| Counties of Arizona | |
|---|---|
| Category | Federal Unit |
| Location | State of Arizona |
| Number | 15 |
| Populations | 9,410 (Greenlee) – 4,673,096 (Maricopa) |
| Areas | 1,238 square miles (3,210 km2) (Santa Cruz) – 18,661 square miles (48,330 km2) (Coconino) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
|
There are 15counties in the U.S. state ofArizona.[1][2] Four counties (Mohave, Pima, Yavapai and Yuma) were created in 1864 following the organization of theArizona Territory in 1862. The later defunctPah-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.[3]
Eight of Arizona's fifteen counties are named afterNative American groups that are resident in parts of Arizona, with another (Cochise County) being named after a native leader. Four other counties,Gila County,Santa Cruz County,Pinal County, andGraham County, are named for features of Arizona's landscape: theGila River, theSanta Cruz River,Pinal Peak, andMount 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.[4]
Under Arizona laws, a county shall not be formed or divided by county initiative unless each proposed county would have all of these 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.[5] A county commission must be formed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed county.[6] A proposal to divide a county must be approved by a majority of the votes cast in each proposed new county.[7]
Under theArizona Constitution, counties are politically and legally creatures of the state, and do not have their own charters. Counties are governed by boards of supervisors which act with 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'spostal abbreviation is AZ and itsFIPS code is 04.
| County | FIPS code[8] | County seat[9] | Est.[9] | Formed from[3] | Etymology[4] | Population[10] | Area[9][10] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache County | 001 | St. Johns | 1879 | Yavapai County | TheApache (Ndee) people.Apache is anexonym fromZuniʔapaču "Navajos" orYavapaiʔpačə "enemy". | 64,800 | 11,218 sq mi (29,054 km2) |  |
| Cochise County | 003 | Bisbee | 1881 | Pima County | Cochise (1805-1874), aChiricahuaApache chief and leader of an 1861 uprising.Cochise is ananglicisation ofK'uu-ch'ish "oak". | 125,773 | 6,219 sq mi (16,107 km2) |  |
| Coconino County | 005 | Flagstaff | 1891 | Yavapai County | Coconino is a former designation for theHavasupai,Hualapai, and/orYavapai, derived from theHopiexonymKohonino. | 145,161 | 18,661 sq mi (48,332 km2) |  |
| Gila County | 007 | Globe | 1881 | Maricopa and Pinal Counties | TheGila River, atributary of theColorado. Possibly fromApachedzil "mountain," via SpanishXila. | 54,073 | 4,796 sq mi (12,422 km2) |  |
| Graham County | 009 | Safford | 1881 | Apache and Pima Counties | Mount Graham, in thePinaleños. Mt. Graham itself is named fortopographical engineerJames Duncan Graham (1799-1865).[11] | 40,242 | 4,641 sq mi (12,020 km2) |  |
| Greenlee County | 011 | Clifton | 1909 | Graham County | Mason Greenlee (1835-1903), early prospector. Named by an amendment initially intended to delay the bill creating "Lincoln County".[12] | 9,410 | 1,848 sq mi (4,786 km2) |  |
| La Paz County | 012 | Parker | 1983 | Yuma County | La Paz, Arizona, a historic boomtown on theColorado River. Acommon placename,La Paz means "The Peace" in Spanish. | 16,992 | 4,513 sq mi (11,689 km2) |  |
| Maricopa County | 013 | Phoenix | 1871 | Pima and Yavapai Counties | TheMaricopa (Piipaash) people. First attested in Spanish asCocomaricopa, no origin or meaning is definitively known. | 4,673,096 | 9,224 sq mi (23,890 km2) |  |
| Mohave County | 015 | Kingman | 1864 | — | TheMohave (Aha Makhav) people. TheMohaveendonym means "along the water," referring to theColorado.[13] | 226,479 | 13,470 sq mi (34,887 km2) |  |
| Navajo County | 017 | Holbrook | 1895 | Apache County | TheNavajo (Diné) people.Navajo is anexonym fromTewaNavahu "big field," referring to theSan Juan River Valley | 109,516 | 9,959 sq mi (25,794 km2) |  |
| Pima County | 019 | Tucson | 1864 | — | ThePima (Akimel O'odham) people.Pima is a Spanishexonym from theO'odham phrasepi mac "(I) don't know," presumably heard during initial encounters. | 1,080,149 | 9,189 sq mi (23,799 km2) |  |
| Pinal County | 021 | Florence | 1875 | Maricopa and Pima counties | Pinal Peak, possibly from Spanishpinal "place of pines". Pinal Peak is within the borders ofGila County. | 513,862 | 5,374 sq mi (13,919 km2) |  |
| Santa Cruz County | 023 | Nogales | 1899 | Cochise and Pima counties | Santa Cruz River, atributary of theGila. Acommon placename,Santa Cruz means "Holy Cross" in Spanish. | 50,508 | 1,238 sq mi (3,206 km2) |  |
| Yavapai County | 025 | Prescott | 1864 | — | TheYavapai people. TheYavapé are one of four majorYavapai bands. | 252,013 | 8,128 sq mi (21,051 km2) |  |
| Yuma County | 027 | Yuma | 1864 | — | Yuma is a former name of theQuechan people, derived from theO'odhamexonymYumĭ. | 220,310 | 5,519 sq mi (14,294 km2) |  |
arizona county origins.
