Kingman is a city located in Mohave County, Arizona. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,069. The city is the county seat of Mohave CountyGR6. The nearby communities of Golden Valley and Butler bring Kingman's total population to around 40,000.
Kingman, Arizona was founded in 1882. Situated in the scenic Hualapai Valley between the Cerbat and Hualapai mountain ranges, it is known for its very modest beginnings as a simple railroad siding near Beale’s Springs in the Middleton Section along the newly constructed route of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad.
The city of Kingman was named after Lewis Kingman who surveyed along the Atlantic and Pacific right of way between Needles and Albuquerque. Lewis Kingman supervised the building of the railroad from Winslow to Beal Springs, which is near the present location of the city of Kingman.
Kingman is a transportation center along the I-40 corridor, as well as for U.S. Highway 93, Route 66, and the rail line of the BNSF Railway. It serves as the southeastern gateway to the resorts of Laughlin, Nevada and Las Vegas, Nevada.
On July 5, 1973, Kingman was the site of a catastrophic BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion), following a fire that broke out as propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank, which killed 11 firefighters. This explosion has become a classic incident studied in fire department training programs worldwide. There's a detailed account, including some spectacular photographs, of the explosion and its aftermath in the History of Kingman Regional Medical Center (scroll down to July 5, 1973).
Kingman is also the home of Kingman Aviation Parts,Inc.Located at the Kingman Airport on Flightline Drive. A major commercial and general aircraft parts dealer. It's sister company Kingman Airline Services,Inc. is located at the airport also, KASI is a major storage facility of commercial and general aircraft. KASI conducts major and minor repairs on all it's stored aircraft. It also has the capabilities to part out aircraft and store the removed parts.
Actor Andy Devine was raised in Kingman, where he moved from Flagstaff, Arizona at one year old when his father opened the Beale Hotel there. One of the major streets of Kingman is named Andy Devine Avenue and the city holds annual Andy Devine Days. The street is part of Route 66 and the town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, "Route 66". Kingman has been featured as a filming location for the movies Roadhouse 66 and Two-Lane Blacktop.
Boston Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli is also from Kingman.
Geography
Kingman is located at 35°12'30" North, 114°1'33" West (35.208449, -114.025730)GR1, at 3,400 feet in elevation.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 77.6 km² (30.0 mi²). 77.6 km² (30.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 20,069 people, 7,854 households, and 5,427 families residing in the city. The population density is 258.5/km² (669.7/mi²). There are 8,604 housing units at an average density of 110.8/km² (287.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 89.94% White, 0.55% Black or African American, 1.98% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 3.41% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 9.25% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,854 households out of which 30.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% are non-families. 25.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,086, and the median income for a family is $41,327. Males have a median income of $32,036 versus $21,134 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,181. 11.6% of the population and 8.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Points of interest
Kingman is best known for Route 66 and being a gateway to the Gambling Destinations of Las Vegas and Laughlin Nevada, as well as it's proximity to the Grand Canyon, California, the Colorado River, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and many other National Parks and Forests.
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