Graham County, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Graham County
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Graham County Courthouse in Safford
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Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
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 Arizona's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arizona |
| Founded | March 10, 1881 |
| Named for | Mount Graham |
| Seat | Safford |
| Largest city | Safford |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,641 sq mi (12,020 km2) |
| • Land | 4,623 sq mi (11,970 km2) |
| • Water | 19 sq mi (50 km2) 0.4%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 38,533 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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39,525  |
| • Density | 8.3027/sq mi (3.2057/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 6th |
| Website | www.graham.az.gov |
Graham County is a place in southeastern Arizona, USA. In 2020, about 38,533 people lived there. This makes it one of the less crowded counties in Arizona. The main town, called the county seat, is Safford.
Graham County has cool places like Eastern Arizona College. It's also home to the Mount Graham International Observatory. This observatory has one of the world's largest and most powerful telescopes! You can also find the Arizona Salsa Trail and the yearly Salsa Fest here. Part of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation is in Graham County too.
Contents
History of Graham County
Graham County was created on March 10, 1881. It was formed from parts of Apache County and Pima County. Joseph Knight Rogers, an early settler, helped make this happen. He is known as the "father of Graham County."
The county seat was first in Safford. Then it moved to Solomonville in 1883. But in 1915, it moved back to Safford.
Graham County is named after Mount Graham. The mountain was named after Lt. Col. James Duncan Graham. This county was the first in Arizona not to be named after Native Americans.
Geography and Nature
Graham County covers a large area, about 4,641 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. The county has many mountains. Mount Graham is the highest mountain in the Pinaleno Mountains.
Neighboring Counties
Graham County shares borders with several other counties:
- Cochise County (to the south)
- Pima County (to the southwest)
- Pinal County (to the west)
- Gila County (to the northwest)
- Navajo County (to the north)
- Apache County (to the north)
- Greenlee County (to the east)
Protected Natural Areas
Parts of these special natural areas are found in Graham County:
- Coronado National Forest
- Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area
Main Roads and Highways
Important roads that go through Graham County include:
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 191
State Route 266
State Route 366
People of Graham County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 5,670 | — | |
| 1900 | 14,162 | 149.8% | |
| 1910 | 23,999 | 69.5% | |
| 1920 | 10,148 | −57.7% | |
| 1930 | 10,373 | 2.2% | |
| 1940 | 12,113 | 16.8% | |
| 1950 | 12,985 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 14,045 | 8.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,578 | 18.0% | |
| 1980 | 22,862 | 37.9% | |
| 1990 | 26,554 | 16.1% | |
| 2000 | 33,489 | 26.1% | |
| 2010 | 37,220 | 11.1% | |
| 2020 | 38,533 | 3.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 39,525 | 6.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 37,220 people living in Graham County. There were 11,120 households. About 8,188 of these were families.
Most people (72.1%) were white. About 14.4% were American Indian. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 30.4% of the population.
Many households (41.4%) had kids under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the county was 31.6 years old.
The average income for a family was $48,005. About 20% of the people lived below the poverty line.
Towns and Communities
Graham County has several towns and communities.
Cities
- Safford (This is the county seat, the main town)
Towns
Census-Designated Places (CDPs)
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.
- Bryce
- Bylas
- Cactus Flats
- Central
- Fort Thomas
- Peridot (partially in Gila County)
- San Jose
- Solomon
- Swift Trail Junction
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller areas without their own local government.
Ghost Towns
These are towns that used to exist but are now empty.
Native American Communities
Famous People from Graham County
Some well-known people have connections to Graham County:
- Charles Stevens, an actor with Apache and Mexican heritage.
- Lynda Carter, a famous actress and singer.
- Charles Dudley (né Heaslip), a film actor and make-up artist born in Fort Grant.
- Sarah Yeiser Mason, a screenwriter who won an Academy Award.
- Spencer W. Kimball, a former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up in Thatcher and lived in Safford for many years.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Graham (Arizona) para niños
