There's something beautiful and fascinating in each of Arizona's 15 counties. Read on to learn more about all the wonderful parts of our state.
County Seat: St. Johns
Founded: 1879
Area: 11,198 square miles
Population: 71,518 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Alpine, Chinle, Ganado, Springerville, Tsaile, Window Rock
Geographic Highlights: Apache County is home to the headwaters of the two forks of the Little Colorado River. It also includes White Mountains destinations such as Big Lake, Hawley Lake and Baldy Peak, along with the Navajo Nation’s Canyon de Chelly National Monument and most of Petrified Forest National Park.
County Seat: Bisbee
Founded: 1881
Area: 6,166 square miles
Population: 131,346 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Benson, Douglas, Sierra Vista, Willcox
Geographic Highlights: The Chiricahua Mountains are Cochise County’s best-known range, but others include the Dragoons and the Whetstones. Between Sierra Vista and Bisbee, the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area protects part of the San Pedro River, the last major undammed, free-flowing river in the American Southwest.
County Seat: Flagstaff
Founded: 1891
Area: 18,619 square miles
Population: 134,421 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Page, Sedona
(partial), Tusayan, Williams
Geographic Highlights: The Grand Canyon is a pretty big one, we suppose. But Coconino County also includes wonders such as Lake Powell, Marble Canyon, Sunset Crater, the Vermilion Cliffs and the San Francisco Peaks. The latter feature 12,633-foot Humphreys Peak, Arizona’s highest point.
County Seat: Globe
Founded: 1881
Area: 4,758 square miles
Population: 53,597 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Miami, Payson, Pine
Geographic Highlights: Gila County’s terrain ranges from the cool pines of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests to the saguaros of the Sonoran Desert. Attractions include Tonto National Monument, Fossil Creek, Salt River Canyon and Theodore Roosevelt Lake, the largest reservoir located entirely in Arizona.
County Seat: Safford
Founded: 1881
Area: 4,623 square miles
Population: 37,220 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Pima, Thatcher
Geographic Highlights: Graham County’s Pinaleño and Galiuro mountain ranges offer myriad recreation opportunities. The county also contains most of the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area, which protects portions of the Gila River and Bonita Creek.
County Seat: Clifton
Founded: 1909
Area: 1,843 square miles
Population: 8,437 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Duncan, Morenci
Geographic Highlights: Arizona’s second-smallest and least-populated county is known for Hannagan Meadow and the Blue Range Primitive Area, the last such area in the U.S. The Coronado Trail (U.S. Route 191) traverses most of the county from north to south.
County Seat: Parker
Founded: 1983
Area: 4,500 square miles
Population: 20,489 (2010)
Other Major City: Quartzsite
Geographic Highlights: La Paz is Arizona’s youngest county and the only one formed since Arizona gained statehood in 1912. The Parker Strip section of the Colorado River is a major tourist attraction, while Quartzsite is a popular destination for winter visitors to the state.
County Seat: Phoenix
Founded: 1871
Area: 9,200 square miles
Population: 3,817,117 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Gila Bend, Mesa, Scottsdale, Wickenburg
Geographic Highlights: Nearly 60 percent of Arizona’s population calls Maricopa County home. In Phoenix, 2,680-foot Camelback Mountain is a popular and strenuous hike. Other attractions include the Four Peaks Wilderness, Bartlett Lake and South Mountain Park.
County Seat: Kingman
Founded: 1864
Area: 13,311 square miles
Population: 200,186 (2010)
Other Major Cities: Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City
Geographic Highlights: Much of the longest remaining unbroken stretch of Historic Route 66 runs through Mohave County. There’s also a section of Grand Canyon National Park, the striking landscape of Lake Mead and part of the Arizona Strip, the remote northwest corner of the state.
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