Willcox Area Information

Willcox is located in the Southeastern portion of Arizona, in the northern half of Cochise County on I-10. Nestled at the northern end of the Sulphur Springs Valley near the Dos Cabezas and Chiricahua Mountains at an elevation of 4,167 feet Willcox is considered high desert which gives us Arizona's best year round temperate climate without the extreme summer heat of Tucson, Phoenix and Yuma. Established in 1880 and incorporated in 1915 Willcox is the trade center for the northern portion of Cochise County. Located only 80 miles from Tucson, 75 miles from Mexico and 40 miles to New Mexico it is well placed for trade and shipping of products.

Once known as the Cattle Capital of the nation, Willcox was is the middle of the hustle and bustle of the old west. With the railroad going through the center of town it was an ideal location for the shipment of not only cattle but any type of goods produced in the area that were shipped throughout the United States. Incoming trains brought goods that were needed in the northern part of the county. Fort Bowie and the local mining community of Dos Cabezas had many of their supplies come in via the railroad. The rough and tumble old west can be felt throughout the town and some it's old building, most of which are located on Railroad Avenue. The colorful history of the cowboy and the cattle that he lived with can be seen at the Hall of Fame which is located at the Rex Allen Cowboy Museum.

Southeastern Arizona is considered the birding capital of the world and just outside of Willcox you will find the Playa, an ancient seabed that is the winter home of a large group of Sandhill Cranes. Numerous other birds are found in this area also and in the nearby mountains. The Chiricahua Mountains is where you will see the Elegant Trogan. It's an easy drive to all of the premier birding spots, Ramsey Canyon Nature Conservancy which is famous for it's hummingbirds, Madera Canyon, Portal and the San Pedro Riparian Area National Conservation Area. You can obtain more information on birding in Cochise County by "going here".

"The Magic Circle of Cochise" begins in Willcox and consists of a large loop through the valley. Thus named because this was the homeland of the Chiricahua Apache and their great chief Cochise. Within this circle you have the Chiricahua National Monument and the "Wonderland of Rocks", an area of the Coronado National Forest containing some truly astonishing rock formations. Old Fort Bowie a National Historic Park can be reached after a medium hike. Here you will find the remains of the Fort which was an important outpost during the Apache conflicts. The Amerind Foundation of Archaeological Research has a Museum that houses an exquisite prehistoric collection. The privately collected ancient artifacts, costumes and weapons are worthy of a lingering perusal. There is also an Art Gallery that contains sculptures and paintings. Cochise Stronghold is located in the Dragoon Mountains, a veritable fortress of large rocks and canyons. This is part of the Coronado National Forest and somewhere within it's boundaries is where Cochise is buried. This was a natural fortress that the Chiricahua Apache used and his warriors buried him within it.... the location is unknown.

Willcox is a great place to visit and live.