Paradise, Arizona

Coordinates: 31°56′5″N 109°13′8″W / 31.93472°N 109.21889°W / 31.93472; -109.21889
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Paradise, Arizona
Paradise Cemetery
Paradise Cemetery
Paradise, Arizona is located in Arizona
Paradise, Arizona
Paradise, Arizona
Location in the state of Arizona
Paradise, Arizona is located in the United States
Paradise, Arizona
Paradise, Arizona
Paradise, Arizona (the United States)
Coordinates: 31°56′5″N 109°13′8″W / 31.93472°N 109.21889°W / 31.93472; -109.21889
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyCochise
Founded1901
Abandoned1943
Elevation5,482 ft (1,671 m)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total5
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST (no DST))
Post Office openedOctober 23, 1901
Post Office closedSeptember 30, 1943
GNIS feature ID9192

Paradise is a small ghost town located in Cochise County in the U.S. state of Arizona. The town was settled in 1901 in what was then the Arizona Territory.

History[edit]

Old Paradise photo

In 1901 the Chiricahua Development Company located a vein of ore here. A post office was established on October 23, 1901, and at its peak, the town had saloons, general stores, a jail and a hotel. The town was essentially abandoned when the local mines failed, and the post office closed on September 30, 1943.[2][3] However, a few residents remained. In June 2011, there were five permanent residents and 29 standing structures[4] when the Horseshoe 2 Fire swept through the area.[5] A few homes and cemetery remain.[6]

Geography[edit]

Paradise is located 5.7 miles west (up-mountain) from Portal, Arizona, and is surrounded by Coronado National Forest land.[1]

Climate[edit]

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Paradise has a hot-summer mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Paradise was 104 °F (40.0 °C) on July 8, 1912, while the coldest temperature recorded was −2 °F (−18.9 °C) on February 3, 2011.[7]

Climate data for Paradise, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 75
(24)
81
(27)
88
(31)
89
(32)
96
(36)
103
(39)
104
(40)
101
(38)
96
(36)
95
(35)
89
(32)
78
(26)
104
(40)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 54.4
(12.4)
58.5
(14.7)
64.8
(18.2)
72.5
(22.5)
81.0
(27.2)
89.7
(32.1)
87.5
(30.8)
83.7
(28.7)
79.7
(26.5)
74.3
(23.5)
63.2
(17.3)
54.2
(12.3)
72.0
(22.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.3
(4.1)
43.4
(6.3)
49.1
(9.5)
55.7
(13.2)
63.3
(17.4)
72.3
(22.4)
74.1
(23.4)
70.9
(21.6)
66.2
(19.0)
58.1
(14.5)
47.5
(8.6)
39.9
(4.4)
56.7
(13.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.3
(−4.3)
28.3
(−2.1)
33.4
(0.8)
38.9
(3.8)
45.6
(7.6)
54.9
(12.7)
60.8
(16.0)
58.2
(14.6)
52.6
(11.4)
42.0
(5.6)
31.9
(−0.1)
25.7
(−3.5)
41.4
(5.2)
Record low °F (°C) 1
(−17)
−2
(−19)
8
(−13)
16
(−9)
25
(−4)
37
(3)
39
(4)
44
(7)
27
(−3)
18
(−8)
4
(−16)
2
(−17)
−2
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.14
(29)
1.28
(33)
0.89
(23)
0.33
(8.4)
0.31
(7.9)
0.61
(15)
3.58
(91)
3.41
(87)
1.80
(46)
1.01
(26)
1.07
(27)
1.53
(39)
16.96
(432.3)
Source 1: NOAA[8]
Source 2: National Weather Service[7]

In media[edit]

The ghost-town of Paradise is also notably featured in media, such as video games and motion pictures.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Paradise
  2. ^ Sherman, James E.; Barbara H. Sherman (1969). "Paradise". Ghost Towns of Arizona (First ed.). University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN 0806108436.
  3. ^ Granger, Byrd H. (1970) Arizona Place Names, Tucson: University of Arizona Press[page needed][ISBN missing]
  4. ^ Southwest Incident Management Team (21 May 2011) "Emergency Bulletin: Horseshoe Two Fire Update; Precautionary Evacuation Remains in Effect" Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN)
  5. ^ Rocky Basin Type-2 Incident Management Team (10 June 2011) "Emergency Bulletin: Horseshoe Two Fire 40 Percent Contained; Winds Expected from Southwest" Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN)
  6. ^ Varney, Philip (1980). "Eleven: The Chiricauhua Ghosts". Arizona's Best Ghost Towns. Flagstaff: Northland Press. p. 122. ISBN 0873582179. LCCN 79-91724.
  7. ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Tucson". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Paradise, AZ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 10, 2023.

Further reading[edit]

  • Alden Hayes, A Portal to Paradise, University of Arizona Press (1999), ISBN 0816521441

External links[edit]