Lake Havasu City, Arizona
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| Lake Havasu City, Arizona | |
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Arizona |
| Counties | Mohave |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Mark S Nexsen |
| Area | |
| - City | 43.1 sq mi (111.6 km²) |
| Elevation | 735 ft (224 m) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 55,338 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
Lake Havasu City is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 55,338.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
Lake Havasu City was established in 1964 by Robert P. McCulloch (of McCulloch Chainsaws) as a planned community. It was incorporated in 1978. The present city grew around an old mining town established in the early 20th century.
A popular tourist attraction in Lake Havasu City is the London Bridge, which crosses an 8ft (2.4m) deep man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu (on the Colorado River) to Thompson Bay. It was bought for US$2.5 million from the City of London when the bridge was replaced in 1968. The bridge was disassembled, and the marked stones were shipped to Lake Havasu City and reassembled for another US$7 million. It opened in October 1971. It has been claimed that it was bought in the mistaken belief that it was the more grandiose Tower Bridge (which is often wrongly called London Bridge by tourists), but McCulloch ardently denied that.
The city is serviced by several intersecting loop roads which connect with Highway 95. This somewhat unorthodox road layout has been a source of confusion for many newcomers. Many of the houses in the city are vacation homes.
The city is a destination of choice for university students during Spring Break. Its reputation in the region rivals Panama City, Florida in the east. Much of the spring break activity centers on the London Bridge Resort Village, a British-themed tourist district next to the bridge. The resort built a large patio extending out to the channel with a swimming pool and a stage equipped with disco lighting to accommodate parties.
Lake Havasu City is regularly host to other major events such as boating conventions and the Western Winter Blast. Property values have soared in recent years as has the city's population.
[edit] Future of Lake Havasu City
Projects are under way include Lake Havasu City's first regional mall, The Centre. The Tennessee-based development company Wolford Development will construct the 741,871 sq ft (17 acre; 68,922 sq m; 6.9 ha) mall at an estimated cost of between $80 million and $118 million. If agreed to by the city council, the mall would have two or three main stores and 80 or 90 shops. Construction would also include a cinema with an enclosed food court and a water feature. Work on the mall is expected to create 1,600 construction jobs, and once opened will employ 1,400 full-time employees. Work was scheduled to break ground in the fall of 2006, with the grand opening sometime in 2007. The sign posted on the land now says grand opening will be in 2008.
[edit] Geography
Lake Havasu City is located at (34.489969, -114.309019)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 111.6 km² (43.1 mi²). 111.5 km² (43.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.07%) is water.
The climatology of the area is such that Lake Havasu City is often the warmest location in the entire state, and often, the entire country.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 41,938 people, 17,911 households, and 12,716 families residing in the city. The population density was 376.2/km² (974.4/mi²). There were 23,018 housing units at an average density of 206.5/km² (534.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.35% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.51% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. 7.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 17,911 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,499, and the median income for a family was $41,393. Males had a median income of $31,594 versus $21,576 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,403. About 6.6% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Lake Havasu City is served by the Lake Havasu Unified School District.[2] There are currently six elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and several alternative schools in the city.
[edit] Attractions
- London Bridge
- Lake Havasu - paddleboats and motor boats are available[citation needed]
- English Village, a shopping area inspired by classic English architecture, located by the London Bridge[citation needed]
- many tourist shops on the banks of Lake Havasu; boat rentals are also popular among tourists[citation needed]
- attractions for young adults and kids[citation needed]
- The Aquatic Center (Water Park)
- Rotary Park
- Havasu Lanes (Bowling Alley)
- Movies Havasu
- Lake
[edit] References
- ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arizona (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (21 June 2006). Retrieved on November 14, 2006.
- ^ LHUSD Website
[edit] External links
- Lake Havasu City Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Havasu Guide havasupages.com Lake Havasu History
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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