Navajo County, Arizona

Navajo County is a county in Arizona, United States, stretching from the Mogollon Rim’s ponderosa pine forests down into the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. It had a population of 106,717 at the 2020 census and covers 9,950 square miles (25,800 km2) centred near 35°30′N 110°17′W.

Holbrook is the county seat and its postal code is 86025. The county has 3 cities, 3 incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities and chartered Navajo and Hopi villages. Navajo County sits in the Mountain Time zone (UTC−7, no daylight saving observed) and carries FIPS code 04017.

Towns & Villages in Navajo County

The table below lists Navajo County’s cities, towns, and the census-designated places (CDPs) and chartered tribal communities recognized within its borders. Arizona counties have no civil townships, so the list is organized by settlement only. “CDP” marks an unincorporated statistical community; “Unincorp.” marks a smaller place with no formal census designation.

Several places bearing the same name sit across the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation, both of which the county administers alongside its regular municipalities — Kayenta and Tsegi share the 86033 ZIP, and the twin Hopi villages of Hotevilla and Bacavi are jointly listed as Hotevilla-Bacavi in Census records.

ZIP Codes

• 86025 — Holbrook (county seat)
• 85901 — Show Low
• 86047 — Winslow
• 85937 — Snowflake
• 85939 — Taylor
• 85935 — Pinetop (also serves Linden)
• 85929 — Lakeside
• 85933 — Overgaard
• 85928 — Heber
• 85923 — Clay Springs
• 85934 — Pinedale
• 85912 — White Mountain Lake
• 86029 — Sun Valley
• 85942 — Woodruff
• 86032 — Joseph City
• 85911 — Cibecue
• 85941 — Whiteriver
• 85926 — Fort Apache
• 86033 — Kayenta (also serves Tsegi)
• 86054 — Shonto
• 86031 — Indian Wells
• 86510 — Pinon
• 86034 — Keams Canyon
• 86042 — Polacca
• 86043 — Second Mesa
• 86039 — Kykotsmovi Village
• 86030 — Hotevilla

The smallest reservation communities — Chilchinbito, Dilkon, Jeddito, Low Mountain, White Cone, and Seba Dalkai among them — share a post office town’s ZIP rather than carrying one of their own.

Geography

Navajo County spans two dramatically different landscapes. The southern third climbs onto the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains, forested in ponderosa pine and home to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and the resort towns around Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low. The central and northern two-thirds drop onto the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, crossed by the Little Colorado River and dotted with the mesa-top villages of the Hopi Reservation and the eastern reaches of the Navajo Nation, including the red-rock country near Monument Valley.

Navajo County borders Apache County to the east, Graham County to the south, Gila County to the southwest, Coconino County to the west, and San Juan County, Utah, to the north.

Demographics

Navajo County’s 2020 population of 106,717 gives it a density of roughly 11 people per square mile, reflecting how much of the county is open reservation and forest land. Show Low is the largest community, with Holbrook — the county seat — the second-largest incorporated place. Median household income in Navajo County runs well below the Arizona median of $77,315, a gap driven by high poverty rates on the Navajo Nation, Hopi Reservation, and Fort Apache Reservation portions of the county.

Economy & Local Life

Government, healthcare, and tribal enterprise anchor the county’s economy: Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low and Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow are among the largest employers, alongside Navajo County government itself and the Whiteriver Indian Hospital serving the Fort Apache Reservation. Tourism drives the White Mountains around Pinetop-Lakeside and Show Low, and Hopi and Navajo arts — pottery, silverwork, and weaving sold from roadside stands and reservation trading posts — remain a visible part of the local economy along Route 264 through the Hopi mesas.

History

Navajo County was organized on March 21, 1895, carved out of the eastern portion of Apache County, and named for the Navajo Nation whose reservation covers much of its northern half. Winslow grew as a Santa Fe Railway division point and later a Route 66 stop, memorialized in the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.” Holbrook, the county seat, was a notorious cattle-town rail stop in the 1880s before settling into its present role as a gateway to the Petrified Forest.

Getting There

Interstate 40 crosses the county west–east through Winslow and Holbrook; US 60 links Show Low to the White Mountains; US 160, US 163, and US 180 serve the northern reservation communities and the Petrified Forest area.

• Flagstaff — 55 miles west of Winslow
• Phoenix — 175 miles southwest of Show Low
• Gallup, New Mexico — 60 miles east of Holbrook
• Tuba City — 90 miles northwest of Kayenta

Show Low Regional Airport and Winslow–Lindbergh Regional Airport handle general aviation; the nearest commercial service is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Navajo County?
It is in northeastern Arizona, stretching from the Mogollon Rim north to the Utah border.

What is the population of Navajo County?
106,717 at the 2020 census.

How big is Navajo County?
9,950 square miles (25,800 km2), one of Arizona’s largest counties by area.

What is the county seat of Navajo County?
Holbrook is the county seat.

How many towns and cities are in Navajo County?
Three cities (Holbrook, Show Low, Winslow), three incorporated towns (Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor), and dozens of unincorporated and reservation communities.

What ZIP codes are in Navajo County?
ZIP codes range from 85901 (Show Low) to 86054 (Shonto), covering roughly two dozen post office towns.

Which reservations lie within Navajo County?
Portions of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Reservation, and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation all fall within county lines.

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