Apache County, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Apache County
U.S. county
Navajo Nation Council Chamber
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	February 24, 1879
Named for	Apache people
Seat	St. Johns
Largest town	Eagar
Area
• Total	11,218 sq mi (29,050 km2)
• Land	11,198 sq mi (29,000 km2)
• Water	21 sq mi (50 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	66,021
• Estimate  (2023)	65,036
• Density	5.88527/sq mi (2.27232/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional district	2nd

Apache County includes the Arizona section of the Four Corners Monument.

Apache County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns.

Most of the county is occupied by part of the federally recognized Navajo Nation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, respectively.

History

The United States acquired this territory following its victory in the Mexican–American War in 1848. It was originally part of the New Mexico Territory established at the time. In 1863, during the American Civil War, Congress established the Arizona Territory 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 was Commodore Perry Owens, a legendary Old West gunfighter. At that time, the county covered more than 21,177 square miles (54,850 km²) 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 Navajo Nation, whose territory extends well beyond it. The Apache and Navajo Nation are federally recognized tribes that long occupied territory here.

Geography

Apache County, Arizona.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 11,218 square miles (29,050 km²), of which 11,198 square miles (29,000 km²) is land and 21 square miles (54 km²) (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. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is entirely within the county and within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.

Adjacent counties

Apache County is one of three U.S. counties (the others being Wayne County, West Virginia and Cook County, Illinois) to border two counties of the same name, neither of which is in the same state as the county itself (San Juan County, Utah and San Juan County, New Mexico).

Indian reservations

Apache County has the most land designated as Indian reservation of any county in the United States. (Coconino County and Navajo County are a close second and third.) The county has 19,857.34 km² (7,666.96 sq mi) of reservation territory, or 68.34 percent of its total area. The reservations are, in descending order of area within the county, the Navajo Nation, the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and the Zuni Indian Reservation, all of which are partly located within the county.

National protected areas

White House Ruin at Canyon de Chelly National Monument

• Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (part)
• Canyon de Chelly National Monument
• Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
• Petrified Forest National Park (part)

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 71,518 people, 22,771 households, and 16,331 families residing in the county. The population density was 6.4 inhabitants per square mile (2.5 inhabitants/km²). There were 32,514 housing units at an average density of 2.9 units per square mile (1.1 units/km²). 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:

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

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The following school districts serve Apache County:

In addition several other schools, including charter schools and tribal schools operated by or affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), serve the county.

• Many Farms High School (BIE-operated)
• Many Farms Community School
• Hunters Point Boarding School

Charter schools:

• 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), 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

U.S. Route 191 crossing the Beautiful Valley in Apache County

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

Wildflower meadow in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, near Alpine.

Kiva at Casa Malpais, near Springerville.

City

• St. Johns (county seat)

Towns

• Eagar
• Springerville

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

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
• Stewart Udall
• William Cooper
• John Wayne
• Henry Chee Dodge
• Joe Shirley Jr.
• Annie Dodge Wauneka

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Apache para niños