Lake Havasu City (, ) is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,144, It is served by Lake Havasu City Airport.
History
thumb|Lake Havasu City in 1973
The community first started during World War II as Site Six, an Army Air Corps rest camp on the shores of Lake Havasu. In 1958, American businessman Robert P. McCulloch purchased of property on the east side of the lake along Pittsburgh Point, a peninsula that would eventually be transformed into an island.
After four years of planning, McCulloch Properties acquired another of federal land in the surrounding area. Lake Havasu City was established on September 30, 1963, by a resolution of the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, as the Lake Havasu Irrigation and Drainage District, making it a legal entity (the act is referenced in resolution #63-12-1).
McCulloch Properties flew in prospective residents from around the United States for free in what became a substantial air operation. To qualify, prospective customers were required to put down a fully refundable deposit. McCulloch Properties acquired over a half-dozen commercial aircraft and in 1970, bought a small charter carrier, converting the operation into its own certificated airline, McCulloch International Airlines. From 1964 through 1978, 2,702 flights were made to Lake Havasu City bringing in prospective buyers.
Lake Havasu City was incorporated in 1978.
London Bridge
London Bridge crosses the narrow Bridgewater Channel that leads from Lake Havasu (a segment of the Colorado River) to Thompson Bay (also on the river). Hoping to attract tourists and prospective buyers of residential lots, McCulloch bought it for US$2.5 million from the City of London, England, when the bridge was replaced in 1968. The bridge was disassembled on contract with Sundt Construction of Tucson, and the marked stones were shipped to Lake Havasu City and reassembled by Sundt and the Havasu Balloon Festival & Fair.
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. Typically during the second weekend of February, McCulloch Boulevard is home to Winterfest, an annual event which draws thousands of visitors and residents for two days of food, activities, entertainment, and products from over 200 vendors from across the United States.
Geography
Lake Havasu City is located in southwestern Mohave County on the east side of Lake Havasu, a reservoir on the Colorado River. It is south of Kingman, the Mohave county seat, and northwest of Phoenix.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.10%, are water.
In the early stages of development of the city, McCulloch Properties operated a fleet of secondhand airliners such as the Lockheed Constellation and the Lockheed L-188 Electra to fly prospective property purchasers to the area from California and elsewhere in the United States.
The city operates Lake Havasu City Transit. Vegas Airporter provides service from Lake Havasu City to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Havasu Landing Resort and Casino provides a ferry to Havasu Lake, California.
Lake Havasu City Airport, also known as Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport owned by the city and located 6 miles north of the central business district of Lake Havasu City.
Climate
Lake Havasu City has a hot arid climate (Köppen BWh), with sweltering summers, mild to warm winters, and very little rainfall. Lake Havasu City is a very hot city, even by Arizona standards; the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state, , was recorded in Havasu City on June 29, 1994. Temperatures may exceed as early as April or as late as October, while it routinely reaches in the summer months and can even get up to or higher during the worst heat waves. Overnight low temperatures generally stay between for the months of July and August, but the highest overnight low temperature (record high minimum) ever recorded was on July 22, 2003.
The winters, on the other hand, are very pleasant, with typical daily highs in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit (16–26 °C), and infrequent night frosts. Mean annual rainfall is only ; winter is the wettest season, but even then, rain occurs on an average of only 2–3 days per month. The wettest "rain year" on record was from July 1977 to June 1978 with and the driest from July 1995 to June 1996 with a mere . The wettest month since records began in 1967 has been March 2020 with , and the wettest day October 21 of 1978 when fell over the 24 hours.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Lake Havasu City, Arizona – Racial composition<br><small></small>
!Race <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!
!% 2010
!% 2000
!
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2000
|-
|White alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |79.7%
|84%
|89.5%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |45,521
|44,119
|37,550
|-
|Black alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.5%
|0.6%
|0.3%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |309
|329
|127
|-
|American Indian alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.6%
|0.8%
|0.6%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |371
|419
|233
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.1%
|0.9%
|0.6%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |609
|486
|233
|-
|Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.1%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |69
|54
|38
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.3%
|0.1%
|0%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |164
|29
|19
|-
|Multiracial (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.9%
|1.4%
|1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,233
|735
|440
|-
|Hispanic/Latino (any race)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.8%
|12.1%
|7.9%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,868
|6,356
|3,298
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lake Havasu City had a population of 57,144. The median age was 56.6 years. 14.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 34.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males age 18 and over.
There were 26,018 households in Lake Havasu City, of which 17.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 47,753 || 83.6%
|-
| Black or African American || 357 || 0.6%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 579 || 1.0%
|-
| Asian || 653 || 1.1%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 76 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 2,600 || 4.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 5,126 || 9.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 7,868 || 13.8%
|}
The most reported ancestries in 2020 were English (19.8%), German (18.7%), Irish (15.8%), Mexican (10.7%), Italian (6%), and French (3.1%).
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 41,938 people, 17,911 households, and 12,716 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 23,018 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 7.9% 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: Jamaica Elementary, Oro Grande Classical Academy, Starline Elementary, Smoketree Elementary, Nautilus Elementary, and Havasupai Elementary), one middle school (Thunderbolt Middle School), one high school (Lake Havasu High School), and several alternative schools in the city including Telesis Preparatory Academy and Havasu Preparatory Academy. Lake Havasu Unified went through some strict budget cuts, closing one of its two middle schools (Daytona Middle School), and distributing 6th graders throughout the elementaries and 7th and 8th grades to Thunderbolt Middle School. Local voters passed a bond and a budget override for the district in 2016, helping to alleviate some school district budget problems.
A campus of Mohave Community College is located in Lake Havasu City. MCC also is home of one of the Northern Arizona University extended campuses. Arizona State University opened a new lower-tuition 4-year college campus, the ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City, in August 2012. In September 2024, ASU announced that the campus would close in June 2025 in response to state budget cuts.
Government
The city operates under a council-manager form of government. The mayor and six councilmembers are elected to staggered four-year terms. The City Council sets the city's policy and direction, and appoints the City Manager who is tasked with the responsibility for carrying out council policies and administering the day-to-day operations. Per the City Code, the Department Directors are appointed by the City Manager.
As of November, 2008, 64 percent of registered voters in Lake Havasu City are Republican, 35 percent Democrat, and the remaining 1 percent Independent.
Lake Havasu City hosted the final appreciation dinner for retiring United States Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican Party presidential nominee, at the Nautical Inn Convention Center on October 21, 1986.
Notable people
- Roy Thomas Baker, English record producer, songwriter and arranger.
- David Bazan, indie rock singer-songwriter, most notably of Pedro the Lion
- Michael Biehn, actor
- Chuck Crim, former Major League baseball pitcher
- Crystal Hefner, Playboy Miss December 2009, widow of the late Hugh Hefner
- Robert P. McCulloch, CEO of McCulloch chainsaws and purchaser of the London Bridge tourist attraction Lake Havasu City Mayor Mark Nexsen officially declared February 27, 2018 as "Concepts/New Balance 991.5 'Made in U.K.' Lake Havasu Shoe Day."
Indie rock band Pedro the Lion's sixth studio album Havasu was written about the one year of childhood the singer spent living in the city.
Attractions
- London Bridge
- Lake Havasu and Colorado River
- Wheeler Park
- Lake Havasu Historical Society
- The Aquatic Center
- Patrick Tinell Memorial Skatepark
- Rotary Community Park
- Lake Havasu City Airport (KHII)
- 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.
- Havasu 95 Speedway
- Lighthouses on the Colorado River
thumb|500px|center|London Bridge
thumb|500px|center|Lake Havasu City from the west
References
External links
- Lake Havasu City Visitors Bureau
- Lake Havasu City Chamber of Commerce