Are there ticks in Arizona?

Yes. Arizona has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 216 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Arizona?

Arizona's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Arizona tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Arizona?

In Arizona, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season in Arizona centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in Arizona?

On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Arizona. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.

Ticks in Arizona

Ticks are active in Arizona whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 216 Arizona towns every morning, so risk stays local: pick your town for today's number, a 7-day outlook, and what's driving it.

Tick season in Arizona

Tick season in Arizona peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main human biter across the interior West, quests from March into early summer and largely disappears as the high country dries out. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick (the local Lyme vector) also peaks in spring, and in California's chaparral the Pacific Coast tick holds a late-summer window.

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Western blacklegged tick
Pacific Coast tick
American dog tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it. Activity windows by life stage from TickEncounter (Univ. of Rhode Island) and the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Any warm spell can wake ticks earlier than the calendar suggests.

Summer heat is a low point out West, not a high one. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning, so it is the safer way to time hikes and yard work than the calendar alone.

Highest-risk towns in Arizona (2026)

Arizona's highest structural tick risk concentrates in Navajo County, which holds 5 of the state's top 10 towns. The top 10 towns run 0 to 92 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Pinetop Country Club Navajo CountyModerate at peak
2Dolan Springs Mohave CountyModerate at peak
3North Fork Navajo CountyModerate at peak
4Munds Park Coconino CountyModerate at peak
5Wagon Wheel Navajo CountyModerate at peak
6Lake of the Woods Navajo CountyModerate at peak
7Pine Gila CountyModerate at peak
8Pinetop-Lakeside Navajo CountyModerate at peak
9Mountainaire Coconino CountyModerate at peak
10Fort Valley Coconino CountyModerate at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Arizona towns, by county

Apache County · 10 towns

Cochise County · 12 towns

Coconino County · 20 towns

Gila County · 13 towns

Graham County · 6 towns

Greenlee County · 3 towns

La Paz County · 4 towns

Maricopa County · 32 towns

Mohave County · 19 towns

Navajo County · 22 towns

Pima County · 24 towns · 1/100k Lyme

Pinal County · 19 towns

Santa Cruz County · 4 towns

Yavapai County · 21 towns

Yuma County · 7 towns

Arizona tick questions

Are there ticks in Arizona?: Yes. Arizona has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 216 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Arizona?: Arizona's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Arizona tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Arizona?: In Arizona, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.
When is flea and tick season?: Flea and tick season in Arizona centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.
Which tick carries Lyme disease in Arizona?: On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Arizona. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.