Phoenix Relocation Guide

COCHISE COUNTY

the largest civilian employer in southern Arizona, and is noted for its major economic impact on the southern cities and towns of Arizona. Douglas, the second largest city in Cochise County, is located 116 miles southeast of Tucson at the U.S.-Mexico border. Inter- national commerce is crucial to the area’s economy. Bisbee, located close to the Mexican border in the southeastern corner of the state, is 206 miles southeast of Phoenix and 93 miles southeast of Tucson. The weather is moderate, and at an elevation at 5,558 feet above sea level, the air quality is always clear and clean. Benson, located 46 miles southeast of Tucson, was founded in the late 1880’s and became the transportation hub between the Eastern U.S., California and Mexico. Benson shipped copper and silver from Tombstone and Bisbee via its Southern Pacific station.

and supply point for the military forts and miners in the late 1880’s and today is a large cattle and agricultural community. Tombstone, known as “the town too tough to die,” served as the area’s county seat until 1929, when it was moved to Bisbee. Both communities were mining towns and enjoyed their heyday during the early 20th Century. SierraVista City of Sierra Vista: 520-458-3315 www.sierravistaaz.gov Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce: 520-458-6940 www.sierravistachamber.org

Cochise County in Southeast Arizona is home to a diverse geography that includes mountain ranges, grasslands and high desert terrain, and two major rivers, the Santa Cruz and the San Pedro, helped contribute to the area’s development as a cattle and agricul- tural region. The history of Cochise County dates back to archeological finds along the San Pedro River. The county was named after the renowned Apache chief in 1881, and many Cochise County towns began as mining towns during the area’s mining boom, settling in along the Santa Cruz and San Pedro rivers. Forty percent of the county land is owned by individual and corporate entities, while the State of Arizona owns 35 percent of the area, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management accounts for 32 percent, and the remaining three percent are owned by other public land entities. Sierra Vista is the largest city in the county, and maintains a close relationship with nearby Huachuca City. Fort Huachuca is

Sierra Vista means “Mountain View” in Spanish, and is aptly named for the

Willcox was an important cattle shipping

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