St. Johns is a community of 3,499 people in eastern Arizona at an elevation of 5,650 feet. The city lies 18 miles west of the New Mexico border, 29 miles north of Springerville and 50 miles south of Interstate 40. St. Johns was originally named El Vadito (Little River Crossing) by Spanish explorers. In 1873, St. Johns was a thriving Spanish-American agricultural community when Solomon Barth acquired land and cattle nearby. Mormon pioneers from Utah settled in St. Johns in 1879. The name El Vadito was changed to San Juan (Spanish for St. John) and to St. Johns when the town was established in 1880. St. Johns was incorporated in 1946.
Once a traditional agricultural community, St. Johns has become a location where traditional values and new technology merge. Two fossil-fueled electric generation plants employ more than 400 people. On the cutting edge of technology, a data communications earth station is located near the city. St. Johns serves as the Apache County seat and center of government activities, providing employment for more than 300 people.
Surrounded by tourist and visitor destinations, the shortest and most scenic route from Phoenix to Albuquerque is through St. Johns. Within an hour drive of St. Johns are the Apache, Zuni and Navajo reservations as well as archeological sites, the Petrified Forest National Park, Sunrise Ski Park and recreational activities at Lyman Lake State Park. Visitors can enjoy boating, water skiing, fishing and camping. Of particular interest in the area are the prehistoric dwellings, petroglyph trails and archeological excavations. The Petrified Forest National Park, 43 miles northwest of St. Johns, contains the largest and most spectacular forest of petrified logs on earth. Adjacent to the Petrified Forest is the famous Painted Desert.
St. Johns lays claim to a high quality of life for a community its size and offers a wide range of community facilities. There are city parks, a library, a museum, a recreational center, a swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, an equestrian center and a Little League park. Visitors can enjoy the newly developed community fishing at Patterson Ponds. Educational services for welding and cosmetology are offered at the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT). Nearby recreational areas include Lyman Lake State Park and Concho Lake. Annual events include the San Juan Fiesta, the Fourth of July celebration, Pioneer Days, SummerFest, the Apache County Fair and numerous equestrian activities.
Founded | 1879 | Incorporated | 1946 |
Elevation | 5,650 ft. | Location | Apache County |
Phoenix | 219 miles | San Diego | 576 miles |
Tucson | 238 miles | Los Angeles | 613 miles |
Las Vegas | 398 miles |
2000 | 2010 | 2023 (est.) | |
St. Johns | 3,269 | 3,487 | 3,434 |
Apache County | 69,423 | 71,685 | 66,411 |
State of Arizona | 5,130,632 | 6,401,569 | 7,285,370 |
Office of Economic Opportunity
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
St. Johns | 3.00% |
Apache County | 0.50% |
State | 5.60% |
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
2000 | 2010 | 2022 | |
---|---|---|---|
Civilian Labor Force | 1,198 | 1,421 | 900 |
Unemployed | 38 | 97 | 14 |
Unemployment Rate | 3.2% | 6.8% | 1.6% |
Office of Economic Opportunity
Count | Share | |
---|---|---|
Less than high school | 315 | 17.0% |
High school or equivalent, no college | 427 | 23.0% |
Some college or Associate degree | 835 | 45.0% |
Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree | 278 | 15.0% |
American Community Survey
Count | Share | |
---|---|---|
Education, health care & social assistance | 358 | 36.2% |
Public administration | 225 | 22.7% |
Transportation, warehousing, & utilities | 186 | 18.8% |
Retail trade | 67 | 6.8% |
Arts, entertainment, food & recreation services | 66 | 6.7% |
Construction | 30 | 3.0% |
Professional, scientific, & administrative services | 30 | 3.0% |
Other services, except public administration | 26 | 2.6% |
Information | 2 | 0.2% |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining | 0 | 0.0% |
Finance, insurance & real estate | 0 | 0.0% |
Manufacturing | 0 | 0.0% |
Wholesale trade | 0 | 0.0% |
American Community Survey
This profile was prepared by the Arizona Commerce Authority in cooperation with local sources. For further information, please contact: