La Paz County, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids La Paz County
U.S. county
Trigo Mountains
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	January 1, 1983
Named for	La Paz, Arizona
Seat	Parker
Largest town	Parker
Area
• Total	4,514 sq mi (11,690 km2)
• Land	4,500 sq mi (12,000 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,557
• Estimate  (2023)	16,710
• Density	3.6679/sq mi (1.41619/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional district	9th

Courthouse Rock stands tall in the Eagletail Mountains, found in the northeast part of La Paz County.

This cool wulfenite crystal comes from the old Red Cloud Mine in western La Paz County.

La Paz County is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located in the western part of the state. In 2020, about 16,557 people lived there. This makes it the second-smallest county in Arizona by population.

The main town, called the county seat, is Parker. The name "La Paz" comes from the Spanish words for "the peace." It was named after an old settlement, now a ghost town, called La Paz along the Colorado River.

History of La Paz County

La Paz County was created in 1983. It was formed when the northern part of Yuma County separated. This makes it the only county in Arizona to be formed after Arizona became a state in 1912. It is also one of the newest counties in the entire United States.

When the county first started, it didn't have enough money from taxes to run its own government. So, it had to get money from the state of Arizona. Because of this, Arizona changed its laws. It became much harder to split up other counties in the future.

The Colorado River Indian Reservation is located in the western part of La Paz County. Part of this reservation also stretches into California.

Geography and Nature

La Paz County covers a total area of about 4,514 square miles (11,690 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 4,500 square miles (11,655 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 14 square miles (36 square kilometers), is water.

Plants and Animals

The Hi Jolly monument is a special landmark near Quartzsite.

La Paz County is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. One special plant found here is the California Fan Palm. This palm tree is an endangered species, meaning it is very rare.

Neighboring Counties

La Paz County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Mohave County – to the north
• Yavapai County – to the northeast
• Maricopa County – to the east
• Yuma County – to the south
• Imperial County, California – to the southwest
• Riverside County, California – to the west
• San Bernardino County, California – to the northwest

Protected Natural Areas

Several national protected areas are partly located in La Paz County. These areas help protect wildlife and nature:

• Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (part)

People of La Paz County

In 2010, there were 20,489 people living in La Paz County. The county had about 9,198 households. The population density was about 4.5 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (69.8%). About 12.8% were American Indian, and 12.5% were from other races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 23.5% of the population. The average age of people in the county was 53.9 years old.

Law Enforcement

La Paz County Sheriff's Office
Patch of La Paz County Sheriff's Office
Agency overview
Formed	1983; 42 years ago (1983)
Operational structure
Headquarters	Parker, Arizona
Agency executive	William Ponce, Sheriff
Website
La Paz County Sheriff

The La Paz County Sheriff's Office is in charge of law enforcement in the areas of the county that are not part of a city or town. They act like the police for these areas. They also manage the county jail system. The main office for the Sheriff's Office is in Parker.

Here are some of the past sheriffs who have served La Paz County:

• Rayburn Evans (1983–1988)
• Marvin Hare (1989–2000)
• Daniel "Hal" Collett (2001–2008)
• Donald Lowery (2009–2012)
• John Drum (2013–2016)
• William Risen (2017–2020)
• William Ponce (2021–Present)

Transportation

Main Roads

These are the major highways that run through La Paz County:

• Interstate 10
• U.S. Route 60
• U.S. Route 95
• State Route 72
• State Route 95

Air Travel

Avi Suquilla Airport is an airport that anyone can use. It is located near Parker, Arizona. The airport is owned by the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

Railways

The Arizona and California Railroad provides freight train services through Parker, Arizona.

Communities in La Paz County

This map shows the different types of communities in La Paz County, including Indian reservations, towns, and other areas.

La Paz County has several towns, census-designated places, and even some ghost towns.

Towns

• Parker (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are)
• Quartzsite

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

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

Unincorporated Communities

These are small communities that are not officially part of a town or CDP.

• Hope
• Love

Ghost Towns

Ghost towns are places where people used to live, but now they are mostly empty.

Indian Communities

• Colorado River Indian Reservation

Community Population Ranking

This table shows how many people lived in the main communities of La Paz County in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de La Paz para niños