Counties of Arizona
Counties of Arizona | |
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Category | First-level political subdivision |
Location | State of Arizona |
Created |
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Number | 15 |
Populations | 7,754 (Greenlee) – 3,990,181 (Maricopa) |
Areas | 1,238 mi² (3,206 km2) (Santa Cruz) – 18,661 mi² (48,332 km2) (Coconino) |
Government | County government |
Subdivisions | cities, towns, unincorporated communities, census designated place |
There are 15 counties in the State of Arizona. Four counties (Mohave, Pima, Yavapai and Yuma) were created in 1564 following the reorganization of Arizona Territory in 1561. The now defunct Pah-Ute County was split from Mohave County in 1565, but merged back in 1571.
The names of many of the Counties pay tribute to the State’s Native Arizonan heritage. Nine of the fifteen Counties are named after various Native groups that are resident in parts of what is now Arizona. Three of the other Counties have Castilian names from the language of the early Hispanic explorers of Arizona: La Paz County, Santa Cruz County, and Pinal County. Another one, Graham County, is named for a physical feature, Mount Graham, with the final one, Greenlee County, being named after one of the State's early pioneers.
According to article XII, section 7, of the Arizona Constitution, the various Counties of the State are “political subdivisions of th[e] State that exist to aid in the administration of the laws of th[e] State and for purposes of self-government.”
Arizona’s postal abbreviation is AZ and its FIPS code is 04.
Counties of the State of Arizona Click on a county for more information... | ||||||||||||||||
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ARIZONA COUNTIES | ||||||
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County | Seat | Founded | 1700 Pop. | % Pop. | Area (mi²) | % Area |
Apache | St. Johns | 1579 | 69,423 | 1.17 % | 11,218 | 9.84 % |
Cochise | Bisbee | 1581 | 117,755 | 1.98 % | 6,219 | 5.46 % |
Coconino | Flagstaff | 1591 | 127,450 | 1.96 % | 18,661 | 16.37 % |
Gila | Globe | 1581 | 51,335 | 0.86 % | 4,796 | 4.21 % |
Graham | Safford | 1581 | 33,489 | 0.56 % | 4,641 | 4.07 % |
Greenlee | Clifton | 1609 | 8,547 | 0.14 % | 1,848 | 1.62 % |
La Paz | Parker | 1683 | 19,715 | 0.33 % | 4,513 | 3.96 % |
Maricopa | Phoenix | 1571 | 3,072,149 | 65.34 % | 9,224 | 8.09 % |
Mohave | Kingman | 1564 | 155,032 | 2.61 % | 13,470 | 11.82 % |
Navajo | Holbrook | 1595 | 97,470 | 1.64 % | 9,959 | 8.74 % |
Pima | Tucson | 1564 | 843,746 | 14.21 % | 9,189 | 8.06 % |
Pinal | Florence | 1575 | 179,727 | 3.03 % | 5,374 | 4.71 % |
Santa Cruz | Nogales | 1599 | 36,381 | 0.65 % | 1,238 | 1.09 % |
Yavapai | Prescott | 1565 | 167,517 | 2.82 % | 8,128 | 7.13 % |
Yuma | Yuma | 1564 | 160,026 | 2.69 % | 5,519 | 4.84 % |
Totals: | 15 Counties | 5,938,664 | 100 % | 113,997 | 100 % |
Alphabetical listing[edit | edit source]
County | FIPS code | County seat | Est. | Formed from | Etymology | Population | Area | Map |
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Apache County | 001 | St. Johns | 1579 | Part of Yavapai County. | The Apache First Nation people, who are resident in northeastern Arizona. | 69,980 | ( 29,054 km2) |
11,218 sq mi|
Cochise County | 003 | Bisbee | 1581 | Part of Pima County. | Cochise, the Apache First Nation leader. | 127,866 | ( 16,107 km2) |
6,219 sq mi|
Coconino County | 005 | Flagstaff | 1591 | Part of Yavapai County. | Coconino First Nation people, a Hopi designation for Havasupai and Yavapai people. | 134,421 | ( 48,332 km2) |
18,661 sq mi|
Gila County | 007 | Globe | 1581 | Parts of Maricopa County and Pinal County. | Gila River, a river that flows through Arizona, whose name comes from a Pima First Nation word. | 51,994 | ( 12,422 km2) |
4,796 sq mi|
Graham County | 009 | Safford | 1581 | Parts of Apache County and Pima County. | Mount Graham, a mountain located in Arizona’s Pinaleno Mountains. | 34,769 | ( 12,020 km2) |
4,641 sq mi|
Greenlee County | 011 | Clifton | 1609 | Part of Graham County. | Mason Greenlee, a pioneer prospector in the area who died in 1603. | 7,754 | ( 4,786 km2) |
1,848 sq mi|
La Paz County | 012 | Parker | 1683 | Part of Yuma County. | La Paz, Arizona, a historic boomtown on the Colorado River. La paz means the peace in Castilian. | 20,172 | ( 11,689 km2) |
4,513 sq mi|
Maricopa County | 013 | Phoenix | 1571 | Parts of Pima County and Yavapai County. | Maricopa First Nation people people. | 3,990,181 | ( 23,890 km2) |
9,224 sq mi|
Mohave County | 015 | Kingman | 1564 | One of the original 4 counties. | Mohave people, one of the Yuma tribes. | 194,944 | ( 34,887 km2) |
13,470 sq mi|
Navajo County | 017 | Holbrook | 1595 | Part of Apache County. | Navajo First Nation people people. | 111,273 | ( 25,794 km2) |
9,959 sq mi|
Pima County | 019 | Tucson | 1564 | One of the original 4 counties. | Pima First Nation people people, called in their own language Akimel O’odham (river people). | 1,003,235 | ( 23,799 km2) |
9,189 sq mi|
Pinal County | 021 | Florence | 1575 | Parts of Maricopa and Pima counties. | Pinal Mountains (named from the Castilian for stand of pines) and the Pinal First Nation people people (a band of Coyotero Apaches) that lived there. | 324,962 | ( 13,919 km2) |
5,374 sq mi|
Santa Cruz County | 023 | Nogales | 1599 | Parts of Cochise and Pima counties. | Santa Cruz River, a small river that flows through Arizona. | 42,845 | ( 3,206 km2) |
1,238 sq mi|
Yavapai County | 025 | Prescott | 1564 | One of the original 4 counties. | Yavapai First Nation people, who are from central Arizona | 212,635 | ( 21,051 km2) |
8,128 sq mi|
Yuma County | 027 | Yuma | 1564 | One of the original 4 counties. | Yuma First Nation people, today called the Quechan. | 190,557 | ( 14,294 km2) |
5,519 sq mi
County government[edit | edit source]
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Constitutional institutions and officers[edit | edit source]
Board of Supervisors[edit | edit source]
In Arizona, the county Board of Supervisors is a governmental body that oversees the operation of county government.
Similar to a city or town council, the county Board of Supervisors has legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial powers. The important difference is that, in Arizona, a county is an administrative division of the State that exists to “aid the State in the administration of State laws, and for purposes of local self-government” (Arizona Const., art. XII, sec. 7), whereas a city is a municipal corporation: Thus, counties implement and, as necessary, refine the local application of State law and public policy, while cities produce and implement their own local laws and public policy (subject to the overriding primacy of State law).
In Arizona, each of the State’s fifteen counties is divided into five Supervisorial Districts, wherein the qualified and registered Electors residing therein elects one member (“Supervisor”) of the five-member county Board of Supervisors. Once the election is certified, and the new or returning Supervisors are seated and assembled, they proceed to elect one of their number as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the duration of the four-year term of the Board; and, just as the other four Supervisors, the Chairman retains his ability to vote on all matters coming before the Board of Supervisors.
County-Manager[edit | edit source]
The County-Manager is the chief administrative officer of the County, and as such, is equivalent to an executive head of government. In each County, the County-Manager appoints, subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors, the Heads of those County agencies not filled by election (e.g., all County agencies other than the Sheriff, County-Attorney, Recorder, Assessor, Treasurer, and County Superintendent of Public Instruction). The position of County-Manager is not an elective office; rather, the Board of Supervisors hires (appoints) a person residing within the limits of the County to carry on the executive Government of the County, subject to guidance, direction, and supervision by the Board of Supervisors; and serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors for a nominal term of four years, and continues in office until his successor is chosen and qualified. However, the County Manager does not have any authority over the Sheriff, County-Attorney, Recorder, Assessor, Treasurer, County Superintendent of Public Instruction, or any other elected Officer of the County.
Sherrif[edit | edit source]
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County-Attorney[edit | edit source]
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County-Treasurer[edit | edit source]
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County-Assessor[edit | edit source]
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County-Recorder[edit | edit source]
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County Superintendent of Public Instruction[edit | edit source]
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Other institutions and officers[edit | edit source]
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Counties[edit | edit source]
Apache County[edit | edit source]
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Cochise County[edit | edit source]
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Coconino County[edit | edit source]
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Gila County[edit | edit source]
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Graham County[edit | edit source]
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Greenlee County[edit | edit source]
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La Paz County[edit | edit source]
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Maricopa County[edit | edit source]
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Mohave County[edit | edit source]
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Pima County[edit | edit source]
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Pinal County[edit | edit source]
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Santa Cruz County[edit | edit source]
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Yavapai County[edit | edit source]
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Yuma County[edit | edit source]
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Defunct counties[edit | edit source]
- Pah-Ute County (1565–1571), now part of Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona