List of counties in Arizona

Last updated

Counties of Arizona
Category Federal Unit
Location State of Arizona
Number15
Populations9,369 (Greenlee) – 4,585,871 (Maricopa)
Areas1,238 square miles (3,210 km2) (Santa Cruz) – 18,661 square miles (48,330 km2) (Coconino)
Government
Subdivisions

There are 15 counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. [1] Four counties (Mohave, Pima, Yavapai and Yuma) were created in 1864 following the organization of the Arizona Territory in 1862. The now defunct Pah-Ute County was split from Mohave County in 1865, but merged back in 1871. All but La Paz County were created by the time Arizona was granted statehood in 1912. La Paz County was established in 1983 after many years of pushing for independence from Yuma County. [2]

Contents

Eight of Arizona's fifteen counties are named after various Native American groups that are resident in parts of what is now Arizona, with another (Cochise County) being named after a native leader. Four other counties, Gila County, Santa Cruz County, Pinal County, and Graham County, are named for physical features of Arizona's landscape: the Gila River, the Santa Cruz River, Pinal Peak, and Mount Graham, respectively. Another county, La Paz County, is named after a former settlement, while the final county, Greenlee County, is named after one of the state's early pioneers. [3]

Under Arizona laws, a county shall not be formed or divided by county initiative unless each proposed county would have all of the following characteristics: (1) at least three-fourths of one percent of the total state assessed valuation and at least the statewide per capita assessed valuation; (2) a population of at least three-fourths of one percent of the total state population according to the most recent United States decennial census; (3) at least one hundred square miles of privately owned land; (4) common boundaries with either (a) at least three other existing or proposed counties; or (b) at least two other existing or proposed counties and the state boundary. [4] A county formation commission is required to be formed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed county. [5] A proposal to divide a county must be approved by a majority of the votes cast in each proposed new county. [6]

Under the Arizona Constitution, counties are politically and legally creatures of the state, and do not have charters of their own. Counties are governed by boards of supervisors which act in the capacity of executive authority for the county within the statutes and powers prescribed by Arizona state law. With few exceptions, these powers are narrowly construed. The state legislature devotes considerable time to local matters, with limited discretion granted to the Board of Supervisors on minor ordinance, zoning, and revenue collection issues.

Arizona's postal abbreviation is AZ and its FIPS code is 04.

Alphabetical listing

County
FIPS code [7] County seat [8] Est. [8] Formed from [2] Etymology [3] Population [9] Area [8] [9] Map
ApacheCounty 001 St. Johns 1879Yavapai CountyThe Apache (Ndee) people. Apache is an exonym from Zuni ʔapaču "Navajos" or Yavapai ʔpačə "enemy".65,03611,218 sq mi
(29,054 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Apache County.svg
CochiseCounty 003 Bisbee 1881Pima County Cochise (1805-1874), a Chiricahua Apache chief and leader of an 1861 uprising. Cochise is an anglicisation of K'uu-ch'ish "oak".124,6406,219 sq mi
(16,107 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Cochise County.svg
CoconinoCounty 005 Flagstaff 1891Yavapai CountyCoconino is a former designation for the Havasupai, Hualapai, and/or Yavapai, derived from the Hopi exonym Kohonino.144,47218,661 sq mi
(48,332 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Coconino County.svg
GilaCounty 007 Globe 1881Maricopa and Pinal CountiesThe Gila River, a tributary of the Colorado. Possibly from Apache dzil "mountain," via Spanish Xila.54,0034,796 sq mi
(12,422 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Gila County.svg
GrahamCounty 009 Safford 1881Apache and Pima Counties Mount Graham, in the Pinaleños. Mt. Graham itself is named for topographical engineer James Duncan Graham (1799-1865). [10] 39,5254,641 sq mi
(12,020 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Graham County.svg
GreenleeCounty 011 Clifton 1909Graham CountyMason Greenlee (1835-1903), early prospector. Named by an amendment initially intended to delay the bill creating "Lincoln County". [11] 9,3691,848 sq mi
(4,786 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Greenlee County.svg
La PazCounty 012 Parker 1983Yuma County La Paz, Arizona, a historic boomtown on the Colorado River. A common placename, La Paz means "The Peace" in Spanish.16,7104,513 sq mi
(11,689 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting La Paz County.svg
MaricopaCounty 013 Phoenix 1871Pima and Yavapai CountiesThe Maricopa (Piipaash) people. First attested in Spanish as Cocomaricopa, no origin or meaning is definitively known.4,585,8719,224 sq mi
(23,890 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Maricopa County.svg
MohaveCounty 015 Kingman 1864The Mohave (Aha Makhav) people. The Mohave endonym means "along the water," referring to the Colorado. [12] 223,68213,470 sq mi
(34,887 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Mohave County.svg
NavajoCounty 017 Holbrook 1895Apache CountyThe Navajo (Diné) people. Navajo is an exonym from Tewa Navahu "big field," referring to the San Juan River Valley 109,1759,959 sq mi
(25,794 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Navajo County.svg
PimaCounty 019 Tucson 1864The Pima (Akimel O'odham) people. Pima is a Spanish exonym from the O'odham phrase pi mac "(I) don't know," presumably heard during initial encounters.1,063,1629,189 sq mi
(23,799 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Pima County.svg
PinalCounty 021 Florence 1875Maricopa and Pima counties Pinal Peak, possibly from Spanish pinal "place of pines". Pinal Peak is now within the borders of Gila County.484,2395,374 sq mi
(13,919 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Pinal County.svg
Santa CruzCounty 023 Nogales 1899Cochise and Pima counties Santa Cruz River, a tributary of the Gila. A common placename, Santa Cruz means "Holy Cross" in Spanish.49,1581,238 sq mi
(3,206 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Santa Cruz County.svg
YavapaiCounty 025 Prescott 1864The Yavapai people. The Yavapé are one of four major Yavapai bands.249,0818,128 sq mi
(21,051 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Yavapai County.svg
YumaCounty 027 Yuma 1864Yuma is a former name of the Quechan people, derived from the O'odham exonym Yumĭ.213,2215,519 sq mi
(14,294 km2)
Map of Arizona highlighting Yuma County.svg

Excluded counties

Counties of the Territory of New Mexico, 1852. Santa Ana County, New Mexico Territory.png
Counties of the Territory of New Mexico, 1852.

Extinct counties

Proposed counties

See also

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References

  1. "Find A County". uscounties.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Adams, Ward R. (1997). History of Arizona. Higginson Book Company. ISBN   0-8328-7044-7.
  3. 1 2 Kane, Joseph & Aiken, Charles (2004). The American Counties: Origins of County Names, Dates of Creation, and Population Data, 1950–2000 . Scarecrow Press. p.  333. ISBN   0-8108-5036-2. arizona county origins.
  4. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-132(B)
  5. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-136
  6. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-137(H)
  7. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA. Archived from the original on September 28, 2004. Retrieved April 9, 2007.
  8. 1 2 3 National Association of Counties. "NACo – Find a county". Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Arizona QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024. (2023 Census estimate)
  10. "A Little Bit of Mount Graham History". University of Arizona. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  11. "History of Greenlee County: Mason Greenlee". Greenlee County Government. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
  12. "The Name Mojave". Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  13. Rowe, Jeremy (2011). Early Maricopa County: 1871–1920. Arcadia Publishing. p. 39. ISBN   978-0-7385-7416-5 . Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Mark, Jay (January 12, 2017). "Tempe history: Tempe – Seat of Butte County". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  15. McClintock, James H. (1916). Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern: The Nation's Youngest Commonwealth Within a Land of Ancient Culture, Volume 2. Arizona: S. J. Clarke publishing Company. p. 334. Retrieved February 17, 2017.