Mohave County, Arizona

Mohave County is a county in Arizona, United States, occupying the state’s northwestern corner along the Colorado River and the borders of Utah, Nevada and California. It had a population of 213,267 at the 2020 census and covers 13,311 square miles (34,480 km2) centred near 35°40′N 113°52′W, making it the fifth-largest county in Arizona by area and one of the largest in the country.

Kingman is the county seat, and its postal code is 86401. The county has 3 incorporated cities, 1 incorporated town and roughly 45 unincorporated communities and census-designated places. Mohave County uses Mountain Standard Time year-round — it does not observe daylight saving time, matching the rest of Arizona. Its FIPS code is 04015.

Towns & Villages in Mohave County

Mohave County’s settlements range from the lakeside resort city of Lake Havasu City to scattered ranch and mining hamlets in the Cerbat and Hualapai mountains. Only Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City are incorporated cities, and Colorado City is the county’s one incorporated town; everything else on this list is an unincorporated community or a census-designated place (CDP). Arizona has no civil townships, so this table omits that column.

Colorado City straddles the Arizona–Utah line; only its Arizona side, in Mohave County, is covered here. Kingman and New Kingman-Butler are adjacent but distinct places — New Kingman-Butler is the unincorporated CDP that grew up around the older Butler and New Kingman rail sidings northeast of the city limits, so the two are listed separately rather than merged. A handful of platted mobile-home and RV subdivisions from the old scrape (Canyon View Estates, Carefree Resort, Desert Hills Estates, Desert Sunset Trailer Park, Foothill Vista, Kingman Ranch, Lakeview, Longridge, Mesa Verde, Santiago Rodeo Villas, Sunset Park, Terrin, The Reserve at Fox Creek and Valley Manor) are private parks rather than named unincorporated communities recognized by the Census Bureau or USGS, and are omitted here.

ZIP Codes

• 86401 — Kingman (also serves New Kingman-Butler)
• 86429 — Bullhead City
• 86403 — Lake Havasu City
• 86021 — Colorado City (also serves Centennial Park)
• 86440 — Mohave Valley
• 86413 — Golden Valley
• 86441 — Dolan Springs
• 86426 — Fort Mohave
• 86444 — Meadview
• 86432 — Littlefield (also serves Beaver Dam)
• 85360 — Wikieup
• 86438 — Yucca
• 86436 — Topock (also serves Golden Shores)
• 86433 — Oatman
• 86431 — Chloride
• 86411 — Hackberry
• 86437 — Valentine
• 86434 — Truxton (also serves Peach Springs)
• 86430 — Davis Dam

Most of the smaller ranch and canyon settlements listed above share a rural-route ZIP with the nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.

Geography

Mohave County spans desert basins, the volcanic Cerbat and Hualapai mountain ranges, and the western rim of the Grand Canyon. The Colorado River forms the county’s entire western and northwestern boundary, backing up into Lake Mead and Lake Mohave behind Hoover and Davis dams; the Hualapai and Music Mountains rise in the county’s centre and the Virgin River crosses its far northwestern corner near the Arizona Strip. Roughly 13,020 square miles of the county are land and the rest is water, mostly the two reservoirs.

Mohave County borders the Utah counties of Washington County to the north and Kane County to the northeast; Coconino County lies to the east, and Yavapai County and La Paz County lie to the south and southeast (Coconino and La Paz have no live directory page). Across the Colorado River to the west are San Bernardino County, California, and the Nevada counties of Clark County and Lincoln County.

Demographics

Mohave County’s 2020 census population was 213,267, with a density of about 16 people per square mile — low even by rural-Arizona standards, reflecting the county’s sheer size. Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City are the two largest communities, followed by the county seat, Kingman. Median household income runs well below the Arizona median of $77,315; the county’s older, retiree-heavy population along the river corridor and in Golden Valley pulls the figure down. Colorado City stands apart demographically as the seat of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) community, with markedly larger household sizes than the county average.

Economy & Local Life

Tourism and retirement drive much of the county’s economy: Lake Havasu City, built around the relocated London Bridge, and the boat-and-casino corridor of Bullhead City across from Laughlin, Nevada, both depend on visitors and seasonal residents. Kingman anchors the county’s government, healthcare and logistics employment, sitting at the junction of Interstate 40 and US 93 with a long history along historic Route 66, which still runs through Kingman, Hackberry and Oatman as a tourist draw. Ranching, mining claims and Bureau of Land Management grazing leases remain part of the rural economy away from the river and the lake.

History

Mohave County was organized on November 9, 1864, as one of Arizona’s four original territorial counties, taking its name from the Mohave people and the earlier Fort Mohave military post on the Colorado River. Kingman, founded in 1882 as a Atlantic and Pacific Railroad stop, became the county seat in 1887. Mining booms at Oatman, Chloride and Katherine shaped the county’s early 20th-century economy before Route 66 and, later, the interstate and the damming of the Colorado River at Hoover and Davis dams redirected growth toward tourism and the river corridor. Colorado City, on the county’s northern edge, has been home to a polygamous FLDS community since the early 20th century and has drawn sustained state and federal legal scrutiny over decades.

Getting There

Interstate 40 crosses the county east–west through Kingman, and US Highway 93 runs north–south connecting Kingman to Las Vegas and to Wickenburg. Historic Route 66 parallels I-40 through the county’s old mining towns.

• Las Vegas, Nevada — 100 miles northwest of Kingman
• Phoenix — 150 miles southeast of Kingman
• Flagstaff — 145 miles east of Kingman
• Laughlin, Nevada — adjacent to Bullhead City, across the Colorado River

Kingman Airport (IGM) and Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP) both offer regional and charter service; the nearest major commercial hub is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mohave County?
It occupies the far northwestern corner of Arizona, bordered by Utah, Nevada and California along the Colorado River.

What is the population of Mohave County?
213,267 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Mohave County?
13,311 square miles (34,480 km2), the fifth-largest county in Arizona.

What is the county seat of Mohave County?
Kingman is the county seat.

How many towns and cities are in Mohave County?
Three incorporated cities (Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City), one incorporated town (Colorado City), and roughly 45 unincorporated communities and CDPs.

What ZIP codes are in Mohave County?
Kingman uses 86401, Bullhead City 86429, Lake Havasu City 86403 and Colorado City 86021, among others listed above.

What is Mohave County known for?
The relocated London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, historic Route 66 through Kingman and Oatman, and the Colorado River lakes behind Hoover and Davis dams.

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