Nogales Arizona
Nogales, Arizona is located on the international border that separates the United States and Mexico. It is considered the twin city of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico which also lies on the same border. Nogales, Arizona is in Santa Cruz County. It serves as the economic capital and county seat of Santa Cruz County which is considered as the smallest of Arizona counties. At an elevation of 3,865, the city has a mountainous setting.
Jacob and Isaac Isaacson founded the city in 1880 which they called Isaacson and built a trading post along the border. By 1882, the site of Nogales was the first rail connection between the United States and Mexico. In 1883, the U.S. Postal Service renamed the area as Nogales. The city is also known in O’odham (Papago) as No-wa:I. The name “Nogales” was derived from the Spanish word which means “Walnut” or “Walnut Tree” which referred to the large stands of walnut trees that once stood in the mountain pass where Nogales is located.
Nogales was incorporated in 1893 and now has a total population of 21,375 based on the 2004 U.S. Census. Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico (sister city) are home to one of the largest cooperative manufacturing clusters. Also known as Maquiladora, the cooperative enables manufacturing plants located on both sides of the border to take advantage of favorable wage and operating costs. It also provides excellent transportation and distribution networks.
