Cochise 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 southeastern corner of the
U.S. state of
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 ...
. It is named after
Cochise, a
Chiricahua
Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans.
Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua historically shared a common area, language, customs, and intertwined family relations with their fellow Apaches. ...
Apache
The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
who was a key war leader during the
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the Southwestern United States, southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as l ...
.
The population was 125,447 at the
2020 census.
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
Bisbee and the most populous city is
Sierra Vista.
Cochise County includes the
Sierra Vista-
Douglas, Arizona
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county borders southwestern
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
and the northwestern
Mexican state of
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...
.
History
In 1528, Spanish explorers
Ălvar NĂșñez Cabeza de Vaca
Ălvar NĂșñez Cabeza de Vaca (; 1488/90/92"Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar NĂșñez (1492?-1559?)." American Eras. Vol. 1: Early American Civilizations and Exploration to 1600. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 50-51. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 December ...
,
Estevanico, and
Fray Marcos de Niza survived a shipwreck off the Texas coast. Captured by Native Americans, they spent eight years finding their way back to Mexico City, via the
San Pedro Valley. Their journals, maps, and stories led to the Cibola,
seven cities of gold
The myth of the Seven Cities of Gold, also known as the Seven Cities of CĂbola (), was popular in the 16th century and later featured in several works of popular culture. According to legend, the seven cities of gold referred to Aztec mythology ...
myth. The Expedition of Francisco VĂĄsquez de Coronado in 1539 using it as his route north through what they called the Guachuca Mountains of Pima (
Tohono O'odham) lands and later part of the mission routes north, but was actually occupied by the
Sobaipuri descendants of the
Hohokam. They found a large Pueblo (described as a small city) between modern
Benson and
Whetstone, and several smaller satellite villages and smaller pueblos including ones on Fort Huachuca, Huachuca City and North Eastern Fry. About 1657
Father Kino visited the Sobaipuris
just before the Apache forced most from the valley, as they were struggling to survive due to increasing
Chiricahua Apache attacks as they moved into the area of
Texas Canyon of the
Dragoon Mountains
The Dragoon Mountains is a range of mountains located in Cochise County, Arizona. The range is about long, running on an axis extending south-south east through Willcox. The name originates from the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Dragoons who battled the C ...
. In 1775,
Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate was founded on the west bank of the San Pedro River to protect the natives as well as the Spanish settlers who supplied the mission stations. The presidio was chronically short on provisions due to raids, however, and lacked personnel to adequately patrol the eastern route due to wars with France and England, so the main route north shifted west to the
Santa Cruz valley, farther from the range of the Chiricahua Apache who almost exclusively controlled the area by 1821.

Cochise County was created on February 1, 1881, out of the eastern portion of
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
. It took its name from the
Chiricahua
Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans.
Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua historically shared a common area, language, customs, and intertwined family relations with their fellow Apaches. ...
Apache
The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
war chief
Cochise.
The county seat was
Tombstone
A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...
until 1929 when it moved to
Bisbee. Notable men who once held the position of 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 ...
were
Johnny Behan, who served as the first sheriff of the new county, and who was one of the main characters during the events leading to and following the
gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Later, in 1886,
Texas John Slaughter became sheriff. Lawman
Jeff Milton and lawman/
outlaw
An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...
Burt Alvord both served as deputies under Slaughter.
A
syndicated television series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
which aired from 1956 to 1958, ''
The Sheriff of Cochise'' starring
John Bromfield, was filmed on location in Cochise County. The
Jimmy Stewart movie ''
Broken Arrow'' and subsequent television show of the same name starring
John Lupton, which also aired from 1956 to 1958, were set in Cochise County but filmed at other locations.
J.A. Jance's
Joanna Brady mystery series takes place in Cochise County, where Brady is sheriff.
Beginning in the late 1950s, the small community of
Miracle Valley was the site of a series of bible colleges and similar religious organizations, founded by television evangelist
A. A. Allen. In 1982, Miracle Valley and neighboring
Palominas were the site of a series of escalating conflicts between a newly arrived black religious community and the county sheriff and deputies that culminated in the
Miracle Valley shootout.
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 (0.9%) is water.
Cochise County is close to the size of the states of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
and
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
combined.
Adjacent counties and municipios
*
Santa Cruz County â south and west
*
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
â west
*
Graham County â north
*
Greenlee County â north
*
Hidalgo County, New Mexico â east
*
Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico â south
*
Cananea, Sonora, Mexico â south
*
Naco, Sonora, Mexico â south
*
Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico â south
Protected areas

*
Chiricahua National Monument
*
Coronado National Forest (part)
*
Coronado National Memorial
*
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
*
Kartchner Caverns State Park
*
Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge
*
San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
Demographics
2020 census
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 131,346 people, 50,865 households, and 33,653 families residing in the county.
The population density was . There were 59,041 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 78.5% white, 4.2% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 1.2% American Indian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 9.9% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 32.4% of the population.
The largest ancestry groups were:
* 28.3% Mexican
* 16.2% German
* 11.6% Irish
* 9.8% English
* 4.5% American
* 3.7% Italian
* 2.6% French
* 2.1% Scottish
* 2.0% Dutch
* 1.9% Scotch-Irish
* 1.9% Polish
* 1.5% Norwegian
* 1.1% Puerto Rican
* 1.1% Swedish
Of the 50,865 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 39.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,876 and the median income for a family was $53,077. Males had a median income of $42,164 versus $31,019 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,010. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% 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 23.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 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 2000, there were 117,755 people, 43,893 households, and 30,768 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 51,126 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.7%
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 ...
, 4.5%
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 1.2%
Native American, 1.7%
Asian, 0.3%
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 ...
, 12.1% from
other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 30.7% 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. 25.4% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.3% speak
German.
There were 43,893 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,105, and the median income for a family was $38,005. Males had a median income of $30,533 versus $22,252 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 $15,988. About 13.5% of families and 17.7% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
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 25,837 adherents) and
Evangelical Protestant
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian ...
s (with 12,548 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 25,837 members) and The
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...
(with 5,999 members).
Politics
Cochise County leans strongly towards the Republican Party in presidential elections. Although
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
carried the county narrowly in 1992, it has supported the Republican nominee by large margins in every other election since 1968, except for 1996 and 1976 when Clinton and
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 ...
each lost only narrowly. Although the county includes the relatively liberal town of
Bisbee, as well as the city of
Douglas which has a large Latino population, this is outweighed by the heavily Republican tilt of the more populous
Sierra Vista, which is adjacent to
Fort Huachuca and thus has a heavy military presence.
In the United States House of Representatives, the county is mostly part of
Arizona's 6th congressional district, which is represented by Republican
Juan Ciscomani. In the Arizona Legislature, the county is part of the
19th district and is represented by Republican
David Gowan in the State Senate and Republicans
Gail Griffin and
Lupe Diaz in the State House of Representatives. This district also includes the entirety of
Greenlee County, as well as portions of
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
,
Graham County, and
Santa Cruz County.
Transportation
Major highways

*
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
*
Historic U.S. Route 80
*
U.S. Route 191
*
State Route 80
*
State Route 82
*
State Route 83
*
State Route 90
*
20px State Route 92
*
20px State Route 186
Airports
Bisbee Municipal Airport is owned by the City of Bisbee and located five nautical miles (9 km) southeast of its
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
Sierra Vista Municipal Airport (IATA: FHU, ICAO: KFHU, FAA LID: FHU), a joint-use civil-military airport which shares facilities with Libby Army Airfield, is located on the U.S. Army installation Fort Huachuca in the city of Sierra Vista. The airport has three runways and one helipad. It is mostly used for military aviation for the surrounding military base.
There are no commercial flights out of Cochise County; the nearest commercial airport is at Tucson Airport, Tucson, approximately 70 miles from
Sierra Vista.
Communities
Cities
*
Benson
*
Bisbee (county seat)
*
Douglas
*
Sierra Vista
*
Tombstone
A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...
* Willcox, Arizona, Willcox
Towns
* Huachuca City, Arizona, Huachuca City
Census-designated places
* Bowie, Arizona, Bowie
* Dragoon, Arizona, Dragoon
* Elfrida, Arizona, Elfrida
* McNeal, Arizona, McNeal
* Mescal, Arizona, Mescal
*
Miracle Valley
* Naco, Arizona, Naco
*
Palominas
* Pirtleville, Arizona, Pirtleville
* Sierra Vista Southeast, Arizona, Sierra Vista Southeast
* St. David, Arizona, St. David
* San Simon, Arizona, San Simon
* Sunizona, Arizona, Sunizona
* Sunsites, Arizona, Sunsites
*
Whetstone
Other places
* Amber
* Babocomari
* Charleston, Arizona, Charleston
* Cochise, Arizona, Cochise
* Cross Rail Ranch
* Dos Cabezas, Arizona, Dos Cabezas
* Double Adobe, Arizona, Double Adobe
* El Dorado
* Hereford, Arizona, Hereford
* Hookers Hot Springs, Arizona, Hookers Hot Springs
* Kansas Settlement
* Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge, Leslie Canyon National Wildlife refuge
* Nicksville
* Paul Spur
* Pomerene, Arizona, Pomerene
* Portal, Arizona, Portal
* Paradise, Arizona, Paradise
* Rucker
* Stewart District
* Sunnyside
* Sunsites, Arizona, Sunsites
* Tintown
Military sites
* Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Fort Huachuca
* Willcox Playa (proving ground)
Ghost towns
* Black Diamond, Arizona, Black Diamond
* Cascabel, Arizona, Cascabel
* Charleston, Arizona, Charleston
* Cochise, Arizona, Cochise
* Contention City, Arizona, Contention City
* Courtland, Arizona, Courtland
* Fairbank, Arizona, Fairbank
* Galeyville, Arizona, Galeyville
* Gleeson, Arizona, Gleeson
* Hilltop, Arizona, Hilltop
* Johnson, Arizona, Johnson
* Millville, Arizona, Millville
* Paradise, Arizona, Paradise
* Pearce, Arizona, Pearce
* Tres Alamos, Arizona, Tres Alamos
County population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 United States census, 2010 census of Cochise County.
â county seat
Education
School districts include:
Unified:
* Benson Unified School District
* Bisbee Unified District (Bisbee High School)
* Bowie Unified District
* Douglas Unified District
* Fort Huachuca Accommodation District
* San Simon Unified District
* St. David Unified District
* Sierra Vista Unified District
* Tombstone Unified District
* Willcox Unified District
Secondary:
* Valley Union High School District
Elementary:
* Apache Elementary District
* Ash Creek Elementary District
* Cochise Elementary District
* Double Adobe Elementary District
* Elfrida Elementary District
* McNeal Elementary District
* Naco Elementary District
* Palominas Elementary District
* Pearce Elementary District
* Pomerene Elementary District
* Rucker Elementary District
The Rucker Elementary School district, in 2002, operated no schools and sent its elementary students to the Elfrida district. The Rucker district had a bus driver and an administrator as employees. The residents liked the arrangement as they could pay less tax.
[ ]
Clipping
from Newspapers.com.
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Cochise County, Arizona
* San Pedro Valley Observatory
References
External links
County websiteOfficial Tourism Council Site
{{authority control
Cochise County, Arizona,
1881 establishments in Arizona Territory
Populated places established in 1881
Arizona placenames of Native American origin
Cochise County conflict