Pinal County, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinal County
U.S. county
Second Pinal County Courthouse in Florence
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	February 1, 1875
Named for	Pinal Peak
Seat	Florence
Largest municipality	San Tan Valley Maricopa (incorporated)
Area
• Total	5,374 sq mi (13,920 km2)
• Land	5,366 sq mi (13,900 km2)
• Water	8.6 sq mi (22 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	425,264
• Estimate  (2023)	484,239
• Density	79.134/sq mi (30.5537/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional districts	2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th

Pinal County is a county located in the middle of Arizona, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 425,264 people lived here. This makes it the third most populated county in Arizona. The main city, or county seat, where the county government is located, is Florence. Pinal County was officially started in 1875.

Pinal County includes parts of several Native American lands. These are the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, the Gila River Indian Community, and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. It also fully includes the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

Pinal County is part of the larger Phoenix metropolitan area. This means it's connected to big cities like Phoenix, Mesa, and Chandler. Many people are moving into the northern parts of the county from Phoenix. Also, people are moving into the southern parts from Tucson. Pinal County has five main cities: Maricopa, Casa Grande, Apache Junction, Eloy, and Coolidge. There are also many smaller areas that are not officially cities or towns, called unincorporated areas. These areas have been growing quickly.

History of Pinal County

Pinal County was created on February 1, 1875. It was formed from parts of two nearby counties: Maricopa County and Pima County. The name "Pinal" is believed to come from the Pinal Mountains, which are covered in pine trees.

Between 2000 and 2010, Pinal County was one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire U.S. In 2010, CNN Money even said it was the second fastest-growing county. Looking ahead, Pinal County might face challenges from very hot weather and wildfires. These changes could affect the environment and the local economy.

Geography of Pinal County

Picketpost Peak, a tall landmark near Superior

Spring wildflowers blooming in the Sonoran Desert National Monument

Pinal County covers a total area of about 5,374 square miles. Most of this area, about 5,366 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 8.6 square miles, is water.

Mountain Ranges in Pinal County

Pinal County is home to several mountain ranges. These include:

• Mineral Mountains
• Sacaton Mountains
• Superstition Mountains
• Waterman Mountains

Counties Next to Pinal County

Pinal County shares borders with several other counties:

• Maricopa County – to the west and north
• Gila County – to the north
• Graham County – to the east
• Pima County – to the south

Main Highways in Pinal County

Protected Natural Areas

Pinal County has several important natural areas that are protected. These include:

• Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
• Coronado National Forest (part)
• Hohokam Pima National Monument
• Ironwood Forest National Monument (part)
• Sonoran Desert National Monument (part)
• Tonto National Forest (part)

Population Information

2010 Census Details

In 2010, the census showed that 375,770 people lived in Pinal County. There were about 125,590 households, which are groups of people living together. About 92,157 of these were families.

Most people in the county, about 72.4%, were white. About 5.6% were American Indian, and 4.6% were black or African American. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 28.5% of the population.

In terms of family life, 37.0% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 55.8% were married couples. The average household had 2.78 people. The average age of people in the county was 35.3 years old. The typical income for a household was around $51,310 per year.

Communities in Pinal County

Map showing cities, towns, and Indian reservations in Pinal County

Native copper with cuprite from the Ray Mine near Kearny

Cities in Pinal County

• Apache Junction (partially in Maricopa County)
• Casa Grande
• Coolidge
• Eloy
• Maricopa

Towns in Pinal County

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

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

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities, towns, or CDPs.

Ghost Towns

These are towns that used to exist but are now abandoned.

Population Ranking of Communities

This table shows the population of cities, towns, and CDPs in Pinal County based on the 2020 census. † county seat

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Pinal para niños