When was Cochise County founded?

Cochise County was founded in 1881, formed from Pima County, and named after Cochise.

What is the county seat of Cochise County?

The county seat of Cochise County is Bisbee.

Is there an online parcel map for Cochise County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 70,211 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Cochise County's boundary or name changed?

Cochise County was created in 1881 from Pima County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Santa Cruz County.

Who issues building permits in Cochise County?

The county's page on building permits: Permit Exemptions. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Who issues septic and well permits in Cochise County?

The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health & Social Services.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Cochise County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 04003

Cochise CountyArizona

Cochise County is a county in Arizona, with its county seat in Bisbee, formed in 1881.

Founded1881
County seatBisbee
Named forCochise
Land area6,210 sq mi + 6.8 sq mi water
Population125,447 2020 Census
Parcels mapped70,211 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Cochise County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Cochise on the map of Arizona

Arizona has 15 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Arizona · Cochise highlighted

History

Formed in 1881 from Pima County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Cochise County was formed in 1881 from Pima County, and named after Cochise. Bisbee is the county seat.

Deeds and plats from before 1881 for land now in Cochise County may have been recorded in Pima County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1881
Cochise County created Cochise created by Arizona Territory from Pima.
from Pima
1 February 1881 · Ariz. Terr. Laws 1881, 11th assy./ pp. 4-7
1935
Boundary clarified Cochise boundaries redefined (no change).
no change
11 February 1935 · Ariz. Laws 1935, 12th reg. sess., ch. 7/p. 11
1968
Gained territory Cochise gained from Santa Cruz when the boundary was redefined to run along the east line of range 18 east.
from Santa Cruz
14 March 1968 · Ariz. Laws 1968, 28th leg., 1st reg. sess., ch. 82/ pp. 180-182

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Cochise

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 70,211 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 4 June 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Cochise County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Cochise by the Census

Population

125,447 2020 Census count

Housing units

58,648 2020 Census count

Land area

6,210 square miles

Water area

6.8 square miles

People per sq mi

20 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Assessor and property records
Back Tax Department
from cochise.az.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Clerk of the Superior Court
from cochise.az.gov · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Health department: septic and well
Health & Social Services
from cochise.az.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Permit Exemptionsfrom cochise.az.gov
Apply for a Permitfrom citizenserve.com
septicfrom cochise.az.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 520-432-9256from cochise.az.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Land Clearing Ordinancefrom cochise.az.gov
Rezoningfrom cochise.az.gov
Planning & Zoning Divisionfrom cochise.az.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Cochise County.
cochise.az.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Cochise County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Cochise County

When was Cochise County founded?: Cochise County was founded in 1881, formed from Pima County, and named after Cochise.
What is the county seat of Cochise County?: The county seat of Cochise County is Bisbee.
Is there an online parcel map for Cochise County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 70,211 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Cochise County's boundary or name changed?: Cochise County was created in 1881 from Pima County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Santa Cruz County.
Who issues building permits in Cochise County?: The county's page on building permits: Permit Exemptions. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Cochise County?: The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health & Social Services.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Cochise County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby