Willcox embraces its Western heritage and has a growing wine industry
Over a century, Willcox transitioned from a rail shipping destination for cattle to an agricultural city with a growing wine industry and Western character. “Ranching, horses and rodeos are still a big part of life here. Many families still own ranches, and events like cattle auctions and rodeos are staples of the community,” says Vivian Aguero Lopez, City of Willcox community engagement specialist. “It’s a place where neighbors know each other, and people take pride in preserving our history. Whether you’re here for the outdoors, the wine, the Western heritage, or just a slower pace of life, Willcox offers something special that keeps people coming back and staying."
Playgrounds, pools and birding spots offer family fun
Historic Railroad Park has a train-shaped playground with climbing structures, a dog park and a veterans' memorial. At Keiller Park, there's a shaded playground, baseball fields and basketball courts. In May 2025, Willcox Pool, which includes a farm-themed splash pad, was added to the park. Twin Lakes Golf Course is open to the public and has nine holes. “Near downtown is Willcox Playa, where thousands of sandhill cranes land every winter. This draws thousands to the annual Wings Over Willcox birding festival,” Aguero Lopez says. The event is hosted during Martin Luther King weekend and includes field trip leaders who share expertise about the various bird species, their behavior and habitat.
Areas of Willcox near natural open space have a more elevated wildfire risk than the rest of the region.
Bungalows and ranch-style homes on sandy and gravelly properties
Many homes in Willcox are single-story bungalows or ranch styles with a carport and a fenced backyard. Yards are commonly flat and comprised of sand and gravel. Bungalow prices range from about $120,000 to $210,000. Ranch-style homes are listed from around $20,000 for a fixer-upper to $350,000. “There are no subdivisions, no cookie-cutter homes, all the homes are either newly built on an acre or more around town, and then homes in town are on city lots, most of them are older,” says Polly McLain, a Realtor at DiPeso Realty with 13 years of experience.
Tasting local wine, shopping and dining downtown
Downtown Willcox is roughly between Railroad and Haskell avenues. “The downtown area is quite walkable, with antique shops, boutiques, tasting rooms and restaurants,” Aguero Lopez says. Restaurants with a long history in the area include Big Tex Bar-B-Que, which was converted from dining cars, and La Unica Mexican Restaurant. “Wine tasting rooms and wineries are a big deal here. There are over a dozen, making downtown a real wine hot spot, which is why we have two popular wine festivals each year,” she says. Downtown hosts the spring wine festival one weekend in May and the fall wine festival in October. Keeling Schaefer Vineyards and Birds & Barrels Vineyards both participate in the festivals. A Safeway supermarket and Bealls are on Rex Allen Drive.
Rex Allen and celebrating Western culture
Downtown includes the Willcox Historic Theater, which shows first-run movies, and the Chiricahua Regional Museum with exhibits about local history and the Chiricahua Apache. There is also a museum dedicated to the life and work of Rex Allen, an actor who grew up outside the city and starred in various Western movies. Rex Allen Days is an event in early October that honors him and the area’s Western heritage. During the four-day event, local parks host a parade, gun shows and a carnival. Quail Park hosts the Willcox West Fest & Chuck Wagon Cook-Off in April, which honors cowboy culture with a ranch rodeo, chuckwagon cook-off and market.
Academics at Willcox Unified schools
Willcox is zoned for the Willcox Unified School District, which allows nonresident students to apply for district schools through its open enrollment program. Willcox Elementary School earns a B grade from Niche, Willcox Middle School receives a B-minus and Willcox High School also scores a B. High schoolers may participate in extracurricular activities, such as Future Farmers of America.
Passing trains, interstate drives to Tucson and a local hospital
Railroad Avenue runs parallel to the tracks downtown, and areas near it may be impacted by traffic and noise from passenger trains traveling through the area. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited train route connecting New Orleans to Los Angeles travels through Willcox. Interstate 10 leads to the city's western region to Tucson, about 90 miles away. The Tucson International Airport, which only has domestic flights, is nearly 80 miles away. Northern Cochise Community Hospital is in Willcox.
