Arizona Facts and Figures

Image attributed to Chase & Sanborn Coffee Co.

 Arizona ranks 29th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Arizona is a state in the United States of America located in the American Mountains. It is also in the Southwest region. Arizona is some 114 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 7.2 million people. The state is divided into 15 counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Arizona we have discovered historical markers in 162 cities and towns lying in 189 different ZIP Codes.

How many historical markers are there in Arizona? There are least 1,268 of them, by our count. We have cataloged 1,263 historical markers and 44 war memorials—each individually presented on 1,289 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another five historical markers in Arizona that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

The first Arizona marker in the database, London Bridge, was added December 21, 2007. It was photographed in Lake Havasu City in Mohave County and was erected in 1971. The last one added was submitted on January 13, 2020, and titled A Relict Forest. It is near Shonto in Navajo County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Arizona was erected in 1887. It was this one: Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, and one of our correspondents found it in Tombstone in Cochise County on July 16, 2010.

Arizonans don’t want to forget their Notable Buildings history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Arizona about Notable Buildings—293 of them—than about any other historical category. It is followed by Settlements and Settlers with 224 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Notable Buildings category was Site of Territorial Courthouse, added April 20, 2009. It had been erected in Prescott in Yavapai County. The last one submitted was submitted on October 20, 2019, and titled 1921 - Farmers State Bank. It had been erected in Scottsdale in Maricopa County. The earliest marker erected with the Notable Buildings category that we have listed was erected in 1964. It is Zane Grey's Cabin, found in Payson in Gila County on August 8, 2013.

What is the most interesting historical marker in Arizona? What we know is that Rose Tree is the most viewed entry in the database from Arizona since it was added in 2012. It is located in Tombstone in Cochise County. This year so far, the most viewed Arizonan entry is located in Flagstaff in Coconino County. It is Flagstaff Flag - Raising.

The Arizona county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Maricopa County, with 199 of them. It is followed closely by Coconino County with 184 markers. The Phoenix area of Maricopa County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 50. In Coconino County the area with the most markers, 42, is Flagstaff.

Checking the database for the city or town in Arizona with the most markers we find Tucson in Pima County at the top of the list with 166 markers in or near it. It is followed by Florence in Pinal County with 58 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 85701 at the top of the list with 91 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 85701 is assigned to Tucson AZ.) It is followed by ZIP Code 85132 with 58 markers. (85132 is assigned to Florence AZ.)

Getting back to Maricopa County, the first marker added to the database from there, Arizona's U.S.S. Arizona Memorial - In Memory of the Gallant Men, was added January 14, 2010. It was erected in 1976 in Phoenix. The last one submitted was uploaded on November 13, 2019, and is titled Arizona's First Zoo, in Phoenix. The earliest marker erected in Maricopa County that we have listed was erected in 1930. It was Lt. Frank Luke, Jr., found in Phoenix on February 17, 2010.

By Cosmos Mariner, May 24, 2016

Latest Entry from Arizona
“A Relict Forest”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Tucson. The first: First Municipal Airport in the United States, was added June 20, 2008. The last: The San Pedro River Valley added on March 19, 2019. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1908: The Grotto at San Xavier del Bac, added on June 11, 2015.

There is no organization in charge of erecting official historical markers state-wide in Arizona today but the Arizona Development Board was once responsible for erecting the familiar brass plaques in the shape of Arizona. We have 34 of their markers in the database.

In addition, E Clampus Vitus—not government affiliated—also erected numerous historical markers in Arizona, and we have 88 of their Arizona markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.

By Mike Wintermantel, July 1, 2019

An Arizona Development Board Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Arizona have been marked with history. Check out Santa Cruz County, Graham County and Greenlee County. We've only found, respectively, 26, 15, and 7 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Arizona might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!