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List of cities and towns in Arizona facts for kids

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Arizona in United States
Map of the United States with Arizona highlighted

Arizona is a state located in the Western United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, Arizona is the 16th most populous state with 6,392,017 inhabitants and the 6th largest by land area spanning 113,990.30 square miles (295,233.5 km2) of land. Arizona is divided into 15 counties and contains 91 incorporated cities and towns. Incorporated places in Arizona are those that have been granted home rule, possessing a local government in the form of a city or town council. These cities and towns cover only 3.8% of the state's land mass but are home to 78.6% of its population. Most of the population is concentrated within the Phoenix metropolitan area, with an 2010 census population of 4,192,887 (65.6% of the state population).

Phoenix is the capital and largest city by population in Arizona with 1,445,632 residents, is ranked as the sixth most populous city in the United States, and land area spanning 517.95 sq mi (1,341.5 km2) as of the 2010 census. The smallest municipality by population and land area is Winkelman with 353 residents in 0.75 sq mi (1.9 km2). The oldest incorporated place in Arizona is Tucson which incorporated in 1877 and the most recent was the town of Tusayan which incorporated in March 2010.

Municipal incorporation

The Arizona Constitution has, since its ratification in 1912, allowed for the creation of municipal corporations in any community with a population of 3,500 or greater. According to the constitution, a municipal charter cannot be created by special laws or by the legislature, but rather by the communities themselves as provided by general law. The population limit specified by the constitution was lowered by state law to a minimum of population of 1,500 for most locations, and further reduced to 500 for communities located within 10 miles (16 km) of a national park or national monument. State law further restricts the incorporation of new municipalities within urbanized areas, which are defined as a specific buffer zone surrounding existing cities and towns.

State law allows for the incorporation of a community as either a city or a town; the only additional requirement to incorporate as a city is a minimum population of 3,000. Cities and towns in Arizona function largely in an identical manner, but cities are provided with additional powers that a town charter does not provide, limited primarily to certain powers regarding the regulation of utilities and construction within the city limits. State law allows adjoining towns to merge and it allows a city to annex a town, but it does not allow cities to merge. Additionally, a town may change its form of government to a city upon reaching the minimum population of 3,000. There are, however, large communities that have remained incorporated as a town in spite of attaining a large population; Gilbert, with 208,453 residents, remains incorporated as a town.

Twenty Arizona municipalities were incorporated before 1912, when the state was admitted to the Union. As such, these cities and towns were incorporated by means other than those stipulated by current state law and the constitution. Phoenix, for example, was incorporated in 1881 by an act of the Territorial Legislature.

List of cities and towns

  • Largest cities and towns in Arizona by population
  • Aerial view of Downtown Phoenix, Arizona

    Phoenix, Arizona's capital city and most populous municipality

  • Aerial view of Downtown Tucson, Arizona

    Tucson, Arizona's second largest city by population

  • Downtown Mesa, Arizona

    Mesa, Arizona's third largest city by population

  • Downtown Chandler, Arizona

    Chandler is Arizona's fourth largest city by population.

  • Glendale-Downtown Glendale

    Glendale, Arizona's fifth largest city by population

  • Waterfront view of Scottsdale, Arizona

    Scottsdale is Arizona's sixth largest city by population.

  • Downtown Gilbert, Arizona

    Gilbert is Arizona's largest town and seventh largest municipality by population.

  • Downtown Tempe, Arizona

    Tempe, Arizona's eighth largest city by population

       County seat        State capital and county seat

Name Type County Population
(2010)		 Area (2010) Population density (2010) Incorporated
sq mi km2
Apache Junction City Pinal 35,840 35.00 90.6 1,024.0/sq mi (395.4/km2) 1978
Avondale City Maricopa 76,238 45.65 118.2 1,670.1/sq mi (644.8/km2) 1946
Benson City Cochise 5,105 41.46 107.4 123.1/sq mi (47.5/km2) 1924
Bisbee City Cochise 5,575 5.16 13.4 1,080.4/sq mi (417.1/km2) 1902
Buckeye City Maricopa 50,876 375.39 972.3 135.5/sq mi (52.3/km2) 1929
Bullhead City City Mohave 39,540 60.18 155.9 657.0/sq mi (253.7/km2) 1984
Camp Verde Town Yavapai 10,873 43.15 111.8 252.0/sq mi (97.3/km2) 1986
Carefree Town Maricopa 3,363 8.81 22.8 381.7/sq mi (147.4/km2) 1984
Casa Grande City Pinal 48,571 109.67 284.0 442.9/sq mi (171.0/km2) 1915
Cave Creek Town Maricopa 5,015 37.92 98.2 132.3/sq mi (51.1/km2) 1986
Chandler City Maricopa 236,123 64.52 167.1 3,659.7/sq mi (1,413.0/km2) 1920
Chino Valley Town Yavapai 10,817 63.43 164.3 170.5/sq mi (65.8/km2) 1970
Clarkdale Town Yavapai 4,097 10.57 27.4 387.6/sq mi (149.7/km2) 1957
CliftonCounty seat Town Greenlee 3,311 15.0 39 220.7/sq mi (85.2/km2) 1909
Colorado City Town Mohave 4,821 10.34 26.8 466.2/sq mi (180.0/km2) 1985
Coolidge City Pinal 11,825 56.58 146.5 209.0/sq mi (80.7/km2) 1945
Cottonwood City Yavapai 11,265 16.41 42.5 686.5/sq mi (265.1/km2) 1960
Dewey-Humboldt Town Yavapai 3,894 18.59 48.1 209.5/sq mi (80.9/km2) 2004
Douglas City Cochise 17,378 9.98 25.8 1,741.3/sq mi (672.3/km2) 1905
Duncan Town Greenlee 696 2.16 5.6 322.2/sq mi (124.4/km2) 1938
Eagar Town Apache 4,885 11.24 29.1 434.6/sq mi (167.8/km2) 1948
El Mirage City Maricopa 31,797 10.09 26.1 3,151.3/sq mi (1,216.7/km2) 1951
Eloy City Pinal 16,631 111.57 289.0 149.1/sq mi (57.6/km2) 1949
FlagstaffCounty seat City Coconino 65,870 63.91 165.5 1,030.7/sq mi (398.0/km2) 1894
FlorenceCounty seat Town Pinal 25,536 52.49 135.9 486.5/sq mi (187.8/km2) 1908
Fountain Hills Town Maricopa 22,489 20.42 52.9 1,101.3/sq mi (425.2/km2) 1989
Fredonia Town Coconino 1,314 7.32 19.0 179.5/sq mi (69.3/km2) 1956
Gila Bend Town Maricopa 1,922 55.37 143.4 34.7/sq mi (13.4/km2) 1962
Gilbert Town Maricopa 208,453 68.15 176.5 3,058.7/sq mi (1,181.0/km2) 1920
Glendale City Maricopa 226,721 60.13 155.7 3,770.5/sq mi (1,455.8/km2) 1910
GlobeCounty seat City Gila 7,532 18.20 47.1 413.8/sq mi (159.8/km2) 1907
Goodyear City Maricopa 65,275 191.52 496.0 340.8/sq mi (131.6/km2) 1946
Guadalupe Town Maricopa 5,523 0.81 2.1 6,818.5/sq mi (2,632.6/km2) 1975
Hayden Town Gila 662 1.27 3.3 521.3/sq mi (201.3/km2) 1956
HolbrookCounty seat City Navajo 5,053 17.37 45.0 290.9/sq mi (112.3/km2) 1917
Huachuca City Town Cochise 1,853 2.81 7.3 659.4/sq mi (254.6/km2) 1958
Jerome Town Yavapai 444 0.86 2.2 516.3/sq mi (199.3/km2) 1889
Kearny Town Pinal 1,950 2.81 7.3 694.0/sq mi (268.0/km2) 1959
KingmanCounty seat City Mohave 28,068 34.82 90.2 806.1/sq mi (311.2/km2) 1952
Lake Havasu City City Mohave 52,527 44.48 115.2 1,180.9/sq mi (455.9/km2) 1978
Litchfield Park City Maricopa 5,476 3.34 8.7 1,639.5/sq mi (633.0/km2) 1987
Mammoth Town Pinal 1,426 1.04 2.7 1,371.2/sq mi (529.4/km2) 1958
Marana Town Pima 34,961 122.20 316.5 286.1/sq mi (110.5/km2) 1977
Maricopa City Pinal 43,482 47.57 123.2 914.1/sq mi (352.9/km2) 2003
Mesa City Maricopa 439,041 137.06 355.0 3,203.3/sq mi (1,236.8/km2) 1883
Miami Town Gila 1,837 0.88 2.3 2,087.5/sq mi (806.0/km2) 1918
NogalesCounty seat City Santa Cruz 20,837 20.84 54.0 999.9/sq mi (386.1/km2) 1893
Oro Valley Town Pima 41,011 35.64 92.3 1,150.7/sq mi (444.3/km2) 1974
Page City Coconino 7,247 16.64 43.1 435.5/sq mi (168.1/km2) 1975
Paradise Valley Town Maricopa 12,820 15.46 40.0 829.2/sq mi (320.2/km2) 1961
ParkerCounty seat Town La Paz 3,083 21.99 57.0 140.2/sq mi (54.1/km2) 1948
Patagonia Town Santa Cruz 913 1.29 3.3 707.8/sq mi (273.3/km2) 1948
Payson Town Gila 15,301 19.47 50.4 785.9/sq mi (303.4/km2) 1973
Peoria City Maricopa 154,065 177.97 460.9 865.7/sq mi (334.2/km2) 1954
PhoenixState capital City Maricopa 1,445,632 517.95 1,341.5 2,791.1/sq mi (1,077.6/km2) 1881
Pima Town Graham 2,387 5.93 15.4 402.5/sq mi (155.4/km2) 1916
Pinetop-Lakeside Town Navajo 4,282 11.37 29.4 376.6/sq mi (145.4/km2) 1984
PrescottCounty seat City Yavapai 39,843 41.58 107.7 958.2/sq mi (370.0/km2) 1883
Prescott Valley Town Yavapai 38,822 38.65 100.1 1,004.5/sq mi (387.8/km2) 1978
Quartzsite Town La Paz 3,677 36.72 95.1 100.1/sq mi (38.6/km2) 1989
Queen Creek Town Maricopa 26,361 28.07 72.7 939.1/sq mi (362.6/km2) 1989
SaffordCounty seat City Graham 9,566 8.59 22.2 1,113.6/sq mi (430.0/km2) 1901
Sahuarita Town Pima 25,259 31.04 80.4 813.8/sq mi (314.2/km2) 1994
San Luis City Yuma 25,505 32.10 83.1 794.5/sq mi (306.8/km2) 1979
Scottsdale City Maricopa 217,385 184.40 477.6 1,178.9/sq mi (455.2/km2) 1951
Sedona City Yavapai 10,031 19.18 49.7 523.0/sq mi (201.9/km2) 1988
Show Low City Navajo 10,660 41.17 106.6 258.9/sq mi (100.0/km2) 1953
Sierra Vista City Cochise 43,888 152.54 395.1 287.7/sq mi (111.1/km2) 1956
Snowflake Town Navajo 5,590 33.58 87.0 166.5/sq mi (64.3/km2) 1948
Somerton City Yuma 14,287 7.30 18.9 1,957.1/sq mi (755.6/km2) 1918
South Tucson City Pima 5,652 1.04 2.7 5,434.6/sq mi (2,098.3/km2) 1940
Springerville Town Apache 1,961 11.69 30.3 167.8/sq mi (64.8/km2) 1948
St. JohnsCounty seat City Apache 3,480 26.08 67.5 133.4/sq mi (51.5/km2) 1946
Star Valley Town Gila 1,970 36.13 93.6 54.5/sq mi (21.0/km2) 2005
Superior Town Pinal 2,837 1.94 5.0 1,462.4/sq mi (564.6/km2) 1976
Surprise City Maricopa 117,517 105.87 274.2 1,110.0/sq mi (428.6/km2) 1960
Taylor Town Navajo 4,112 32.67 84.6 125.9/sq mi (48.6/km2) 1966
Tempe City Maricopa 161,719 40.19 104.1 4,023.9/sq mi (1,553.6/km2) 1894
Thatcher Town Graham 4,865 6.13 15.9 793.6/sq mi (306.4/km2) 1899
Tolleson City Maricopa 6,545 5.75 14.9 1,138.3/sq mi (439.5/km2) 1929
Tombstone City Cochise 1,380 4.31 11.2 320.2/sq mi (123.6/km2) 1881
TucsonCounty seat City Pima 520,116 227.03 588.0 2,291.0/sq mi (884.6/km2) 1877
Tusayan Town Coconino 558 8.91 23.1 62.6/sq mi (24.2/km2) 2010
Wellton Town Yuma 2,882 28.93 74.9 99.6/sq mi (38.5/km2) 1970
Wickenburg Town Maricopa 6,363 18.77 48.6 339.0/sq mi (130.9/km2) 1909
Willcox City Cochise 3,757 6.28 16.3 598.2/sq mi (231.0/km2) 1915
Williams City Coconino 3,023 43.79 113.4 69.0/sq mi (26.6/km2) 1901
Winkelman Town Gila 353 0.75 1.9 470.7/sq mi (181.7/km2) 1949
Winslow City Navajo 9,655 12.35 32.0 781.8/sq mi (301.9/km2) 1900
Youngtown Town Maricopa 6,156 1.54 4.0 3,997.4/sq mi (1,543.4/km2) 1960
YumaCounty seat City Yuma 93,064 120.41 311.9 772.9/sq mi (298.4/km2) 1914
Total Municipalities — — 5,022,368 &&&&&&&&&&&04357.7300004,357.73 11,286.5 1,152.5/sq mi (445.0/km2) —
State of Arizona — — 6,392,017 &&&&&&&&&0113990.&&&&&0113,990 295,200 56.1/sq mi (21.7/km2) —

Images for kids

  • Peoria High School, Old Main Building

    Peoria, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's eighth largest city by population

  • City Hall - Surprise, AZ, USA 2250094

    Surprise, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's tenth largest city by population

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List of cities and towns in Arizona Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.