Clarkdale, AZ - ClarkdaleAZ Realtor

                                                    Founded 1912- Incorporated 1957

The historic Town of Clarkdale is located on the banks of the Verde River in the north central part of Arizona.  It is a thriving community and is the gateway to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area in the beautiful Verde Valley.  Founded in 1912, Clarkdale is renowned as the first master planned community in the State of Arizona.  

Originally a “company town”, Clarkdale was founded by the United Verde Copper Company to provide housing and services for the employees of their copper smelter.  The extensive smelter complex was located near the Verde River and processed copper ore that was brought down from the mines in Jerome from 1913-1953. 

Unlike other company towns of the period that grew haphazardly, Clarkdale was designed and built from a unified master plan. The main town site was located on a ridge overlooking the industrial smelter complex and was developed with residential homes, including upper and lower-income housing, a commercial area, an administrative center, schools, recreational and cultural facilities, and parks. They intended to include all the parts typically found in a small town within a comprehensive planned design.  Today, the original town site of Clarkdale is recognized as an Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Clarkdale remains a model of good urban planning today. The estimated population in 2005 was 3,680.  The original rail line that served the smelter is now host to a scenic excursion train, the Verde Canyon Railroad, which allows travelers a four-hour round trip to view the protected ecosystem of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area and Verde River firsthand.   In addition to the excursion branch, the Arizona Central Railroad (the parent company of the Verde Canyon Railroad) ships materials by rail to Salt River Materials Group, a local cement manufacturer. 

Clarkdale’s historic Downtown Business District boasts many treasured historic assets, and is the center of Clarkdale’s government, cultural, and historic core. The Town and the business owners in the downtown area have invested heavily to keep the town core thriving.   Approximately $1.5 million in streetscape improvements in the Downtown Business District were completed in March, 2005.  The Downtown Business District provides a little of everything from a business perspective:  a restaurant, taverns, coffee house, antique store, service station, light manufacturing, a laundromat,  and several internet based businesses.  Two museums and the Clarkdale Chamber of Commerce information center will also open in the downtown district in 2005.  The Old Town Players perform community theatre in the Clark Memorial Clubhouse.

Beyond the original town site, Clarkdale occupies approximately 10.1 square miles in the Verde Valley.  Clarkdale is home to the Yavapai College Verde Campus, the Northern Arizona Regional Skill Center and the Small Business Development Center and, soon, the new Academic Resource Center.  High school students in Clarkdale attend Mingus Union High School, and the Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary School boasts an excellent reputation for educating our students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.

The Verde River bisects the north portion of the town at a low elevation of around 3,300 feet. The west side of the town boundary is located along the foothills of Mingus Mountain in the Black Hills Range at a high elevation of approximately 4,600 feet above sea level. On the northeast border of Clarkdale, the National Park service operates the 42-acre Tuzigoot National Monument, an 800 year old Sinagua pueblo, which is surrounded by hiking trails and hosts a complete museum.  Tavasci Marsh borders Tuzigoot National Monument and has been designated as an Important Birding Area by the North American Audubon Society.  Arizona State Parks also manages portions of the Verde River Greenway along the Verde River in Clarkdale.  The Town is surrounded by lands of the Prescott National Forest to the west and lands of the Coconino National Forest to the east.  In addition, trust lands of the Yavapai-Apache Nation are located within the town boundary.

Incorporated in 1957, Clarkdale operates under the Council-Manager form of government, with an elected Mayor and four Council Members who serve in office for 4-year, staggered terms.  Citizen volunteers serve on various Boards and Commissions and all citizens are encouraged to actively engage in community issues.  This website has been designed to provide information about Clarkdale to our citizens, those in the region and the State and to visitors from around the world!

Visit Clarkdale's website at http://www.clarkdale.az.us/