The Tonopah Desert is a small desert plains region of the Sonoran Desert , located west of Phoenix, Arizona . It is adjacent north of Interstate 10 and lies at the southwest intersection of the Hassayampa River with the Gila River . The Tonopah Desert is also just north of the Gila Bend Mountains massif which create the Gila Bend of the river.
12-611: The Tonopah Desert is adjacent northwest of the small Palo Verde Hills on Centennial Wash. The Tonopah Desert is mostly east-west trending, small, approximately 30 mi long, and lies at the plains of low elevation mountains north; the Belmont Mountains are northeast with the Hummingbird Springs Wilderness in its north-northwest. It borders the 'low elevation mountain valley' with the Big Horn Mountains to
24-720: A 25 mi (40 km) long, arid, low elevation mountain range about 50 mi west of Phoenix, Arizona in the northern Sonoran Desert , north of the Gila River . The range is in the south of a region of two parallel washes; the Bouse Wash flows northwest to the Colorado River , and the Centennial Wash flows southeast to meet the Gila River. The Belmont Mountains are a northwest by southeast trending range, mostly of low hills;
36-530: The Aguila Precinct. It was recorded as having a Spanish/Hispanic majority for that census (the census would not separately feature that racial demographic again until 1980). Aguila's population was 40 in 1940,'s population was 25 in 1940. and 120 in the 1960 census. In 2010, it was made a census-designated place (CDP). As of the census of 2010, there were 798 people living in Aguila. The population density
48-714: The Belmont Range can be reached from Aguila, Arizona , on U.S. Route 60 in Arizona . The south of the range can be reached from Interstate 10 in Arizona , near Tonopah . Aguila, Arizona Aguila is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County , Arizona , United States. It is located on U.S. Route 60 , 25 miles (40 km) west of Wickenburg and 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Wenden . Major economic activities include cantaloupe farming and formerly included mining . It uses
60-519: The large Harquahala Plain , northwest-southeast trending, the same lineage as the Centennial and Bouse Washes which drain the named plains, mountains, and the desert, (about twenty landforms in the region). The closest city to the Tonopah Desert is Tonopah, Arizona , located in the center-southwest of the region, elevation 1,122 feet (342 m). Interstate 10 passes east-southeasterly through
72-732: The northeast, and the southwest. The highest peak in the Belmont Mountains is Sugarloaf Mountain , at 3,418 feet (1,042 m), located at 33°40′39″N 113°05′14″W / 33.67756°N 113.08736°W / 33.67756; -113.08736 ( Sugarloaf Mountain (Arizona) ) ; it is at the northeast of the Hummingbird Springs Wilderness. The center of the range is at Belmont Mountain, located at 33°38′41″N 112°56′00″W / 33.644758°N 112.933236°W / 33.644758; -112.933236 ( Belmont Mountain ) . The north of
84-604: The range curves westwards at the west end. At the west, the range is partially connected to the Big Horn Mountains to the southwest, and between the two ranges is the Hummingbird Springs Wilderness . The wilderness takes up much of the Belmont's northwest, and the northeast half of the Big Horn's. Most of the rest of the small Big Horn Mountains is the Big Horn Mountains Wilderness . Valleys border both mountain ranges, to
96-607: The same street numbering system as Phoenix . As of the 2020 census , the population of Aguila was 565, down from 798 in 2010. Aguila was a stop on the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway . The former 1907 Aguila railroad depot is now located at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale . Aguila first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as the 52nd Precinct of Maricopa County. In 1930, it simply appeared as
108-674: The south border of the Tonopah Desert; Tonopah, AZ is at the west on I-10. South of the Interstate, and only 5 mi due-southwest of Tonopah is Wintersburg, Arizona , the site of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station . From Interstate 10, unimproved roads go north into the desert, namely 355th Ave (west); the Sun Valley Parkway is just east going to areas of northwest Phoenix–Glendale. The area includes Hummingbird Springs Wilderness , and due to overdrawing of
120-608: The water table, environmental recharge projects are being made to protect the Tonopah Aquifer , and to reverse the effects of water overuse. The project now in place is a Central Arizona Project , the Tonopah Desert Recharge Project in the Lower Hassayampa Basin. The project started construction of 19 basins in 2004; it became operational in 2006. Belmont Mountains The Belmont Mountains are
132-581: The west. The Big Horn Mountains Wilderness comprise most of the Big Horns. The desert is bordered east by other mountain foothills on the west border of the Hassayampa River. The Tonopah Desert also lies between two plains: the narrow southeast ridgeline of the Belmont Mountains and the Hassayampa Plain are northeast. The west and southwest of the Tonopah Desert is connected to the southeast section of
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#1732855748300144-413: Was 508.1 people per square mile. The racial makeup was 64.7% White , 1.0% Black or African American , 3.6% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 0.3% Pacific Islander , 28.1% from other races , and 2.0% from two or more races. 69.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to
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