Pinal County, Arizona: Location, Cities, Administration, Judiciary

Pinal County is one of Arizona’s largest and fastest-growing counties. It occupies a strategic position between the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and includes rapidly expanding suburbs, established farming communities, mining towns, industrial corridors, tribal lands and extensive desert and mountain landscapes.

Florence is the county seat and the main centre of county administration and judicial operations. Casa Grande is a major employment, healthcare, retail and manufacturing centre, while Maricopa, Apache Junction, San Tan Valley and Queen Creek form important parts of the county’s growing residential economy.

Pinal County was historically associated with mining, agriculture and corrections. Those activities remain important, but advanced manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, aerospace, construction and healthcare are creating a more diversified economy.

Quick Overview of Pinal County

The Census Bureau estimated Pinal County’s population at 539,380 in July 2025. This represented growth of approximately 26.6% from the April 2020 population estimates base, making Pinal one of the country’s most rapidly expanding large counties. The county contained 209,076 housing units in 2025.

Location and Geographic Structure

Pinal County is located between Maricopa County, which contains Phoenix, and Pima County, which contains Tucson. Gila County lies to the north and northeast, Graham County is to the east and Cochise County is to the southeast. Maricopa County borders the west and northwest.

The county covers approximately 5,366 square miles of land. Its geography can be divided broadly into two areas:

• The lower desert and agricultural valleys of central and western Pinal County
• The mountainous mining and recreation communities of eastern Pinal County

Important geographic features include:

• Superstition Mountains
• San Tan Mountains
• Picacho Peak
• Mineral Mountains
• Santa Catalina Mountains near the southern boundary
• Gila River
• San Pedro River
• Queen Creek
• Florence–Coolidge agricultural valley
• Large areas of Sonoran Desert

Interstate 10 is the county’s principal regional highway and connects Casa Grande and nearby communities with Phoenix and Tucson. Interstate 8 begins near Casa Grande and provides access towards Gila Bend, Yuma and Southern California.

Other important routes include U.S. Highway 60 and Arizona State Routes 77, 79, 84, 87, 177, 238, 287 and 347. The Union Pacific railway corridor also supports freight movement and industrial development.

The county’s position between Arizona’s two largest metropolitan areas, combined with interstate highways, railway access and available industrial land, has helped attract manufacturing and distribution projects.

Cities, Towns and Communities

Pinal County contains all or parts of the following incorporated municipalities:

• Apache Junction
• Casa Grande
• Coolidge
• Eloy
• Florence
• Hayden
• Kearny
• Mammoth
• Marana
• Maricopa
• Queen Creek
• San Tan Valley
• Superior
• Winkelman

Some municipalities cross county boundaries. Apache Junction extends into Maricopa County, Hayden and Winkelman extend into Gila County, Marana extends into Pima County and Queen Creek extends into Maricopa County.

San Tan Valley officially incorporated as Arizona’s newest town on September 17, 2025. Before incorporation, it was one of the largest unincorporated communities in the United States. Pinal County continued providing transitional services to the new town through June 30, 2026.

Other significant unincorporated communities include:

• Arizona City
• Oracle
• Gold Canyon
• Queen Valley
• San Manuel
• Dudleyville
• Stanfield
• Red Rock
• Picacho
• Sacaton-area communities outside tribal jurisdiction
• Valley Farms
• Blackwater

Incorporated municipalities normally operate their own planning, building-permit, street, park and code-enforcement systems. County Development Services handles many of these responsibilities in unincorporated areas.

Pinal County also contains or overlaps several sovereign tribal communities, including the Gila River Indian Community, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation and San Carlos Apache Reservation. Tribal governments exercise authority over their own lands and should not be treated as ordinary unincorporated county communities.

Population and Housing

Pinal County’s population growth is being driven largely by new housing construction in Maricopa, San Tan Valley, Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Florence and communities near the Maricopa County boundary.

Approximately 22% of residents are under 18, while 22.6% are aged 65 or older. Hispanic or Latino residents represent approximately 31.6% of the population. Around 7% identify as Black or African American, 5.9% as American Indian or Alaska Native and 2.3% as Asian.

Important housing and income figures for 2020–2024 include:

• Owner-occupied housing rate: 81.7%
• Median owner-occupied home value: $349,000
• Median gross monthly rent: $1,537
• Median monthly owner cost with a mortgage: $1,714
• Average household size: 2.80 people
• Median household income: $80,266
• Per-capita income: $36,067
• Residents below the poverty line: 11%
• Average journey to work: 31.8 minutes
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 22.5%

The county issued 8,048 building permits during 2025. Housing includes master-planned suburban developments, retirement communities, apartments, rural homes, manufactured housing, farms and properties in historic mining towns.

The comparatively long average commuting time reflects the number of residents travelling to employment centres in Maricopa and Pima counties. Growth has increased demand for local jobs, schools, roads, healthcare facilities, public safety and reliable water supplies.

Economy and Employment

Pinal County’s economy is transitioning from its traditional dependence on agriculture, copper mining, tourism and correctional facilities towards a broader base that includes advanced manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, renewable energy and healthcare.

The county recorded 4,723 employer establishments and 63,258 jobs in 2023. Annual payroll was approximately $3.2 billion. Retail sales reached about $4.32 billion in 2022, while healthcare and social-assistance organisations generated approximately $1.52 billion in receipts or revenue.

Important economic sectors include:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Electric-vehicle and battery technology
• Transportation and logistics
• Mining and mineral processing
• Agriculture
• Healthcare and social assistance
• Construction
• Retail
• Aerospace and aviation maintenance
• Renewable energy
• Government and corrections
• Tourism and outdoor recreation

Casa Grande functions as a major manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and retail centre. Its location near the junction of Interstates 8 and 10 gives companies access to Phoenix, Tucson, California, Texas and Mexican markets.

Agriculture remains important in central and western Pinal County. Cotton, alfalfa, livestock, dairy production, grains, vegetables and seed crops are among the activities supported by farms and agricultural businesses.

Copper mining continues to shape the economy of eastern communities such as Superior, Kearny, Hayden and Oracle-area settlements. Mining projects and the demand for minerals used in electrification and renewable-energy systems may influence future employment and infrastructure investment.

Pinal Airpark supports aircraft storage, maintenance, repair and overhaul services. San Manuel Airport provides general-aviation access for northern and eastern Pinal County. Both airports are owned and managed by the county.

County Administration and Government

Pinal County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each supervisor represents a geographic district and is elected to a four-year term.

The current supervisors are:

• District 1: Rich Vitiello
• District 2: Mike Goodman
• District 3: Stephen Q. Miller
• District 4 and chairman: Jeffrey McClure
• District 5 and vice-chairman: Jeff Serdy

The Board selects its chair and vice-chair from among its members. Jeffrey McClure was appointed chairman for 2026, while Jeff Serdy was selected as vice-chairman.

The Board of Supervisors is responsible for:

• Adopting the county budget
• Establishing the county property-tax rate
• Approving ordinances and resolutions
• Authorising contracts
• Funding county departments
• Making land-use decisions in unincorporated areas
• Managing county property
• Approving infrastructure programmes
• Appointing members to boards and commissions
• Supervising appointed administrative departments

The Board approved a final county budget of approximately $1.071 billion for the 2026–2027 financial year. The budget became effective on July 1, 2026.

County Manager and Administrative Leadership

Leo Lew serves as Pinal County manager. The Board of Supervisors appointed him to the position in March 2021 after he had served as deputy county manager since 2013.

The county manager is the chief appointed administrative official and manages departments that operate under the authority of the Board of Supervisors.

Major responsibilities include:

• Implementing Board policies
• Supervising appointed departments
• Preparing and administering the budget
• Coordinating county programmes
• Advising the supervisors
• Monitoring organisational performance
• Overseeing capital projects
• Managing county employees
• Coordinating with municipalities and state agencies

The county’s senior management team also includes Deputy County Managers Himanshu Patel, MaryEllen Sheppard and Cathryn Whalen.

The county manager does not directly control independently elected offices such as the Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney’s Office, Recorder’s Office or Clerk of the Superior Court. Those officials receive county funding but exercise authority granted separately by Arizona law.

Other Important County Officials

Current countywide officials include:

• Sheriff: Ross Teeple
• County attorney: Brad Miller
• Clerk of the Superior Court: Rebecca Padilla
• County recorder: Dana Lewis
• County treasurer: Michael McCord
• County assessor: Douglas Wolf
• County school superintendent: Jill Broussard

These officeholders are identified in Pinal County’s current official government directory.

Sheriff Ross Teeple leads the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. The agency provides patrol and investigative services in unincorporated areas, operates the Adult Detention Center, serves warrants and civil documents and performs specialised countywide law-enforcement functions.

County Attorney Brad Miller is the chief prosecutor for offences handled at the county level. The County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony cases, represents the county in civil matters and provides crime-victim and diversion services.

Rebecca Padilla serves as the official record keeper and fiduciary for the Superior Court. Her office maintains court files, processes payments and manages records connected with civil, criminal, family, juvenile and probate proceedings.

Recorder Dana Lewis maintains recorded property documents and administers election-related functions. Treasurer Michael McCord receives and distributes property-tax revenue, while Assessor Douglas Wolf determines the taxable value and classification of property.

Judiciary and Court System

Pinal County is served by the Superior Court of Arizona in Pinal County. The principal courthouse is located at 971 North Jason Lopez Circle in Florence.

The current senior judicial and administrative officials are:

• Presiding judge: Judge Joseph R. Georgini
• Associate presiding judge: Judge Jason R. Holmberg
• Superior Court administrator: Todd Zweig
• Clerk of the Superior Court: Rebecca Padilla

The Arizona Judicial Branch and the county’s current court directory identify Judge Georgini as Pinal County’s presiding judge. Todd Zweig manages the court’s non-judicial administration, personnel, budget and daily operations.

Superior Court handles:

• Felony criminal cases
• Major civil disputes
• Divorce and family proceedings
• Child custody and support
• Juvenile matters
• Probate and estate cases
• Guardianships and conservatorships
• Property and contractual disputes
• Appeals permitted under Arizona law

Pinal County also operates six Justice Courts:

• Pioneer Justice Court
• Casa Grande Justice Court
• Central Pinal Justice Court
• Western Pinal Justice Court
• Copper Corridor Justice Court
• Apache Junction Justice Court

Justice Courts generally hear misdemeanours, criminal traffic cases, preliminary felony proceedings, evictions, small claims, protection-order requests and qualifying civil disputes. Municipal courts hear city or town ordinance violations and other lower-level cases arising inside their jurisdictions.

Public Safety and Emergency Services

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is the main law-enforcement agency for unincorporated communities. Incorporated cities and towns may operate their own police departments or enter into service agreements with other agencies.

The Sheriff’s Office provides:

• Patrol services
• Criminal investigations
• Adult detention
• Court security
• Civil-process service
• Warrant enforcement
• Search-and-rescue support
• Records management
• Specialised enforcement units
• Emergency law-enforcement assistance

The Pinal County jail operates under the management and supervision of the sheriff.

Fire protection is delivered by municipal departments and independent fire districts rather than one countywide fire department. Emergency-response responsibility therefore depends on the exact location of a property.

County Emergency Management plans for wildfires, flash floods, dust storms, extreme heat, severe thunderstorms, hazardous-material incidents and other emergencies. Public Works also participates in flood-control and emergency-management operations.

Infrastructure and Public Services

Pinal County Public Works provides transportation infrastructure, engineering, flood control, solid-waste and recycling support, airport management and emergency-management services.

Major county services include:

• County road construction and maintenance
• Traffic engineering
• Flood-control planning
• Subdivision review
• Planning and zoning
• Building inspections
• Air-quality regulation
• Public health
• Animal care and control
• Parks and trails
• Workforce development
• Elections
• Housing and community-development programmes
• Emergency management
• Airport management

Responsibility for roads depends on location. Municipal streets are generally maintained by the relevant city or town, state highways are maintained by the Arizona Department of Transportation and county roads in unincorporated areas are managed by Pinal County.

Water and wastewater service is provided through municipalities, private utilities, irrigation districts, improvement districts and other separate organisations. Pinal County does not operate one unified countywide water system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the county seat of Pinal County?

A: Florence is the county seat. The main county administrative complex is located around Pinal Street, while the Superior Court courthouse is at 971 North Jason Lopez Circle.

Q2. Is San Tan Valley now an incorporated town?

A: Yes. San Tan Valley officially incorporated on September 17, 2025. It now has its own Town Council and municipal government.

Q3. Who issues building permits in Pinal County?

A: An incorporated city or town normally handles permits within its boundaries. Pinal County Development Services handles building, planning and zoning matters for most unincorporated properties.

Q4. Which court handles major criminal cases?

A: The Superior Court of Arizona in Pinal County handles felony criminal cases. Justice and municipal courts hear misdemeanours, traffic cases and other matters within their limited jurisdiction.

Q5. Who provides police services in unincorporated Pinal County?

A: The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office generally provides patrol and investigative services in unincorporated communities. Incorporated municipalities may operate their own police departments.