Jerome, Mining town on Cleopatra Hill in Yavapai County, Arizona
Jerome is a mining town perched on steep hillsides in Yavapai County, Arizona, where buildings are wedged into the mountainside and overlook the Verde Valley below. The structures follow the extreme slopes of the terrain, creating a compact, terraced settlement pattern.
The town grew in the 1800s around copper mining and attracted thousands of workers seeking employment in the growing industry. When the mines closed in 1953, the population shrank sharply and Jerome transformed into a small, quiet place.
Art galleries and museums throughout Jerome reflect how deeply mining shaped both the community and its sense of place. These spaces show visitors how the copper industry influenced daily life and the identity of everyone who lived here.
The town sits along State Route 89A, providing access to nearby forests and mountains while remaining easy to reach from larger cities in the region. The streets within the town itself are steep and narrow, so slow driving and careful parking are advisable.
An old school building slid down the hillside during an earthquake in 1907, moving several feet downslope. This dramatic shift and the ground instability beneath the town reveal the extreme challenges miners faced when constructing anything on such steep terrain.
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