List of municipalities in Arizona
The state of Arizona, the 16th most populous state in the United States, is home to 90 incorporated cities and towns, which include 9 of the most populated places in the country. Phoenix, the largest city in the state, is also the primary city in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, the 13th largest metropolitan area in the US with an estimated population of 4,179,427 as of 2007.[1] Arizona is also home to 2 of the top 10 fastest growing large cities in the country according to 2006 Census estimates.[2]
The following table is a list of incorporated places in Arizona arranged by the 2006 US Census population estimates.[3] All 90 cities and towns incorporated as of 2008 are included in the list. The oldest is Tucson, which was incorporated in 1877, and the most recent was the town of Diamond Star (subsequently renamed Star Valley), which was incorporated in 2005.[4]
Unincorporated communities, such as Sun City and Anthem, are not included despite being significant communities in their own right as they do not have official populations. For a listing of every populated place in Arizona, see List of localities in Arizona.
Municipal incorporation in Arizona
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.[5] According to the constitution, a municipal charter shall not be created by special laws or by the legislature, but rather by the communities themselves as provided by general law.[6] The population limit specified by the constitution was lowered by state law to a minimum of population of 1,500 for cities or towns, or 500 for communities located within 10 miles (16 km) of a national park or national monument.[7] 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. [8]
Currently, state law allows for the incorporation of a community as either a city or a town, with the only additional requirement to incorporate as a city is a minimum population of 3,000.[9] Cities and towns in Arizona function in largely an identical manner, but cities are provided with a number of 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. [10] 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 nearly 200,000 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.[11]
List of incorporated places in Arizona
Key: and [d] indicate the listed city or town is a county seat.
| Rank | Name | County | Population (2006)[3] | Area (2000)[12] | Incorporated[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PhoenixTemplate:Scref | Maricopa | 1,512,986 | 475.1 sq mi (1,231 km2) | 1881 |
| 2 | TucsonTemplate:Scref | Pima | 518,956 | 195.1 sq mi (505 km2) | 1877 |
| 3 | Mesa | Maricopa | 447,541 | 125.2 sq mi (324 km2) | 1883 |
| 4 | Glendale | Maricopa | 246,531 | 55.8 sq mi (145 km2) | 1910 |
| 5 | Chandler | Maricopa | 240,585 | 58 sq mi (150 km2) | 1920 |
| 6 | Scottsdale | Maricopa | 231,127 | 184.4 sq mi (478 km2) | 1951 |
| 7 | Gilbert | Maricopa | 191,517 | 43.2 sq mi (112 km2) | 1920 |
| 8 | Tempe | Maricopa | 169,712 | 40.2 sq mi (104 km2) | 1894 |
| 9 | Peoria | MaricopaTemplate:Scref | 142,024 | 141.7 sq mi (367 km2) | 1954 |
| 10 | YumaTemplate:Scref | Yuma | 87,423 | 106.7 sq mi (276 km2) | 1914 |
| 11 | Surprise | Maricopa | 85,914 | 69.5 sq mi (180 km2) | 1960 |
| 12 | Avondale | Maricopa | 75,403 | 41.3 sq mi (107 km2) | 1946 |
| 13 | FlagstaffTemplate:Scref | Coconino | 58,213 | 63.6 sq mi (165 km2) | 1894 |
| 14 | Lake Havasu City | Mohave | 56,355 | 43.1 sq mi (112 km2) | 1978 |
| 15 | Goodyear | Maricopa | 47,359 | 116.5 sq mi (302 km2) | 1946 |
| 16 | Sierra Vista | Cochise | 42,706 | 153.5 sq mi (398 km2) | 1956 |
| 17 | PrescottTemplate:Scref | Yavapai | 41,528 | 153.5 sq mi (398 km2) | 1883 |
| 18 | Bullhead City | Mohave | 40,225 | 46 sq mi (120 km2) | 1984 |
| 19 | Oro Valley | Pima | 39,308 | 31.9 sq mi (83 km2) | 1974 |
| 20 | Prescott Valley | Yavapai | 36,122 | 31.7 sq mi (82 km2) | 1978 |
| 21 | Casa Grande | Pinal | 34,554 | 48.2 sq mi (125 km2) | 1915 |
| 22 | Apache Junction | Pinal Template:Scref | 31,046 | 34.2 sq mi (89 km2) | 1978 |
| 23 | Maricopa | Pinal | 30,518 | N/A Template:Scref | 2003 |
| 24 | Marana | Pima | 29,989 | 120 sq mi (310 km2) | 1977 |
| 25 | Buckeye | Maricopa | 29,615 | 145.8 sq mi (378 km2) | 1929 |
| 26 | KingmanTemplate:Scref | Mohave | 27,271 | 30 sq mi (78 km2) | 1952 |
| 27 | El Mirage | Maricopa | 25,531 | 9.7 sq mi (25 km2) | 1951 |
| 28 | Fountain Hills | Maricopa | 24,669 | 18.2 sq mi (47 km2) | 1989 |
| 29 | San Luis | Yuma | 22,634 | 26.5 sq mi (69 km2) | 1979 |
| 30 | Queen Creek | Maricopa Template:Scref | 20,818 | 25.8 sq mi (67 km2) | 1989 |
| 31 | NogalesTemplate:Scref | Santa Cruz | 20,768 | 20.8 sq mi (54 km2) | 1893 |
| 32 | Douglas | Cochise | 17,016 | 7.7 sq mi (20 km2) | 1905 |
| 33 | FlorenceTemplate:Scref | Pinal | 17,009 | 8.3 sq mi (21 km2) | 1908 |
| 34 | Payson | Gila | 15,257 | 19.5 sq mi (51 km2) | 1973 |
| 35 | Paradise Valley | Maricopa | 14,479 | 15.5 sq mi (40 km2) | 1961 |
| 36 | Sahuarita | Pima | 13,027 | 15.2 sq mi (39 km2) | 1994 |
| 37 | Cottonwood | Yavapai | 11,171 | 10.7 sq mi (28 km2) | 1960 |
| 38 | Sedona | YavapaiTemplate:Scref | 11,323 | 18.6 sq mi (48 km2) | 1988 |
| 39 | Show Low | Navajo | 11,027 | 27.9 sq mi (72 km2) | 1953 |
| 40 | Somerton | Yuma | 10,806 | 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) | 1918 |
| 41 | Eloy | Pinal | 10,746 | 71.7 sq mi (186 km2) | 1949 |
| 42 | Camp Verde | Yavapai | 10,610 | 42.6 sq mi (110 km2) | 1986 |
| 43 | Chino Valley | Yavapai | 10,503 | 18.6 sq mi (48 km2) | 1970 |
| 44 | Winslow | Navajo | 9,958 | 12.3 sq mi (32 km2) | 1900 |
| 45 | SaffordTemplate:Scref | Graham | 8,981 | 7.9 sq mi (20 km2) | 1901 |
| 46 | Coolidge | Pinal | 7,892 | 5 sq mi (13 km2) | 1945 |
| 47 | GlobeTemplate:Scref | Gila | 7,141 | 18 sq mi (47 km2) | 1907 |
| 48 | Page | Coconino | 6,827 | 16.6 sq mi (43 km2) | 1975 |
| 49 | Tolleson | Maricopa | 6,812 | 5.6 sq mi (15 km2) | 1929 |
| 50 | Wickenburg | Maricopa | 6,423 | 11.5 sq mi (30 km2) | 1909 |
| 51 | BisbeeTemplate:Scref | Cochise | 6,095 | 4.8 sq mi (12 km2) | 1902 |
| 52 | South Tucson | Pima | 5,571 | 1 sq mi (2.6 km2) | 1940 |
| 53 | Litchfield Park | Maricopa | 5,514 | 3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2) | 1987 |
| 54 | Guadalupe | Maricopa | 5,467 | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2) | 1975 |
| 55 | Snowflake | Navajo | 5,157 | 30.9 sq mi (80 km2) | 1948 |
| 56 | HolbrookTemplate:Scref | Navajo | 5,154 | 15.4 sq mi (40 km2) | 1917 |
| 57 | Cave Creek | Maricopa | 4,951 | 28.2 sq mi (73 km2) | 1986 |
| 58 | Benson | Cochise | 4,890 | 35.7 sq mi (92 km2) | 1924 |
| 59 | Youngtown | Maricopa | 4,736 | 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) | 1960 |
| 60 | Colorado City | Mohave | 4,607 | 10.5 sq mi (27 km2) | 1985 |
| 61 | Pinetop-Lakeside | Navajo | 4,442 | 11.3 sq mi (29 km2) | 1984 |
| 62 | Eagar | Apache | 4,285 | 11.3 sq mi (29 km2) | 1948 |
| 63 | Thatcher | Graham | 4,257 | 4.4 sq mi (11 km2) | 1899 |
| 64 | Taylor | Navajo | 4,049 | 24.6 sq mi (64 km2) | 1966 |
| 65 | Clarkdale | Yavapai | 3,836 | 7.5 sq mi (19 km2) | 1957 |
| 66 | Willcox | Cochise | 3,828 | 6.1 sq mi (16 km2) | 1915 |
| 67 | Carefree | Maricopa | 3,799 | 8.9 sq mi (23 km2) | 1986 |
| 68 | Dewey-Humboldt | Yavapai | 3,699 | N/A Template:Scref | 2004 |
| 69 | St. JohnsTemplate:Scref | Apache | 3,625 | 6.6 sq mi (17 km2) | 1946 |
| 70 | Quartzsite | La Paz | 3,456 | 36.3 sq mi (94 km2) | 1989 |
| 71 | ParkerTemplate:Scref | Mohave | 3,200 | 22 sq mi (57 km2) | 1948 |
| 72 | Superior | Gila | 3,039 | 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2) | 1976 |
| 73 | Williams | Coconino | 3,201 | 43.8 sq mi (113 km2) | 1901 |
| 74 | Kearny | Pinal | 2,896 | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) | 1959 |
| 75 | Mammoth | Pinal | 2,266 | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) | 1958 |
| 76 | CliftonTemplate:Scref | Greenlee | 2,321 | 14.9 sq mi (39 km2) | 1909 |
| 77 | Springerville | Apache | 1,997 | 11.7 sq mi (30 km2) | 1948 |
| 78 | Pima | Graham | 1,970 | 2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2) | 1916 |
| 79 | Wellton | Yuma | 1,891 | 2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2) | 1970 |
| 80 | Huachuca City | Cochise | 1,869 | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) | 1958 |
| 81 | Gila Bend | Maricopa | 1,838 | 22.8 sq mi (59 km2) | 1962 |
| 82 | Miami | Gila | 1,824 | 1 sq mi (2.6 km2) | 1918 |
| 83 | Tombstone | Cochise | 1,571 | 4.3 sq mi (11 km2) | 1881 |
| 84 | Star Valley | Gila | 1,536 Template:Scref | N/A Template:Scref | 2005 |
| 85 | Fredonia | Coconino | 1,062 | 7.4 sq mi (19 km2) | 1956 |
| 86 | Hayden | Gila | 835 | 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) | 1956 |
| 87 | Patagonia | Santa Cruz | 822 | 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2) | 1948 |
| 88 | Duncan | Greenlee | 732 | 2.6 sq mi (6.7 km2) | 1938 |
| 89 | Winkelman | Gila | 440 | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) | 1949 |
| 90 | Jerome | Yavapai | 350 | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) | 1889 |
Notes
- ^ a: Star Valley was incorporated in 2005 and does not yet appear on Census Bureau estimates. Population is the 2000 figure for the former census designated place (CDP) of Sun Valley, which corresponds roughly to the municipal boundaries.
- ^ b: The municipal boundaries of Peoria, Apache Junction, Queen Creek and Sedona cross the county border into, respectively, Yavapai County, Maricopa County, Pinal County and Coconino County. The above table lists the primary county these cities and towns reside in.
- ^ c: Dewey-Humboldt, Maricopa and Star Valley were incorporated after the 2000 Census and their area is not included. The 2000 areas of the CDPs corresponding to these cities are 22.9 square miles (59 km2), 4 square miles (10 km2) and 6.4 square miles (17 km2). The City of Maricopa has annexed beyond the boundaries of the former CDP and reports a current (2007) area of 31.9 square miles (83 km2)[14]
- ^ d: This city or town is the county seat of its respective county.
References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007". US Census Bureau. 2008-03-07. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of Population Change for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by Percent Change: July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006". US Census Bureau. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
- ^ a b "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona". United States Census Bureau. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ McQuerrey, Teresa (2006-04-03). "Rim Country sees year of growth, service and honors". The Payson Roundup. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Article 13, Section 2". Arizona Constitution. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Article 13, Section 1". Arizona Constitution. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "§9-101". Arizona Revised Statutes. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "§9-101.01". Arizona Revised Statutes. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "§9-281". Arizona Revised Statutes. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "§9-276". Arizona Revised Statutes. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "Out of the Ashes: The History of the City of Phoenix". City of Phoenix. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Arizona by Place". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|ST-7S&-_lang=ignored (help) - ^ "Community Profiles". Arizona Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Economic Development". City of Maricopa. Retrieved 2008-06-19.