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Wickenburg, Arizona

17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Wickenburg census division. It lies in ZIP code area 85390. It stands on Sols Wash. The Survey maps it on the Wickenburg quadrangle. 7,474 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,057 feet above sea level.

Wickenburg within Maricopa County

On record in Wickenburg

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 12 of 23 shown

Every listing in Maricopa County

Surveyed buildings and structures 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Wickenburg grew from 6,363 to 7,474 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.

YearPeople Change
20106,363
20207,474+1,111 (+17%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 17 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

55 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 55 fires within 5 miles of Wickenburg between 1993 and 2020, burning about 324 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 2 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/undetermined44
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Arson/incendiarism2
Natural1
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Debris and open burning1
Equipment and vehicle use1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
13 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWickenburg Fire DepartmentNOT NAMED
29 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreArizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Officenot named
18 August 2019Power generation/transmission/distributionunder an acreWickenburg Fire DepartmentNOT NAMED
27 July 1995Railroad operations and maintenance9.0 acresArizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Officenot named
16 July 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined22 acresPhoenix District OfficeTOWER ASSIST
16 July 2019Arson/incendiarismunder an acreWickenburg Fire DepartmentNOT NAMED
14 July 2003Equipment and vehicle useunder an acrePhoenix District OfficeTOWERS
8 June 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresArizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - Central DistrictECHO HILLS

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Maricopa County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 31 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 31 workings within 5 miles of Wickenburg: 11 occurrences, 6 prospects, 6 past producers, 4 unknowns. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Manganese, Copper, Zeolites. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Goddard Mining CoCopper, GoldUnknown
Iron CityGold, Silver, Iron, CalciumOccurrenceVein
Iron CityIron, Limestone, Dimension, ManganeseProspect
Lepidolite OccurrenceLithiumUnknown
QuarryStoneUnknown
Sunset ProspectCopper, Gold, SilverProspect
Bar Fx RanchVermiculiteOccurrenceVermiculite
Bar Fx RanchVermiculiteOccurrence
Burchfield FeldsparFeldspar, MicaOccurrenceFeldspar, Muscovite
Burchfield FeldsparFeldspar, MicaOccurrence

Every working recorded in Maricopa County

Storms near this place

50 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wickenburg in 50 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 26 flash flood, 15 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 heavy rain. The reports record 2 deaths. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2012Flash FloodWickenburg1 killedScattered thunderstorms developed across south central Arizona during the afternoon hours on Saturday July 14th, and they produced locally heavy rainfall which led to episodes of flash flooding in the Wickenburg area. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Wickenburg at about 5 pm in the afternoon. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department, a 65 year old man died as he attempted to drive across the Hassayampa wash/river near Wickenburg. As he attempted to drive through the wash, the swiftly flowing water carried his vehicle about one quarter of a mile downstream and into some brush, causing him to drown. No other details were made available. In addition to the fatality, crews were dispatched to four water rescues during the evening hours on Saturday according to Kevin Pool of the Wickenburg Fire Department. One such rescue occurred north of town along US highway 93 in a neighborhood near a wash. In that incident the person was rescued from the top of his vehicle by sheriff's helicopter and taken to a hospital for observation.
August 2003Flash FloodWickenburg1 killedFlash flood in Sols Wash swept the vehicle downstream from Vulture Mine Road
August 2014Flash FloodWickenburg$300,000Thunderstorms developed across the northern portion of Maricopa county during the evening hours on August 25th, and some of the stronger storms affected the community of Wickenburg. The storms produced locally heavy rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The heavy rain led to both urban street flooding as well as flash flooding in the town of Wickenburg. According to a report from local broadcast media, flash flooding occurred at the Desert Cypress Mobile Home and RV park located along Constellation Road and El Recreo Drive. Flash flooding produced mild to severe damage to between 12 and 15 of the homes at the park. The Wickenburg Fire Department evacuated 11 people from the homes that experienced the most significant flooding. Fortunately, no injuries were reported due to the flooding.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$300,000A strong to severe complex of storms formed northeast of Wickenburg and moved to the southwest and intensified. The storms produced severe damage to at least 2 aircraft at the Wickenburg airport. About 6 power poles were blown down, and evaporative coolers were blown off roofs. Large tree limbs were broken off in Wickenburg. Sheriff's deputies rescued a boater and eight passengers on Lake Pleasant.
July 2007Flash FloodWickenburg$100,000About 1.5 inches of rain in less than an hour resulted in flooding in Wickenburg. Torrential rainfall rates, about 2 inches per hour, fell in Phoenix. A roof of a central Phoenix Safeway store caved in due to the rainfall. Phoenix Fire Department rescued a 12 year-old from a flooded area near 35th Avenue and Loop 101.
September 2006Flash FloodWickenburg$100,000Several roads reported flooded in town after torrential rainfall hit in a short period. One gauge indicated nearly 2 inches in 30 minutes. A wash overflowed its banks, flooding a nearby home with water up to 18 inches deep.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$25,000Strong thunderstorms developed in the Wickenburg area during the late afternoon hours on August 3rd, and they produced damaging microburst outflow winds estimated to be nearly 70 mph in strength. According to a trained weather spotter located in northwest Wickenburg, the microburst winds produced roof damage in downtown Wickenburg. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Wickenburg at 1720MST and it continued until 1745MST.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$20,000Winds reached 55 to 65 mph in this area. One spotter reported tiles blown off his roof.
August 2017Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$15,000Thunderstorms developed across the town of Wickenburg during the late afternoon hours on August 10th and some of the stronger storms produced gusty and damaging microburst winds estimated to reach speeds as high as 70 mph. According to a trained weather spotter, at 1744MST the strong microburst winds downed multiple trees in the south part of Wickenburg including many pine trees estimated to be 40 feet in height. Fortunately the downed trees did not fall on anybody and no injuries were reported. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was not issued.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$10,000Thunderstorms developed across the far northern portion of the greater Phoenix area during the evening hours on August 25th, and some of the stronger storms affected the community of Wickenburg. The storms produced gusty and damaging outflow winds, with peak gusts estimated to be at least 60 mph. A trained weather spotter 1 mile northeast of Wickenburg reported that strong outflow winds snapped off a large tree branch with a diameter of 18 inches. The branch fell, causing damage to both a roof and an automobile next to the house. The home was located at the intersection of Tegner Street and Genung Avenue.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$8,000Strong thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours on July 6th, and they affected the community of Wickenburg. The storms produced damaging outflow winds with peak gusts estimated to be over 60 mph. According to a local Emergency Manager, the gusty winds blew down several large trees in Wickenburg. In addition, a trained weather spotter in the same area reported that two six inch diameter trees were blown over.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$5,000Strong thunderstorms developed near the town of Wickenburg during the late afternoon hours on July 15th. The storms produced gusty and damaging outflow winds, estimated to be as high as 60 mph. According to a trained weather spotter, at 1810MST the strong winds downed a 40 foot tall tree, which then fell over and blocked highway 60. No injuries were reported. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was in effect for Wickenburg at the time; it was issued at 1755MST and was in effect through 1830MST.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$5,000Thunderstorms developed across far northern Maricopa county during the evening hours on August 25th, and some of them affected the community of Wickenburg. The stronger storms generated gusty and damaging outflow winds; according to a broadcast media report, wind gusts estimated to be nearly 60 mph downed power lines approximately 2 miles east of Wickenburg.
September 2006Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$5,000Eight large trees, more than a foot in diameter, blown down near downtown Wickenburg.
May 2001Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$5,000Winds damaged shingles, flipped a heavy table, and reduced visibility to near zero.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindWickenburg$1,000Saguaro tree uprooted in downtown Wickenburg. Winds were estimated at around 50 mph. No injuries were reported.
November 2025Flash FloodWickenburg-Constellation Rd at El Recreo Drive in Wickenburg was closed due to flooding. No damages or injuries reported.
March 2023Flash FloodWickenburg-Portions of Jack Burden Rd in Wickenburg closed due to flooding. No damages or injuries were reported.
March 2023Flash FloodWickenburg-A Maricopa County Flood Control District Gauge at Casandro Wash in Wickenburg registered flows going above alarm stage, which is 2.2 feet, at 20:03 MST. The flow reached a peak of 4.76 feet (343 cfs) at 20:30 MST and went below flood stage by 22:03 MST. This likely contributed to flooding along the inflow to Casandro Dam as well as small road crossings that intersect the wash. No damages or injuries were reported.
July 2021Flash FloodWickenburg-Hassayampa River Preserve closed several trails due to water/debris with a sudden rise in the Hassayampa River. Palm Lake in the reserve reportedly rose by 3 feet due to flood waters and video from the day after the heavy rain showed evidence of 1-3 feet of flow in the typically dry river bed. A USGS streamflow gage a few miles downstream measured a rapid 1 foot rise in 30 minutes. No damages or injuries were reported.
July 2021Flash FloodWickenburg-A Maricopa County Flood Control District streamflow gage on Powder House wash near Powder House Wash Road reached alarm stage and flood waters continued into and down Constellation Road and flooded the intersection with Jack Burden Road. A nearby rain gage measured 2.09 inches of rain in 56 minutes. The Public Works Department had to remove sand and debris from the road the following day. No damages or injuries were reported.
November 2019Flash FloodWickenburg-A powerful Pacific low pressure system moving slowly east across Arizona interacted with deep moisture to produce widespread moderate to heavy rain across western portions of Maricopa County during the morning hours on November 29th. Aided by frontal lift, isolated thunderstorms developed within the bands of rain, locally enhancing rain totals. The heavy rain led to an episode of flash flooding in the community of Wickenburg during the early morning hours. According to the Wickenburg fire and rescue department, flash flooding caused the vulture mine road to become closed at Sols Wash, about 3 miles to the northwest of Wickenburg. The actual time of the flooding was estimated to be 0351MST, based on data from a Maricopa County Flood Control District streamgage; the gage crested at 1.79 feet and travel time of the flood wave was used in estimating the exact time of flash flooding. There were no reports of accidents due to the flash flooding.
July 2018Flash FloodWickenburg-Scattered thunderstorms occurred over the far northern portion of Maricopa County, near and to the south of Wickenburg, during the evening hours on July 11th. The stronger storms produced very heavy rain with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. The heavy rain led to flash flooding near and southeast of Wickenburg. Maricopa County Flood Control District gauges reported upwards of one inch of rain within one hour or less near Wickenburg and at 1915MST local emergency managers reported that flash flooding was imminent or occurring in Calamity Wash and the surrounding area. Severe street flooding in the area was also imminent. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the area near and south of Wickenburg at 1830MST and it remained in effect until 2130MST.
August 2018Flash FloodWickenburg-Thunderstorms with locally heavy rain developed around the community of Wickenburg during the afternoon hours on August 25th. Peak rain rates with the stronger storms were in excess of 1 inch per hour which was sufficient to cause an episode of flash flooding in town. According to the Wickenburg Police Department, at 1615MST north Tegner Street was flooded due to the heavy rainfall, about 1 mile northwest of downtown Wickenburg. A Flash Flood Warning was in effect at the time and remained in effect until 1930MST.
August 2014Heavy RainWickenburg-Thunderstorms developed across the Wickenburg area during the evening hours on August 25th, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour. According to public report, at 1914MST, 0.91 inches of rain was measured within one hour in central Wickenburg. The heavy rain led to street flooding. An Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory had already been issued for northwest Maricopa county, including the town of Wickenburg.
July 2014Flash FloodWickenburg-Thunderstorms with very heavy rain developed across northern Maricopa county during the early afternoon hours, and they affected the community of Wickenburg. A trained weather spotter indicated that 1.5 inches of rain was measured in Wickenburg in a one hour period ending at 1545MST. The heavy rain led to flash flooding in Wickenburg; at 1538MST broadcast media reported that the Sols Wash was flowing heavily over Vulture Mine Road and the local police had closed the road. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the area at 1532MST and it continued through 1730MST. Local observations indicated that other area washes such as Casandro and Flying E were flowing heavily and bankfull.
August 2014Heavy RainWickenburg-Strong thunderstorms developed in the Wickenburg area during the late afternoon hours on August 3rd, and some of them produced locally heavy rainfall with peak rain rates in excess of 2 inches per hour. At 1744MST a trained weather spotter in northwest Wickenburg estimated that nearly 2 inches of rain had fallen within 30 minutes. The heavy rain led to the issuance of a Flash Flood Warning for Wickenburg; the warning began at 1734MST and continued until 1900MST. No injuries were reported due to the heavy rain or flash flooding.
July 2012Flash FloodWickenburg-Scattered thunderstorms developed across south central Arizona during the afternoon hours on July 14th, and some of them affected the Wickenburg area. Due to the very moist and unstable nature of the atmosphere, the storms tended to produce heavy rainfall which led to episodes of flash flooding. A flash flood warning had been issued for the Wickenburg area starting at 503 pm on the 14th. According to a trained weather spotter, at 618 pm the heavy rains led to a mudslide which blocked the westbound lanes of US 60 at mile marker 115.
July 2010Heavy RainWickenburg-Brief heavy downpours at highway 60 and Vulture Mine road. One report indicated .35 inch in less than an hour.
July 2009Flash FloodWickenburg-Roads were flooded in the area of highway 93 and Vulture Mine road. Strong winds were also reported with these storms.
July 2009Flash FloodWickenburg-Roads were flooded in the area of highway 93 and Vulture Mine road. Strong winds were also reported with these storms. Sols Wash was running nearly full.
August 2007Flash FloodWickenburg-Rapid rises in creeks and washes in Wickenburg. Vulture Mine road reported closed between Route 60 and 93, other roads in the area flooded.
July 2007Flash FloodWickenburg-Sols wash was reported flooded and water was flowing over highway 93.
August 2005Flash FloodWickenburg-Torrential rains up to 1/2 inch in 15 minutes, and one inch in an hour, caused washes in the vicinity of the community to over-flow and flood roads.
August 2004Flash FloodWickenburg-Flash flooding was reported south of highway 60 on Vulture Mine road. Three to four inches of rain fell in one hour, between 400 PM and 5 PM MST.
August 2004Thunderstorm WindWickenburg-Late afternoon thunderstorms developed near Wickenburg moving southward over the city with severe winds downing trees, utility power poles and lines.
September 2003HailWickenburg-Several reports of large hail, from dime size to one inch diameter, in and near Wickenburg.
September 2003Flash FloodWickenburg-Sols Wash grew to about 150 feet wide, and Flying E Wash was running full. Flooding closed Vulture Mine Road due to flooding.
August 2001Flash FloodWickenburg-Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, of up to one inch per hour, caused flash flooding of washes and streets in the town.
August 2000Flash FloodWickenburg-Very heavy rainfall, with estimated rates of an inch per hour, moved slowly across the area. Sols wash in Wickenburg was flooded as well as other streams and washes in the north part of the county. Streets and low spots became flooded in the afternoon.
July 1999FloodWickenburg-Showers and thunderstorms developed over a wide area between Wickenburg and Phoenix with streets and roads flooded. One spotter in Waddell, west of Luke AFB had nearly an inch in only 45 minutes.
August 1998Flash FloodWickenburg-Very heavy rain, with considerable flash flooding around the town of Wickenburg. One spotter reported 2.5 inches fell in just 20 minutes. Wickenburg Police Department reported streets in town were "severely flooded."
August 1998Thunderstorm WindWickenburg-Winds uprooted trees and took down power poles in Wickenburg.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindWickenburg-Strong winds toppled a few trees and power lines.
February 2005Flash FloodWickenburg-no account filed
April 2005HailWickenburg-no account filed
August 2004HailWickenburg-no account filed
August 2003Thunderstorm WindWickenburg-no account filed
August 1996HailWickenburg-no account filed
August 1996HailWickenburg-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Maricopa County

Newspapers printed here

1,747 digitised pages

2 papers published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 322 issues, 1,747 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

NewspaperPublished
The News-Herald1901 to 1907
Arizona State Miner1919 to 1927

What the paper printed

27,673 words

Front pages of the local paper, read from the Library of Congress scans: 9 issues spread across its run from 1901 to 1927, 27,673 words in total. Each is reproduced on its own page, exactly as the recogniser returned it.

These pages read less well than anything else here, and the number is worth stating: about three words in four come through cleanly, against nine in ten for the building records. An 1896 broadsheet sets eight-point type in seven columns on microfilm, which is the hardest thing in this archive to read by machine. We tested our own recognisers against the Library's and they were not better, so the Library's text is what appears, with the wholly unreadable columns removed. Read it as a guide to what the paper covered, and follow the link to the scan before quoting anything.

IssuePaper Length
1901-11-02The News-Herald3,882 words
1901-12-14The News-Herald3,001 words
1903-01-24The News-Herald3,258 words
1903-02-28The News-Herald3,431 words
1919-08-15Arizona State Miner2,351 words
1919-09-12Arizona State Miner3,550 words
1919-10-24Arizona State Miner2,417 words
1919-11-14Arizona State Miner2,298 words
1927-04-30Arizona State Miner3,485 words

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Allah3.5 miles17
Matthie4.6 miles18
Morristown9.6 miles17
Circle City13.2 miles17
Forepaugh16.8 miles16
Wittmann17.0 miles17
Aguila23.6 miles16
Vistancia26.0 miles17

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 WickenburgAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q996556The 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 13730. 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.