Greenlee County is a county in Arizona, United States, on the border with New Mexico. It had a population of 9,563 at the 2020 census, the least populous county in Arizona, and covers 1,848 square miles (4,787 km2) centred near 33°08′N 109°10′W.
Clifton is the county seat, and its postal code is 85533. The county has one city, one incorporated town, one census-designated place and a handful of unincorporated mining and forest communities. Greenlee is in the Mountain Time Zone (no daylight saving observed) and carries FIPS code 04011.
Towns & Villages in Greenlee County
Greenlee County has only three named places recognized by the census — Clifton (city, county seat), Duncan (town) and Morenci (census-designated place, unincorporated) — plus scattered mining camps and forest outposts along U.S. Route 191. The table below carries over every genuine place name from the county’s older records; entries with no confirmed census figure are marked with a dash rather than a guess.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | City · seat | 3,311 | 85533 |
| Duncan | Town | 692 | 85534 |
| Morenci | CDP | 1,489 | 85540 |
| Three Way | Unincorp. | — | 85533 |
| York | Unincorp. | — | 85533 |
| Franklin | Unincorp. | — | 85534 |
| Guthrie | Unincorp. | — | 85534 |
| Blue | Unincorp. | — | 85534 |
| Sprucedale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hannagan Meadow | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several older place names refer to the same handful of mine-company sites rather than separate settlements: Plantsite and East Plantsite are Freeport-McMoRan housing areas next to Morenci, while Stargo and Cleaveland were former Phelps Dodge camps largely absorbed into the modern Morenci CDP. Blue Vista, Carlton Vista, Aragon Place, Charlie Moore Place, Maques Place, Fox, Sheldon, Spur Cross, Strayhorse, Whispering Pines and Apache Grove are backcountry cabin clusters or forest-service locales in the Blue Range, without their own census figures or ZIP codes — omitted from the table to avoid publishing unverified numbers, but they are real places within the county.
ZIP Codes
- 85533 — Clifton (also serves Three Way and York)
- 85534 — Duncan (also serves Franklin, Guthrie and Blue)
- 85540 — Morenci
Backcountry communities in the Blue Range and along Forest Road 281 use Alpine or Clifton mailing addresses rather than a dedicated ZIP of their own.
Geography
Greenlee County sits in southeastern Arizona along the New Mexico line, spanning the copper-rich hills around the Clifton-Morenci mining district and rising east into the forested Blue Range Primitive Area. The Gila River and San Francisco River both cross the county, and most of its terrain is mountainous, forested public land under U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management management.
Greenlee County borders Gila County to the west and Graham County to the north, both in Arizona; Cochise County lies to the south, also in Arizona. Across the state line to the east is Catron County, New Mexico, with Grant County and Hidalgo County, New Mexico, along the southeastern border.
Demographics
The 2020 census recorded 9,563 residents, concentrated in Clifton and Morenci, the county’s two largest communities. Greenlee’s median household income runs below the Arizona median of $77,315, reflecting a local economy dominated by a single large employer. Population density is roughly 5 people per square mile, among the lowest of any Arizona county.
Economy & Local Life
Copper mining drives the local economy: the Morenci Mine, operated by Freeport-McMoRan, is one of the largest open-pit copper mines in North America and the county’s dominant employer, drawing workers from Clifton, Morenci and Duncan. Away from the mine, Duncan and the Gila River valley support small-scale ranching and farming. Public land recreation — hunting, fishing and hiking in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests — supports a modest tourism trade around the Blue Range.
History
Greenlee County was created in 1909 from the eastern portion of Graham County, making it Arizona’s youngest county, and was named for Mason Greenlee, an early prospector in the Clifton area. Copper discoveries in the 1870s at Clifton and later at Morenci built the county’s economy from its earliest years, and the narrow-gauge railroad that once linked the two mining towns is remembered locally as one of the steepest standard-gauge-adjacent lines ever built in the United States.
Getting There
U.S. Route 191 is the county’s main road, running north-south through Clifton, Morenci and up into the Blue Range; U.S. Route 70 serves Duncan along the Gila valley.
- Safford, Arizona — 30 miles west
- Silver City, New Mexico — 65 miles southeast
- Tucson, Arizona — 140 miles southwest
- Phoenix, Arizona — 200 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Tucson International Airport; there is no passenger rail service in the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Greenlee County?
It is in southeastern Arizona, on the New Mexico border.
What is the population of Greenlee County?
9,563 at the 2020 census, the smallest of Arizona’s 15 counties.
How big is Greenlee County?
1,848 square miles (4,787 km2).
What is the county seat of Greenlee County?
Clifton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Greenlee County?
One city (Clifton), one town (Duncan) and one census-designated place (Morenci), plus several small unincorporated mining and forest communities.
What ZIP codes are in Greenlee County?
85533 (Clifton), 85534 (Duncan) and 85540 (Morenci).
What is Greenlee County’s main industry?
Copper mining, centered on the Morenci Mine, one of North America’s largest.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Arizona.