Cochise County, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cochise County
County
The art deco county courthouse in Bisbee
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	February 1, 1881
Named for	Cochise
Seat	Bisbee
Largest city	Sierra Vista
Area
• Total	6,219 sq mi (16,110 km2)
• Land	6,166 sq mi (15,970 km2)
• Water	53 sq mi (140 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	125,447
• Estimate  (2023)	124,640
• Density	20.1716/sq mi (7.7883/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional districts	6th, 7th

Cochise County is a county located in the southeastern part of Arizona, a state in the United States. It was named after Cochise, a famous leader of the Chiricahua Apache people. He was an important figure during the Apache Wars.

In 2020, about 125,447 people lived in Cochise County. The main town where the county government is located is Bisbee. The biggest city in the county is Sierra Vista.

Cochise County is part of the Sierra Vista-Douglas area. It also shares borders with New Mexico and the Mexican state of Sonora.

History of Cochise County

In the early 1500s, Spanish explorers like Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca traveled through this area. Their stories led to the legend of the "Seven Cities of Gold." Later, in 1539, another explorer named Francisco Vásquez de Coronado followed their route.

Native American groups, like the Sobaipuri people, lived here. They faced challenges from Chiricahua Apache groups moving into the area. In 1775, a Spanish fort called Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate was built. It was meant to protect both Native Americans and Spanish settlers.

Cochise County in 1881

Cochise County was officially created on February 1, 1881. It was formed from the eastern part of Pima County. The county was named after the Apache chief, Cochise.

The first county seat was Tombstone. This town is famous for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Later, in 1929, the county seat moved to Bisbee. Famous sheriffs in the county's early days included Johnny Behan and John Horton Slaughter.

Cochise County has also been featured in movies and TV shows. The Sheriff of Cochise was a TV series filmed here from 1956 to 1958. The movie Broken Arrow was also set in Cochise County.

In the late 1950s, a small community called Miracle Valley became home to several religious organizations.

Geography of Cochise County

Cochise County covers a large area of about 6,219 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. To give you an idea of its size, Cochise County is almost as big as the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut put together!

Neighboring Areas

Cochise County shares borders with other counties and areas:

• Santa Cruz County – to the south and west
• Pima County – to the west
• Graham County – to the north
• Greenlee County – to the north
• Hidalgo County, New Mexico – to the east
• Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico – to the south
• Cananea, Sonora, Mexico – to the south
• Naco, Sonora, Mexico – to the south
• Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico – to the south

Special Protected Areas

Cochise County is home to many beautiful natural and historical sites:

The Big Room in Kartchner Caverns

Fort Bowie site near Apache Pass.

• Chiricahua National Monument
• Coronado National Forest (part of it)
• Coronado National Memorial
• Fort Bowie National Historic Site
• Kartchner Caverns State Park
• Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge
• San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

People of Cochise County

The population of Cochise County has changed over the years. In 1890, there were about 6,938 people. By 2020, the population grew to 125,447 people.

In 2010, there were 131,346 people living in the county. The population density was about 21 people per square mile. Most people (78.5%) identified as white. Other groups included black or African American (4.2%), Asian (1.9%), and American Indian (1.2%). About 32.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many people in Cochise County have Mexican, German, Irish, or English backgrounds.

Getting Around Cochise County

Main Roads

Several important highways run through Cochise County:

• Interstate 10
• Historic U.S. Route 80
• U.S. Route 191
• State Route 80
• State Route 82
• State Route 83
• State Route 90
• State Route 92
• State Route 186

Airports

Cochise County has a few airports. The Bisbee Municipal Airport is owned by the city of Bisbee. The Sierra Vista Municipal Airport is shared with Libby Army Airfield, which is part of Fort Huachuca. These airports are mostly used for military and private planes.

If you want to catch a commercial flight, the closest airport is in Tucson, about 70 miles from Sierra Vista.

Communities in Cochise County

Map of areas in Cochise County with Sierra Vista highlighted

Cities

• Benson
• Bisbee (This is the county seat)
• Douglas
• Sierra Vista
• Tombstone
• Willcox

Towns

• Huachuca City

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

• Bowie
• Dragoon
• Elfrida
• McNeal
• Mescal
• Miracle Valley
• Naco
• Palominas
• Pirtleville
• Sierra Vista Southeast
• St. David
• San Simon
• Sunizona
• Sunsites
• Whetstone

Other Places

These are smaller communities or areas within the county.

• Amber
• Babocomari
• Charleston
• Cochise
• Cross Rail Ranch
• Dos Cabezas
• Double Adobe
• El Dorado
• Hereford
• Hookers Hot Springs
• Kansas Settlement
• Leslie Canyon National Wildlife refuge
• Nicksville
• Paul Spur
• Pomerene
• Portal
• Paradise
• Rucker
• Stewart District
• Sunnyside
• Sunsites
• Tintown

Military Sites

• Fort Huachuca
• Willcox Playa (a proving ground for testing)

Ghost Towns

These are towns that were once active but are now mostly deserted.

• Black Diamond
• Cascabel
• Charleston
• Cochise
• Contention City
• Courtland
• Fairbank
• Galeyville
• Gleeson
• Hilltop
• Johnson
• Millville
• Paradise
• Pearce
• Tres Alamos

County Population Ranking

This table shows the largest communities in Cochise County based on the 2010 census.

Education in Cochise County

Cochise County has many school districts that help students learn and grow.

Unified School Districts

These districts offer education from elementary to high school.

• 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 School Districts

• Valley Union High School District

Elementary School Districts

These districts focus on younger students.

• 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 is interesting because it doesn't operate its own schools. Instead, it sends its elementary students to the Elfrida district. This arrangement helps residents pay less in taxes.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Cochise para niños