Blue, Arizona

Blue, Arizona
Unincorporated community
Interactive map of Blue, Arizona
Coordinates: 33°36′36″N 109°06′24″W / 33.61000°N 109.10667°W / 33.61000; -109.10667
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyGreenlee
Elevation
5,758 ft (1,755 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP code
85922
Area code928
GNIS feature ID26502

Blue (originally, Whittum) is an unincorporated community in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States.

Blue has a ZIP Code of 85922; according to the 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 85922 had a population of 141. In addition to its post office, Blue also contains a public library, and the Blue School, serving all grade levels.

History

The community was originally named for Nat Whittum, an original settler who was killed at the site in 1891. A post office was established at Whittum in 1894; however, its name was changed to Blue in 1898.

Blue's population was 80 in the 1940s.

Climate

Climate data for Blue, Arizona, 1903–1989
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 53.5
(11.9)		 58.1
(14.5)		 62.6
(17.0)		 70.6
(21.4)		 78.9
(26.1)		 88.3
(31.3)		 88.9
(31.6)		 85.7
(29.8)		 80.8
(27.1)		 72.4
(22.4)		 61.8
(16.6)		 54.3
(12.4)		 71.3
(21.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 18.6
(−7.4)		 21.1
(−6.1)		 24.5
(−4.2)		 29.4
(−1.4)		 36.0
(2.2)		 44.3
(6.8)		 52.5
(11.4)		 51.4
(10.8)		 45.2
(7.3)		 34.3
(1.3)		 24.6
(−4.1)		 19.1
(−7.2)		 33.4
(0.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.35
(34)		 1.30
(33)		 1.27
(32)		 0.70
(18)		 0.50
(13)		 0.68
(17)		 3.90
(99)		 3.69
(94)		 2.27
(58)		 2.13
(54)		 1.14
(29)		 1.79
(45)		 20.73
(527)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.3
(13)		 5.9
(15)		 2.8
(7.1)		 1.0
(2.5)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.3
(0.76)		 1.7
(4.3)		 7.6
(19)		 24.6
(62)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4 5 5 3 2 3 12 12 7 4 4 5 66
Source: WRCC

Education

Blue School District 22 is the area school district, serving K-12. In 1984 Randy Collier of The Arizona Republic stated due to difficulties in transportation and from being far from other places, "the social life at Blue primarily is at the school."

Previously Blue had a K-8 school, so Round Valley High School in Eagar, of the Round Valley Unified School District, served Blue for high school; some students lived with relatives in Eagar and some traveled to and from Eagar via school bus.

Greenlee County Library System maintains the Blue Public Library in a log cabin adjacent to the Blue School.

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Blue, Arizona
  2. ↑ "B01003: Total Population – ZCTA5 85922". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 85.
  4. ↑ "BLUE, ARIZONA (020855)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ Collier, Randy (February 5, 1984). "No room to spare for pupils". The Arizona Republic. Vol. 94, no. 265. pp. A1, A14. - Clipping of first and of second page (text detail A, text detail B, text detail C) at Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Smith, Kim (July 20, 2021). "The Blue School - Former student finds a home, family in one-room school house". The Copper Era. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Blue Public Library". Greenlee County Library System. Retrieved July 18, 2022. - Address is given as adjacent to the Blue School