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List of municipalities 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 2020 United States Census, Arizona is the 14th most populous state with 7,151,502 inhabitants (as of the 2020 census) and the 6th largest by land area spanning 113,623.1 square miles (294,282 km2). 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. Most of the population is concentrated within the Phoenix metropolitan area, with an 2020 census population of 4,845,832 (67.8% of the state population).

Phoenix is the capital and largest city by population in Arizona with 1,608,139 residents, is ranked as the fifth most populous city in the United States, and land area spanning 517.5 sq mi (1,340 km2) as of the 2020 census. The smallest municipality by population and land area is Winkelman with 296 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 267,918 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 state capital and most populous municipality

  • Aerial view of Downtown Tucson, Arizona

    Tucson, Arizona's second largest city by population

  • Downtown Mesa, Arizona

    Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's third largest city by population

  • Downtown Chandler, Arizona

    Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's fourth largest city by population

  • Downtown Gilbert, Arizona

    Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's largest town and fifth largest municipality by population

  • Glendale-Downtown Glendale

    Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's sixth largest city by population

  • Waterfront view of Scottsdale, Arizona

    Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's seventh largest city by population

  • Peoria High School

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

  • Downtown Tempe, Arizona

    Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix and Arizona's ninth largest city by population

  • Surprise City Hall

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

       County seat        State capital and county seat

Name Type County Population
(2020)		 Population
(2010)		 Change Land area (2020) Population density (2020) Incorporation year
sq mi km2
Apache Junction City Pinal, Maricopa 38,499 35,840 &10000000000000007419084+7.4% 35.07 90.8 1,097.8/sq mi (423.9/km2) 1978
Avondale City Maricopa 89,334 76,238 &10000000000000017177785+17.2% 47.28 122.5 1,889.5/sq mi (729.5/km2) 1946
Benson City Cochise 5,355 5,105 &10000000000000004897159+4.9% 41.64 107.8 128.6/sq mi (49.7/km2) 1924
Bisbee City Cochise 4,923 5,575 Template:Number table sorting/negative−11.7% 5.18 13.4 950.4/sq mi (367.0/km2) 1902
Buckeye City Maricopa 91,502 50,876 &10000000000000079852975+79.9% 392.98 1,017.8 232.8/sq mi (89.9/km2) 1929
Bullhead City City Mohave 41,348 39,540 &10000000000000004572584+4.6% 59.37 153.8 696.4/sq mi (268.9/km2) 1984
Camp Verde Town Yavapai 12,147 10,873 &10000000000000011717097+11.7% 42.35 109.7 286.8/sq mi (110.7/km2) 1986
Carefree Town Maricopa 3,690 3,363 &10000000000000009723461+9.7% 8.81 22.8 418.8/sq mi (161.7/km2) 1984
Casa Grande City Pinal 53,658 48,571 &10000000000000010473327+10.5% 110.87 287.2 484.0/sq mi (186.9/km2) 1915
Cave Creek Town Maricopa 4,892 5,015 Template:Number table sorting/negative−2.5% 37.71 97.7 129.7/sq mi (50.1/km2) 1986
Chandler City Maricopa 275,987 236,123 &10000000000000016882726+16.9% 65.30 169.1 4,226.4/sq mi (1,631.8/km2) 1920
Chino Valley Town Yavapai 13,020 10,817 &10000000000000020366090+20.4% 62.42 161.7 208.6/sq mi (80.5/km2) 1970
Clarkdale Town Yavapai 4,424 4,097 &10000000000000007981449+8.0% 10.18 26.4 434.6/sq mi (167.8/km2) 1957
CliftonCounty seat Town Greenlee 3,933 3,311 &10000000000000018785865+18.8% 14.62 37.9 269.0/sq mi (103.9/km2) 1909
Colorado City Town Mohave 2,478 4,821 Template:Number table sorting/negative−48.6% 9.20 23.8 269.3/sq mi (104.0/km2) 1985
Coolidge City Pinal 13,218 11,825 &10000000000000011780126+11.8% 76.27 197.5 173.3/sq mi (66.9/km2) 1945
Cottonwood City Yavapai 12,029 11,265 &10000000000000006782068+6.8% 16.60 43.0 724.6/sq mi (279.8/km2) 1960
Dewey-Humboldt Town Yavapai 4,326 3,894 &10000000000000011093990+11.1% 18.79 48.7 230.2/sq mi (88.9/km2) 2004
Douglas City Cochise 16,534 17,378 Template:Number table sorting/negative−4.9% 9.98 25.8 1,656.7/sq mi (639.7/km2) 1905
Duncan Town Greenlee 694 696 Template:Number table sorting/negative−0.3% 2.15 5.6 322.8/sq mi (124.6/km2) 1938
Eagar Town Apache 4,395 4,885 Template:Number table sorting/negative−10.0% 11.58 30.0 379.5/sq mi (146.5/km2) 1948
El Mirage City Maricopa 35,805 31,797 &10000000000000012604962+12.6% 9.90 25.6 3,616.7/sq mi (1,396.4/km2) 1951
Eloy City Pinal 15,635 16,631 Template:Number table sorting/negative−6.0% 113.57 294.1 137.7/sq mi (53.2/km2) 1949
FlagstaffCounty seat City Coconino 76,831 65,870 &10000000000000016640352+16.6% 66.03 171.0 1,163.6/sq mi (449.3/km2) 1894
FlorenceCounty seat Town Pinal 26,785 25,536 &10000000000000004891134+4.9% 62.62 162.2 427.7/sq mi (165.1/km2) 1908
Fountain Hills Town Maricopa 23,820 22,489 &10000000000000005918449+5.9% 20.28 52.5 1,174.6/sq mi (453.5/km2) 1989
Fredonia Town Coconino 1,323 1,314 &10000000000000000684931+0.7% 8.88 23.0 149.0/sq mi (57.5/km2) 1956
Gila Bend Town Maricopa 1,892 1,922 Template:Number table sorting/negative−1.6% 64.37 166.7 29.4/sq mi (11.4/km2) 1962
Gilbert Town Maricopa 267,918 208,453 &10000000000000028526814+28.5% 68.57 177.6 3,907.2/sq mi (1,508.6/km2) 1920
Glendale City Maricopa 248,325 226,721 &10000000000000009528892+9.5% 61.60 159.5 4,031.3/sq mi (1,556.5/km2) 1910
GlobeCounty seat City Gila 7,249 7,532 Template:Number table sorting/negative−3.8% 18.26 47.3 397.0/sq mi (153.3/km2) 1907
Goodyear City Maricopa 95,294 65,275 &10000000000000045988510+46.0% 191.30 495.5 498.1/sq mi (192.3/km2) 1946
Guadalupe Town Maricopa 5,322 5,523 Template:Number table sorting/negative−3.6% 0.80 2.1 6,652.5/sq mi (2,568.5/km2) 1975
Hayden Town Gila, Pinal 512 662 Template:Number table sorting/negative−22.7% 1.27 3.3 403.1/sq mi (155.6/km2) 1956
HolbrookCounty seat City Navajo 4,858 5,053 Template:Number table sorting/negative−3.9% 17.34 44.9 280.2/sq mi (108.2/km2) 1917
Huachuca City Town Cochise 1,626 1,853 Template:Number table sorting/negative−12.3% 2.83 7.3 574.6/sq mi (221.9/km2) 1958
Jerome Town Yavapai 464 444 &10000000000000004504504+4.5% 0.79 2.0 587.3/sq mi (226.8/km2) 1889
Kearny Town Pinal 1,741 1,950 Template:Number table sorting/negative−10.7% 2.70 7.0 644.8/sq mi (249.0/km2) 1959
KingmanCounty seat City Mohave 32,689 28,068 &10000000000000016463588+16.5% 37.55 97.3 870.5/sq mi (336.1/km2) 1952
Lake Havasu City City Mohave 57,144 52,527 &10000000000000008789765+8.8% 46.34 120.0 1,233.1/sq mi (476.1/km2) 1978
Litchfield Park City Maricopa 6,847 5,476 &10000000000000025036523+25.0% 3.28 8.5 2,087.5/sq mi (806.0/km2) 1987
Mammoth Town Pinal 1,076 1,426 Template:Number table sorting/negative−24.5% 26.32 68.2 40.9/sq mi (15.8/km2) 1958
Marana Town Pima, Pinal 51,908 34,961 &10000000000000048474013+48.5% 121.10 313.6 428.6/sq mi (165.5/km2) 1977
Maricopa City Pinal 58,125 43,482 &10000000000000033676003+33.7% 42.46 110.0 1,368.9/sq mi (528.5/km2) 2003
Mesa City Maricopa 504,258 439,041 &10000000000000014854421+14.9% 138.70 359.2 3,635.6/sq mi (1,403.7/km2) 1883
Miami Town Gila 1,541 1,837 Template:Number table sorting/negative−16.1% 0.89 2.3 1,731.5/sq mi (668.5/km2) 1918
NogalesCounty seat City Santa Cruz 19,770 20,837 Template:Number table sorting/negative−5.1% 20.82 53.9 949.6/sq mi (366.6/km2) 1893
Oro Valley Town Pima 47,070 41,011 &10000000000000014774085+14.8% 34.87 90.3 1,349.9/sq mi (521.2/km2) 1974
Page City Coconino 7,440 7,247 &10000000000000002663170+2.7% 38.18 98.9 194.9/sq mi (75.3/km2) 1975
Paradise Valley Town Maricopa 12,658 12,820 Template:Number table sorting/negative−1.3% 15.38 39.8 823.0/sq mi (317.8/km2) 1961
ParkerCounty seat Town La Paz 3,417 3,083 &10000000000000010833603+10.8% 21.98 56.9 155.5/sq mi (60.0/km2) 1948
Patagonia Town Santa Cruz 804 913 Template:Number table sorting/negative−11.9% 1.29 3.3 623.3/sq mi (240.7/km2) 1948
Payson Town Gila 16,351 15,301 &10000000000000006862296+6.9% 19.35 50.1 845.0/sq mi (326.3/km2) 1973
Peoria City Maricopa, Yavapai 190,985 154,065 &10000000000000023963911+24.0% 176.08 456.0 1,084.6/sq mi (418.8/km2) 1954
PhoenixState capital City Maricopa 1,608,139 1,445,632 &10000000000000011241242+11.2% 518.00 1,341.6 3,104.5/sq mi (1,198.7/km2) 1881
Pima Town Graham 2,847 2,387 &10000000000000019271051+19.3% 7.30 18.9 390.0/sq mi (150.6/km2) 1916
Pinetop-Lakeside Town Navajo 4,030 4,282 Template:Number table sorting/negative−5.9% 11.15 28.9 361.4/sq mi (139.5/km2) 1984
PrescottCounty seat City Yavapai 45,827 39,843 &10000000000000015018949+15.0% 44.97 116.5 1,019.1/sq mi (393.5/km2) 1883
Prescott Valley Town Yavapai 46,785 38,822 &10000000000000020511565+20.5% 40.47 104.8 1,156.0/sq mi (446.3/km2) 1978
Quartzsite Town La Paz 2,413 3,677 Template:Number table sorting/negative−34.4% 36.30 94.0 66.5/sq mi (25.7/km2) 1989
Queen Creek Town Maricopa, Pinal 59,519 26,361 &10000000000000125784302+125.8% 40.32 104.4 1,476.2/sq mi (570.0/km2) 1989
SaffordCounty seat City Graham 10,129 9,566 &10000000000000005885427+5.9% 9.27 24.0 1,092.7/sq mi (421.9/km2) 1901
Sahuarita Town Pima 34,134 25,259 &10000000000000035135991+35.1% 31.69 82.1 1,077.1/sq mi (415.9/km2) 1994
San Luis City Yuma 35,257 25,505 &10000000000000038235640+38.2% 34.03 88.1 1,036.1/sq mi (400.0/km2) 1979
Scottsdale City Maricopa 241,361 217,385 &10000000000000011029279+11.0% 184.00 476.6 1,311.7/sq mi (506.5/km2) 1951
Sedona City Yavapai, Coconino 9,684 10,031 Template:Number table sorting/negative−3.5% 18.26 47.3 530.3/sq mi (204.7/km2) 1988
Show Low City Navajo 11,732 10,660 &10000000000000010056285+10.1% 65.50 169.6 179.1/sq mi (69.2/km2) 1953
Sierra Vista City Cochise 45,308 43,888 &10000000000000003235508+3.2% 152.25 394.3 297.6/sq mi (114.9/km2) 1956
Snowflake Town Navajo 6,104 5,590 &10000000000000009194991+9.2% 33.74 87.4 180.9/sq mi (69.8/km2) 1948
Somerton City Yuma 14,197 14,287 Template:Number table sorting/negative−0.6% 7.27 18.8 1,952.8/sq mi (754.0/km2) 1918
South Tucson City Pima 4,613 5,652 Template:Number table sorting/negative−18.4% 1.03 2.7 4,478.6/sq mi (1,729.2/km2) 1940
Springerville Town Apache 1,717 1,961 Template:Number table sorting/negative−12.4% 11.50 29.8 149.3/sq mi (57.6/km2) 1948
St. JohnsCounty seat City Apache 3,417 3,480 Template:Number table sorting/negative−1.8% 25.91 67.1 131.9/sq mi (50.9/km2) 1946
Star Valley Town Gila 2,484 1,970 &10000000000000026091370+26.1% 36.14 93.6 68.7/sq mi (26.5/km2) 2005
Superior Town Pinal 2,407 2,837 Template:Number table sorting/negative−15.2% 1.96 5.1 1,228.1/sq mi (474.2/km2) 1976
Surprise City Maricopa 143,148 117,517 &10000000000000021810461+21.8% 110.30 285.7 1,297.8/sq mi (501.1/km2) 1960
Taylor Town Navajo 3,995 4,112 Template:Number table sorting/negative−2.8% 32.66 84.6 122.3/sq mi (47.2/km2) 1966
Tempe City Maricopa 180,587 161,719 &10000000000000011667151+11.7% 39.94 103.4 4,521.5/sq mi (1,745.8/km2) 1894
Thatcher Town Graham 5,231 4,865 &10000000000000007523124+7.5% 6.60 17.1 792.6/sq mi (306.0/km2) 1899
Tolleson City Maricopa 7,216 6,545 &10000000000000010252100+10.3% 5.73 14.8 1,259.3/sq mi (486.2/km2) 1929
Tombstone City Cochise 1,308 1,380 Template:Number table sorting/negative−5.2% 9.25 24.0 141.4/sq mi (54.6/km2) 1881
TucsonCounty seat City Pima 542,629 520,116 &10000000000000004328457+4.3% 240.99 624.2 2,251.7/sq mi (869.4/km2) 1877
Tusayan Town Coconino 603 558 &10000000000000008064516+8.1% 16.83 43.6 35.8/sq mi (13.8/km2) 2010
Wellton Town Yuma 2,375 2,882 Template:Number table sorting/negative−17.6% 28.88 74.8 82.2/sq mi (31.7/km2) 1970
Wickenburg Town Maricopa, Yavapai 7,474 6,363 &10000000000000017460317+17.5% 25.86 67.0 289.0/sq mi (111.6/km2) 1909
Willcox City Cochise 3,213 3,757 Template:Number table sorting/negative−14.5% 6.15 15.9 522.4/sq mi (201.7/km2) 1915
Williams City Coconino 3,202 3,023 &10000000000000005921270+5.9% 43.83 113.5 73.1/sq mi (28.2/km2) 1901
Winkelman Town Gila, Pinal 296 353 Template:Number table sorting/negative−16.1% 0.77 2.0 384.4/sq mi (148.4/km2) 1949
Winslow City Navajo 9,005 9,655 Template:Number table sorting/negative−6.7% 12.99 33.6 693.2/sq mi (267.6/km2) 1900
Youngtown Town Maricopa 7,056 6,156 &10000000000000014619883+14.6% 1.49 3.9 4,735.6/sq mi (1,828.4/km2) 1960
YumaCounty seat City Yuma 95,548 93,064 &10000000000000002669130+2.7% 120.67 312.5 791.8/sq mi (305.7/km2) 1914
Total municipalities — — 5,728,859 5,022,368 &10000000000000014066890+14.1% &&&&&&&&&&&04548.&500004,548.05 11,779.4 1,259.6/sq mi (486.3/km2) —
State of Arizona — — 7,151,502 6,392,017 &10000000000000011881773+11.9% &&&&&&&&&0113623.100000113,623.1 294,282 62.9/sq mi (24.3/km2) —

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List of municipalities in Arizona Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.