Nogales, AZ

Nogales is the county seat of Santa Cruz County and Arizona's best-known border city with Nogales, Sonora directly across the line. Its economy is heavily tied to cross-border trade, produce distribution, manufacturing, and four international ports of entry. The name comes from the Spanish word for walnut, and the surrounding region includes layers of Spanish colonial, mission, and ranching history. Nogales feels less like a standard Arizona small city and more like a working binational gateway.