Kearny is named after General Stephen W. Kearny, leader of the Army of the West, who explored along the Gila River from 1849 to 1850. He set up base camp near a site that would later bear his name. Kearny was a planned community built in 1958 for workers at the Kennecott Copper Company open-pit mine and reduction plant. This Pinal County community, located along the Gila River, is almost equidistant from Phoenix and Tucson. From Phoenix, take Interstate 10 east to state Highway 60, continue east on Highway 60 to U.S. 60 east to Superior and then turn south on state Highway 177. The quickest path from Tucson is taking U.S. 89 to Oracle Junction, turning northeast on state Highway 77 to Winkelman and then turning northwest on state Highway 177.
Today, ASARCO (Grupo Mexico) operates the large open-pit copper mine, reduction plant and smelter near Kearny. The mine, and the company’s smelter in Hayden, provide much of the employment for residents in Kearny. Most other employment in Kearny is in the commercial and services sectors.
Kearny has off-highway vehicle (ATV) campsites in the mountain foothills and an 11-acre fishing lake with hiking and campsites. Kearny is in the heart of ATV country. Ray Mines, one of Arizona's largest open-pit mining operations, is 11 miles north. Hills and desert vegetation of the area provide opportunities for the rockhound, photographer, historian, bird watcher, botanist and hunter. Fishing, camping, walking and picnicking are popular along portions of the Gila River. Kearny has a nine-hole golf course. Area highways provide dramatic mountain and canyon scenery. A few miles west of nearby Superior is the Thompson Southwest Arboretum, famous for its variety of southwestern flora.
The town of Kearny has a library, community center, three parks, one golf course and many athletic facilities including Little League, football, softball and baseball fields.
Kearny's uptown includes the General Kearny Inn, bars, cafes, a large grocery store, a drugstore and several commercial establishments. Its wide boulevard is used for many community festivals. Kearny has a downtown commercial area which includes an airport, restaurant and livestock corrals. The Copper Basin Railroad runs through the lower portion of the town.
| Founded | 1849 | Incorporated | 1959 |
| Elevation | 2,020 ft. | Location | Pinal County |
| Phoenix | 78 miles | San Diego | 428 miles |
| Tucson | 80 miles | Los Angeles | 458 miles |
| Las Vegas | 379 miles |
| 2000 | 2010 | 2023 (est.) | |
| Kearny | 2,249 | 1,947 | 1,741 |
| Pinal County | 179,727 | 376,369 | 439,128 |
| State of Arizona | 5,130,632 | 6,401,569 | 7,285,370 |
Office of Economic Opportunity
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| Kearny | 3.00% |
| Pinal County | 1.10% |
| State | 5.60% |
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| 2000 | 2010 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | 948 | 958 | 1,157 |
| Unemployed | 27 | 40 | 50 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
Office of Economic Opportunity
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 169 | 11.1% |
| High school or equivalent, no college | 546 | 35.9% |
| Some college or Associate degree | 623 | 41.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree | 182 | 12.0% |
American Community Survey
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Education, health care & social assistance | 182 | 18.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining | 164 | 16.2% |
| Public administration | 163 | 16.1% |
| Manufacturing | 124 | 12.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, food & recreation services | 117 | 11.6% |
| Retail trade | 83 | 8.2% |
| Professional, scientific, & administrative services | 76 | 7.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, & utilities | 33 | 3.3% |
| Other services, except public administration | 27 | 2.7% |
| Construction | 25 | 2.5% |
| Finance, insurance & real estate | 18 | 1.8% |
| Information | 0 | 0.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 0 | 0.0% |
American Community Survey
This profile was prepared by the Arizona Commerce Authority in cooperation with local sources. For further information, please contact: