Editing Morenci, Arizona

{{Short description|CDP in Greenlee County, Arizona}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Morenci, Arizona
| settlement_type                 = [[Census-designated place]]
| image_skyline                   = PostcardMorenciAZAerialViewCirca1910.jpg
| image_caption                   = Morenci, about 1910
| imagesize                       = 250px
| image_map                       = Greenlee County Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Morenci highlighted.svg
| mapsize                         = 250px
| map_caption                     = Location in [[Greenlee County, Arizona|Greenlee County]] and the state of [[Arizona]]
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = 
| pushpin_map                     = Arizona#USA
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in the United States
| pushpin_label                   = Morenci
| subdivision_type                = [[Countries of the World|Country]]
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_name1               = [[Arizona]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Greenlee County, Arizona|Greenlee]]
| established_title               = 
| established_date                = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = 
| leader_name                     = 
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_04.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 2.40
| area_total_sq_mi                = 0.93
| area_land_km2                   = 2.34
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 0.91
| area_water_km2                  = 0.06
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.02
| elevation_ft                    = 4157
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name=gnis/>
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 2028
| population_density_km2          = 865.22
| population_density_sq_mi        = 2240.88
| timezone                        = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]] (no [[Daylight savings time|DST]])
| utc_offset                      = -7
| coordinates                     = {{coord|33|03|14|N|109|19|52|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| website                         = 
| timezone_DST                    = 
| utc_offset_DST                  = 
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 85540
| area_code                       = [[Area code 928|928]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 04-47610
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 2408868<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2408868}}</ref>
| footnotes                       = 
}}

'''Morenci''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) and [[company town]] in [[Greenlee County, Arizona|Greenlee County]], [[Arizona]], United States, and was founded by the [[Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona]]. The population was 2,000 at the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] and 1,489 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="census 2010">{{cite web |url= http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0447610 |title= Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 (Morenci CDP, Arizona) |publisher= United States Census Bureau |work= American Fact Finder |accessdate= November 8, 2016 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20200213050915/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0447610 |archive-date= February 13, 2020 |url-status= dead }}</ref> The biggest employer in Morenci (and in nearby [[Clifton, Arizona|Clifton]]) and the owner of the town is [[Freeport-McMoRan]], the owner of the [[Morenci Mine]], the largest [[copper mining]] operation in North America, and one of the largest copper mines in the world. The town was a site of the [[Arizona Copper Mine Strike of 1983]]. The large open-pit mine is north of the town.

==Geography==
Morenci is located in central Greenlee County on the northeastern border of the town of [[Clifton, Arizona|Clifton]], the [[county seat]]. [[U.S. Route 191 in Arizona|U.S. Route 191]] (the Coronado Trail) passes through the northern part of the community, leading east and downhill into Clifton and north through the [[Apache National Forest]] {{convert|117|mi}} to [[Eagar, Arizona|Eagar]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Morenci CDP has a total area of {{convert|2.55|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|2.49|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.06|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 2.23%, is water.<ref name="census 2010"/>

===Climate===
This region experiences hot and dry summers, with average monthly high temperatures above 80&nbsp;°F for seven months a year. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Morenci has a [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate]], abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=948120&cityname=Morenci%2C+Arizona%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Morenci, Arizona]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left|2020= 2028
|2010= 1489
|2000= 2000
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Decennial Census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,879 people, 672 households, and 454 families residing in the CDP.  The population density was {{convert|2,317.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 754 housing units at an average density of {{convert|929.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was 68.0% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.5% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 2.1% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 25.0% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.9% from two or more races.  44.5% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 672 households, out of which 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.55.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 35.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 0.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,010, and the median income for a family was $54,583. Males had a median income of $41,875 versus $26,063 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $18,695.  About 2.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The economy of Morenci as well as that of the surrounding area is almost completely dependent on the [[Morenci Mine]].<ref name="Rudolf">Rudolf, John Collin. "Copper's Every Dip Is Felt in Arizona." ''New York Times.'' November 27, 2008.</ref> Between 2003 and 2008, the worldwide rise in copper prices led the mine to double its work force to 4,000 employees and increase production by 55 percent to an average of one million tons of ore per day.<ref name="Rudolf" />

Several hundred new homes were built, leading to a boom in the construction industry.<ref name="Rudolf" /> All the homes in Morenci, new and old, remain owned by Freeport-McMoRan.<ref name="Rudolf" />

<gallery  class="center" widths="250px">
Image:Morenci_Mine.jpg|One of the active pits at the Morenci Mine. The horizontal shelves are the [[Open-pit mining#Extraction|mining benches]].  The fan-like slopes are leached material, dumped into mined-out portions of the pit.
File: Glendale-Sahuaro Central Railroad Museum-Porter 0-4-0-1887.jpg |This ''Porter 0-4-0'' is an 18" gauge locomotive that was once used as a copper mining locomotive in Morenci. The locomotive is currently on exhibit in the Sahuaro Central Railroad Museum in Glendale, Az. 
Image:MorenciConc1942.jpg|Old Morenci Concentrator, 1942
File:Azurite-Malachite-27233.jpg|[[Malachite]] and [[Azurite]] from the [[Morenci Mine]], which produces many fine specimens for [[mineral collector]]s.
File:Azurite-284714.jpg|[[Azurite]] from Morenci
</gallery>

==Education==
It is in the [[Morenci Unified School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st04_az/schooldistrict_maps/c04011_greenlee/DC20SD_C04011.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Greenlee County, AZ|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=July 17, 2022}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Ettore DeGrazia]], Southwestern Impressionist painter
*[[Christine Nofchissey McHorse]], Diné ceramic artist and sculptor

==See also==
*[[Phelps Dodge]] Corporation, former owner of the Morenci Mine, was acquired by [[Freeport-McMoRan]] in 2007.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Conger, W.C., 1987, History of the Clifton-Morenci District, in ''History of Mining in Arizona'', vol. 1. Full text: [https://www.miningfoundationsw.org/resources/Documents/Publications/History%20of%20AZ%20-%20V%201/05_CONGER_1987_HIST_MINING_AZ_1.PDF]

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.morencitown.com}}

{{Commons category|Morenci, Arizona}}
{{wikivoyage|Morenci (Arizona)}}
{{Greenlee County, Arizona}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Greenlee County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Arizona]]
[[Category:Mining communities in Arizona]]
[[Category:Safford, Arizona micropolitan area]]
[[Category:Company towns in Arizona]]