LA PAZ COUNTY ARIZONA FAQ

LA PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is La Paz County such a major year around tourist destination?

Winter visitors are attracted to the county by the great, warm winter weather, the many events which occur in Quartzsite such as the RV show, the craft show, the gem and mineral show, the great off-roading areas, the spectacular desert hiking and bird watching, the great fishing, the very exciting Bluewater Resort and Casino, and just to hang out with their friends from all over the country. The area’s proximity to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada is also attractive to winter visitors. Summer visitors are attracted by the cool, clear waters of the Colorado River which provides great fishing and boating opportunities and many restaurants. California fishermen and boaters have been flocking to the river for more than 50 years.

What is causing retirees to locate in the county?

Retirees are attracted by the many activities and also by the very affordable housing. Housing is a strong motivator for Californians who can sell their highly appreciated homes and buy a very attractive La Paz County home at a much lower price. The are also attracted by the quiet rural lifestyle and the low crime rate which contrasts with the increasing gang activity in the communities where they have spent their lives.

What makes La Paz County a strategic location?

La Paz County is located approximately midway between southern California and the Phoenix Metropolitan Area which are connected by the Interstate 10 freeway, which is the most heavily traveled east-west highway in the western US. Phoenix is growing rapidly to the west toward the county and southern California is growing toward the east, also toward the county. The Phoenix Metropolitan Area is just over a one hour drive from La Paz County and the Palm Springs, California area is approximately a two hour drive from the county. La Paz County is also just a few hours by car from Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada which are directly to the north via US and Arizona Highway 95. The US Census Bureau has recently issued a report regarding the ten counties in the US which grew by more than 200,000 residents between 2000 and 2007. Three of those counties are adjacent to La Paz County – Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix Metropolitan Area), Riverside County, California, and San Bernardino County, California. Another county on the list is Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas) which is only a short distance from La Paz County.

Their rankings are as follows:
No. 2 – Riverside County, California
No. 3 – Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas)
No. 5 – Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix Metro)
No. 7 – San Bernardino County, California

Maricopa County, Arizona grew by more than 800,000 residents during the period. US Highway 95 extends straight south through La Paz County and Yuma County to the Mexican border. The US Government is currently spending $80 million to build a state-of-the-art border crossing for trucks and a new highway which will tie into US Highway 95. This crossing is being built to handle the increasing flow of goods to and from Mexico. This flow has been hampered by inadequate border crossings in California and Arizona. The flow is also increasing as the result of the fact that Mexico is expanding its seaports in order to handle the massive flow of ship containers which are bound from Asia to California, Arizona and the rest of the western US. Port congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is causing more of this container traffic to enter North America through Mexico. At least one major industrial park developer is considering La Paz County as the site for a project to take advantage of this new activity. The La Paz County highway network puts it in the center of the American Southwest, the most actively growing area in the US.

What about the availability of land in La Paz County?

Land availability is very limited due to the fact that only 5% of the land is privately held, and much of that land is in flood plains and undevelopable areas. What about educational opportunities in La Paz County? Arizona Western College, which is headquartered in Yuma, has a campus in Parker, Arizona which is the county seat of La Paz County. It is currently constructing a 25,000 square foot classroom expansion to that campus. It is also building the first 5,000 square foot classroom building on its new 60 acre Quartzsite campus. Arizona Western has a long term alliance with Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff which is a 4 year college. This allows them to provide a 4-year college curriculum to La Paz County.

What about job growth in La Paz County?

Job growth is strong and a number of major employers are planning projects in the county. The county is in an excellent position to attract industry which would previously have settled in Phoenix or southern California but has been forced to look for alternative locations as a result of urbanization, environmentalists, no-growth activists, etc. A California company has recently purchased a 70 acre site for the development of a facility which will process various projects for shipment to Asia. The Arizona Western College expansion will create more jobs, as well. A Phoenix company is planning to construct a $220 million ethanol refinery near Vicksburg. This is expected to create 400 jobs during construction and 170 full time jobs when it goes into operation. The company has also announced that it plans to double the plant’s production by deploying a new technology for the production of biodiesel. Two major dairies have been built and are now operating in central La Paz County, one is under construction, and two more are planned. Wal-Mart is planning to build one of its supercenters in Parker. It has been reported that it will create more than 100 jobs. The US Border Patrol is reportedly adding 100 new jobs in the Blythe, California area, just across the Colorado River from La Paz County. A new truck stop has recently opened in Vicksburg, a second is under construction in Quartzsite, and a third is reportedly planning to build in Quartzsite. The developers of the ethanol plant are planning an industrial and business park next to the plant. They report that they are in discussions with a wood products company, a sit-down restaurant, and several trucking-related companies.