About Ajo Arizona

Ajo is a small town deep in the Sonoran Desert, 43 miles north of the Mexican border. Residents and visitors alike enjoy low humidity, year round blue skies and pure air.

 Ajo is a town of about 4000 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 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.

Ajo's climate makes it an ideal cold season retreat. January temperatures average 64°. July temperatures average 103°. 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 and can be seen year-round.

For a small town, there is a lot 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.