Apache County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the northeast corner of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is St. Johns. Most of the county is occupied by part of the federally recognized

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation (), also known as Navajoland, is an Indian reservation of Navajo people in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The seat of government is located in ...

and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

History

The United States acquired this territory following its victory in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

in 1848. It was originally part of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

established at the time. In 1863, during the American Civil War, Congress established the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

to improve regional administration. It operated until 1912 when it was admitted as a state. In 1879 the Tenth Territorial Legislature organized Apache County from the eastern section of Yavapai County; officially all land east of 109°45′ W was included in the new county. As population increased in the area, by 1895, the legislature divided this county to create Navajo County and assigned some of the lands to the newly organized Graham, Greenlee and Gila counties. The county seat was first designated as the town of Snowflake, but a year later it was moved to St. Johns. From 1880 to 1882, the county seat was temporarily in Springerville, before being returned to St. Johns. An 1896 history of the area described the county by the following:

Apache County was created in 1879 and lies in the northeastern corner of the Territory. Until March, 1895, it also embraced what is now Navajo County, but at that date the latter was set apart and established as a separate county. Apache County is justly noted for its great natural resources and advantages. It is destined some day in the early future to have a large agricultural population. Now, immense herds of cattle and flocks of sheep roam over its broad mesas and its fertile valleys. The Navajo Indians occupy the northern part of the county-in fact, occupy much of the remainder of the county, as they refuse to remain on their reservation, preferring to drive their sheep and cattle on lands outside their reservation, where the grazing is better. The southern part is a fine grazing country, while the northern part is cut up into picturesque gorges and canyons by the floods of past centuries.

In the late 1880s, the county

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

was Commodore Perry Owens, a legendary

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...

. At that time, the county covered more than in territory. In September 1887, near Holbrook in what is now Navajo County, Owens was involved in a famous gunfight: he killed three men and wounded a fourth while serving a warrant on outlaw Andy Blevins/Andy Cooper, a participant in a raging range war, later dubbed the Pleasant Valley War. In 2015, Apache County had the highest rate of deaths due to motor vehicles in the United States, with 82.5 deaths per 100,000 people. The Fort Apache Indian Reservation occupies part of the county, as does the

, whose territory extends well beyond it. The Apache and Navajo Nation are

federally recognized tribes This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.

that long occupied territory here.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. The county is the third-largest county by area in Arizona and the sixth-largest in the United States (excluding boroughs and census areas in Alaska). Apache County contains parts of each of the Navajo Indian Reservation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and landholdings of the Zuni Indian Reservation that are not contiguous to their main territory. It also contains part of

Petrified Forest National Park Petrified Forest National Park is a national park of the United States in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about , encompassing semi-desert shrub steppe as wel ...

Canyon de Chelly National Monument Canyon de Chelly National Monument ( ) was established on April 1, 1931, as a unit of the National Park Service. Located in northeastern Arizona, it is within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and lies in the Four Corners region. Reflecting o ...

is entirely within the county and within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.

Adjacent counties

* Greenlee County – south * Graham County – south * Navajo County – west *

Montezuma County, Colorado Montezuma County is a county located in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,849. The county seat is Cortez, Colorado, Cortez. Montezuma County contains m ...

– northeast *

San Juan County, Utah San Juan County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 14,518. Its county seat is Monticello, Utah, Monticello, while its most popu ...

– north *

San Juan County, New Mexico San Juan County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 121,661 making it the fifth-most populous county in New Mexico. Its county ...

– east *

McKinley County, New Mexico McKinley County is a county in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 72,902. Its county seat is Gallup. The county was created in 1901 and named for President Willia ...

– east *

Cibola County, New Mexico Cibola County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,172. Its county seat is Grants. It is New Mexico's youngest county, and the third youngest county in the United States, created on June ...

– east *

Catron County, New Mexico Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,579, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area. ...

– east Apache County is one of three U.S. counties (the others being

Wayne County, West Virginia Wayne County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 38,982. Its county seat is Wayne, West Virginia, Wayne. The county was fou ...

and

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

) to border two counties of the same name, neither of which is in the same state as the county itself (

and

Indian reservations

Apache County has the most land designated as

Indian reservation An American Indian reservation is an area of land land tenure, held and governed by a List of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States#Description, U.S. federal government-recognized Native American tribal nation, whose gov ...

of any county in the United States. (

Coconino County Coconino County is a County (United States), county in the North Central Arizona, North-Central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff, Arizon ...

and Navajo County are a close second and third.) The county has of reservation territory, or 68.34 percent of its total area. The reservations are, in descending order of area within the county, the

, the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and the Zuni Indian Reservation, all of which are partly located within the county.

National protected areas

Canyon de Chelly White House Ruin Close View 2006 09 07

* Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (part) *

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is a historic site on Highway 191, north of Chambers, Arizona, Chambers, with an exhibit center in Ganado, Arizona. It is considered a meeting ground of two cultures between the Navajo and the settler ...

(part)

Demographics

2020 census

The most commonly reported ancestries in 2020 were

Navajo The Navajo or Diné are an Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language. The states with the largest Diné populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (1 ...

(64%), English (5.9%), Mexican (4.4%),

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

(3.3%), Irish (2.9%), and

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

(1.1%).

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 71,518 people, 22,771 households, and 16,331 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 32,514 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 72.9% Native American, 23.3% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 1.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: * 69.6% Navajo * 5.4% English * 5.3% German * 4.2% Irish * 4.0% Mexican * 1.4% American * 1.1% Scottish * 1.0% French * 1.0% Polish Of the 22,771 households, 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.76. The median age was 32.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $30,184 and the median income for a family was $36,915. Males had a median income of $38,451 versus $31,557 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,294. About 26.9% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 41.8% of those under age 18 and 29.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 69,423 people, 19,971 households, and 15,257 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 31,621 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.9% Native American, 19.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 4.5% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 58.4% reported speaking

at home, while 38.4% speak English and 2.7%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

. There were 19,971 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 4.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 38.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $23,344, and the median income for a family was $26,315. Males had a median income of $30,182 versus $22,312 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $8,986. About 33.5% of families and 37.8% of the population were below the

, including 42.8% of those under age 18 and 36.5% of those age 65 or over. The county's

per-capita income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States. Apache County is one of only 38 county-level census divisions of the United States where the most spoken language is not English and one of only 3 where it is neither English nor Spanish. 58.3% of the population speak

at home, followed by English at 38.3% and Spanish at 2.7%. In 2000, the largest denominational group was the

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

(with 19,965 adherents). The largest religious bodies were The

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

(with 19,965 members) and

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(with 8,947 members).

Politics

Apache County has been a Democratic stronghold for over 40 years; prior to this, it was a swing county. The Navajo Nation, as well as part of the Fort Apache Reservation, both lie within the county and traditionally support Democratic candidates, overruling St. Johns, Springerville-Eagar, and Alpine which are all Republican-leaning. No Republican presidential nominee has won Apache County since

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

in 1980,Sullivan, Robert David
"How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century"
''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016 when incumbent President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

was viewed as extremely weak on issues pertaining to the West, especially water development. During most of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, Apache was the most Democratic county in Arizona. In 2024, however, Apache County shifted heavily to the right alongside most other majority Native American counties in the country. The strongest Republican trends in the county lay in the Navajo and Fort Apache Reservations, which in some areas shifted by as much as 10 percentage points. After failing to narrow his margin in 2020, Donald Trump achieved the best result for a Republican since 1984, holding the Democrat's vote share below 60% for the first time since that same year and cutting his margin of loss nearly in half.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The following school districts serve Apache County: * Alpine Elementary School District * Chinle Unified School District * Concho Elementary School District * Ganado Unified School District * McNary Elementary School District *

Red Mesa Unified School District Red Mesa Unified School District #27 is a public school district headquartered in Red Mesa, unincorporated Apache County, Arizona, near Teec Nos Pos on the Navajo Nation.Round Valley Unified School District The Round Valley Unified School District (RVUSD) is an Arizona school district comprising five schools in Apache County, Arizona. The towns that house the schools of RVUSD include Eagar and Springerville, Arizona. As of 2006, RVUSD has 1610 stud ...

Sanders Unified School District Sanders Unified School District is a school district in the community of Sanders in Apache County in the US state of Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, s ...

* St Johns Unified School District * Vernon Elementary School District * Window Rock Unified School District In addition several other schools, including charter schools and tribal schools operated by or affiliated with the

Bureau of Indian Education The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs that directs and manages education functions. Formerly known as the Office of Indian Education Programs ...

(BIE), serve the county. * Many Farms High School (BIE-operated) * Many Farms Community School * Hunters Point Boarding School

Charter schools A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

: * New Visions Academy Private schools: * St. Michael Indian School ( Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup)

Public libraries

The Apache County Library District, headquartered in St. Johns, operates public libraries in the county. The branches include Alpine Public Library (''

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

''), Concho Public Library (''unincorporated area''), Greer Memorial Library (''unincorporated area''), Round Valley Public Library ( Eagar), Sanders Public Library (''unincorporated area''), St. Johns Public Library (St. Johns), and Vernon Public Library (''unincorporated area''). The Navajo Nation Museum and Library is located in Window Rock. The library and museum is the largest one on the Navajo Nation and in Apache County.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

* U.S. Route 60 * U.S. Route 64 * U.S. Route 180 * U.S. Route 191 * State Route 61 * State Route 260 * State Route 264

Airports

The following public use airports are located in Apache County: * Chinle – Chinle Municipal Airport (E91) * Springerville – Springerville Municipal Airport (D68) * St. Johns – St. Johns Industrial Air Park (SJN) * Window Rock – Window Rock Airport (RQE)

Communities

City

* St. Johns (county seat)

Towns

* Eagar * Springerville

Census-designated places

* Alpine * Burnside * Chinle * Concho * Cornfields * Cottonwood * Del Muerto * Dennehotso * Fort Defiance * Ganado * Greer * Houck * Klagetoh * Lukachukai * Lupton * Many Farms * McNary * Nazlini * Nutrioso * Oak Springs * Red Mesa * Red Rock * Rock Point * Rough Rock *

Round Rock Round Rock is a city in Williamson County, Texas, Williamson and Travis County, Texas, United States, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Its population is 119,468 according to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city stra ...

* St. Michaels * Sanders *

Sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

* Sehili *

Steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

* Teec Nos Pos * Toyei * Tsaile * Vernon * Wide Ruins * Window Rock

Unincorporated communities

* Adamana * Blue Gap * Chambers * Hunters Point * Mexican Water * Navajo Springs * White Clay

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Apache County. † county seat

Notable people

* Berard Haile * Cormac Antram * Don Lorenzo Hubbell * Anselm Weber * Rex E. Lee * David King Udall * Ida Hunt Udall *

Mo Udall Morris King Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961, to May 4, 1991. He was a leading contender for the 1976 Democratic pr ...

Stewart Udall Stewart Lee Udall (January 31, 1920 – March 20, 2010) was an American politician and later, a federal government official who belonged to the Democratic Party. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary ...

* William Cooper *

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

* Henry Chee Dodge * Joe Shirley Jr. * Annie Dodge Wauneka

References

External links

Apache County Website
{{Coord, 35, 25, 26, N, 109, 26, 33, W, region:US-AZ_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Arizona placenames of Native American origin 1879 establishments in Arizona Territory Populated places established in 1879

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Indian reservations

National protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Politics

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public libraries

Transportation

Major highways

Airports

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

County population ranking

Notable people

See also

References

External links