Clarkdale, AZ
An Ideal Place to Live, Work and Play

In 1911, native-Montanan, William A. Clark, owner of the United Verde Copper Company on Cleopatra Hill in Jerome decided to change the mine’s extraction method to an "open pit" process. In order to achieve this, the smelter and railroad terminus, at the top of the mine, had to be relocated. Building a new smelter two thousand feet down the mountain led to the founding of Clarkdale. Providing housing for the 7,000 employees was another dilemma confronted by the United Verde Copper Company.

Unlike Jerome, which grew around a hodgepodge of mining camps, the town of Clarkdale was planned. Clark, a hands-on business leader, took full control of the construction of Clarkdale and built it as a monument to himself. He supervised and prescribed every detail of construction from copper pipes for the modern sewer system to hardwood maple floors in all houses. Such amenities were not common in company towns of this era, but Clark used the finest and most modern construction methods and materials in all of his industrial projects. He directed the same, careful attention to the building of Clarkdale.

Once the smelter site had been chosen, the commercial and residential areas were designed around the remaining two sections of flat land divided by a sloping hill, aptly known as upper and lower town. Unfortunately neighborhoods reflected the social prejudices of the mining community. As a "company town", everything remained the property of the United Verde Copper Company. Employees paid rent and were expected to abide by the certain rules, whether they were on or off duty.

The smelter constructed from 1912 to 1915, after the railroad, also financed by Clark, was started in 1911 and completed in 1912. The standard gauge Verde Valley Railroad bypassed existing older lines and connected the new smelter to the outside world. These profitable decisions eventually turned the United Verde Copper Company into the richest privately-owned copper mine in the world.

Today, Clarkdale is a small town that believes in a family-oriented environment. The Clarkdale-Jerome School District and Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District provides quality education from kindergarten through 8th grade, and Mingus Union High School provides 9 through 12 grade education. Yavapai College’s Verde Campus is located in Clarkdale. The community college works with industry, developing training programs through the small business development center to ensure a competent, future work force. The college also offers two-year associate degree programs, 4-year degree programs through Northern Arizona University as well as continuing adult education classes. The Verde Campus is also the education center for viticulture and enology (grape growing and wine making) in the Verde Valley.

The downtown businesses include several restaurants and taverns, a market, a bath and kitchen shop, a salsa manufacturer, real estate company, a construction company, laudromat, gas station and two art galleries. The Clarkdale Heritage Museum is also located in the downtown area.

Businesses along State Route 89A include a feed and pet supply store, restaurant, a trucking company, delivery service company, and auto repair and sales businesses.  ASIS Massage School is located along Historic 89A.  Cabinet makers and other construction related businesses, auto repair, a beverage distributor and salvage company are located in lower Clarkdale. Throughout Clarkdale are many home-based or location-neutral businesses such as jewelry makers, contractors, realtors, computer services, and other professionals.

Several industries, including the Verde Canyon Railroad, make their home in Clarkdale. Salt River Materials Group - Phoenix Cement is one of two Arizona cement manufacturing plants. Mold-in Graphics molds plastic, Bent River Machine makes machine parts for many companies, and Clarkdale Metals is reclaiming metals from the original slag pile.

Accessibility to rail and trucking makes Clarkdale a perfect choice for many industries. Part of the affiliate railroads that make up The Western Group, the Arizona Central Railroad carries freight from the Clarkdale area on a 38-mile run, connecting to the Burlington Northern main line near Drake, Arizona.

The Town of Clarkdale also hosts the “Made in Clarkdale Art Show” beginning the first Friday of December. This art exhibit and sale runs for 10 days and is known the world over. There are over 70 artists—painters, ceramists, sculptors, photographers, fabric artists, jewelers, musicians, dancers, and architects living and working in Clarkdale, who exhibit. Artists enjoy the climate and low-key atmosphere Clarkdale offers. Woodworkers, jewelry designers, leather crafters, metal smiths and sculptors sell their creations to a worldwide market.

Clarkdale, located in the Verde Valley of Yavapai County, is approximately 110 miles north of Phoenix and 25 miles southwest of Sedona, a contiguous neighbor of Cottonwood, and a short drive from Jerome. The current residential population is approximately 3,900 people. Since the inception of the Verde Canyon Railroad in 1990, the railroad brings approximately 100,000 people to Clarkdale each year. This gateway to relaxed adventures—scenic, historic, cultural and recreational—is an ideal spot to live, work and play.