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Nogales, Arizona

City in Arizona, United States

Nogales, Arizona
Summary

City in Arizona, United States

FieldValue
nameNogales, Arizona
settlement_typeCity
image_skylineNogales.jpg
image_captionthe view of Nogales
image_flagFlag of Nogales, Arizona.gif
imagesize250px
image_mapFile:Santa Cruz County Arizona Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Nogales Highlighted 0449640.svg
mapsize250px
map_captionLocation of Nogales in Santa Cruz County, Arizona
pushpin_mapArizona#USA
pushpin_labelNogales
pushpin_label_positiontop
pushpin_map_captionLocation in Arizona##Location in the United States
pushpin_relief1
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameUnited States
subdivision_type1State
subdivision_name1Arizona
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Santa Cruz
established_titleIncorporated
established_date1893
government_typeCouncil-manager
governing_bodyNogales City Council
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameJorge Maldonado
leader_title1Vice Mayor
leader_name1Hector Bojorquez
leader_title2City Manager
leader_name2Joel Kramer
leader_title3City Council
leader_name3{{Collapsible list
frame_styleborder:none; padding: 0;
title_style
list_styletext-align:left;display:none;
1• Hector Bojorquez
2• Liza Montiel
3• Saulo Bonilla
4• John Doyle
5• Esther Melendez-Lopez
6• Anna Parada
area_total_km253.96
area_total_sq_mi20.83
area_land_km253.92
area_land_sq_mi20.82
area_water_km20.04
area_water_sq_mi0.01
elevation_footnotes
elevation_ft3829
population_as_of2020
population_total19770
population_density_km2366.63
population_density_sq_mi949.57
timezoneMST
utc_offset-07:00
coordinates
postal_code_typeZIP codes
postal_code85621
area_code520
blank_nameFIPS code
blank_info04-49640
blank1_nameGNIS feature ID
blank1_info32336
website
unit_prefImperial
area_footnotes
image_sealNogales,_Arizona_official_seal.png

Nogales (; English: or ) is a city in and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 20,837 at the 2010 census and estimated 20,103 in 2019. Nogales forms part of the larger Tucson–Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population of 1,027,683 as of the 2010 Census.

Nogales forms Arizona's largest transborder agglomeration with its adjacent, much larger twin Nogales, Sonora, across the Mexican border. The southern terminus of Interstate 19 is located in Nogales at the U.S.–Mexico border; the highway continues south into Mexico as Mexico Federal Highway 15. The highways meeting in Nogales are a major road intersection in the CANAMEX Corridor, connecting Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Nogales also is the beginning of the Arizona Sun Corridor, an economically important trade region stretching from Nogales to Prescott, including the Tucson and Phoenix metropolitan areas.

Nogales is home to four international ports of entry, including the Morley Pedestrian Port of Entry, Dennis Deconcini Pedestrian and Passenger Vehicle Port of Entry, Union Pacific rail, Nogales International Airport, and the Mariposa Port of Entry. The Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry has twelve passenger vehicle inspection lanes and eight commercial inspection lanes.

Due to its location on the border and its major ports of entry, Nogales funnels an estimated $30 billion worth of international trade into Arizona and the United States, per year, in fresh produce and manufactured goods from Mexico and the world through the deep sea port in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. This trade helps to support tens of thousands of jobs and the overall economies in Ambos Nogales and throughout the American state of Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora.

The town is named for the black walnut trees which once grew abundantly in the mountain pass between the cities of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, and can still be found around the town.

History

The boundary between Nogales, Arizona, in the United States, on the right, and Nogales, Sonora, in Mexico, on the left, running down the center of a wide avenue, about 1899
Similar picture of the border from the opposite direction, 2007
View of Nogales, 1940s

The name Nogales is derived from the Spanish word for 'walnut' or 'walnut tree'. It refers to the large stands of walnut trees that once stood in the mountain pass where Nogales is located.

Nogales was at the beginning of the 1775–1776 Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition as it entered the present-day U.S. from New Spain, and the town is now on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. On the second floor of the 1904 Nogales Courthouse is a small room dedicated to the 1775–1776 Anza Expedition.

In 1841, a land grant from the Mexican government to the Elías family established Los Nogales de Elías. Following the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, Nogales became a part of the United States of America. In 1880, Russian-Jewish immigrants Isaac and Jacob Isaacson homesteaded the trading post of Isaacson, Arizona, at present-day Nogales. The U.S. Postal Service opened the Isaacson post office but renamed it as Nogales in 1883.

In 1915, according to historian David Leighton, Sonora Gov. Jose M. Maytorena ordered the construction of an 11-wire fence, separating Nogales, Sonora from Nogales, Arizona, but it was taken down four months later.

On August 27, 1918, a battle between United States Army forces and Mexican militia – mostly civilian in composition – took place. Culminating as the result of a decade's worth of tensions originating from the Mexican Revolution and earlier battles in Nogales along the border in 1913 and 1915, the main consequence of the 1918 violence saw the building of the first permanent border wall between Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, along the previously unobstructed boundary line on International Street.

Demographics

|align-fn=center

Race (NH = Non-Hispanic)% 2020% 2010% 2000Pop. 2020Pop. 2010Pop. 2000
White Alone (NH)3.3%3.9%5.5%6458031,139
Black Alone (NH)0.2%0.1%0.2%422838
American Indian Alone (NH)0.1%0.2%0.2%184838
Asian Alone (NH)0.6%0.6%0.3%11512565
Pacific Islander Alone (NH)0%0%0%114
Other Race Alone (NH)0.3%0%0.1%64819
Multiracial (NH)0.3%0.1%0.2%553136
Hispanic (Any race)95.2%95%93.6%18,83019,79319,539

As of the 2010 census, there were 20,878 people, 5,985 households, and 4,937 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,002.1 PD/sqmi. There were 6,501 housing units at an average density of 312.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 71.7% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 24.3% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. 95.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,362 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 24.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.62.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,044, and the median income for a family was $24,637. Males had a median income of $24,636 versus $18,403 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,440. About 30.8% of families and 32.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.2% of those under age 18 and 32.9% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.8 sqmi, all land.

The city is at an elevation of 3829 ft.

Climate

Nogales has a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh/BSk), which is less hot and more rainy than a typical arid climate such as Phoenix. In the winter months, Nogales averages daily maximum temperatures in the mid to upper 60s, with December averaging daily highs of around 65 F. Lows typically settle just above the freezing mark (32 F) on a majority of nights, but it is not uncommon to see temperatures tumble below 25 F on some winter nights.

On the other hand, in the summer months, highs average between 90 and, with the month of June being the hottest with an average daytime high of 97 F. Nighttime lows for the summer months remain in the lower to mid 60s for the duration of the season. The Arizona Monsoon generally runs through July and August, and these months typically see eight inches or more of combined rainfall, which brings the average annual precipitation for Nogales to about 15 in. Some monsoon season storms are capable of producing several inches of rain in a short amount of time, creating flash flood hazards.

At the Nogales 6 N station, the all-time highest recorded temperature was 112 F, which was reached on June 26, 1990. The lowest recorded temperature was -4 F on December 8, 1978.

|Jan avg record high F = 77.3 |Feb avg record high F = 80.5 |Mar avg record high F = 86.5 |Apr avg record high F = 91.3 |May avg record high F = 97.7 |Jun avg record high F = 105.3 |Jul avg record high F = 102.9 |Aug avg record high F = 100.2 |Sep avg record high F = 97.7 |Oct avg record high F = 93.0 |Nov avg record high F = 85.7 |Dec avg record high F = 78.8 |year avg record high F = 106.2

|Jan avg record low F = 21.2 |Feb avg record low F = 23.1 |Mar avg record low F = 29.1 |Apr avg record low F = 33.5 |May avg record low F = 41.8 |Jun avg record low F = 53.3 |Jul avg record low F = 61.8 |Aug avg record low F = 60.3 |Sep avg record low F = 52.1 |Oct avg record low F = 37.7 |Nov avg record low F = 28.7 |Dec avg record low F = 21.6 |year avg record low F = 18.1

|Jan record high F = 82 |Feb record high F = 88 |Mar record high F = 91 |Apr record high F = 98 |May record high F = 106 |Jun record high F = 112 |Jul record high F = 110 |Aug record high F = 107 |Sep record high F = 106 |Oct record high F = 100 |Nov record high F = 91 |Dec record high F = 83 |year record high F = |Jan record low F = 10 |Feb record low F = 11 |Mar record low F = 22 |Apr record low F = 28 |May record low F = 33 |Jun record low F = 48 |Jul record low F = 53 |Aug record low F = 52 |Sep record low F = 43 |Oct record low F = 24 |Nov record low F = 20 |Dec record low F = 14 |year record low F =

|access-date = April 30, 2023 |access-date = April 30, 2023

|Jan avg record high F = 77.4 |Feb avg record high F = 79.7 |Mar avg record high F = 85.2 |Apr avg record high F = 91.5 |May avg record high F = 98.4 |Jun avg record high F = 104.7 |Jul avg record high F = 103.5 |Aug avg record high F = 100.5 |Sep avg record high F = 97.7 |Oct avg record high F = 93.9 |Nov avg record high F = 85.2 |Dec avg record high F = 77.6 |year avg record high F = 105.7

|Jan avg record low F = 18.6 |Feb avg record low F = 20.8 |Mar avg record low F = 25.3 |Apr avg record low F = 29.4 |May avg record low F = 36.2 |Jun avg record low F = 45.1 |Jul avg record low F = 56.4 |Aug avg record low F = 57.6 |Sep avg record low F = 47.9 |Oct avg record low F = 32.8 |Nov avg record low F = 22.5 |Dec avg record low F = 17.9 |year avg record low F = 15.1

|Jan record high F = 85 |Feb record high F = 89 |Mar record high F = 95 |Apr record high F = 99 |May record high F = 107 |Jun record high F = 112 |Jul record high F = 109 |Aug record high F = 108 |Sep record high F = 105 |Oct record high F = 101 |Nov record high F = 93 |Dec record high F = 84 |year record high F = |Jan record low F = 8 |Feb record low F = 9 |Mar record low F = 13 |Apr record low F = 16 |May record low F = 25 |Jun record low F = 34 |Jul record low F = 44 |Aug record low F = 40 |Sep record low F = 30 |Oct record low F = 19 |Nov record low F = 8 |Dec record low F = -4 |year record low F =

|access-date = April 30, 2023

Economy

The economy of Nogales is heavily dependent on the cross-border trade through its Ports of Entry by produce distributors and American-based manufacturing plants in Nogales, Sonora and throughout the rest of the Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa. Most of Nogales' economy is based on agribusiness and produce distributors, which comes from large farms in the Mexican agri-belt. Despite its small population, Nogales actually receives much patronage from its bordering sister-city, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Most observers guess the population of Nogales, Sonora, at roughly 300,000. International commerce is a big part of Nogales' economy. More than 60 percent of Nogales' sales tax comes from the estimated 30,000 Mexican shoppers crossing the border daily. Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, are home to one of the largest maquiladora clusters. This enables American manufacturing plants on both sides of the border to take advantage of favorable wage and operating costs and excellent transportation and distribution networks.

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Nogales is located on 135 W. Cardwell St.

The United States Department of Homeland Security is a major economic driver in the Ambos Nogales region, with thousands of employees working for both the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. Due to the large federal, state, and local police presence, Nogales has one of the highest police per-capita levels in the United States.

The largest employers in Nogales are:

  • Seattle Sports
  • City of Nogales
  • County of Santa Cruz
  • Dependable Home Health
  • E.D.S. Manufacturing
  • Holy Cross Hospital
  • The Home Depot
  • Mariposa Community Health Center
  • Nogales Unified School District
  • Safeway
  • Prestolite Wire
  • UPS Supply Chain Solutions
  • Walmart

Arts and culture

The county of Santa Cruz and the city of Nogales have 200 properties listed in the National Register of Historic Sites, including Tumacacori National Monument first visited by Father Eusebio Kino in 1691 and Tubac Presidio, established by the Spanish in 1752 on an Indian village site. Others include the Old Tubac Schoolhouse, Old Nogales City Hall, Santa Cruz County Courthouse, and Patagonia Railroad Depot. The Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary, 19 miles east, attracts worldwide visitors to see its diverse bird life. It is also host to ghost towns and mining camps, curio shops, first-class restaurants and night clubs.

The Santa Cruz County Historical Courthouse on Morley Street/Court Street has the statue of Lady Justice on top of the building. The Nogales version of Lady Justice is not wearing a blindfold.

Interesting architecture and historical homes along Crawford and Court Streets provide a glimpse of border life at its peak during that time period. A day trip to old Nogales, Sonora reveals many of the same architectural uniqueness.

Several state parks and recreation areas are located close to Nogales, including Patagonia State Park, Peña Blanca Lake, Parker Canyon Lake, and Coronado National Forest. The Wine Country of Sonoita-Elgin is also located 20 miles east of Nogales.

Government

The City of Nogales operates under a council-manager form of government in which the mayor is elected to a 4-year term and has a single vote on the city council. The council then hires a city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city. The 6 city council members are elected at-large to 4-year terms.

Transportation

Nogales is located at the south end of Interstate 19. Arizona State Route 189 connects Interstate 19 with the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry and Mexican Federal Highway 15. Arizona State Route 82 connects Nogales with Patagonia and Sonoita. Interstate 11 is proposed to replace I-19, terminating in Nogales.

Santa Cruz County operates the Nogales International Airport, a general use airport.

Local bus transportation in Nogales is currently provided by local companies. Private bus companies Greyhound and TUFESA, as well as several shuttle companies, connect Nogales with Tucson and points north.

Notable people

  • Bob Baffert – 2015 & 2018 Triple Crown winner, champion horse breeder and trainer
  • Andrew Leo Bettwy – Arizona State Land Commissioner 1970–78
  • Movita Castaneda – Actress best known for being the second wife of actor Marlon Brando
  • Travis Edmonson – Member of 1960's influential folk duo "Bud & Travis"
  • Adrian Fontes – 22nd and current Secretary of State of Arizona since 2023
  • John Frederick "Jack" Hannah – Academy Award-winning Disney Studios artist and director
  • Gil Heredia – 10-year Major League Baseball pitcher and University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame member, born 1965.
  • Christine McIntyre – Actress, starred in 22 feature films, most notably as supporting character in Three Stooges films
  • Charles Mingus – Jazz bass player, composer, and bandleader
  • Jack O'Connor – Longtime firearms editor for Outdoor Life magazine
  • Alberto Alvaro Ríos – Author, poet, won the 1981 Walt Whitman award for "Whispering to Fool the Wind", current State of Arizona Poet Laureate.
  • Roger Smith – Actor, star of 77 Sunset Strip, husband to movie star Ann-Margret.
  • Verita Bouvaire-Thompson – Actress turned hairdresser, Humphrey Bogart's friend.

References

References

  1. Delaware.Net. "City of Nogales maintains "AA" rating from S&P".
  2. {{Cite GNIS. 32336. Nogales
  3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
  4. "Here Are 5 Weird Arizona Town Names You Probably Can't Pronounce".
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates".
  6. (June 13, 2012). "$26 Billion in Cross-Border Trade". Biztucson.com.
  7. "Welcome to Nogales, AZ". City of Nogales.
  8. (February 9, 2014). "Anza Related Sites – Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov.
  9. (May 20, 2013). "Isaac & Jacob Isaacson: The Original Jewish Pioneer Brothers of Isaacson/Nogales, Arizona Territory". Western States Jewish History Association.
  10. "Nogales History". Pimeria Alta Museum.
  11. Star, David Leighton For the Arizona Daily. (April 6, 2015). "Street Smarts: First fence built to hold back cattle".
  12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
  13. "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2020)". U.S. Census Bureau.
  14. "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2010)". US Census Bureau.
  15. "Arizona: 2000". US Census Bureau.
  16. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
  17. United States Census Bureau. “Explore Census Data.” ''Census.gov'', 2025, data.census.gov/profile/Nogales_city. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
  18. "Nogales, Mexico Population 2024".
  19. "Kyl, McCain to DHS: Speed up Nogales border crossings". [[Nogales International]].
  20. "Sales tax hike met with mixed response". Nogales International.
  21. "Información sobre el consulado". [[Diplomatic missions of Mexico.
  22. "Leadership that puts business first". AzCommerce.com.
  23. "A day in Nogales Sonora". Thenogaleschamber.com.
  24. "City Government, City Council". Nogalesaz.gov.
  25. [https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/Multimodal_Planning_Division/Planning_Assistance_for_Rural_Areas_Studies/PARA-Nogales_Pedestrian_Circulation_at_Port_of_Entries-Final_Report-1205.pdf Pedestrian Circulation at Port of Entry]
  26. Star, Arizona Daily. (October 15, 2016). "Greyhound expands rural bus service in Southern Arizona". Arizona Daily Star.
  27. "A shuttle service: 'Who's going to Nogales?'". Arizona Sonora News.
  28. Curt Prendergast. (January 30, 2015). "Stiff competition at shuttle central". Nogales International.
  29. "Film Locations". City of Nogales, Arizona.
  30. Prendergast, Curt. (October 9, 2012). "Hollywood comes to Nogales".
  31. Villarreal, Phil. (February 17, 2022). "Tatum, canine co-star team for heart and laughs in 'Dog'".
  32. Welk, Brian. (November 10, 2020). "Los Angeles Film Shoots at 47% of Pre-COVID Levels, FilmLA Says".
  33. (2017). "Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty". Currency.
  34. (March 28, 2001). "Oscar winner del Toro salutes Ambos Nogales".
Wikipedia Source

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