Pinal County, Arizona

Pinal County is a county in Arizona, United States, sitting between the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 425,264 at the 2020 census and covers 5,366 square miles (13,900 km2) centred near 32°59′N 111°20′W.

Florence is the county seat, and its postal code is 85132. Pinal County contains five incorporated cities, five incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities, mobile-home communities, and mining camps — including San Tan Valley, one of the largest unincorporated communities in the United States. The county uses Mountain time year-round; unlike most of the country it does not observe daylight saving.

Towns & Villages in Pinal County

The table below lists Pinal County’s incorporated cities and towns, its larger census-designated places (CDPs), and a wide range of smaller unincorporated communities carried over from historical mining camps, farm settlements, and tribal villages. Populations shown for Apache Junction reflect the whole city, most of which lies in neighboring Maricopa County. Arizona has no civil townships, so places are listed without a township column.

Several old-scrape entries were dropped as duplicate spellings of the same place already in the table above: “Ak Chin” (Ak-Chin Village), “Sacate Village” (Sacate), “Sacaton Flats”/”Sacaton Flats Village” (Sacaton), “Saddle Brooke” (Saddlebrooke), and “Stotonic” (Stotonic Village). Dozens of named mobile-home and RV parks from the old list — developments such as Foothills West Resort, Roadhaven, and Palo Verde Hills — are private communities rather than named populated places and were dropped rather than published as unverified settlements.

ZIP Codes

• 85132 — Florence (also serves Blackwater and Sacaton communities north of town)
• 85122 / 85193 / 85194 — Casa Grande
• 85138 / 85139 — Maricopa
• 85119 / 85120 — Apache Junction (also serves Gold Canyon)
• 85131 — Eloy (also serves Dudleyville)
• 85128 — Coolidge
• 85173 — Superior
• 85137 — Kearny
• 85618 — Mammoth
• 85192 — Winkelman
• 85140 / 85142 / 85143 — San Tan Valley
• 85739 — Saddlebrooke
• 85631 — San Manuel
• 85623 — Oracle

Smaller communities such as Ak-Chin Village, Casa Blanca, and Chuichu share a ZIP code with a neighboring post office town and are not listed separately.

Geography

Pinal County occupies the Sonoran Desert basin between two mountain ranges: the Superstition and Pinal Mountains to the north and east, and the Sacaton and Table Top Mountains further south. The Gila River crosses the county west to east, and Picacho Peak, a distinctive volcanic spire, rises along Interstate 10 near the county’s centre. The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, a Hohokam-era great house, sits near Coolidge.

Pinal County borders Maricopa County to the north and west, Gila County to the north and northeast, Graham County to the east, and Pima County to the south.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 425,264 residents, making Pinal the third-most-populous county in Arizona behind Maricopa and Pima. Maricopa city (58,125) and Casa Grande (53,658) are its two largest incorporated communities, though the unincorporated San Tan Valley CDP, at 99,894 residents, is larger than either. Pinal County’s median household income runs below the Arizona median of $77,315, reflecting its mix of agricultural land, retirement communities, and commuter suburbs. Population density is roughly 79 people per square mile, concentrated heavily in the county’s northwest corner near the Phoenix metro area.

Economy & Local Life

Cotton, alfalfa, and dairy farming remain significant around Casa Grande and Eloy, and copper mining continues at ASARCO’s Ray Mine near Kearny and at Freeport-McMoRan’s Miami-area operations that reach into the county’s northeast corner. Casa Grande has drawn large manufacturing investment in recent years, including a Lucid Motors assembly plant. Central Arizona College, headquartered in Coolidge, serves the county’s community-college needs. Retirement communities such as Saddlebrooke and Robson Ranch-style developments around San Tan Valley and Casa Grande drive much of the county’s newer residential growth.

History

Pinal County was created on February 1, 1875, from parts of Maricopa and Pima counties, and takes its name from the Pinal Mountains along its northern edge. Florence, founded in 1866, predates the county itself and has served continuously as the seat. The county contains the Casa Grande Ruins, preserved as a national monument since 1918, and parts of four Native American reservations: the Gila River Indian Community, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Historic copper camps at Ray, Kelvin, and Sonora grew up around early-20th-century mining operations along the Gila River.

Getting There

Interstate 10 runs the length of the county’s western half, connecting Casa Grande and Eloy to Phoenix and Tucson, while U.S. Route 60 and State Route 79 serve the county’s eastern and northern communities.

• Phoenix — 60 miles northwest of Florence
• Tucson — 65 miles south of Florence
• Casa Grande — 20 miles southwest of Florence
• Globe — 45 miles east of Florence

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport, roughly an hour’s drive from most of the county’s population centres.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pinal County, Arizona?
It sits in south-central Arizona, between metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, bordered by Maricopa, Gila, Graham, and Pima counties.

What is the population of Pinal County?
425,264 people, per the 2020 census, making it Arizona’s third-most-populous county.

How big is Pinal County?
5,366 square miles (13,900 km2), one of the larger counties in Arizona.

What is the county seat of Pinal County?
Florence, a town founded in 1866 that has served as seat since the county’s 1875 creation.

How many towns and cities are in Pinal County?
Five incorporated cities (Casa Grande, Maricopa, Apache Junction, Eloy, Coolidge) and five incorporated towns (Florence, Superior, Kearny, Mammoth, Winkelman), plus large unincorporated communities such as San Tan Valley and Saddlebrooke.

What ZIP codes are in Pinal County?
Major ZIP codes include 85132 (Florence), 85122/85193/85194 (Casa Grande), 85138/85139 (Maricopa), and 85140/85142/85143 (San Tan Valley).

What Native American reservations are in Pinal County?
Parts of the Gila River Indian Community, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the San Carlos Apache Reservation all lie within the county’s borders.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arizona.