Ajo is a town of about 4,000 people in southwestern Arizona. Once a copper mining community, Ajo became something of a retirement community in the 1980s after Phelps Dodge stopped mining operations.
A recent influx of Border Patrol agents and a contingent of young people who don’t want to live anywhere else have kept the town a mix of all ages.
Though sometimes called a “sleepy mining town”, Ajo has never been ordinary. Even the name Ajo is different, and a bit of a mystery. Depending on whom you listen to, Ajo (pronounced AH-ho) comes from either a Tohono O’odham word for paint or the Spanish word for garlic.
For a small town, there’s lots to do, with activities ranging from softball leagues to a theatre group and from church groups to golf clubs. There are many opportunities for volunteers who like to stay busy.
Ajo, Arizona, on the map.
Ajo is in the Sonoran Desert, tucked away in Western Pima County in Arizona, about 120 miles southwest of Phoenix and 130 miles west of Tucson. Ajo is landlocked with the Tohono O’odham Nation to the east, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to the south, and the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Goldwater Gunnery Range to the north and west.
The desert is far from desolate, with abundant wildlife and plants despite not having much rain. Coyotes howl at the moon, roadrunners zip across highways, desert bighorn sheep climb mountains, and rattlesnakes scare the unwary amid palo verde trees, mesquite, majestic saguaros, and organ pipe cactus. In the spring, wildflowers bloom in merry profusion while cactus sprout delicate blossoms.
Plaza 1998 in town, desert landscaping prevails, though the green plaza at the center of town is a spot people drive many miles to visit. The Plaza, with its surrounding Arizona Mission-style buildings, was built to be the community’s “front yard”. The lush grass is bordered by palm trees and other ornamental plantings, with park benches that invite people to sit and visit with friends.
Ajo’s climate makes it an ideal cold season retreat. January temperatures average 64° maximum and 40° minimum. July temperatures average 103° maximum and 80° minimum. Yearly rainfall of 8.95” keeps the desert plants and wildlife abundant. Rarely is humidity over 56% and averages 37%. Spectacular sunsets silhouetting the mountains can be seen year-round.
The community has been served by a weekly newspaper, the Ajo Copper News since 1916. |
