Yavapai

Formed November 9, 1864 (3^rd county)

Yavapai County (236,218), Prescott (45,907), Prescott Valley (46,761)

The governmental masonry courthouse was built in 1916.  It is located on Gurley Street between Cortez and 3^rd streets.  Arizona State Highway 89 is one block west of the location.  W. N. Bowman is the designer of the Classical Revival courthouse.  The courthouse sits in a park setting.  There was an 1878 courthouse in Prescott as Prescott has been the only county seat.  Yavapai County was one of the original 1864 counties.  It was created on November 9, 1864 as the 3^rd county.  The county is named for the Native American tribe.  Yavapai County was the birthplace of 1 Arizona Governor, Thomas E. Campbell.  The county seat was named for William Hickling Prescott, historian. 

Yavapai County government consists of a sheriff and assessor (executive).  It has 5 supervisors (legislative.)  Seven Superior Court Judges and Six Justice Court Judges, a County Clerk and an Attorney serve Yavapai County (judicial.)  The county is in the north center of the state.  Phoenix, Arizona is south of the county.  The geographical center of Arizona is 55 miles east-southeast of Prescott in the county.  The center of the county is 9 miles North-Northeast of Prescott nearer Prescott Valley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Coconino, Gila, Maricopa, La Paz, and Mohave counties.  The county is shaped like a fat capital letter D.  Prescott is near the center of the county.  Prescott is the county seat and Prescott Valley is the largest city.  Prescott is 19.4% and Prescott Valley is 19.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced YA-VA-PIE.  The county seat is pronounced PRESS-KIT. 

The area of the county is 8128 square miles.  It is 8 of 15 in size.  It ranks 4 out of 15 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.1 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 15 in the state.  Yavapai County has 62.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 17 crosses the eastern part of the county, north to south, Coconino County to Maricopa County.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses east to west on the northwest corner of the county, Coconino County to Mohave County.  United States Highway 93 cuts the southwest corner of the county from Mohave County, west, to Maricopa County, south.  The county is in the Prescott Metropolitan Statistical Area.