St. David AZ
St. David (Zip Code 85630)
Elevation - 3,691 ft.
Population - 2,100
Located 45 miles southeast of Tucson and 170 miles southeast of Phoenix.
Overview
St. David, a quaint, rural community located in the beautiful San Pedro River Valley, is approximately 45 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona and 20 miles from historic Tombstone.
St. David features wonderful landscapes of fertile farm land with rows of planted corn, cattle and horses peacefully grazing in lush green pastures, the stunningly beautiful and rugged Dragoon Mountains, the bending San Pedro River, arid desert land with cactus and sagebrush and hundreds of acres of rolling grasslands with see forever views.
Located in the Arizona high desert region, you can experience the milder side of the four seasons in nature. Enjoy crisp winter evenings, fabulous fall colors displayed on the cottonwoods, brilliant hues of spring flowers and the summer green of planted agricultural fields.
Your lifestyle can be as varied as your dreams and desires. With sunshine throughout the year, outdoor activities are very appealing to the full time residents and it is a magnet for visitors to this special area.
There are abundant choices available in terms of real estate offerings, such as gated subdivisions offering large parcels of land perfect for building the home of your dreams, subdivisions featuring improved vacant land sites in an area conveniently located for easy access to Tucson, unique historic bungalows, manufactured homes and contemporary site built homes. The choice is yours!
History of St. David
St. David was established when the Mormon Battalion passed through the San Pedro River Valley in 1846 as they marched their way to California to be a part of the Mexican American war. The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in the United States military history. The battalion was a volunteer unit of Latter-day-Saints men led by Mormon company officers. The town of St. David was founded in 1877 by Mormon settlers. These early St. David settlers were also instrumental in establishing the surrounding settlements of Tombstone and Ft. Huachuca.
The San Pedro River Valley’s history may be best known as the home of the Apache chief Cochise and the Apache leader Geronimo. For generations, the San Pedro River Valley was the home of the Apaches. In an effort to resist white colonization, the Apache uprising began in 1861 and didn’t end until 1886. Cochise, chief of the Apache along with 200 followers eluded capture for more than 10 years by hiding out in the Dragoon Mountains near St. David and Benson. Cochise surrendered in 1871 then escaped resisting the transfer of his people to the Tularosa Reservation in New Mexico. He surrendered again when the Chiricahua Reservation was finally established in southeast Arizona and died in 1874. Today, the southeastern most county of Arizona, which includes St. David and Benson, bears his name. Geronimo, Bedonkohe Apache leader of the Chiricahua Apache, led his people’s defense of their homeland against the U.S. military after Cochise died. Battles continue until 1886 when Geronimo surrendered. He died in 1909 in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
St. David Today
St. David never formed a municipal corporation (to become a city) and it remains an unincorporated municipality to date. Many residents of St. David can track their roots back to the early settlers. The town is made up of a mixture of long time residents and new residents who are choosing to make St. David their home. This charming sought after agricultural town is sometimes called the “oasis in the desert”. The community features large cottonwood trees, privately owned ponds, many stocked with fish, and small farms with cattle, pecan trees and vegetable gardens. The outlying areas of the town of St. David feature classic high desert vegetation and topography.
Employment
Apache Nitrogen Products and the St. David Unified School District are the major employers in St. David. Arizona Electric Power Cooperative Inc., Wal-Mart, Benson Hospital, Benson Unified School District and Safeway are the major employers in Benson. Benson is located 7 miles from St. David. Many of the areas residents work in Tucson or Sierra Vista. Both cities are conveniently located within an easy commute distance from St. David.
Education
The St. David Unified School District serves 500 students from pre-school through high school. Both elementary and the high school have achieved an above average level of performance by the Arizona Department of Education.
Cochise College-Benson Center opened in 2000 and has two computer labs, a virtual library, classrooms that together can accommodate up to 200, and a science lab/art room. The center serves students with traditional college courses, adult education, and personal interest classes. The Center is located approximately 10 miles from St. David.
The University of Arizona, Pima Community College and other higher education centers are located in Tucson.
Weather
St. David offers ideal weather! The annual chance of sunshine is 85%. Located in the high desert region, St. David’s temperatures are cooler than Tucson or Phoenix. Residents living in this area experience a mild version of nature’s four seasons. The average high in July is 92F and the average low in January is 33F. The average annual precipitation is 14.02”. The vast majority of the precipitation comes during the monsoon season which begins the first part of July and may last until late September.
I know this area extremely well and it would be my pleasure to answer any questions you may have about this very desirable region. Please contact me!
Live your life – love your lifestyle – Arizona!
