Information about Portal

General

Location: Portal, AZ is very near the AZ/NM border. Rodeo, NM is nearby. Both towns are about 50 miles north of the Mexican border. The closest "big" town is the bordertown of Douglas, AZ. Bisbee and Sierra Vista are also relatively nearby. Portal is about midway between the airports at Tucson (175 miles) and El Paso (200 miles).

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Weather: Portal has sunshine approximately 360 days a year. The average temperature in the summer is in the low 90s; the average in the winter is in the mid 50s. The area gets about 15 inches of precipitation a year with a small amount of snow especially in the mountains.

Elevation and land features: Portal is in the San Simon Valley, with dramatic view of the Chiricahua Mountains to the west and the Peloncillo Mountains to the east. The elevation in Portal is about 4500 feet. The highest point in the surrounding mountains is 9759 feet. The area combines mountain and high desert biome environments. Much of the land in the valley is open rangeland for cattle.

Population: Portal has a population of about 80, while Rodeo has a population of 200. The total valley population is estimated at about 350. The census bureau says the population density is .9 per square mile. (We suspect that some of those people don't even live there "full time.") Most people don't have neighbors who are very nearby.

Points of interest:

There are several surrounding national parks and forests, including Chiricahua National Monument and the Coronado National Forest.
Portal is world-renowned as a bird watching site.
The nearby national park is home to the Southwest Research Station, which is part of the American Museum of Natural History.
There are several significant observatories in Portal. Astronomers come to the area because of the unique combination of high mountain peaks and very dark skies. (There are light restrictions in the surrounding area.)
Sky Gypsies is based in Portal. This small group of hobbyist aerotrekkers, who fly small kite-winged aircraft, was started by John McAfee with a group of others.

Links

Pictures from the Portal area
More pictures from the Portal area
More about Portal area
La Buena Vida Farm
Arizona Sky Village