternoon hours on July 30th. Some of the stronger storms generated powerful outflow winds estimated to be in excess of 60 mph. According to a trained weather spotter located 1 miles south of the town of Sacaton, outflow winds estimated at least as high as 65 mph knocked over small trees near Ocotillo Road and See Farm Road. Limbs were torn off of other trees, and metal sheeting was blown off of some carport roofs in the area. No injuries were reported due to the damage. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | $5,000 | Winds gusted to 60 mph and blew down several power lines. |
| October 2022 | Flash Flood | Sacaton | - | Flooding reported in the area of SR-387 and SR-187 in Sacaton. No damages or injuries were reported. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Sacaton | - | Thunderstorms with heavy rain developed across much of the eastern and southeastern portions of the greater Phoenix area during the evening hours on July 23rd. The heavy rain led to episodes of urban flooding as well as flash flooding, affecting communities such as San Tan Valley and Queen Creek. At 1905MST, a trained spotter 9 miles southeast of Queen Creek measured 0.88 inches of rain within 30 minutes along the Hunt Highway in San Tan Valley. This intense rainfall led to flash flooding; at about the same time another trained spotter 5 miles southeast of Queen Creek reported that very heavy rains caused low water crossings in San Tan Valley to become flooded. Additionally, at 2002MST another trained spotter 7 miles southeast of Queen Creek measured nearly 1.5 inches of rain in one hour, further illustrating the intense nature of the evening rainfall. He also reported flash flooding at 2043MST, at the intersection of West Judd Road and North Brenner Pass Road. As of 2039MST, public reports indicated that parts of Empire Road and Riggs Road were closed due to the flash flooding. Fortunately, no injuries were reported due to the flash flooding. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | - | A trained spotter near Sacaton reported a thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 52 knots. No damage was reported with this strong wind. |
| October 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sacaton | - | Truck blown off road. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood | 2.1 miles | 18 | |
| South Santan | 2.8 miles | 18 | |
| Olberg | 3.0 miles | 18 | |
| Sacaton Flats | 3.8 miles | 18 | |
| Stotonic | 6.5 miles | 20 | |
| Sweetwater | 6.6 miles | 20 | |
| Burns | 6.7 miles | 19 | |
| Santan | 7.5 miles | 20 |
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 Sacaton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1939301 | 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 10623. 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.








