ABOUT
COTTONWOOD
C
ottonwood’s roots began during the 1870s when soldiers from nearby Camp Verde were stationed at what is now the City of Cottonwood. As settlers began to move into the area, the community expanded and Cottonwood was founded in 1879.
and a public library. Cottonwood offers community facilities including a swimming pool, civic center, recreation center, sports fields and community parks, and a trails system that continues to expand. The City also operates and maintains water and wastewater utility, a cemetery, and a municipal airport.
Between 1915 and 1917, Cottonwood began building their town and by March of 1917 Cottonwood began booming. By the 1920s, there was not another town in the United States that could boast of so many business houses for a population of about 1,000. For many years, Cottonwood was called the “biggest little town in Arizona.”
The City of Cottonwood has grown to a size of 27.4 square miles and a population of over 12,000 within its city limits.
On November 14, 1960 the community incorporated as the Town of Cottonwood and John Garrett was elected as the first mayor. In 1987, voters approved a name change to the City of Cottonwood. The City of Cottonwood provides a full range of municipal services, including law enforcement and fire suppression. Other services include road maintenance, park and recreational services, regulation of building and zoning codes, animal control,
Today, the incorporated City of Cottonwood stands as the commercial hub of the Verde Valley and serves a regional population of approximately 55,000. Old Town Cottonwood has become a primary tourist destination in the area and attracts visitors from across the globe to enjoy local wine, art, music, shopping, cafes, and restaurants. The wine industry in Cottonwood has consistently grown and has inspired the City’s branding of “The Heart of Arizona Wine Country.” With its moderate climate, prized natural resources, small town charm, combined with all the amenities often found in larger cities, Cottonwood is on a path of steady growth.
The Verde Valley Region The Verde Valley includes about 714 square miles in the geographic center of Arizona, about 100 miles north of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Verde River runs through the valley from northwest to southeast and is augmented by flows from Sycamore Canyon, Oak Creek, Beaver Creek and West Clear Creek. The area is unsurpassed in its variety of physical beauty with the red rocks and Mogollon Rim to the north and east and the Black Hills and Mingus Mountain dominating the western and southern portions of the valley. The City of Cottonwood is adjacent to the Verde River at elevations ranging from 3,300 feet to 3,900 feet above sea level and experiences a temperate climate which, together with its proximity to an abundance of natural amenities such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Tuzigoot National Monument and the historic mining communities of Cottonwood, Clarkdale and Jerome, continues to attract steady growth and tourism.
