needles, california

Needles is a city located on the banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is in the Mojave Valley, which straddles the California-Arizona border. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 4,830.

History

The city was founded in 1883 as a result of the construction of the railroad, which crosses the Colorado at this point. The name is derived from pointed mountains peaks at the south end of the valley. Historic Route 66 passes through the city, lined with motels and other shops from that era. Needles is a tourism and recreation center, a tradition going back for decades.

Geography

Needles is located at 34°50'18" North, 114°36'40" West (34.838312, -114.611067). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.1 km² (30.2 mi²). 77.1 km² (29.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.36% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 4,830 people, 1,940 households, and 1,268 families residing in the city. The population density is 62.6/km² (162.3/mi²). There are 2,551 housing units at an average density of 33.1/km² (85.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 77.87% White, 1.61% African American, 7.00% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 6.38% from other races, and 5.59% from two or more races. 18.36% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 1,940 households out of which 31.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% are married couples living together, 16.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families. 29.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.03. In the city the population is spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the city is $26,108, and the median income for a family is $33,264. Males have a median income of $39,688 versus $19,483 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,156. 26.1% of the population and 21.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Major employment in the city is supported by the Santa Fe Railway. The depot has been a terminal (crew change point) for the railway since the late 1800's. The railroad company has been the city's main employment source for decades. The once smaller nearby communities of Bullhead City, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada have in recent years become larger communities than Needles.

External links

Photographic virtual tour of Needles.

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