Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Not to be confused with Santa Cruz, Arizona or Santa Cruz, Pima County, Arizona.

Santa Cruz County
County
Santa Cruz County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°32′00″N110°50′00″W / 31.533333333333°N 110.83333333333°W / 31.533333333333; -110.83333333333
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	March 15, 1899
Named for	Santa Cruz River
Seat	Nogales
Largest city	Nogales
Area
• Total	1,238 sq mi (3,210 km2)
• Land	1,237 sq mi (3,200 km2)
• Water	1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	47,669
• Estimate  (2023)	49,158
• Density	39/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.co.santa-cruz.az.us

Santa Cruz is a county in southern Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population is 47,669. ^[1] The county seat is Nogales. ^[2] The county was established in 1899. It borders Pima County to the north and west, Cochise County to the east, and the Mexican state of Sonora to the south.

Santa Cruz County includes the Nogales, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Tucson-Nogales, Arizona Combined Statistical Area.

History

The Santa Cruz River flowing northwards near Kino Springs shortly after re-entering the U.S. from Mexico.

Santa Cruz County, formed on March 15, 1899, out of what was then Pima County, is named after the Santa Cruz River. The river originates in the Canelo Hills in the eastern portion of the county, crosses south into Mexico near the community of Santa Cruz, Sonora, and then bends northwards returning into the United States (and Santa Cruz County) east of Nogales.

Father Eusebio Kino, an Italian explorer and missionary in the service of the Spanish Empire, named the Santa Cruz River–"holy cross" in Spanish–in the 1690s. In addition, Kino founded several missions to evangelize the different O'odham peoples living along the banks of the Santa Cruz River, including Missions San Cayetano del Tumacácori (1691) and San Gabriel de Guevavi (1691), as well as Los Reyes de Sonoita (1692) near Sonoita Creek. Along the river, but outside the boundaries of Santa Cruz County, Kino also founded Mission San Xavier del Bac (1692) near Tucson, Arizona, and Mission Santa Maria del Pilar (1693) in what is now Santa Cruz, Mexico. Kino's San Cayetano and San Gabriel missions were destroyed in the O'odham peoples' 1751 Pima Revolt and rebuilt as Missions Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi (1751), San José de Tumacácori (1753), and San Cayetano de Calabazas (1756). The ruins of all three of these later missions are now protected by Tumacácori National Historical Park. Disease, warfare, overwork, and changes in land ownership during Spanish colonization led to the demographic decline of the O'odham peoples of Santa Cruz County. ^{[3] [4]}

Geography

The junction of Arizona State Route 82 (Patagonia Highway) and Business-Loop 19 (Grand Avenue) in Nogales. The SR 82 overpass crosses over Grand Avenue, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the Nogales Wash.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,238 square miles (3,210 km²), of which 1,237 square miles (3,200 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (0.1%) is water. ^[5] It is the smallest county by area in Arizona.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

• Pima County–west, north
• Cochise County–east
• Nogales, Sonora, Mexico–south
• Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico–south
• Sáric, Sonora, Mexico–south

Major highways

• Interstate 19
• State Route 82
• State Route 83

National protected areas

• Coronado National Forest (part)
• Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (part)
• Tumacácori National Historical Park

Border crossings

There are three crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales: the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry (for vehicular and pedestrian traffic); the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry (in the western part of the city, for vehicular and pedestrian traffic); and the Morley Gate Port of Entry (for pedestrians only). ^[6] Lochiel, a former mining and ranching border town, formerly had a border crossing, but the U.S. government shut the port of entry down in 1983. ^{[7] [8]}

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	4,545		—
1910	6,766		48.9%
1920	12,689		87.5%
1930	9,684		−23.7%
1940	9,482		−2.1%
1950	9,417		−0.7%
1960	10,808		14.8%
1970	13,966		29.2%
1980	20,459		46.5%
1990	29,676		45.1%
2000	38,381		29.3%
2010	47,420		23.6%
2020	47,669		0.5%
2023 (est.)	49,158	[9]	3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790–1960 [11] 1900–1990 [12] 1990–2000 [13] 2010–2020 [1]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 47,420 people, 15,437 households, and 11,992 families living in the county. ^[14] The population density was 38.3 inhabitants per square mile (14.8 inhabitants/km²). There were 18,010 housing units at an average density of 14.6 units per square mile (5.6 units/km²). ^[15] The racial makeup of the county was 73.5% white, 0.7% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 22.9% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 82.8% of the population. ^[14]

The largest ancestry groups were: ^[16]

• 78.1% Mexican
• 4.3% German
• 3.4% Irish
• 3.1% English
• 2.3% American
• 1.8% Italian

Of the 15,437 households, 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 22.3% were non-families, and 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.51. The median age was 35.6 years. ^[14]

The median income for a household in the county was $36,519 and the median income for a family was $40,933. Males had a median income of $30,666 versus $25,135 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,209. About 20.6% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.8% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over. ^[17]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,381 people, 11,809 households, and 9,506 families living in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile (12 people/km²). There were 13,036 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.0% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 19.7% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 80.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 79.7% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 19.5% speak English. ^[18]

There were 11,809 households, of which 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.66.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,710, and the median income for a family was $32,057. Males had a median income of $27,972 versus $21,107 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,278. About 21.40% of families and 24.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.% of those under age 18 and 23.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Map of the incorporated areas in Santa Cruz County.

City

• Nogales (county seat)

Town

• Patagonia

Census designated places

• Amado
• Beyerville
• Elgin
• Kino Springs
• Rio Rico
• Sonoita
• Tubac
• Tumacacori-Carmen

Unincorporated communities

• Harshaw
• Oro Blanco
• Carmen
• Lochiel
• Trench Camp
• Casa Piedra
• Madera Canyon
• Washington Camp

Ghost Towns

• Alto
• Canelo
• Calabasas
• Duquesne
• Fort Buchanan
• Harshaw
• Lochiel
• Oro Blanco
• Ruby

Education

School districts include: ^[19]

K-12:

• Nogales Unified School District
• Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District

Secondary:

• Patagonia Union High School District

Elementary:

• Patagonia Elementary District
• Santa Cruz Elementary District
• Sonoita Elementary District

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Santa Cruz County. ^{[20] [21]}

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2010 Census)	Municipal type	Incorporated
1	† Nogales	20,837	City
2	Rio Rico	18,962	CDP
3	Tubac	1,191	CDP
4	Patagonia	913	Town
5	Sonoita	818	CDP
6	Tumacacori-Carmen	393	CDP
7	Amado	295	CDP
8	Beyerville	177	CDP
9	Elgin	161	CDP
10	Kino Springs	136	CDP

Politics

United States presidential election results for Santa Cruz County, Arizona ^[22]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	7,699	40.17%	11,265	58.77%	203	1.06%
2020	6,194	31.63%	13,138	67.10%	249	1.27%
2016	3,897	23.71%	11,690	71.14%	846	5.15%
2012	4,235	30.44%	9,486	68.19%	190	1.37%
2008	4,518	33.86%	8,683	65.07%	143	1.07%
2004	4,668	39.93%	6,909	59.11%	112	0.96%
2000	3,344	37.60%	5,233	58.84%	316	3.55%
1996	2,256	27.62%	5,241	64.17%	670	8.20%
1992	3,024	37.43%	3,512	43.47%	1,544	19.11%
1988	3,320	49.63%	3,268	48.85%	102	1.52%
1984	3,855	60.34%	2,463	38.55%	71	1.11%
1980	2,674	50.07%	2,089	39.12%	577	10.81%
1976	2,312	48.80%	2,265	47.80%	161	3.40%
1972	2,137	52.39%	1,866	45.75%	76	1.86%
1968	1,702	48.17%	1,557	44.07%	274	7.76%
1964	1,503	43.44%	1,955	56.50%	2	0.06%
1960	1,265	40.35%	1,868	59.59%	2	0.06%
1956	1,646	59.25%	1,131	40.71%	1	0.04%
1952	1,716	55.70%	1,365	44.30%	0	0.00%
1948	1,058	42.00%	1,424	56.53%	37	1.47%
1944	727	35.95%	1,291	63.85%	4	0.20%
1940	978	38.87%	1,536	61.05%	2	0.08%
1936	742	29.33%	1,729	68.34%	59	2.33%
1932	625	27.65%	1,606	71.06%	29	1.28%
1928	919	48.78%	962	51.06%	3	0.16%
1924	579	39.93%	673	46.41%	198	13.66%
1920	850	54.63%	706	45.37%	0	0.00%
1916	666	46.19%	726	50.35%	50	3.47%
1912	56	11.94%	250	53.30%	163	34.75%

Owing to its border location and Hispanic majority population, Santa Cruz is a strongly Democratic county. The last Republican to win the county was George H. W. Bush in 1988, and although the Republicans won the county in six consecutive elections from 1968 to 1988, three of these wins were by very narrow margins. Following the trends seen in majority Hispanic counties across the United States, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump with 67.1% of the popular vote in the county, a slightly lower margin than Hillary Clinton's 71.1% vote share in 2016. Trump's gains were far higher than Biden's losses (at nearly 8%), due to a combination of third parties losing votes and higher turnout. Despite this rightward shift in the vote share, Santa Cruz County remained as the most Democratic-leaning county in Arizona until 2024, when Apache and Coconino counties voted slightly more Democratic than Santa Cruz County, as Trump had the best performance for a Republican in the county since their last win in 1988, cracking 40% in the county for the first time since then.

Notable People

Elizabeth Gutfahr, former elected county treasurer who confessed to embezzling more than $38 million between 2012 and 2024. ^[23]

Economy

Because it is the state's smallest county, Santa Cruz County's economic activity is also smaller. ^[24] Its agriculture consists primarily of forage/hay, and the cattle products raised on that pasture and hay are almost 100% of farm products annually. ^[24]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Cruz County, Arizona

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "History: Pima County". Pima County Justice Court. September 27, 2000. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
4. "Santa Cruz County". Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records: Arizona History and Archives Division. August 4, 2009. Archived from the original on September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
6. Rafael Carranza, Mexico shuts down Nogales border crossing indefinitely, limits cargo processing, Arizona Republic (March 31, 2020).
7. Arielle Zionts, Border resident lives in old customs house, Nogales International (October 6, 2017).
8. Murphy Woodhouse, 'Ghost' border town isn't dead yet, Nogales International (January 20, 2015).
9. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
14. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
15. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
16. "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
17. "DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
18. "Language Map Data Center". Modern Language Organization. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011.
19. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Santa Cruz County, AZ" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022. - Text list
20. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades".
21. "2010 Census Block Maps - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
22. "Dave Leip's Atlas of United States Presidential Elections" . Retrieved June 11, 2011.
23. "Arizona county treasurer pleads guilty to embezzling more than $38 million for personal expenses". Yahoo News. November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
24. "Census of Agriculture - State and County Profiles - Arizona". USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service . 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.

External links

• Nogales Chamber of Commerce Website
• County Website
• Geologic Map of the Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona U.S. Geological Survey

31°32′N110°50′W / 31.533°N 110.833°W / 31.533; -110.833