Desert Springs, Arizona
| Desert Springs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Independent City | ||
| City of Desert Springs | ||
| ||
| Nickname(s): "Japan in the Desert" | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Arizona | |
| Founded | 15 December 1946 | |
| Incorporated | 6 March 1951 | |
| Independent City | 4 July 1968 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor-council | |
| • Mayor | Richard Morey | |
| • City Council | TBA | |
| Area | ||
| • Independent City | 135.57 sq mi (351.1 km2) | |
| • Independent City | 50.27 sq mi (130.2 km2) | |
| Population (2022) | ||
| • Metro | 451,731 | |
| • Independent City | 389,861 | |
Desert Springs is a city in northeastern Arizona, completely enclosed within Apache County. It is the fourth-largest city in Arizona and the sole independent city in the state. The city is known for its large ethnic Japanese population, who arrived from internment camps after the end of the Second World War. The city was founded in 1946, incorporated in 1951, and gained Independent city status in 1968. Desert Springs has since become a hub for Japanese culture and businesses in the United States.
Desert Springs is the principal city of the Desert Springs Metropolitan Area, which covers parts of southern Apache County and into parts of Navajo County. The independent city itself contains a population of 389,861, while the entire metropolitan area has a population of 451,731. Over 60% of the population is of Japanese ancestry.
Etymology
The area that would become Desert Springs was originally called Springerville. It later became known as Desert Springs after the arrival of Japanese-Americans after the end of the Second World War.