Navajo

Formed March 21, 1895 (12^th county)

Navajo County (106,716), Holbrook (4,845), Show Low (11,730)

The new Modern courthouse was built in 1976.  It replaced the old stucco courthouse which resembled a small school.  The old courthouse was built in 1898 at Buffalo and Navajo streets.  The current courthouse is located on Code Talkers Street at South Highway 77.  James Gresham and Associates are the designers of the current stucco courthouse.  An Administration Building is attached.  Arizona Highway 77 is Navajo Street in this town.  Navajo County separated from Apache County on March 21, 1895 as the 12^th county.  The county is named for the Native American tribe.  The county seat is named for railroad engineer, H. R. Holbrook.  Holbrook has been the only county seat. 

Navajo County government consists of a sheriff and assessor (executive).  It has 5 supervisors (legislative.)  Four Superior Court Judges and Six Justice Court Judges, a County Clerk and an Attorney serve Navajo County (judicial.)  The county is in the north east part of state.  Phoenix, Arizona is South and Albuquerque, New Mexico is Southeast of the county.  Utah is on its northern border.  The center of the county is 42 miles North of Holbrook nearer Indian Wells.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Utah and Apache, Graham, Gila, and Coconino counties.  A ballpoint pen is the county’s shape.  Holbrook is located in the southern third of the county.  Show Low is in the southeast quarter of the county.  Holbrook is the county seat and Show Low is the largest city.  Holbrook is 4.5% of the county population while Show Low is 11.0% of the county population.  The county is pronounced NA-VA-HOE.

The area of the county is 9959 square miles.  It is 5 of 15 in size.  It ranks 9 out of 15 in population in the state.  It has a density of 10.7 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 15 in the state.  Navajo County has 37.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses east to west in the county, Apache County to Coconino County.  United States Highway 60 crosses the southeast corner of the county from Apache County to Gila County.  United States Highway 160 crosses the northern part of the county east to west from Apache County to Coconino County.  United States Highway 163 enters the county from Utah and terminates at United States Highway 160.  United States Highway 180 enters from Apache County (east), joins Interstate Highway 40 at Holbrook, and exits to Coconino County (west).  The county is in the Show Low Micropolitan Statistical Area.