Land for Sale in Mohave County, AZ

Mohave County is a 13,000-square-mile county in northwest Arizona with 213,267 residents (2020 census) and some of the most heavily marketed raw land in the Southwest. Parcels around Kingman, Golden Valley, Dolan Springs and Lake Havasu City are cheap by Arizona standards, but legal access, utilities and water decide whether a lot is buildable. This guide covers the market and the checks that matter.

Mohave County at a glance

  • County seat: Kingman. Largest city: Lake Havasu City. Other places: Bullhead City, Golden Valley and Dolan Springs.
  • 2020 population 213,267; about 13,461 square miles, the second-largest county in Arizona and fifth-largest in the contiguous U.S.
  • The Grand Canyon splits the county in two; the Colorado River forms most of the western boundary.
  • Highways: I-40, I-15 (far north), US 93, and State Routes 66, 68, 95 and 389; Interstate 11 is planned.
  • Large federal and tribal areas, including national monument, park and recreation land and the Kaibab, Fort Mojave and Hualapai reservations.

Where the Mohave County land market is

Most buyers search the Mohave Valley south of the Grand Canyon, along US 93 and I-40: Kingman and its surroundings, the large rural subdivisions of Golden Valley, Dolan Springs and Chloride, and the Colorado River towns of Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City. Lots in the old rural subdivisions are often 1 to 5 acres, while ranch-style tracts in the north and east run much larger. Prices fall sharply with distance from pavement and power.

Legal access is the first question

Many Mohave County parcels were created decades ago and sit on recorded easements that never connected to a maintained public road. Listings in Golden Valley and Dolan Springs commonly note that 4x4 or high-clearance vehicles are recommended and that some streets are unmarked and unmaintained. A county staff report on one local land division noted that its road was unpaved and not on the county road maintenance system.

Ask for recorded legal access in the title report, not just a pin on a map, and drive the route. University of Arizona Extension notes that Arizona's standard contract warns that land generally cannot be sold without permanent access unless a waiver applies, so get the seller's warranty in writing.

Wildcat splits and what to ask the seller

Arizona lets owners divide a larger tract into parcels of at least 36 acres, and sellers of such parcels make only limited disclosures, such as legal access and floodplain status, with no formal subdivision review or public report. The state water-policy committee uses "wildcat" for informal lot splitting that avoids subdivision rules, and an assured water supply is required to sell lots in a subdivision but not where no subdivision is created. In practice that means you should find out whether a parcel is part of a recorded subdivision or a lot split, and who has promised what about roads and water.

Water, wells and septic

Water in rural Mohave County usually means a private well or hauled water, and well depth and yield vary a lot by area. Ask neighbors and the Arizona Department of Water Resources about typical depth, and price the drilling before you offer. Septic systems must be approved by the county or state, which depends on soil and parcel size.

Zoning and what a parcel allows come from Mohave County Planning and Zoning (for example, residential-agricultural districts with minimum parcel sizes), so confirm the district and what it permits for a home, a mobile home, outbuildings or livestock.

Fraud and ownership checks

Vacant-land buyers should verify that the seller is the real owner. A local agent has reported cases where people posed as owners of vacant Golden Valley lots. Check the owner on the county assessor and recorder records, close through a licensed title company, and buy title insurance.

Before you buy land in Mohave County

  • Recorded legal access over a road you can actually drive, and who maintains it.
  • Whether the parcel is in a recorded subdivision or a lot split.
  • Zoning district and permitted uses from Mohave County Planning and Zoning.
  • Well, septic and utility plan and cost, including how far power is from the parcel.
  • Flood zone and wash exposure; many desert parcels are in washes.
  • Seller identity, title search and title insurance.

How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist

Frequently asked questions

Is land in Golden Valley and Dolan Springs buildable?

Sometimes. It depends on legal access, zoning, a water source, septic approval and power. Many lots sit on unmaintained dirt roads, so confirm all of them before you buy.

What is a wildcat subdivision in Arizona?

It is an informal term for lot splitting that avoids subdivision rules. Arizona allows division into parcels of at least 36 acres with limited seller disclosures and no formal review, so buyers must check access, water and zoning themselves.

How big is Mohave County?

About 13,461 square miles, the second-largest county in Arizona. The Grand Canyon splits it into two sections with no direct land connection.

Does Mohave County land come with water?

Usually not. Most rural parcels need a private well or hauled water, and the cost and depth vary by area.

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