Coconino County is made up of 18,661 square miles, 16% of the entire state of Arizona. Coconino County is the second largest county in the nation, second to San Bernardino County and larger than the country of Switzerland. Coconino County was formally established in 1891 with Flagstaff designated as the county seat. Flagstaff is the county's largest city with approximately 66,000 residents. Other incorporated communities within the county are Page, Sedona (primarily in Yavapai County), and Williams, and the Towns or Fredonia and Tusayan. 136,011 persons live in the county, a nearly 16% increase since the 2000 census. Twenty-seven percent of the population is of Native American descent, including the Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kaibab-Paiute, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribes and a large portion of the Navajo Nation. Additionally, 14% of the population is Hispanic.
The county is comprised of 12% private land. Of the public land, the majority is United States Forest Service land and tribal land. The county is also home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, as well as many other National Parks and National Monuments. This presents unique challenges for this position, including the need to identify potential collaborations and opportunities to build relationships. Recent natural disasters including forest fires and floods have impacted the county, strengthening the need for collaboration with state and federal partners for funding repairs and reconstruction.
