Naco, AZ

Naco is a quiet, sun-drenched border community in Cochise County, sitting right against the Mexico border and its sister town across the line, Naco, Sonora. With around 800 residents, it offers a relaxed, small-town pace where everyday life revolves around the international crossing on South Towner Avenue. Located about ten miles south of historic Bisbee, it originally grew as a busy railroad and shipping hub for regional copper mines, but today it is a peaceful, close-knit desert community where neighbors know each other and cross-border ties run deep.

ATTREFF / CC BY 3.0

The town also has a colorful claim to fame that locals love to share. Back in 1929, during a rebellion in Mexico, an American mercenary pilot accidentally dropped homemade bombs on the Arizona side, giving Naco the odd distinction of being the first contiguous U.S. town bombed from the air by a foreign force. You can still see historic touches throughout town, including the handsome 1936 border station built in classic Pueblo Revival style. For anyone looking for wide-open desert skies, authentic border culture, and quick access to the shops and dining in Bisbee, Naco offers a unique, tucked-away spot in southern Arizona.