The Mission of the Central Arizona Association of Governments is to provide effective planning and model programs which offer creative solutions to the unique needs within Region V.
The Central Arizona Association of Governments (CAAG) was formed in 1970 and incorporated in 1975. CAAG is one of six regional planning districts, or Councils of Governments (COGs), established by Executive Order 70-2 by the Governor of Arizona.
The six designated districts ultimately became two urban COGs, and four rural COGs. The goal was to create regional groupings that could provide more effective regional planning than various small towns, individual counties, or rural areas could on their own. The idea was to promote a community of interest, to preserve county boundaries, and to have a population base adequate to support planning activities, while complying with federal planning requirements and addressing the concerns of local government officials. The COGs, especially in rural areas, produced an economy of scale that allowed governments within a region to pool limited resources for maximum effect.
The CAAG Region is comprised of Gila and Pinal Counties, which includes fifteen incorporated communities, and over 10,000 square miles of area. The region is very diverse in terms of socioeconomic characteristics as well as geography and climate.
Community
County
Incorporated
Population*
Apache Junction
Pinal
1978
31,814
Casa Grande
1915
25,224
Coolidge
1945
7,786
Eloy
1949
10,375
Florence
1908
17,208
Globe
Gila
1907
7,486
Hayden
1956
892
Kearny
1959
2,249
Mammoth
1958
1,762
Maricopa
2003
4,998
Miami
1918
1,936
Payson
1973
16,620
Queen Creek
1989
4,316
Superior
1976
3,254
Winkelman
Gila & Pinal
443
* Population numbers provided by the League of Arizona Cities & Towns
View a map of the CAAG Region