Arizona Towns with Names You Can’t Forget

Arizona doesn’t just have unusual landscapes. It has unusual names on the map too. Some came from jokes, some from accidents, and some from pure frontier grit. These are towns you don’t forget once you hear them.

Why

Yes, there’s a town called Why. The story goes back to a Y-shaped highway intersection. Locals wanted to call it “Y,” but state law required town names to be at least three letters. So, Why it became.

Nothing

Nothing is exactly what it sounds like. It started as a roadside stop with a gas station and a burger shack. Today it is abandoned, with only a weathered sign left to prove it existed.

Tombstone

Prospector Ed Schieffelin was warned the only thing he would find in the hills was his own tombstone. He found silver instead, and the town took the name that carried his warning.

Show Low

Legend has it the town was named after a marathon card game. Two ranchers decided whoever won a hand of “show low” poker would keep the land. One flipped the two of clubs—“low card wins”—and Show Low was born. The main street is called "Deuce of Clubs."

Surprise

Flora Mae Statler named the town in 1938 and said she would be surprised if it ever amounted to much. It is now one of the fastest-growing cities in Arizona.

Three Way

This small community in Greenlee County sits where three highways intersect. The name is simple but unforgettable to anyone driving through.

These places prove Arizona is not just wide open spaces and dramatic views. Even the names on the signs along the road can tell you something about the state’s humor, history, and grit.