Located at the base of Mingus Mountain in Arizona’s Verde Valley, the Jerome ghost town was once a bustling and slightly seedy mining town. It could have gone to dust when the mines went bust, but a determined group of locals keep Jerome alive and worth a detour if you’re road-tripping in the area.
World War II greatly increased the demand for copper, but after the war demand decreased dramatically. With Jerome’s economy completely dependent upon the demand for copper, Phelps Dodge Mine closed in 1953. The remaining population of around 50 to 100 people promoted the town as a historic ghost town.
