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List of counties in Arizona

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List of counties in Arizona
Summary

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FieldValue
nameCounties of Arizona
map
categoryFederal Unit
territoryState of Arizona
current_number15
population_range9,410 (Greenlee) – 4,673,096 (Maricopa)
area_range1238 sqmi (Santa Cruz) – 18661 sqmi (Coconino)
governmentCounty government
subdivisionCities, towns, unincorporated communities, census-designated places

There are 15 counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Four counties (Mohave, Pima, Yavapai and Yuma) were created in 1864 following the organization of the Arizona Territory in 1862. The later 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.

Eight of Arizona's fifteen counties are named after Native 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, and Graham County, are named for 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.

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. A county commission must be formed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed county. A proposal to divide a county must be approved by a majority of the votes cast in each proposed new county.

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

Alphabetical listing

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Excluded counties

Territory of New Mexico]], 1852.
  • Doña Ana County, New Mexico Territory
  • Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Territory
  • Santa Ana County, New Mexico Territory
  • Socorro County, New Mexico Territory
  • Taos County, New Mexico Territory
  • Valencia County, New Mexico Territory

Extinct counties

  • Pah-Ute County, Arizona Territory (1865–1871), now part of Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona

Proposed counties

  • Butte County: In 1897, James C. Goodwin, with the support of Charles T. Hayden and others, introduced a bill at the Territorial Legislature to split Maricopa County into two, with Tempe being the county seat. There have also been proposals, introduced in 1900 and 1913, to divide Maricopa County, with Mesa as the new county's seat.
  • Sierra Bonita County: proposed at the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1885, with Willcox proposed as the county seat. The proposal died by one vote.

References

References

  1. "Find A County". uscounties.org.
  2. Adams, Ward R.. (1997). "History of Arizona". Higginson Book Company.
  3. (2004). "The American Counties: Origins of County Names, Dates of Creation, and Population Data, 1950–2000". Scarecrow Press.
  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.
  8. National Association of Counties. "NACo – Find a county".
  9. "Arizona QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau.
  10. "A Little Bit of Mount Graham History". University of Arizona.
  11. "History of Greenlee County: Mason Greenlee". Greenlee County Government.
  12. "The Name Mojave". Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association.
  13. (2011). "Early Maricopa County: 1871–1920". Arcadia Publishing.
  14. (January 12, 2017). "Tempe history: Tempe – Seat of Butte County". [[The Arizona Republic]].
  15. (1916). "Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern: The Nation's Youngest Commonwealth Within a Land of Ancient Culture, Volume 2". S. J. Clarke publishing Company.
Wikipedia Source

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