Douglas is in Southern Arizona. It is in Cochise County. The town is located on State Highway 80 near the Mexican border. You can get to Douglas from Phoenix and Tucson by taking Interstate 10 south out of town. It is approximately 120 miles southwest of Tucson. After you pass through Tucson, you will find that Interstate 10 gradually heads east toward the New Mexico border. You will need to continue until you come to the town of Benson. Take State Highway 80 south, at Benson. You will travel on State Highway 80, until you come to Douglas. You can get to Douglas from Nogales by taking State Highway 82, northeast out of town. When you come to State Highway 80, turn left and head south down to Douglas.

Douglas is a great spot to learn about the Old West. There are many adventures that are close to this town. It is a small town that began as a mining town and then on to cattle ranching. Today Douglas has three manufacturing plants. These plants produce items ranging from clothing to auto parts. The location of Douglas, near the Mexican border, has made it an international commerce point. Agua Prieta is the name of the town across the border. These two towns use each other’s strengths to prosper. With colorful Mexico at its back door and a host of scenic areas only a few hours away, Douglas has much to offer the vacationer. The population of Douglas is 13,784. The town sits at an elevation of 3,990 feet. Douglas has a pleasant year-around climate. The town has low winter temperatures near 39 degrees and summer highs around 99 degrees.

There are many attractions in and around Douglas. The Gadsden Hotel is a historic and elegant place to see. This hotel holds many tales of the past. Agua Prieta is a small Mexican town full of shopping and restaurants. You won’t want to miss an opportunity to go across the border to take in the culture. 
Douglas has a variety of outdoor spots for visitors to see during a trip. The Chiricahua Wilderness is in the Chiricahua mountain range in the Coronado National Forest. Visitors will have a choice of camping spots and hiking trails. The Chiricahua National Monument is a part of the Chiricahua Mountain Range. It is wonderful place to see. Here at the visitor center you will learn about the history of the mountain range. The San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge is a special place to see beautiful plants and water life, along with the home of one of Arizona’s great cattle barons. Douglas combines the charm of the Old West with the comforts and pleasures of today.

In the 1800s, the area surrounding Douglas attracted prospectors and cattlemen. One of the most famous cattle ranches in the Southwest was developed by John Slaughter - Confederate soldier, Texas Ranger and Sheriff of Cochise County. But Douglas came into its own with the discovery of copper in nearby Bisbee.

In 1870, Tucson was the nearest shipping point for ore from Bisbee, which was then sent overseas to Wales for reduction. When Benson and Fairbank became rail centers, wagons hauled freight for the mines, with copper ore as a return load. The copper business was booming, and it wasn't long before Bisbee's first smelter was overloaded. Both the Phelps Dodge Corporation and the Calumet and Arizona Copper Company started new smelters on Whitewater Draw near Douglas.

In August 1900, the townsite of Douglas, named for the president of the Phelps Dodge Corporation, was established. Shortly after, the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad was built into Doutglas. With two smelters in operation, the new town rapidly expanded. Settlers poured into Sulphur Springs Valley, cattlemen came 70 miles to buy supplies and have fun, and the rich mines and cattle ranges of Old Mexico produced money whcih was largely spent in Douglas. Both smelter companies built housing for executive personnel. The Copper Queen Library was built before 1904 and served as a combined library-reading room and dance hall.
The town grew so fast that housing was very scarce and poor. Frequently, four or five men had to sleep in the same room and do their cooking outside over an open fire. The barber shop had the only bathtub in town. New arrivals lived in covered wagons and tents until houses could be built. Drinking and gamblingw ere the chief sources of entertainment and the bartenders and housemen at the Cattle Exchange, the waldorf, and the White Horse worked three shifts.

At the start of World War I, over half of Arizona's copper production was being processed in Douglas smelters and their monthly payrolls exceeded a half million dollars. The town of Agua Prieta, just across the border, flourished on the export of copper ore from the rich Mexican districts of Nacozari and El Tigre.