BlockBlythe, California
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1942 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Blythe census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92225. The Survey maps it on the Blythe quadrangle. 18,317 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 272 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1942 to 1986The same ground, surveyed 44 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
Population over time
2 figuresBlythe fell from 20,817 to 18,317 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 | 20,817 | |
| 2020 | 18,317 | -2,500 (-12%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 21 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
- 1951 USGS Blythe quadrangle1:24000, 6 printings
- 1954 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1963 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Salton Sea quadrangle1:250000
- 1970 USGS Blythe quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Blythe quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
177 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 177 fires within 5 miles of Blythe between 1992 and 2020, burning about 761 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 11 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 | 82 |
| Debris and open burning | 37 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 21 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 11 |
| Smoking | 11 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Natural | 4 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 4 |
| Fireworks | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - Central District | COMBER |
| 8 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado River District | COMBER ASSIST |
| 8 September 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Riverside Unit | LOCAL |
| 8 September 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Riverside Unit | LOCAL 14854 |
| 5 September 1992 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Riverside Unit | LOCAL |
| 30 September 1995 | Smoking | under an acre | Riverside Unit | LOCAL |
| 23 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection | 20TH AV / NEIGHBOURS BL |
| 23 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Riverside Unit | 8TH AV BLYT |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Blythe: 2 past producers, 1 occurrence, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Copper, Silver. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Copper Co. | Copper, Silver | Occurrence | ||
| Figueroa Brothers Pit | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Goodman Wash | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Midland Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
20 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Blythe in 20 storm reports between 1997 and 2022: 15 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $500,000 | Winds associated with a line of storms caused widespread power outages. Power poles were downed and trees uprooted. At least two trucks were blown over on Interstate 10 near Blythe. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $500,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were downed by strong winds in and near Blythe. Some homes also sustained some damage from these storms. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $200,000 | Winds blew down 16 power poles in Blythe and caused severe damage to a mobile home. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $100,000 | Microburst winds, torrential rainfall and frequent lightning affected a large part of the town. Trees and power poles were snapped. Signs along Interstate 10 were damaged or destroyed. |
| September 2017 | Flash Flood | Blythe | $75,000 | Scattered thunderstorms developed along the lower Colorado River Valley during the morning hours on September 9th, and some of the stronger storms produced locally heavy rainfall which affected areas around the town of Blythe. Peak rain rates were in excess of one inch per hour and were sufficient to cause an episode of flash flooding. According to local law enforcement, at 1023PST U.S. Highway 95 was closed about 7 miles north of Blythe due to flash flooding. Water was reported to be 3 feet deep in the road and 2 water rescues were needed as a result of the flooding. Fortunately no injuries were reported in association with the water rescues. A Flash Flood Warning had been issued prior to the flash flooding; it was issued at 1014PST and was in effect until 1315PST. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $50,000 | A microburst with damaging winds and heavy rain moved through the Ironwood State Prison. A satellite dish was ripped from the roof of the main administration building, two semi-trailers were tipped over, at least six state vehicles had windows smashed by flying debris, and other vehicles were damaged. |
| November 2019 | Flash Flood | East Blythe | $30,000 | A powerful Pacific low pressure system developed across the desert southwest on November 28th, and it interacted with deep moisture to produce widespread rain across portions of eastern Riverside County during the evening hours. Isolated thunderstorms were embedded within the rain bands, increasing rain totals. The heavy rain resulted in an episode of flash flooding over far eastern portions of the county, near the lower Colorado River Valley. According to fire department and rescue units, at 1827PST flash flooding 4 miles north of east Blythe resulted in a car becoming flooded and floating near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Highway 95. A water rescue was needed, and the driver was rescued through the roof of the vehicle. No injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $12,000 | Flipped over semi-trailer on I-10 in Blythe. Winds were estimated at 65-70 mph. No injuries were reported. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | $10,000 | Strong winds took down at least one power pole and blew down several mature trees in Blythe. Much of the town lost power due to this storm. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Blythe | $5,000 | Numerous trees were uprooted along with many branches snapped at Mayflower County Park. A large branch fell onto one of the park's structures, while another large branch fell onto a camper, causing some damage. No injuries were reported. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Blythe | - | Farmer reported large 110lbs Alfalfa bales were flipped off stack in Blythe. Timing estimated from radar. Winds were estimated at 65-70 mph. No injuries were reported. |
| January 2015 | Flood | Blythe | - | A vigorous Pacific low pressure system spread copious amounts of moisture northward and into far southeast California during the morning hours on January 30th. This resulted in widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms, locally heavy at times. The heavy rain led to flooding along Highway 95 north of Blythe. According to local emergency managers, at 0930PST flooding led to the closure of Highway 95 at 2nd Avenue, located approximately 5 miles north of Blythe. No accidents or injuries were reported due to the flooding. |
| July 2011 | Heavy Rain | Blythe | - | A cluster of slow moving thunderstorms moved westward across far eastern Riverside county shortly after midnight on the 6th of July. The storms affected the area around Blythe. A trained weather spotter reported very heavy rainfall with rain rates estimated to be approximately 2 inches per hour. The spotter also indicated that area washes were flooding, as well as streets in the community of Blythe. |
| March 2007 | Heavy Rain | Blythe | - | Brief heavy rain and hail accompanied thunderstorms that moved through parts of Blythe. Some streets became flooded as a result of the downpour. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Semi truck overturned due to winds. |
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Measured peak wind gust 72 mph at the airport. |
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Winds and dense blowing dust affected much of Eastern Riverside Co. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Thunderstorm wind gust was measured at the Blythe Municipal Airport. There was a report of several blown-out windows, downed trees, smashed awnings, and blown-off roof tiles in Blythe. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Spotter reported that thunderstorm winds blew over a large tree which fell on top of his niece's car. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Blythe | - | Winds downed several power poles and large trees. Many street signs were blown down and some roofs sustained damage. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Blythe | 1.2 miles | 21 | |
| Miller Farms | 2.8 miles | 21 | |
| Tosco (historical) | 5.7 miles | 18 | |
| Mesaville | 6.4 miles | 20 | |
| Ripley | 6.7 miles | 17 | |
| Mesa Verde | 7.1 miles | 17 | |
| Rannells (historical) | 10.3 miles | 24 | |
| Inca | 15.9 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 Blythe | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q886915 | 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 1660349. 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.