Sasabe (O'odham: Ṣaṣawk) is a small hamlet in the Altar Valley of southern Pima County, Arizona, United States, immediately north of the international border with Mexico. It hosts a minor border crossing, an adobe sales outlet, a public school, a guest ranch, a general store with fuel pumps, a weekend bar, and a post office serving the ZIP Code of 85633. In 2010, the population of the 85633 ZCTA, including Sasabe, was 54.[2]
Sasabe, Arizona | |
|---|---|
  Sasabe Location within the state of Arizona  Sasabe Sasabe (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 31°29′19″N 111°32′31″W / 31.48861°N 111.54194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Pima |
| Elevation | 3,537 ft (1,078 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| Area code | 520 |
| FIPS code | 04-64520 |
| GNIS feature ID | 10961 |
 | |
History
editThe name Sasabe is derived from the Native American language of the Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago) meaning "head valley".[3] The post office was established at Sasabe in 1905.[4]
Sasabe is best known for its historic Rancho de la Osa guest ranch, formerly the headquarters of a three million acre (12,000 km2) Spanish land grant. Some ranch buildings reportedly date to the late 17th century. The guest ranch opened in 1921. Guests have included Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.[5]
On average, 165 cars, trucks, or pedestrians per day passed through the Sasabe Port of Entry in 2011.[6] Sasabe, Arizona is smaller than its sister community, El Sásabe, Sonora, which is known for its burnt-adobe brickyards.
In the 2018–2019 school year, the local school served 28 children in grades K-8.[7]
Geography
edit
Sasabe is seated on an arid, gently rolling sand-plain relieved only by scatter shrub trees and grass hummocks. Much of the area north and east of Sasabe is within the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.[8] In 2006, 3,500 acres (14 km2) of the refuge that border Mexico east of Sasabe were closed to public entry due to problems with smugglers and unauthorized border crossings.[9]
Climate
editSasabe has a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with mild winters and very hot summers.
| Climate data for Sasabe, Arizona, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
100 (38) |
104 (40) |
113 (45) |
111 (44) |
109 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
93 (34) |
84 (29) |
113 (45) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 77.7 (25.4) |
79.5 (26.4) |
84.6 (29.2) |
91.1 (32.8) |
97.5 (36.4) |
105.2 (40.7) |
105.1 (40.6) |
102.0 (38.9) |
98.8 (37.1) |
94.4 (34.7) |
85.2 (29.6) |
78.3 (25.7) |
106.8 (41.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 65.9 (18.8) |
67.1 (19.5) |
72.7 (22.6) |
79.7 (26.5) |
87.8 (31.0) |
97.0 (36.1) |
96.4 (35.8) |
94.0 (34.4) |
91.5 (33.1) |
84.0 (28.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
65.2 (18.4) |
81.3 (27.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 50.6 (10.3) |
51.9 (11.1) |
56.6 (13.7) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.2 (20.7) |
78.7 (25.9) |
81.5 (27.5) |
79.9 (26.6) |
76.1 (24.5) |
67.3 (19.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
50.0 (10.0) |
65.1 (18.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.4 (1.9) |
36.8 (2.7) |
40.6 (4.8) |
44.3 (6.8) |
50.6 (10.3) |
60.4 (15.8) |
66.7 (19.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
60.8 (16.0) |
50.6 (10.3) |
41.3 (5.2) |
34.7 (1.5) |
49.0 (9.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
34.4 (1.3) |
40.8 (4.9) |
49.6 (9.8) |
59.9 (15.5) |
60.3 (15.7) |
51.9 (11.1) |
39.6 (4.2) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
22.5 (−5.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
12 (−11) |
13 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
39 (4) |
51 (11) |
49 (9) |
40 (4) |
27 (−3) |
22 (−6) |
14 (−10) |
12 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.91 (23) |
1.16 (29) |
0.96 (24) |
0.46 (12) |
0.15 (3.8) |
0.35 (8.9) |
2.77 (70) |
3.20 (81) |
1.62 (41) |
0.50 (13) |
0.72 (18) |
1.44 (37) |
14.24 (362) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 37.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source: NOAA[10][11] | |||||||||||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Feature Detail Report for: Sasabe". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ 2010 Census U.S. Census website
- ^ LIFE. Time Inc. March 28, 1960. p. 42. ISSN 0024-3019.
- ^ "Pima County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ History of Rancho de la Osa
- ^ Arizona border outpost one of the quietest in U.S.
- ^ "Home". sanfernando35.org.
- ^ Gilbert, Samuel (January 16, 2021). "'My neighbourhood is being destroyed to pacify his supporters': the race to complete Trump's wall". the Guardian. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ Closure order
- ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
External links
edit- Magahern, Jimmy (December 2013). "Arizona's Smallest Town". The Valley Times. Scottsdale, Arizona: Times Publications.
- Sasabe at Google maps
- Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
- LIFE Magazine article (Mar. 28, 1960) about town for sale