Graham County is a county in Arizona, United States, in the southeastern part of the state, anchored by the upper Gila River valley below Mount Graham. It had a population of 38,533 at the 2020 census and covers 4,641 square miles (12,020 km2), of which 4,623 sq mi is land, centred near 33°02′N 109°47′W.
Safford is the county seat, and its postal code is 85546. The county has one incorporated city (Safford), two incorporated towns (Pima and Thatcher), and roughly a dozen census-designated places and unincorporated communities. Graham County observes Mountain Time and does not use daylight saving time.
Towns & Villages in Graham County
Graham County has one city, two towns, and nine Census Bureau-recognized places, plus several smaller unincorporated communities carried over from local mapping records. CDP = Census-Designated Place (unincorporated but statistically tracked); Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no CDP boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safford | City · seat | — | 85546 / 85548 |
| Thatcher | Town | — | 85552 |
| Pima | Town | — | 85543 |
| Bylas | CDP | — | 85530 |
| Central | CDP | — | 85531 |
| Solomon | CDP | — | 85551 |
| Fort Thomas | CDP | — | 85536 |
| Bryce | CDP | — | 85546 |
| Cactus Flats | CDP | — | — |
| San Jose | CDP | — | — |
| Swift Trail Junction | CDP | — | — |
| Peridot | CDP (partly Gila County) | — | — |
| Eden | Unincorp. | — | 85535 |
| Bonita | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Grant | Unincorp. | — | — |
Peridot straddles the Graham–Gila county line; the portion counted here is the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation settlement in Graham County. Several smaller named places from older gazetteers — among them Artesia, Ashurst, Aravaipa, Geronimo, Glenbar, Klondyke, Sanchez, and a handful of mobile-home-park subdivisions near Safford and Thatcher — are locally recognized but lack a published Census Bureau population or ZIP assignment, so they are omitted from the table above rather than guessed at.
ZIP Codes
- 85546 — Safford (also serves Bryce)
- 85548 — Safford (PO Box)
- 85552 — Thatcher
- 85543 — Pima
- 85530 — Bylas (PO Box)
- 85531 — Central (PO Box)
- 85551 — Solomon (PO Box)
- 85536 — Fort Thomas (PO Box)
- 85535 — Eden
Smaller communities such as Cactus Flats, San Jose, Swift Trail Junction, Bonita, Fort Grant, and Peridot share a ZIP code with a neighboring post office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Graham County is dominated by the Gila River valley, which runs east to west through the middle of the county and supplies the irrigated farmland around Safford, Thatcher, and Pima. The Pinaleno Mountains rise sharply south of the valley, topped by 10,720-foot Mount Graham, home of the Mount Graham International Observatory; the Gila, Santa Teresa, and Galiuro mountain ranges cover much of the county’s remaining, largely undeveloped terrain. Part of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation lies within the county’s northern and western reaches.
Graham County borders Navajo and Apache counties to the north, Greenlee County to the east, Cochise County to the south, Pima County to the southwest, Gila County to the northwest, and Pinal County to the west.
Demographics
Graham County had 38,533 residents at the 2020 census, making it the third-least-populous county in Arizona. Safford and Thatcher are the two largest communities. The county’s median household income trails the Arizona median of $77,315, reflecting an economy weighted toward agriculture, corrections, and public-sector employment rather than the higher-wage metro jobs of Maricopa or Pima counties. Population density is roughly 8 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the local economy, with cotton, alfalfa, and pecan orchards irrigated from the Gila River; the county is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area. Two state prison complexes near Safford are major employers, alongside Eastern Arizona College, Mount Graham Regional Medical Center, and Freeport-McMoRan’s copper operations nearby in Greenlee County that draw commuting workers. The county hosts a leg of the Arizona Salsa Trail and the annual Graham County Fair in Safford.
History
Graham County was organized on March 10, 1881, carved from Apache and Pima counties during the territorial era. It takes its name from Mount Graham, itself named for Lt. Col. James Duncan Graham, a U.S. Army topographical engineer who surveyed the Gila River region in the 1850s. The county’s early economy centered on cotton and cattle ranching in the Gila Valley; the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, established in 1872 and enlarged into the county’s western portion, has been central to the area’s history and remains a major landholder and employer today.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 70 and 191 are the county’s main highways, joined by Arizona State Routes 266 and 366 toward Mount Graham.
- Tucson — 130 miles southwest
- Phoenix — 165 miles northwest
- Globe — 60 miles northwest
- Willcox — 45 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Tucson International Airport; Safford Regional Airport offers general aviation service only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Graham County?
It is in southeastern Arizona, along the upper Gila River valley below the Pinaleno Mountains, between Tucson and the New Mexico border.
What is the population of Graham County?
38,533 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Graham County?
4,623 square miles of land (11,973 km2), or 4,641 sq mi including water.
What is the county seat of Graham County?
Safford is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Graham County?
One city (Safford), two towns (Pima and Thatcher), and about a dozen recognized CDPs and unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Graham County?
85546 and 85548 (Safford), 85552 (Thatcher), 85543 (Pima), 85530 (Bylas), 85531 (Central), 85551 (Solomon), 85536 (Fort Thomas), and 85535 (Eden).
What mountain gives the county its name?
Mount Graham, the 10,720-foot peak in the Pinaleno Mountains that hosts the Mount Graham International Observatory.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arizona.