• The largest landowner in the state oversees more than thirty million acres of land.
• The largest private landowner has a considerable stake in maintaining our wide-open swaths of land.
• The largest private landowner maintains about 750 thousand acres

Sometime back, I spent a week in Chicago. As I toured the city streets hemmed in by the towering skyscrapers, I began to appreciate Arizona's vast, open spaces. The trip really made me appreciate the beauty and space we enjoy in Arizona.

As I left Sky Harbor Airport, I was reminded again how much breathable room we enjoy in our state. I was greeted with a breathtaking vista I sometimes take for granted.

READ: Are You Ready for Wildfire Season in Arizona?

Who Owns the Most Land in Arizona?

Traveling along Interstate 10 on my way home, I began thinking about all the open land in our state. Miles of cotton, alfalfa, and other crops grow here, not to mention all the state and federally managed land and parks.

I started to wonder: Who owns all this land?

Land ownership in Arizona is a tapestry of public and private holdings. I wasn't really surprised to learn that, as far as public lands go, the largest landowner in Arizona is the federal government.

According to Stacker, Arizona ranks 8th for the most federally owned land in the United States. The federal government oversees 30,741,287 acres, accounting for 42.9% of Arizona’s land. Most of this land is dedicated to national parks and monuments, like the Grand Canyon.

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According to NCESC.com, the Arizona State Land Department comes in second, managing approximately 9.2 million acres, which benefits public schools.

READ: Who Pays If You Hit a Cow in Arizona?

Who is the Largest Private Landowner in Arizona?

Babbitt Ranches is Arizona's largest non-government landowner and the state's largest private landowner, with 750,000 acres under its banner. Family-owned Babbitt Ranches has been a fixture in the state's ranching industry since 1884.

The mix of federal, state, and private land ownership in Arizona helps preserve the state's vast openness while protecting resources.

Even as the government reshuffles how it does business, we sincerely hope that the feds prioritize maintaining our state's park system as an important part of our heritage.

[A-Z Animals.com | BLM.gov | Stacker.com | NCESC.com | WorldPopulationReview.com | BabbittRanches.com]