Nogales, Arizona

Nogales is a city in the United States, located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It is the county seat and had a population of 20,072 as of 2026. Nogales is part of the larger Tucson–Nogales combined statistical area, which includes around 1 million people.

Nogales is special because it is directly on the border with Mexico, right next to another city also called Nogales, Sonora. This makes it a very important place for travel and trade between the two countries. Major roads like Interstate 19 and Mexico Federal Highway 15 meet here, and it is part of the CANAMEX Corridor, which connects Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

The city has several important entry points for people and goods coming from Mexico, including the Morley Pedestrian Port of Entry and the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry. Because of its location, Nogales helps bring about $30 billion worth of goods into the United States each year. This trade supports many jobs in Arizona and Sonora.

Nogales is also the start of a region called the Arizona Sun Corridor, which stretches to cities like Tucson and Phoenix. The city was named after the black walnut trees that used to grow in the area between the two Nogales cities.

History

The name Nogales comes from the Spanish word for 'walnut' or 'walnut tree'. It refers to the many walnut trees that once grew in the mountains where the city is now located.

Nogales has a rich history. It was part of an important journey in 1775–1776 when explorers entered what is now the United States from New Spain. In 1853, after a land deal called the Gadsden Purchase, Nogales became part of the United States. Over the years, many people from different places settled there. In 1918, tensions between the United States and Mexico led to a battle, which resulted in the first permanent border wall being built between the two sides of Nogales.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Nogales had a population of 19,770 people. The middle age of the town was 37.4 years. About 27.7% of the people were younger than 18, and 19.6% were 65 years or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 85.4 boys and men, and for every 100 girls and women aged 18 and older, there were 79.1 boys and men aged 18 and older.

Most people, about 93.6%, lived in towns and cities, while 6.4% lived in the countryside.

There were 6,896 homes in Nogales. About 39% of these homes had children younger than 18 living in them. About 41.8% of homes were made up of married couples, 16.1% had only a man living there without a wife or partner, and 38% had only a woman living there without a husband or partner. Around 25% of homes had just one person living in them, and 13.6% of homes had only one older person, 65 or older, living there.

There were 7,562 places to live, but 8.8% of them were empty. Of the homes that people owned, 2% were empty, while 7.2% of the homes that people rented were empty.

2000 census

In the year 2000, 20,878 people lived in Nogales. The city had a population density of 1,002.1 people per square mile (386.9/km²). There were 6,501 places to live, with an average of 312.0 per square mile (120.5/km²).

The racial makeup was 71.7% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 24.3% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. About 95% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 6,362 homes. About 38.8% had children younger than 18 living in them. Almost 48% were married couples living together, 24.2% had only a woman living there without a husband, and 22.5% were not families. About 15.1% of homes had just one person living in them, and 9.9% had only one older person, 65 or older, living there.

The average number of people per home was 3.12, and the average number of people per family was 3.62. The ages of the people were spread out, with 34.6% younger than 18, 9.5% between 18 and 24, 25.5% between 25 and 44, 19.5% between 45 and 64, and 10.8% were 65 or older. The middle age was 30 years. For every 100 girls and women, there were 88.1 boys and men, and for every 100 girls and women aged 18 and older, there were 81.3 boys and men.

The middle income for a home was $28,044, and for a family it was $24,637. Men made a middle income of $24,636, while women made $18,403. The per capita income was $14,440. About 30.8% of families and 32.7% of all people lived below the poverty line. This included 41.2% of children younger than 18 and 32.9% of people 65 or older.

Geography

Nogales is a city in Arizona, in the United States. It covers an area of 20.8 square miles (54 km²), and all of it is land. The city sits at an elevation of 3,829 feet (1,167 m).

Nogales has a semi-arid steppe climate, which means it is less hot and gets more rain than places like Phoenix. In winter, temperatures usually reach around 65 °F (18 °C) during the day and stay just above freezing at night, but sometimes it can get much colder. In summer, daytime temperatures often reach between 90 and 100 °F (32 and 38 °C), with June being the warmest month. Nights in summer are cooler, usually in the 60s °F.

The Arizona Monsoon brings rain in July and August, with about eight inches of rain during those months. This helps make the yearly total around 15 inches (380 mm). Sometimes, these storms can bring a lot of rain quickly, which can cause flash floods. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Nogales was 112 °F (44 °C) on June 26, 1990, and the coldest was −4 °F (−20 °C) on December 8, 1978.

Economy

Nogales' economy relies a lot on trade between the United States and Mexico. Many farms in nearby Mexico grow food that is sold and processed in Nogales. Thousands of people from Mexico visit Nogales every day, which helps local businesses.

The area also has many jobs in manufacturing and services. Important employers include schools, hospitals, stores like The Home Depot and Walmart, and government offices. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security employs many people in the area to help manage the border.

Arts and culture

Santa Cruz County and the city of Nogales have many special places listed as important historic sites. These include Tumacacori National Monument, which a priest named Father Eusebio Kino visited in 1691, and Tubac Presidio, built by the Spanish in 1752. You can also visit old schools, old city halls, and old train stations.

Nearby, the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary is a popular spot for bird watchers. There are also old ghost towns, interesting shops, good restaurants, and lively night spots. The historical courthouse in Nogales has a statue of Lady Justice on top, though she does not wear a blindfold like some statues do. The area around Nogales has beautiful parks and lakes, and you can also find wine country not far away.

Government

The City of Nogales uses a council-manager style of government. The mayor is chosen by voters for a four-year term and has one vote on the city council. The council selects a city manager to handle the city's everyday tasks. The six city council members are elected by all voters for four-year terms.

Transportation

Nogales is located at the south end of Interstate 19. Arizona State Route 189 connects Interstate 19 with the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry and Mexican Federal Highway 15. Arizona State Route 82 connects Nogales with Patagonia and Sonoita. Interstate 11 is proposed to replace I-19, terminating in Nogales.

Santa Cruz County operates the Nogales International Airport, a general use airport.

Local bus transportation in Nogales is currently provided by local companies. Private bus companies Greyhound and TUFESA, as well as several shuttle companies, connect Nogales with Tucson and points north.

Rail transportation is provided by the Union Pacific Railroad (formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad) north to Tucson.

In popular culture

Nogales has been featured in many movies and books. For example, The Hangover Part III used parts of the town to look like a place in Mexico, even though the movie is set in Tijuana. Another movie, Dog, had a funeral scene that was supposed to take place in Nogales but was actually filmed in Los Angeles, California.

The city appears in books too. A novel by Georges Simenon called The Bottom of the Bottle is set in Nogales. It is also mentioned in stories by William Gibson and Carlos Castaneda. In the book Why Nations Fail, Nogales is compared to its neighbor in Mexico to talk about why some places grow richer than others.

Actor Benicio del Toro mentioned both sides of the border, called Ambos Nogales, when he accepted an award in 2001.

Notable people

Nogales has been home to many famous people. Bob Baffert is a champion horse breeder and trainer who won big racing awards in 2015 and 2018. Andrew Leo Bettwy served as Arizona’s Land Commissioner from 1970 to 1978. Movita Castaneda was an actress and the second wife of famous actor Marlon Brando. Travis Edmonson was part of the popular 1960s folk music duo “Bud & Travis.” Adrian Fontes has been Arizona’s Secretary of State since 2023. John Frederick “Jack” Hannah was an artist and director for Disney Studios who won an Academy Award. Gil Heredia played baseball for ten years in the Major Leagues and was born in 1965. Christine McIntyre acted in many movies, including several with the Three Stooges. Charles Mingus was a well-known jazz musician. Jack O’Connor worked for many years as an editor for Outdoor Life magazine. Alberto Alvaro Ríos is a writer and poet who won an award in 1981 and is now Arizona’s Poet Laureate. Roger Smith was an actor known for his role in 77 Sunset Strip and was married to movie star Ann-Margret. Verita Bouvaire-Thompson was an actress who later became a hairdresser and was a friend of Humphrey Bogart.