County outline
Where Cochise County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.9% of Cochise County’s measured area and water for 0.1%. Its combined area converts to 16,101.1 square kilometers or approximately 3,978,673 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 6,209.872 | 16,083.495 | 3,974,318.1 |
| Water | 6.805 | 17.625 | 4,355.2 |
| Total | 6,216.677 | 16,101.12 | 3,978,673.3 |
How Cochise County compares
By original Census land area, Cochise County ranks #8 of 15 in Arizona and #56 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1 times the Arizona county-equivalent median of 6,209.9 square miles. It accounts for 5.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Arizona ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Cochise County
The Census Bureau estimates that 126,332 people lived in Cochise County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #522 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #8 of 15 in Arizona. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 125,440, the population has grown by 892 (+0.7%), compared with +6.5% for Arizona as a whole.
With 6,209.9 square miles of land, that is 20 people per square mile (7.9 per km²), placing Cochise County #2,314 nationally for density and #7 in Arizona. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Arizona median is 17. Put another way, there are about 31 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 125,527 | 126,215 | 125,418 | 124,716 | 125,199 | 126,332 |
| Change | — | +688 | −797 | −702 | +483 | +1,133 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Cochise County
7 incorporated places lie at least partly in Cochise County. Together they are home to 77,485 people (61.3%); the other 48,847 (38.7%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Sierra Vista city, with 44,907 residents in the county. The county seat, Bisbee city, has 4,860 residents. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Tombstone city grew fastest since then (+5.3%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Vista city | 44,907 | −0.9% | 152.4 |
| Douglas city | 16,038 | −3% | 9.981 |
| Benson city | 5,532 | +2.1% | 41.4 |
| Bisbee cityCounty seat | 4,860 | −1.3% | 5.176 |
| Willcox city | 3,189 | −1.4% | 6.624 |
| Huachuca City town | 1,583 | −2.8% | 2.826 |
| Tombstone city | 1,376 | +5.3% | 9.252 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Cochise County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Cochise County is a central county of the Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area. Cochise County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 6,209.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #33 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #330 by population.
ZIP codes
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Cochise County; 21 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
8560285603856058560685607856088560985610856118561385615856168561785620856258562685627856308563285635856388564385650
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Cochise County
Cochise County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents, including 1 in New Mexico. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Pima County (9,188.7 mi²) and the smallest is Santa Cruz County (1,236.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Cochise County forms a block of 26,538.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 23.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Cochise | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pima County | 9,188.7 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Graham County | 4,621.9 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Hidalgo CountyNew Mexico | 3,438.6 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
| Greenlee County | 1,842.8 | 3.4× smaller | Compare |
| Santa Cruz County | 1,236.3 | 5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Cochise County compared with U.S. states?
Cochise County has more land than 3 of the 50 states. It is about 1.3 times the land area of Connecticut (4,842.5 mi²), while Hawaii, the next larger state, has 1 times as much land (6,422.6 mi²). Arizona’s county land could hold about 18 areas the size of Cochise County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 78.8 miles (126.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Cochise County?
Cochise County has more land than 3,166 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Cochise County at #60 nationally by total area, 4 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.1 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Cochise County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #55 | St. Louis County, Minnesota | 6,248.1 | Compare |
| #56 | Cochise County, Arizona | 6,209.9 | This county |
| #57 | Brewster County, Texas | 6,183.8 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 31.841872, -109.775968. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 16,083,494,800 m²; AWATER: 17,625,867 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Cochise County?
Cochise County, Arizona has 6,209.9 square miles (16,083.5 km²) of land and 6.805 square miles of water, for a total area of 6,216.7 square miles. It ranks #56 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Cochise County the largest county in Arizona?
No. Cochise County ranks #8 of 15 in Arizona by land area. The largest is Coconino County, with 18,616.4 square miles of land.
What counties border Cochise County?
Cochise County shares a land border with Graham County, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, Pima County, Santa Cruz County, and Greenlee County.
What is the population of Cochise County?
The Census Bureau estimates Cochise County had 126,332 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #522 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 20 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Cochise County?
The county seat of Cochise County is Bisbee.
What cities and towns are in Cochise County?
Cochise County has 7 incorporated places. The most populous five are Sierra Vista city, Douglas city, Benson city, Bisbee city, and Willcox city; 48,847 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Cochise County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Cochise County?
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Cochise County, and 21 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Cochise County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 3 of the 50 states, including Connecticut (4,842.5 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Cochise County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 3,974,318 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 3,978,673 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.