Naco, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naco, Arizona
CDP
US Customhouse at Naco, Arizona
Naco, Arizona Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Naco, Arizona Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Cochise
Area
• Total	3.23 sq mi (8.37 km2)
• Land	3.23 sq mi (8.37 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	4,570 ft (1,390 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	824
• Density	254.95/sq mi (98.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
ZIP code	85620
Area code	520
FIPS code	04-48310
GNIS feature ID	2408897

Naco is a small community in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP). In 2020, about 824 people lived there. Naco is right on the United States–Mexico border, across from its sister city, Naco, Sonora, in Mexico.

Naco is famous for a strange event in 1929. It was accidentally bombed from the air during a conflict in Mexico. This makes Naco the only town in the continental United States ever bombed by aircraft working for a foreign power.

History of Naco

The town of Naco, Arizona, started in the early 1900s. Before that, the area was home to the Nahua and Opata Native American tribes. The name Naco means "nopal cactus" in the Opata language.

The United States government officially made Naco a Port of Entry on June 28, 1902. This means it's a place where people and goods can legally cross the border. Today, the Naco border crossing is open 24 hours a day.

Sometimes, people on both sides of the border use the border fence as a net for a volleyball game!

The 1929 Air Raid

The accidental Bombing of Naco in 1929 is a very unique part of American history. It was the first and only time a town in the main part of the United States was bombed by planes working for a foreign group.

This event happened because of a conflict in Mexico. In early 1929, a man named José Gonzalo Escobar led a rebellion against the Mexican government. Mexican troops were fighting near Naco, just across the border.

An American pilot named Patrick Murphy owned a bi-winged airplane. He decided to help the rebels by making homemade bombs and dropping them on the Mexican government's positions. The rebels promised him a reward. However, three of his bombs accidentally landed on the Arizona side of the border, hitting buildings in Naco.

Other rare times the continental United States faced aerial attacks include the 1942 Lookout Air Raids in Oregon and the 1944-45 Fu-Go Fire balloon attacks. These events are very unusual because, unlike many cities in Asia and Europe during World War I and World War II, the United States mostly avoided large-scale air bombings.

Geography

Naco covers an area of about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Past Attractions

Naco used to have the Turquoise Valley Golf Course. This golf course was very old, being the first in Arizona to operate for 100 continuous years. It closed permanently in June 2019.

People of Naco

According to the 2010 census, 1,046 people lived in Naco. About 40.5% of the population was under 18 years old. Around 83.9% of the people identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Ancient History of Naco

The Naco-Mammoth Kill Site is an important archaeological spot near Naco. In the 1950s, scientists found mammoth bones there with special stone tools called Clovis points stuck in them. This shows that Paleo-Indians, who were early people in North America, hunted mammoths in this area about 13,000 years ago.

Fort Naco

Fort Naco, a former military post near Naco, Arizona

Fort Naco is an old military base on the edge of Naco. After Pancho Villa's attack on Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, Fort Naco became a place where American soldiers gathered to protect the border. It was also the main base for the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Arizona National Guard.

Transportation

The Bisbee Bus offers rides from Naco to the nearby town of Bisbee.

See also

In Spanish: Naco (Arizona) para niños