Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Lake Havasu City, Arizona
City
London Bridge channel
Location in Mohave County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Mohave
Government
• Mayor	Mark S Nexsen
Area
• Total	43.1 sq mi (111.6 km2)
• Land	43.0 sq mi (111.5 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	735 ft (224 m)
Population  (2007)
• Total	56,603
• Density	974.4/sq mi (376.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
ZIP codes	86403-86406
Area code	928
FIPS code	04-39370

Lake Havasu City is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 56,355. It was founded in 1964 on the shores of Lake Havasu.

History

Lake Havasu City was established in 1964 by Robert P. McCulloch (of McCulloch Chainsaws) as a planned community. McCulloch had purchased 3,500 acres (14 km²) of property on the east side of Lake Havasu along Pittsburgh Point, the peninsula that eventually would be transformed into "the island". The city was incorporated in 1978. The present city grew around an old mining town established in the early 20th century.

The lake was formed in 1938 by Parker Dam on the Colorado River. One cannot reach the Grand Canyon from Lake Havasu, however, due to the dams: Davis Dam (creating Lake Mohave) and Hoover Dam (creating Lake Mead) and Parker Dam.

Bridge

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 is a popular rumour that the bridge was bought in the belief that it was, in fact, London's more recognisable Tower Bridge[1][2][3], but this has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, who sold the bridge. [4]

Events

Lake Havasu City is an active destination for wide range of people. During the spring months, the community is joined by university students during Spring Break (indeed, the city has something of a reputation for being a spring break party town) while the California boaters begin to stream in as the weather warms. March to September are the prime boating months on Lake Havasu. The city is also home to the International World Jet Ski Final Races, multiple professional fishing tournaments, custom boat regattas, the Western Winter Blast pyrotechnics convention, and the Havasu Half Marathon [5].

During the winter months, the community is joined by retirees from colder regions of the country and Canada. During this period, multiple events are held on McCulloch Boulevard.

Geography

Lake Havasu City is located at 34°29′24″N 114°18′32″W.Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.1 square miles (111.6 km²), of which, 43.0 square miles (111.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.07%) is water.

The only access to Lake Havasu City by road is via Arizona State Route 95, which meets Interstate 40 to the north of the city and Interstate 10 to the south. The city is served by several intersecting loop roads which connect with AZ 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.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1980	15,909		—
1990	24,363		53.1%
2000	41,938		72.1%
2007 (est.)	56,603

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 41,938 people, 17,911 households, and 12,716 families residing in the city. The population density was 974.4 people per square mile (376.2/km²). There were 23,018 housing units at an average density of 534.8/sq mi (206.5/km²). 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.

Education

Lake Havasu City is served by the Lake Havasu Unified School District. There are currently six elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, and several alternative schools in the city.

Attractions

• London Bridge
• London Bridge Resort
• Havasu 95 Speedway
• Many tourist shops on the banks of Lake Havasu; Boat rentals are also popular among tourists
• Attractions for young adults and kids
  • The Aquatic Center (Water Park)
  • Rotary Park
  • Havasu Lanes (Bowling Alley)
  • Movies Havasu
  • Lake Havasu
  • Lake Havasu Art Collective
  • Minor league baseball: the Blythe Heat of the Arizona Winter League and the Lake Havasu Heat of the Pacific Southwest Baseball League play regular season games.

London Bridge

External links

• Lake Havasu City, official city website
• Lake Havasu City Chamber of Commerce
• Today's News-Herald
• HavasuToday.com - Lake Havasu's Entertainment Newspaper
• Lake Havasu's Complete Free menu guide to all restaurants in Lake Havasu City