Pinal

Pinal County was formed from portions of Maricopa and Pima counties on Feb 1, 1875, in response to the petition of residents of the upper Gila River Valley, as "Act #1" of the Eighth Territorial Legislature.  Florence, established in 1866, was designated and has remained the county seat.

The county encompasses 5 371 square miles, of which 30 are water.  In both economy and geography, Pinal County has two distinct regions.  The eastern portion is characterized by mountains with elevations to 6,000 feet and copper mining.  The western area is primarily low desert valleys and irrigated agriculture.

The state of Arizona is the county's largest landholder with 35.3 percent, followed by individuals and corporations, 25.7 percent; Indian reservations, 20.3 percent; the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, 17.5 percent, and the remaining 1.2 percent is other public land.