Central Arizona Government (CAG)

CAG is a COG that serves as the regional planning agency for the rural portions of Pinal and Gila counties, which together comprise approximately 10,170 square miles in southern central Arizona. CAG’s member agencies include the two counties, 17 municipalities, and three Native American nations: the Ak-Chin Indian Community, the Gila River Indian Community, and the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

The CAG region has experienced rapid population growth. Between 2000 and 2010, the region’s population grew from 231,062 to 429,367. This was a growth rate of 86 percent in that decade, compared with 25 percent for Arizona and 9 percent for the United States. However, with the formation of the SCMPO, the CAG region now represents 83,803, based on a smaller geographic areas. One of the CAG member municipalities is the city of Casa Grande. In the 2010 Census, Casa Grande’s municipal population of 48,571, together with additional population in adjoining areas, triggered a federal requirement to form an MPO in 2013. Casa Grande and other members of the new MPO continue to be members of CAG.