State and Federal

There are three Arizona state government offices represented in Payson. They are the Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol), Department of Transportation, and the Department of Economic Security Job Services.

The state of Arizona offers special programs for businesses wishing to expand or relocate to our state. Click here to visit the official website of Arizona, and to learn more about our government's organization and communities.

The U. S. Forest Service, U.S. Post Office and Cooperative Extension Service have facilities in Payson.

The U.S.D.A. Forest Service also is an impressive factor in the local economy. The Tonto National Forest's Payson Ranger District employs 44 career personnel year-round. This figure increases to approximately 100 with the addition of seasonal employees.

Payson is headquarters for the Payson Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest. The District has responsibility for the north portion of the Forest, covering an area of approximately 450,000 acres.

The District ranges from rolling hills of open, semi-desert vegetation to the Mazatzal peak and the famed Mogollon Rim with mixed conifers. The northern third of the Tonto National Forest is covered principally with ponderosa pine and chaparral with a heavy mix of oak and juniper.

The District annually attracts hundreds of thousands of outdoorsmen interested in trout fishing, hunting and camping. Payson has more than 10 lakes within an hour drive (Roosevelt, Apache, Saguaro, Green Valley, Blue Ridge, Knoll, Bear Canyon, Willow Springs, Woods Canyon, Black Canyon, Lake Mary, Stoneman, etc.) and several creeks within just minutes (Christopher Creek, Tonto Creek, Webber Creek, Verde River, Horton Creek, Canyon Creek, East Verde, Fossil Creek, etc.). The District is also home to 33 campgrounds with a total of 1182 camping sites within the Payson vicinity.

Some of the wildlife in the Tonto National Forest includes antelope, black bear, whitetail and mule deer, mountain lion, elk, javelina (wild pig), turkey, bighorn sheep, squirrel and a wide variety of birds and fowl.

Industries within the District boundary include lumbering, fuel wood, post cutting, mining, guest lodges, ranches, and organizational camps. Elevations within the Payson Ranger District range from 2,500 to 7,900 feet.

To learn more about the Tonto National Forest, and the Payson Ranger District, click here to visit the official site. You can also visit the Payson Ranger District Office at:

1009 E. Highway 260
Payson, Arizona 85541
(928) 474-7900

The Payson Post Office has 22 permanent employees and one temporary employee. It delivers approximately 8 million pieces of mail annually to an estimated 15,000 postal customers in a 500-square mile area. The Office processes an estimated 2 million pieces of outgoing mail for those in its service area.