Nelson Arizona Map

About Nelson, Arizona

Nelson is a locality in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. It is a small community with a population of 249. The population density is 201.6 people per km². Nelson is located at 32.4298°N, 111.2649°W. It observes the Mountain Standard Time — no DST (America/Phoenix) timezone. ZIP codes: 86434, 85653.

Nelson emerges from the arid expanse as a stark study in desert textures, where the ground is composed of sun-bleached earth and sparse, resilient scrub. It lies 43.1 miles east-northeast of New Kingman-Butler, AZ (from New Kingman-Butler, AZ: bearing 66°T), and is situated 31.4 miles east-northeast of Valle Vista. Beyond the immediate settlement, the terrain shifts into the rugged, broken topography of Nelson Canyon, a deep fissure that emphasizes the scale of the surrounding plains. To the north, the profile of Blue Mountain anchors the horizon, its silhouette sharpening against the intense, cloudless sky during the heat of the afternoon. Nearby, the waterless bed of Truxton Wash cuts a pale, winding scar through the landscape, a reminder of the sporadic power of seasonal floods in this dry climate. The light at dusk here is particularly transformative, washing the parched soil in shades of violet and burnt ochre until the land seems to hold the day’s warmth long after the sun has vanished.

Nelson persists as a quiet remnant of the region’s industrial ambitions, defined by the skeletal remains of mining ventures that once drew men to these unforgiving slopes. Much of the land surrounding the site is designated as State Trust Land, preserving the vast, open character of the high desert while limiting development to the scattered remnants of earlier extraction efforts. The economy, once tethered to the extraction of resources from the earth, has long since receded, leaving behind a stillness that feels heavy and deliberate. Today, the pace of life in Nelson is dictated by the slow migration of shadows and the immense, silent sky, offering a rare clarity to those who observe the way the wind moves across the plains. It is a place that demands little and reveals its history only to those willing to look past the weathered stone and rusted iron.

About This Nelson Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Nelson, Arizona. Coordinates: 32.42981, -111.264924. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Nelson includes the ZIP code (86434, 85653), telephone area code (928, 520), county seat of Yavapai County (Prescott), and school district assignment (Marana Unified District).

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.