Two communities, one mountain home
The story of Heber-Overgaard
A brief introduction to the people, timber, roads, and high-country landscape that shaped this place.
1883
Heber founded
1938
Overgaard post office
2,898
2020 population
~6,500 ft
Mountain elevation
Heber
A settlement in the pines
James E. Shelley and Sanford Porter Jr. founded Heber in 1883 during the broader period of Latter-day Saint settlement in northern Arizona. The community was named for Heber J. Grant. James E. Shelley established Heber's post office in 1890.
Ranching, farming, forestry, and the difficult work of building a life in the high country shaped the early community.
Overgaard
From Oklahoma Flat to a mill town
The adjoining community was first known as Oklahoma Flat. It later took the name Overgaard after an early sawmill owner, reflecting the importance of timber to the area. Overgaard's post office was established in 1938.
Heber and Overgaard remain unincorporated communities. Their proximity eventually led the U.S. Census Bureau to identify the combined Heber-Overgaard census-designated place.
Population
The 2020 U.S. Census counted 2,898 residents in the Heber-Overgaard census-designated place. Seasonal residents and visitors can make the community feel larger at different times of year.
High-country setting
Heber and Overgaard sit in Navajo County near the Mogollon Rim, surrounded by ponderosa pine country. Local elevations range from roughly 6,000 feet in Heber to about 6,540 feet in Overgaard.
Sources and context
Historical dates and place-name information come from an Arizona community profile preserved by the Arizona State Library. Population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 Census. History is always richer than a short overview; local archives, the Rock House Museum, and longtime residents can add the stories behind these dates.