Benson, Arizona - Home of Kartchner Caverns State Park - is the fourth largest of seven incorporated cities in Cochise County. With a population of 4,820 as of mid-2006, Benson accounts for about 3.6 percent of the county's population. The Benson - St. David are (including the City of Benson and the unincorporated areas of Cascabel, Mescal, growth patterns in the area, the Cochise College Center for Economic Research estimates the population of the combined Benson - St. David area, as of mid-2006, was 12,318.

Benson is located 45 miles southeast of Tucson and 156 miles southeast of Phoenix. Recently, Benson , along with the unincorporated areas of Chochise County just outside the city limits, has been eyed by developers for large-scale, master-planned communities. Developers see Benson as a vital link between Tucson to the west and Sierra Vista/Fort Huachuca to the south. There are currently 20,000 homes planned for the Benson area over the next few decades. At full build-out, this would make Benson the largest city in Cochise county. The first major step toward build-out began in 2006 when the City of Benson issued 104 new home permits, compared to only 12 permits issued over the entire preceding 5-year period. In anticipation of growth in the area, Wal-Mart opened a 99,000 square-foot Supercent in Benson in late 2006. With the opening of Wal-Mart Supercenter, Benson is positioned to become the major retail center of northern Cochise County.

The City of Benson is particularly proud of its designation as the Home of Kartchner Caverns State Park. Located on 550 acres a the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains just south of benson on State Highway 90, Kartchner Caverns State Park offers picnicking, camping, hiking, walking, and the magnificent "still-living" caverns. Since it's opening in lat 1999, Kartchner Caverns has hosted more than a million visitors, with an average annual visitation of more that 190,000 people.

Key Points:
• Benson economy is dependent on tourism, as well as accommodation and restaurant from traffic along Interstate 10 and state routes 80 and 90.
• Planned construction of more than 20,000 homes over the next few decades will become a major contributor to Benson's economy. Construction's share of total taxable sales in Benson increased from 6.5 to 18.2 percent between 2005 and 2006.

To learn more about the City of Benson visit: www.cityofbenson.com or Benson Visitor Center's website at www.bensonvisitorcenter.com.

City of Benson Asset Inventory Information (Excel file)