Apache

Formed February 24, 1879 (7^th county)

Apache County (66,024), Saint Johns (3,480), Eagar (4,885)

The 1917 courthouse is a stone and concrete facility.  It is located on 3^rd Street South between Washington and 1^st Street West.  The site is three blocks west of United States Highways 180/191 passing through the city.  Trost and Trost are the architects of the Classical Revival style courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1964 and remodeled in 1993.  The facility features columns with veteran memorials on the grounds.  Snowflake and Springville have also served as county seats.  The county was named after the Native American tribe.  The county seat was named after Saint John’s Day.  Apache County was created on February 24, 1879 prior to statehood from Yavapai County as the 7^th county. 

The Salt Black River forms part of the southern border.  New Mexico is on the eastern border, Utah is on the northern border of the county, and technically Colorado is across the Four Corner point.  The center of the county is 91.8 miles North of Saint Johns nearer Ganado.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico and Greenlee, Graham, and Navajo counties.  Phoenix, Arizona is southwest and Albuquerque, New Mexico is southeast of the county.  Apache County government consists of a sheriff, manager, and assessor (executive).  It has 3 supervisors (legislative.)  Three Superior Court Judges and Four Justice Court Judges, a County Clerk and an Attorney serve Apache County (judicial.)  The county is situated in the northeast corner of Arizona.  Saint John’s is the county seat and Eagar is the largest city.  Saint John’s is 5.3% of the county population while Eagar is 7.4% of the county population.  The county is pronounced AH-PA-CHEE.  The largest city is pronounced EE-GER.

The county has an area of 11,218 square miles.  It is 4 of 15 in size.  It ranks 10 out of 15 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.9 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 15 in the state.  Apache County has 14.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses from east to west in the county, New Mexico to Navajo County.  United States Highway 60 crosses the southern part of the county from New Mexico to Navajo County.  United States Highway 64 starts in the tip of the county and exits east to New Mexico.  United States Highway 160 is in the north crosses from New Mexico to Navajo County.  United States Highway 180 crosses the south from New Mexico into Navajo County.  United States Highway 191 goes north to south from Utah, joins United States Highway 180 in Saint John’s, and exits into Greenlee County.  The county is overall shaped like a fat 7.  Saint John’s is in the southern quarter of the county.  Eagar is in the southern quarter of the county.