Tombstone is located in Cochise County southeast of Tucson between Benson and Bisbee. It lies along Highway 82 on the banks of the San Pedro River, near the United States/Mexico border.

In 1877, silver was discovered in the area by prospector Ed Schieffelin. He laid out and named the town two years later. Tombstone swiftly grew into one of the Southest's wealthiest and most lawless mining towns. The lion's share of the mining was terminated by 1890. Characters in Tombstone's past include Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the Clanton gang. In 1962, the city was designated a national historic landmark.

Today, Tombstone is a well-known health resort and tourist destination with its checkered past as a magnet of outlaws. Attractions include the annual three-day Helldorado Celebration, in which the town's violent past is staged.

Nearby are the Dragoon Mountains, once a redoubt of Chiricahua Apache chief Cochise and his people, who fought the United States for 11 years.