Live in Our Communities

Mohave County, Arizona is a vibrant, desert community. It is a land of robust, natural flavor and tradition, a rural setting away from the urban hustle and bustle, but, filled with energetic day to day living amidst the flora and fauna that includes plentiful cacti, burros, and big horn sheep. It is the fifth largest county in the country and the second largest in Arizona, encompassing 13,470 square miles of varying landscapes, lakes, the mighty Colorado River, and numerous communities filled with hard working families.

Mohave County is home to the longest stretch of drivable Route 66, America’s historic Mother Road. It’s the location of the famed London Bridge, bought and brought piece by piece from England to the Arizona desert by an enterprising entrepreneur. A visit to the Old West community of Oatman reveals multiple burros wandering the streets in search of (and finding) treats and hugs. It’s the home of Grand Canyon West on the Hualapai Reservation with its iconic glass bridge. The Colorado River makes its way through the county as it heads south, attracting wildlife, boaters, and anglers alike. It’s home to countless forms of outdoor recreation, the ultimate natural getaway. In some parts of the county, Las Vegas is 100 miles away; Phoenix is less than 200 miles; Salt Lake City is 500 miles or Los Angeles is less than 325 miles. It’s far from the maddening crowd, but, close enough for any weekend visit.

Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City, and Colorado City, AZ are the chief four incorporated cities. Kingman is right off Interstate 40 and the incredible Hualapai Mountains are nearby with spectacular views. Take the bridge from Bullhead City and Laughlin, Nevada is aglow with its multiple hotels, casinos, and nightly big-name entertainment. The two communities separated only by the Colorado River ambling by. Lake Havasu City is internationally known for its London Bridge and being one of America’s best-known tourist meccas for boating pleasure year-round.
 

The heart of Mohave County is its people. Each community is identified as being unique and different. The residents of each community are proud of the work they do to make their area inviting.

Incorporated Cities 

Bullhead City

To honor the past while moving into the future, the City of Bullhead City is a family-oriented, vibrant community for its residents and businesses seeking careful growth, environmental awareness, an affordable place to live and a high quality of life. In addition to these qualities of life, there are approximately two-million visitors per year that frequent Bullhead and its sister city the popular gaming community of Laughlin, Nevada.

Today, tourism continues to be a primary economic activity derived from the Laughlin resort/gaming industry, area water sports, golf, fishing, senior and youth sporting events and the thousands of winter visitors that come to this area for the desert weather and to enjoy more than 300 sunny days a year.

Bullhead City has also been referred to as Arizona‘s West Coast because the City is located on the east bank of the Colorado River near the juncture of Arizona, California and Nevada. Bullhead City serves as the economic hub and retail shopping center for Western Mohave County and Southeastern Clark County, Nevada.

The modern beginnings of the city were revived with the construction of Davis Dam, which broke ground in 1942, but had to be halted because World War II consumed necessary construction materials. Construction resumed in 1946, a year after the war ended, and the dam was completed in 1950, which impounds Lake Mohave in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The dam is named after the late Arthur Powell Davis, Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 until 1923.

Construction workers on the project lived with their families at the foot of the dam in a community called Davis Camp. Nearby, a town sprang up from the remains of Hardyville to support the growing population. The town was named Bullhead City after a rock island in the Colorado River that resembled the head and shoulders of a bull with large, curved horns. The Bullhead City post office was established in 1946, and the rock was submerged under the rising water of Lake Mohave as it backed up behind Davis Dam in the early 1950s.

In the 1960s developers began advertising local subdivisions in Southern California, and the retirement population began to grow. The City’s population has grown from just over 10,000 residents in 1980 to more than 40,000, according to the 2010 Census.

The City of Bullhead City incorporated on August 28, 1984 and became Arizona’s 77th municipality. As of 2014, Bullhead City is approximately 57.2 square miles.

Colorado City

The Town of Colorado City is located in the Short Creek valley which straddles the Utah/Arizona border. Short Creek is named after a sandy wash that leads out of the canyons in Utah and crosses the state line into Arizona. Short Creek has been known as a stopping point for pioneer travelers since the mid 1800’s. On April 2, 1866 Robert Berry, his wife Isabelle and his brother Joseph were killed by Indians at Short Creek near a prominent landmark which is appropriately named Berry Knoll.

Cattle ranchers operated in the Short Creek valley during the 1800’s. The first known settler was a man named William B. Maxwell who built a ranch house and lived here for an unknown length of time. Maxwell Canyon is named after William Maxwell.

Jacob M. Lauritzen and Will Rust came to Short Creek around 1908 with the intention of colonizing the area. They worked together to develop water from the canyons. In 1912 they moved their families to Short Creek. Around this same time, Orlin F. Colvin and Isaac Carling began homesteading in Short Creek. A few years later the Black family moved to Short Creek. It was difficult to raise crops and make a living in Short Creek during those early days, but the pioneers of Short Creek persisted, carved out an existence in the desert and tamed the sand. In 1985 Colorado City incorporated and is known for its stunning red rock formations, desert landscapes and breathtaking views.

Mohave Community College Operates the North Campus which is located in Colorado City. The campus houses a library and computer area that are open to the public.

Kingman

The City of Kingman is the County seat of Mohave County located in northwest Arizona along Interstate 40 and U.S. 93. Kingman elevations range from 3,300 to 3,800 feet. The city straddles the scenic Hualapai, Cerbat and Black Mountains, which offer hiking, picnicking, camping, and other outdoor activities in the cool pines.

The Kingman offers a unique range of recreational and historical attractions as do several ghost towns in the area. Kingman is an easy commute to Las Vegas, Laughlin, Phoenix and the Grand Canyon or a half day’s drive to Los Angeles or San Diego. Kingman is known for being along the longest remaining preserved stretch of Historic Route 66. Known as an all American highway, Kingman’s stretch of this historic route recently received national recognition as a National Scenic Byway. Visitors from all over the globe visit Kingman to get their “Kicks on Historic Route 66.”

Kingman continues to grow in its importance as a regional trade, service and distribution center for northwestern Arizona and the Western United States. Growth in U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico, combined with the city's strategic location on national transportation routes, continues to provide an excellent opportunity for Kingman to be a center for international trade. Major transportation modes serving Kingman include I-40, U.S. 93 (soon to be Interstate 11), two BNSF main lines, and a commercial airport offering one-day access to ALL major southwest markets. Interstate 40 provides immediate east-west access from California to the east coast. U.S. 93 (soon to be Interstate 11) is widely known to be a part of the CANAMEX Corridor providing north-south trade access from Canada into Mexico.

Lake Havasu City

Lake Havasu City, home of the historic London Bridge, is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Havasu on the Colorado River border of California and Arizona. The City was established in 1963 by Robert P. McCulloch as a self-sufficient, planned community. The rivers and lakes offer fishing along with boating and other forms of water-oriented recreation.

McCulloch purchased the London Bridge for $2,460,000. Moving the bridge to Lake Havasu City and reconstructing it in the middle of a desert cost an additional $7 million. The bridge was dismantled and shipped by boat from England to the United States and rebuilt on a peninsula on Lake Havasu. A channel was excavated under the bridge and an English Village replication was built next to it. The opening of the London Bridge in October 1971 brought a unique attraction to Lake Havasu City, which was incorporated in 1978.

Lake Havasu City is located in Mohave County, Arizona, and encompasses 42 square miles with 428 miles of streets. Situated off of Arizona Highway 95, an 18-mile drive north leads to Interstate 40, and a 65-mile drive south leads to Interstate 10.

Visitors are attracted to Lake Havasu City each year for its calm waters and beautiful beaches. The 45-mile long Lake Havasu, formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, offers abundant attractions and first class beauty. The deep blue water with its coves and inlets makes the lake a good fishing spot for blue gill and crappie. Early mines and mining towns are scattered in the desert to the north and east of the City. For those interested in geological phenomena, within a ten-mile radius of Lake Havasu City, specimens such as volcanic rock, geodes, jaspers, obsidian, turquoise, and agate can be uncovered.

Lake Havasu is home to more lighthouses than any other city in the U.S. These 1/3 scale replicas are actual functioning navigational aids built to the specifications of famous east and west coast lighthouses. More than eighteen can be seen on the shores of the lake.

Lake Havasu City offers a broad range of community facilities including an airport, regional parks and amenities, two movie theater complexes, a library, and historical museum.

The Shops at Lake Havasu, which opened in 2008 with over 720,000 square feet of commercial space available. The mall is anchored by Dillard's, J.C. Penney's, and Super Walmart. Additional shopping can be found in the Channel Riverwalk District and the Uptown McCulloch Main Street District which also is host to many special events throughout the year. Unique boutiques, salons, night clubs, restaurants, and performing arts facilities can be found throughout the community