Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of,

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai p ...

northern Arizona Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially-defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Gila counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the sout ...

, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has an estimated population of 139,097. Flagstaff lies near the southwestern edge of the

Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...

and within the

San Francisco volcanic field The San Francisco volcanic field is an area of volcanoes in northern Arizona, north of Flagstaff, US. The field covers 1,800 square miles (4,700 km²) of the southern boundary of the Colorado Plateau. The field contains 600 volcanoes rang ...

, along the western side of the largest contiguous

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

forest in the continental United States. The city sits at about and is next to

Mount Elden Mount Elden or Elden Mountain (Hopi language, Hopi: Hovi'itstuyqa) is located in central Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, Flagstaff, Arizona. It takes its name from one of the region's earliest Anglo sett ...

, just south of the

San Francisco Peaks The San Francisco Peaks (Navajo: , es, Sierra de San Francisco, Hopi: ''Nuva'tukya'ovi'', Western Apache: ''Dził Tso'', Keres: ''Tsii Bina'', Southern Paiute: ''Nuvaxatuh'', Havasupai-Hualapai: ''Hvehasahpatch''/''Huassapatch''/''Wik'hanbaja'', ...

, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona.

Humphreys Peak , photo = San Francisco Peaks, winter.jpg , photo_caption = Humphreys Peak in winter 2004 , elevation_ft = 12637 , elevation_ref = , prominence_ft = 6039 , prominence_ref = , range = San Francisco Peaks , isolation = , listing = , ...

, the highest point in Arizona at , is about north of Flagstaff in

Kachina Peaks Wilderness Kachina Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area about north of Flagstaff within the Coconino National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona.

The geology of the Flagstaff area
includes abundant volcanic rocks associated with the San Francisco Volcanic Field that range in age from late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

to late

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

. It also includes exposed rock from the

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...

and

Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...

eras, with

Moenkopi Formation The Moenkopi Formation is a geological formation that is spread across the U.S. states of New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, southeastern California, eastern Utah and western Colorado. This unit is considered to be a group in Arizona. Part ...

red sandstone having once been quarried in the city; many of the historic downtown buildings were constructed with it. The

Rio de Flag The Rio de Flag, which has historically been known as the River de Flag and San Francisco river, is a river in Arizona that runs through Flagstaff, Arizona, Flagstaff, originating from the San Francisco Peaks before draining into the Little Colora ...

river runs through the city, but only flows in response to rain or snowmelt. Originally settled by the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

native

Sinagua The Sinagua were a pre-Columbian culture that occupied a large area in central Arizona from the Little Colorado River, near Flagstaff, to the Verde River, near Sedona, including the Verde Valley, area around San Francisco Mountain, and signifi ...

people, the area of Flagstaff has fertile land from volcanic ash after eruptions in the 11th century. It was first settled as the present-day city in 1876. Local businessmen lobbied for

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

to pass through the city, which it did, turning the local industry from lumber to tourism and developing downtown Flagstaff. In 1930,

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

was discovered from Flagstaff. The city developed further through to the end of the 1960s, with various observatories also used to choose

Moon landing A Moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2, on 13 September 1959. The United St ...

sites for the

Apollo missions The Apollo program was a United States human spaceflight program carried out from 1961 to 1972 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which landed the first astronauts on the Moon. The program used the Saturn IB and Saturn ...

. Through the 1970s and 1980s, downtown fell into disrepair, but was revitalized with a major cultural heritage project in the 1990s. The city remains an important distribution hub for companies such as

Nestlé Purina PetCare Nestlé Purina Petcare (), or simply Purina, is an American subsidiary of the Swiss corporation Nestlé, based in St. Louis, Missouri. It produces and markets pet food, treats, cat and dog litter. Some of its pet food brands include Purina Pro P ...

, and is home to the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

Flagstaff Station, and

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...

. Flagstaff has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

Oak Creek Canyon Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon o ...

, the

Arizona Snowbowl Arizona Snowbowl is an alpine ski resort in the southwest United States, located on the San Francisco Peaks of northern Arizona, north of Flagstaff. The Snowbowl ski area covers approximately one percent of the San Francisco Peaks, and its slo ...

Meteor Crater Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, is a meteorite impact crater about east of Flagstaff and west of Winslow in the desert of northern Arizona, United States. The site had several earlier names, and fragments of the meteorite are official ...

, and

Historic Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

Etymology

At the time of Beale's wagon road, the area was known as Antelope Spring, after the spring at the foot of Mars Hill (now called Antelope/Old Town Spring). The name Flagstaff comes from an actual flagstaff made from a stripped pine tree that was erected at the spring, which McMillan was using as his sheep camp, on

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...

, 1876. The common story tells that the flag-raising for which the town was named occurred when a

flagpole made by a scouting party from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

(known as the "Second Boston Party") was raised to celebrate the United States Centennial. Various other stories have been told of the circumstances. One says that on July 4, 1855, a surveyor for the railroad by the name of Samuel Clark Hudson, accompanied by his team, climbed a tall pine tree and tied a flag, with another saying it was Beale's men who raised the flag in 1859. The town was still known as Antelope Spring in 1871. After the town took the name Flagstaff, it began to be known as 'Old Town' for a period, and was known by different names when the

Atlantic and Pacific Railroad The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjointed segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Needles in Southern California ...

was being built through the area in 1882. It may have been known as Flagstaff Spring for a while, and 'Old Town Spring' after this before simply 'Old Town', a name given after a fire destroyed much of the town, with a new community then raised a few hundred yards away called 'New Town'. Another version of the Old and New Town names says that the railroad depot was moved by half a mile to prevent hill starts, and business owners soon followed it, displacing the commerce of the town to Front Street of 'New Town' while the houses were still in 'Old Town' with the spring; when the fire burned down 'Old Town', 'New Town' remained. The name Flagstaff was reinstated in 1884 when a post office was introduced alongside the railroad depot. The city has different names in local Native languages. In

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

, it is known as '. This name is formed from Kinłání, meaning "many houses" or city, Dookʼoʼoosłííd, the name for the San Francisco Peaks but literally "the summit which never melts", and Biyaagi, indicating 'below' (see translations of "below; in a place beneath" on wiktionary): the city below the San Francisco Peaks. The word Kinłání alone may refer to Flagstaff, but also can refer to

Durango, Colorado Durango is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the 2020 United States Census. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis Coll ...

. In

Havasupai The Havasupai people (Havasupai: ''Havsuw' Baaja'') are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. ''Havasu'' means "blue-green water" and ''pai'' "people". Located primarily in an area know ...

, Flagstaff is known as ''Wii Hagnbaj''. This is also a name for the San Francisco Peaks, and literally means "snowy mountain".

History

Early history

The

people were a

culture that occupied a large area in Arizona between ''circa'' 500 and 1425 CE. The Northern Sinagua were living in the pine forests of northern Arizona before moving into the area that is now Flagstaff about 700 CE. The 1064 and 1066 eruptions of

Sunset Crater Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff in the U.S. state of Arizona. The crater is within the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Sunset Crater is the youngest in a string of volcanoes (the San Francisco volcanic field ...

covered the area in ash, which greatly enriched the soil for farming; this also caused a population growth in the area, with

Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

and Cohonina people also moving to the Wupatki site near the city. The Northern Sinagua had various cultural phases, including Sunset Crater, the

(leaving the Picture Canyon site), Angell and

Winona Winona, Wynona or Wynonna may refer to: Places Canada * Winona, Ontario United States * Winona, Arizona * Winona, Indiana * Winona Lake, Indiana * Winona, Kansas * Winona, Michigan * Winona County, Minnesota ** Winona, Minnesota, the seat of Wi ...

Padre Canyon Padre Canyon is adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain in Ivins, Utah, and features a three sided canyon and scenic sentinels carved from the red Navajo Sandstone. Padre Canyon is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, a 62,000 ac ...

Elden Pueblo Elden Pueblo (Hopi: Pasiwvi) was a prehistoric Native American village located at the foot of Mount Elden near Flagstaff, Arizona. The pueblo is thought to have been part of a major trading system.Clear Creek, and

Walnut Canyon Walnut Canyon National Monument ( Hopi: Wupatupqa) is a United States National Monument located about southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, near Interstate 40. The canyon rim elevation is ; the canyon's floor is 350 ft lower. A long ...

. The Sinagua peoples left the area by the early 15th century, likely moving north and later becoming the

Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...

. The

, which overlook Flagstaff, are a sacred site in Hopi culture. Until western expansion in the 1860s, the

Yavapai The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from ''Enyaava'' “sun” + ''Paay'' “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, i ...

, specifically the (Northeastern Yavapai), occupied the land up to the San Francisco Peaks. The Yavapai land in the area saw overlap with the land of the Northern

Tonto Apache The Tonto Apache (Dilzhę́’é, also Dilzhe'e, Dilzhe’eh Apache) is one of the groups of Western Apache people and a federally recognized tribe, the Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona. The term is also used for their dialect, one of the three di ...

that stretched across the San Francisco Peaks to the

Little Colorado River The Little Colorado River () is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in ...

. Of the Northern Tonto Apache, two tribes lived within the area of present-day Flagstaff: the Oak Creek band and the

Mormon Lake Mormon Lake is a shallow, intermittent lake located in northern Arizona in Pleasant Valley. With an average depth of only , the surface area of the lake is extremely volatile and fluctuates seasonally. When full, the lake has a surface area of ...

band. The Mormon Lake band were centered around Flagstaff and were exclusively hunter-gatherers, traveling around places like the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, at

, Lake Mary, Stoneman Lake, and Padre Canyon.

19th century

The area of Flagstaff had a wagon road to California in the 1800s, constructed by

Edward Fitzgerald Beale Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale (February 4, 1822 – April 22, 1893) was a national figure in the 19th-century United States. He was a naval officer, military general, explorer, frontiersman, Indian affairs superintendent, California rancher, ...

's men. The first white (non-Native) settlement in the area was established by Edward Whipple, who opened a saloon on the wagon road in 1871. The first permanent settlement came in 1876, when Thomas F. McMillan built a cabin just north of the present-day main town. McMillan was a key developer of northern Arizona. During the 1880s, Flagstaff began to grow, and by 1886, Flagstaff was the largest city on the railroad line between

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

and the west coast of the United States.Flagstaff Community Profile
."
Official City Website
.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007. In 1888, McMillan purchased an unfinished building that sits at the present-day intersection of Leroux Street and

/Santa Fe Avenue, turning it into a bank and hotel known as the Bank Hotel.

was created in 1891, and Flagstaff was chosen as its

over nearby Williams. In 1894,

A. E. Douglass A. E. (Andrew Ellicott) Douglass (July 5, 1867 in Windsor, Vermont – March 20, 1962 in Tucson, Arizona) was an American astronomer. He discovered a correlation between tree rings and the sunspot cycle, and founded the discipline of dendrochron ...

recommended Flagstaff to

Percival Lowell Percival Lowell (; March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, and furthered theories of a ninth planet within the Solar System. ...

as the site for the

Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...

,P. Lowell to A. E. Douglass, April 16, 1894, Lowell Observatory Archives. where it was built on Mars Hill. Flagstaff also became incorporated as a town in 1894. The city grew rapidly, primarily due to its location along the east–west transcontinental railroad line in the United States. In the 1890s, the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company was founded by the Riordan brothers to process timber. Michael and Tim Riordan worked in Flagstaff, and introduced electricity to the town for this purpose. The Riordan brothers established the first library in Flagstaff. The CO Bar Ranch was opened in about 1886 by the Babbitt brothers for cattle. The Babbitt family would be very influential in northern Arizona for decades. In 1899, the Northern Arizona Normal School was established; it was renamed to

(NAU) in 1966. On January 1, 1900, John Weatherford opened the

Weatherford Hotel The Weatherford Hotel is a historic hotel in the downtown district of Flagstaff, Arizona. The hotel was established in 1897 by John W. Weatherford, and is located at 23 North Leroux Street, one block north of U.S. Route 66. History Disastrous ...

in Flagstaff. Weatherford opened the town's first movie theater in 1911; it collapsed under heavy snowfall a few years later, but he soon replaced it with the Orpheum Theater. The Weatherford Hotel and Orpheum Theater are still in use today.

1912–1969

The state of Arizona was admitted to the Union in 1912. Flagstaff saw its first tourism boom in the early years of the 1900s, becoming known as the City of Seven Wonders, as the "Seven Wonders" of the wider Flagstaff area – listed as the

Coconino National Forest The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre (751,000 ha) United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", th ...

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

, Oak Creek Canyon, San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki National Monument – were more widely known. In 1926,

was completed and ran through Flagstaff; the Babbitts and Riordans had staunchly supported it for the town. The railroad, which became the

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and S ...

, had largely controlled Flagstaff until this point. The Santa Fe Railroad opened a new depot in Flagstaff in 1926, to combat Route 66. As part of the celebrations, Front Street was renamed Santa Fe Avenue. The people of Flagstaff collectively funded the

Hotel Monte Vista The Hotel Monte Vista is a historic hotel near U.S. Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona. History Hotel Monte Vista was built in 1927 and is in the historic downtown district of Flagstaff. It has 73 rooms and suites on three floors. Many famous p ...

, which opened on January 1, 1927, preparing for the next tourism boom. Flagstaff was then incorporated as a city in 1928, with over 3,000 residents, and in 1929, the city's first motel, the Motel Du Beau, was built at the intersection of Beaver Street and Phoenix Avenue. Flagstaff became a popular tourist stop along Route 66, particularly due to its proximity to the natural wonders. In the last years of the 1920s, tourism took over from traditional industries. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, Route 66 brought unemployed workers heading to California, known as "auto nomads" in Flagstaff, who became unpopular as they could not afford to buy gas or food, financially damaging the city by taxing its resources and not contributing to the economy. Flagstaff had also been highlighted on the map by

Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer. He discovered Pluto in 1930, the first object to be discovered in what would later be identified as the Kuiper belt. At the time of discovery, Pluto was cons ...

's 1930 discovery of

from the Lowell Observatory. However, the importance of Route 66 to cross-country travel, and thus to Arizona's interests on a national level, did mean that it received a large share of state funding through the Depression, with highway maintenance and unemployment acts providing over $1 million of funding in May 1933. In 1935, many residents had enough disposable income to remodel their homes or build new ones. In 1955, the

United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station The United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS), is an astronomical observatory near Flagstaff, Arizona, US. It is the national dark-sky observing facility under the United States Naval Observatory (USNO). NOFS and USNO combine ...

was established. Through the 1950s the city conducted the Urban Renewal Project, improving housing quality in the Southside neighborhood that was largely populated by people of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, and

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

heritage. Flagstaff grew and prospered through the 1960s. During the Apollo program in the 1960s, the Lowell Observatory Clark Telescope was used by the

(USGS) to map the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

for the lunar expeditions, enabling the mission planners to choose a safe landing site for the lunar modules.Putnam, William Lowell (1984). "The explorers of Mars Hill : a centennial history of Lowell Observatory, 1894–1994." West Kennebunk, ME : Published for Lowell Observatory by Phoenix Pub.

1970s–present

As the

baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. T ...

generation began to start their own families in the 1970s and 1980s, many moved to Flagstaff based on its small-town feel, and the population began to grow again; there were not enough jobs to support the many educated individuals moving to the city. The city did not expand its infrastructure downtown despite the growing population, causing problems. Several historic buildings from the 1800s were also destroyed for construction of new ones, or leveled completely. Downtown Flagstaff became an uninviting place, and many businesses started to move out of the area, causing an economic and social decline. During the 1990s, the city redeveloped. Store owners in downtown supported the Main Street programs of preservation-based revitalization, and in 1992, the city hired a new manager to improve the area: a different mix of shops and restaurants opened up to take advantage of the area's historical appeal. Heritage Square was built as the center of the revitalized downtown, the local

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is south of Flagstaff, in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The airport is serviced by American Eagle and United Express, and is also used for general aviation. Federal Aviation Administration records say the ...

began running more flights to

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, allowing commuting, and the school district was expanded with a third high school, Sinagua High School. On October 24, 2001, Flagstaff was recognized by the

International Dark-Sky Association The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a United States-based non-profit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional astronomer, and Tim Hunter, a physician/amateur astronomer. The mission of the IDA is " ...

as the world's first "International Dark-Sky City".

Geography

Flagstaff, the county seat of Coconino County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which only (0.08%) is water. Flagstaff lies at approximately elevation, and is surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America. It is in a mountainous area, and lies along the Rio de Flag watercourse. It is about north of the State capital, Phoenix. The geology of the area is in line with that of the

on which it lies, with the Moenkopi red sandstone abundant in the city also used to build many of the distinctive buildings forming its cityscape. The cityscape of Flagstaff is its historic downtown area centered on Heritage Square, with the historic nature of its restored buildings and local theme iconic to the city and representative of its culture. Flagstaff is one of the United States' sunniest and snowiest cities, with a variable "semi-arid" climate and a

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

season in summer. The San Francisco Peaks are a main aspect of Flagstaff's local geography and can be seen from everywhere in the city.

is the highest point in Arizona at ; from trails up this mountain, the entire State can be seen on a clear day. Several trails around the peaks provide views of the Grand Canyon. While the most popular access point is

(southwest face), the peaks can also be approached from the north and east. The peaks are about northwest of downtown Flagstaff, with the Snowbowl resort just southwest of Humphreys Peak. The wildlife of the peaks include

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

turkey vulture The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus ''Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South ...

s, and black bears, all visible from public trails.

Geology and topography

Flagstaff lies on the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, and is largely

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

under

. The oldest rock types of the area are part of North America's original crust,

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

and

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...

from 1.7 to 1.8 billion years ago. On top of this is

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, limestone,

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

and

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...

deposited on what was then (544 to 248 million years ago) different surfaces, including a shallow seabed, muddy land, and sandy desert. The rock layers from this period are (bottom to top):

Tapeats Sandstone Except where underlain by the Sixtymile Formation, Cambrian Tapeats Sandstone is typically the lowest geologic unit, about thick, at its maximum, of the 5-member Tonto Group. It is famous for being the highly-resistant mostly-horizontal unit abo ...

Bright Angel Shale The Cambrian Bright Angel Shale is the middle layer of the three member Tonto Group geologic feature. The 3-rock Tonto section famously sits upon the Great Unconformity because of the highly resistant cliffs of the base layer, vertical Tapeats S ...

and

Muav Limestone The Cambrian Muav Limestone is a geologic unit within the 5-member Tonto Group. It is about thick at its maximum. It is a resistant cliff-forming unit. The Muav consists of dark to light-gray, brown, and orange red limestone with dolomite and ...

Martin Formation The Martin Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in Arizona. It preserves fossils dating back to the Devonian Period (geology), period. See also * List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Arizona * Paleontology in Arizona ...

Redwall Limestone The Redwall Limestone is a resistant cliff-forming unit of Mississippian age that forms prominent, red-stained cliffs in the Grand Canyon, ranging in height from to . Lithology Redwall Limestone consists predominantly of light-olive-gray to ...

Supai Group The Supai Group is a slope-forming section of red bed deposits found in the Colorado Plateau. The group was laid down during the Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian. Cliff-forming interbeds of sandstone are noticeable throughout the group. The Su ...

Coconino Sandstone Coconino Sandstone is a geologic formation named after its exposure in Coconino County, Arizona. This formation spreads across the Colorado Plateau province of the United States, including northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. ...

Toroweap Formation The Middle Permian Toroweap Formation is a thin, darker geologic unit, between the brighter colored units of the Kaibab Limestone above, and Coconino Sandstone below. It is a prominent unit in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, found through sections ...

, and

Kaibab Limestone The Kaibab Limestone is a resistant cliff-former, cliff-forming, Permian geologic formation that crops out across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, southern Utah, east central Nevada and southeast California. It is also known as the Kaibab Fo ...

. The last three of these are still exposed. On top of the Paleozoic rock is

Moenkopi Formation, from 248 to 65 million years ago. Other Mesozoic layers formed on top of this, but were eroded away. In the Flagstaff area, layers of rock from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras accumulated up to deep, but most of this was eroded. A soft basalt layer covers some of the rock at the surface. Moenkopi Formation red sandstone is a distinctive feature of Flagstaff, as it was used as a building material from the 1880s because of its fire retardant properties. The source used for quarrying most of this rock was a deposit 1 mile east of the town, which fell under the control of Charles Begg in 1887, who then began selling the stone across the southwest – after he made a successful sale in California that expanded the business, he was replaced in 1888 by a master quarryman. While it was used as building material across the West, some of Flagstaff's most prominent buildings are famous for the stone, including the Bank Hotel, Weatherford Hotel, Babbitt Brothers Building, Coconino County Courthouse, and various NAU buildings, including Old Main. In the

Laramide orogeny The Laramide orogeny was a time period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the o ...

, which began about 65–75 million years ago, the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

underwent stress in rock formation; in the

Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...

region this pushed up the preexisting layers and ultimately formed the Colorado Plateau (and the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

). Around Flagstaff more specifically, this process deformed flat rock layers into folds, and allowed surface rivers to cut deep canyons in the younger rock layers. From about 25 million years ago, more faults were broken again in Flagstaff, and volcanic activity began about 6 million years ago with

magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

flowing up these faults to create

lava flows Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

Eruptions Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often ...

occurred between 3 million and 1,000 years ago, affecting the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks. The city's Mount Elden is a

lava dome In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions on ...

made of

dacite Dacite () is a volcanic rock formed by rapid solidification of lava that is high in silica and low in alkali metal oxides. It has a fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. ...

, Sunset Crater is the youngest feature of the San Francisco volcanic field and formed in the last 1,000 years by an

explosive eruption In volcanology, an explosive eruption is a volcanic eruption of the most violent type. A notable example is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Such eruptions result when sufficient gas has dissolved under pressure within a viscous magma such ...

, while S P Crater was formed between 75,000 and 70,000 years ago by piles of

lapilli Lapilli is a size classification of tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. ''Lapilli'' (singular: ''lapillus'') is Latin for "little stones". By definition lapilli range f ...

and

volcanic bombs A volcanic bomb or lava bomb is a mass of partially molten rock (tephra) larger than 64 mm (2.5 inches) in diameter, formed when a volcano ejects viscous fragments of lava during an eruption. Because volcanic bombs cool after they l ...

spouting from a

lava lake Lava lakes are large volumes of molten lava, usually basaltic, contained in a volcanic vent, crater, or broad depression. The term is used to describe both lava lakes that are wholly or partly molten and those that are solidified (sometim ...

. In the 1960s, the geology and topography of the Flagstaff area, including formations like Meteor Crater, was seen as similar to environments that would be encountered on the Moon in terms of

planetary geology Planetary geology, alternatively known as astrogeology or exogeology, is a planetary science discipline concerned with the geology of the celestial bodies such as the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites. Although the ...

. The

Astrogeology Research Program The Astrogeology Science Center is the entity within the United States Geological Survey concerned with the study of planetary geology and planetary cartography. It is housed in the Shoemaker Building in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Center was establ ...

was therefore moved to Flagstaff in 1962, with the program completing in 1963, to train astronauts.

Climate

Flagstaff's climate type on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system is variously reported as a warm dry-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csb''), a Hemiboreal climate (''Dsb'' and ''Dfb''), and a

cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(''BSk''). It is consistently described as "semi-arid". Flagstaff's Köppen type is recorded as ''Dsb'' in the city center, with areas of ''BSk'', ''Csb'', ''Csa'' (

hot-summer Mediterranean A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

), ''Cwa'' ( monsoon-influenced humid subtropical), ''Cwb'' (

subtropical highland An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

), ''Dwa'' ( monsoon-influenced hot summer humid continental), ''Dwb'' ( monsoon-influenced warm summer humid continental), and ''Dsa'' ( Mediterranean-influenced hot summer humid continental) on the outskirts and bordering the city; it is mostly ''Dsb'', ''BSk'', and ''Csb''. The hottest temperature on record is in July 1973. This is far below a normal summer day in the lowland areas of the states. The coldest temperature on record is in January 1937. Warm summer nights are very uncommon with the all-time record being in July 2002 and a regular summer averages a very mild for the warmest low. Cold daily maximums are occasional, but rarely severe. The record low high is from January 1963, but the mean for the coldest maximum is relatively close to freezing at . Northern Arizona experiences a summer monsoon season from July to September, with Flagstaff's wettest months being July and August, and its driest being June, all in the summer; Mediterranean climates have

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

only in the winter. Mediterranean climate categorization does not consider snowfall. Semi-arid climates will receive of annual rainfall, while Flagstaff experiences more. Flagstaff's

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

is mostly 6a, with some areas 5b, meaning plants withstand temperatures down to . It is in the Transition

life zone The life zone concept was developed by C. Hart Merriam in 1889 as a means of describing areas with similar plant and animal communities. Merriam observed that the changes in these communities with an increase in latitude at a constant elevation ar ...

; the concept of life zones was first observed in the Flagstaff area. Wind in Flagstaff typically blows southwesterly throughout the year, based on topographical features. The city's climate data is observed from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. The city receives precipitation every year, with two distinct wet periods in the summer and winter; the summer monsoon season accounts for 34% of annual rainfall, with the winter producing 28%. The summer monsoon season, originating from the Mexican monsoon period, is also wetter than winter, with an average compared to the winter's . Before the summer monsoon each year there is a dry period in May and June. Long-term average precipitation is annually, with much heavier rainfall attributed to

El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...

events. Comparatively,

La Niña La Niña (; ) is an oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon that is the colder counterpart of as part of the broader El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern. The name ''La Niña'' originates from Spanish for "the girl", by an ...

events have caused below-average rainfall. Since 1996 the city has been experiencing its driest period, known as the Early-21st Century Drought. Richard Hereford of USGS speculates that the effects of the drought, predicted to last until the late 2020s, may be severe because of Flagstaff's growing population and

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. The summer wet season is more reliable and consistent than other times of year, but due to the high temperatures of the area this rainfall is quickly lost to evaporation. During the Early-21st Century Drought, rainfall has been consistently below average in all but the summer season, with temperature averages for all but the summer (which has remained consistent) also increasing. While this is said by some experts, it is not the true data provided from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which shows otherwise. Within the 2000 to 2021 period, the amount of precipitation averaged . Whereas the 1930 to 1950 period was only , which was roughly less. Similarly, snowfall follows this same pattern, where the 2000 to 2021 amount was and the period from 1930 to 1950 received only , roughly less. Others like the 21st century periods include 1910 to 1930 at (only 0.59 inches higher), as well as 1950 to 1970, at (only 0.31 inches higher.) The snowfall totals for these two periods are , which is less and 85.4, 5.5 inches more, respectively. Comparing the 1970 to 2000 timespan average nets different results, as this is the "wet" period of the data set of 111 years. The precipitation average was , about more than the driest period and more than the 21st century average. This noticeable period is a strong anomaly from the rest of the data. The snowfall average shows this even clearer. Compared to the second wettest period, snowfall is versus , which is a little less than more. This shows that if this period was put under a data set, it would be seen as an anomaly because the wettest to driest is versus , or over inches more. While without this data it is only versus , which is less than more. Furthermore, the 111-year averages show just how much of an outlier this period is. The 1910 to 2020 precipitation average is , or about more than the 21st. The snowfall average for the same period is , which proves that Flagstaff does not average of snow as is commonly said. With the removal of this 30-year period, and considering the prior 60 years and next 21 years, the numbers change to which is 0.16 less than the 21st century, and of snow, which is 3.9 less than the 21st century. This further proves that the 21st century is not an anomaly from the data and the conditions experienced are not the worst its ever been. To prove this point even further, looking at the 2010 to 2021 data shows an increase in snowfall and precipitation. The precipitation for this period is , or over more than the 20-year average and the snowfall is , which is more than the 20-year period. These results are comparable to the 111-year average in terms of snowfall and over an inch above that average in precipitation even with the highly anomalous year of 2020. This also shows that period of 2000 to 2010 was a "dry" cycle like the ones experienced in the 30's and 40's, while Flagstaff is now going into a "wetter" cycle, all of which are naturally occurring and not human caused. There is further evidence that Flagstaff may be getting out of the drought. The monsoon of 2022 was the 15th wettest on record out of 124 years, at . When looking at 2021, the monsoon brought a total of of rain, which would put it among the top 10 to 15 wettest. In total, the idea that the 21st century is the driest on record is not true, other data show that the 1930 to 1950 average was far drier in both precipitation and snowfall. Equally, snowfall has been lower during the extended dry period, though the city set a new record for its highest daily snowfall on February 21, 2019, with and was still ranked as the United States' third-snowiest city in 2020 (based on 2018–19

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

data). Flagstaff has consistently been among the snowiest cities in the United States, and snow and winter culture is argued by Michael Weeks to be a large part of Flagstaff's identity. The Arizona Snowbowl is a major attraction, though it has had to make artificial snow during warmer seasons, and the city tried to launch a bid to be the host city of the

1960 Winter Olympics The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Vall ...

. The maximum daily snow cover was on December 20, 1967, although the mean maximum for a full winter is only . However, due to the infrequent and scattered nature of the snowstorms, persistent

snowpack Snowpack forms from layers of snow that accumulate in geographic regions and high elevations where the climate includes cold weather for extended periods during the year. Snowpacks are an important water resource that feed streams and rivers as th ...

into spring is rare. One notable exception occurred during the severe winter of 1915–16, when successive Pacific storms buried the city under over of snow, and some residents were snowbound in their homes for several days.Arizona’s Most Notable Storms
." ''

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Though one of the least-sunny cities in Arizona, Flagstaff still ranks among the United States' sunniest cities, having sunshine for an average 78% of the year. The city receives much more sunshine than other snowy cities, which are primarily in the north of the country.

Seasonal weather

There are four seasons in Flagstaff, with cool winter temperatures averaging and warm summer temperatures averaging , pleasant compared to the rest of Arizona; the average annual snowfall is . Spring begins in April with pleasant weather. Sometimes, snow reappears in May, but the spring period is typically mild and dry, lasting until early June. The summer is measured between days when freezing temperatures occur, beginning in June – the last freezing temperature generally in early June – and ending in September. Flagstaff's summer will receive a few days of daytime temperatures above , with cooler nighttime temperatures typically in the region of . Flagstaff's summers are also notable for the monsoon season in July and August, when thunderstorms occur almost daily. Thunderstorm activity happens mostly during the daytime. Freezing temperatures (below ) return towards the end of September, with the mild fall season having daytime temperatures around . With its many trees, leaves do change color in Flagstaff's fall, with the change starting at the end of September and happening throughout October. Fall lasts only until the snow comes in November, with winter marked between periods of snowfall, typically from November until mid-April at the latest. Temperatures in winter are usually below freezing, going no higher than around in the day, even in sunshine. A combination of snow cover and

high pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

occurring during winter months will cause the temperature to drop further, once reaching a record low of . Flagstaff's winter wet season is caused by Pacific storms and lasts from November through April.

Flora and fauna

Flagstaff is an area "of great ecological variation" due to its diverse habitat life zones. Tree species abound the area, which covers three arboreal life zones:

Douglas fir and aspen forest Douglas fir and aspen forest is a plant community or vegetation type of the mountains of the western United States, dominated by Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') and Quaking aspen (''Populus tremuloides'').Spatial patterns of Douglas-fir and ...

Ponderosa pine forest Ponderosa pine forest is a plant association and plant community dominated by ponderosa pine and found in western North America. It is found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast Ranges in the Western United States and Western Canada. In t ...

, and Pinyon-juniper woodland. It is at the heart of the Coconino National Forest. Within the Transition zone of the forest, including in the city, there are huge stands of ponderosa pine. Other species scattered among this region include

Gambel oak ''Quercus gambelii'', with the common name Gambel oak, is a deciduous small tree or large shrub that is widespread in the foothills and lower mountains of western North America. It is also regionally called scrub oak, oak brush, and white oak. ...

quaking aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...

, and Rocky Mountain juniper trees. The Coconino National Forest and Flagstaff are within the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America. Here, this tree type is formed as a

climax forest In scientific ecology, climax community or climatic climax community is a historic term for a community of plants, animals, and fungi which, through the process of ecological succession in the development of vegetation in an area over time, hav ...

, with groups of trees containing different ages spread among the forest. Some of the groups are only a few trees, some are acres large; other groups are even-aged. The irregularity of the tree groups leaves natural openings in the forest, allowing for other plants to thrive. A grass cover of Arizona fescue grows around the area and shrub exists, but there are few other tree species. As well as the Gambel oak, quaking aspen, and juniper trees, pinyons can be found among the pines. Some of the open forest space contains

bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...

, and local animal species that roam on this include

, Merriam's Turkey, and

Abert's squirrel Abert's squirrel or the tassel-eared squirrel (''Sciurus aberti'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' native to the southern Rocky Mountains from the United States to the northern Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico, with concentrations fo ...

. The arboretum in Flagstaff has an extensive regional collection of the Penstemon genus and hosts an annual Penstemon Festival. Coconino is also home to a variety of bird species, which is further diversified by species from desert climates south of the Mogollon Rim still mixing in the area. The nearby lakes also attract wildlife. Birds that live around or visit Flagstaff include the

thick-billed kingbird The thick-billed kingbird (''Tyrannus crassirostris'') is a large bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. Distribution and habitat This bird breeds from southeastern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico in the United State ...

, only documented in the area since 2016, the

red-faced warbler The red-faced warbler (''Cardellina rubrifrons'') is a species of New World warbler. Mature red-faced warblers are small birds, long. They are light gray on top with a white rump and a white underside. The face, neck, and upper breast are all b ...

, a Madrean species, and waterfowl including the

Eurasian wigeon The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (''Mareca penelope''), also known as the widgeon or the wigeon, is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus ''Mareca''. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range. Taxonomy Th ...

and

American wigeon The American wigeon (''Mareca americana''), also known as the baldpate, is a species of dabbling duck found in North America. Formerly assigned to ''Anas'', this species is classified with the other wigeons in the dabbling duck genus ''Mareca''. ...

Cityscape

Flagstaff has a diverse cityscape and exists in distinct areas. Downtown Flagstaff is a "narrow and slender" area between the NAU campus at its south and the

Museum of Northern Arizona The Museum of Northern Arizona is a museum in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, that was established as a repository for Indigenous material and natural history specimens from the Colorado Plateau. The museum was founded in 1928 by zoologist ...

at the north. Flagstaff is a smaller city, so its downtown is largely local and independent. The city's mall is found in East Flagstaff, as is a Harkins movie theater and a

country club A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...

and golf course. Residential properties in East Flagstaff are larger and more rural than other parts of the city. North West Flagstaff is directly north of downtown, and is where the Snowbowl and Museum of Northern Arizona are found. West Flagstaff encompasses the area south and west of downtown, including NAU and the Lake Mary neighborhood. It also covers the airport and Fort Tuthill (county park and the Pepsi Amphitheater), being bordered to the south by the urban areas of

Kachina Village Kachina Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The population was 2,622 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Kachina Village is primarily a bedroom community fo ...

and Mountainaire. Outside of the city proper, these urban areas have a "mountain-town feel". Flagstaff has an "urban forest park", Buffalo Park, which sits on top of McMillan Mesa and used to be home to a zoo in the 1960s. Buffalo Park/McMillan Mesa bisects the city, separating East Flagstaff from the West and Downtown.

Demographics

According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 65,870. This accounted for a population density of 831.9 people per square mile (321.2/km²), with 26,254 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.9% Black or African American, 11.7% Native American, 1.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 7.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.6% from two or more races; 18.4% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The city's African American population is considerably lower than the U.S. average (1.9% versus 12.6%), while the Native American population is markedly higher (11.7% vs. 0.9%). This is primarily attributable to the city's proximity to several

Native American reservations An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...

. Flagstaff's Native American community is chiefly

, and there are about 5,500 people of Navajo ancestry living in the city.American Factfinder

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

A 1970 study found that while the Native American population of Flagstaff was generally under-counted in censuses, the Native residents found that Flagstaff as a

border city A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different cou ...

with reservations was much more welcoming than similar towns, particularly noting

Gallup, New Mexico Zuni: ''Kalabwaki'' , settlement_type = City , nickname = "Indian Capital of the World" , motto = , image_skyline = Gallup, New Mexico.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption ...

as one that was worse. The study also documented that while there was a distinctly Native neighborhood in the poorer Southside area of Flagstaff, the housing quality varied greatly, with middle class Native residencies elsewhere in the city. Though Flagstaff has a low African American population, it had seen large immigration of black people from the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

in the middle of the 20th century during the Great Migration. Though most moved to California, there was a significant number that settled in Flagstaff after hearing that the lumber industry of northern Arizona was some of the best paid work going, and a familiar vocation for those from southern states. Flagstaff has a well-educated population: as of 2018, over 90% of the population has a high school diploma or higher, and over 45% of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher; 100% of the Pacific Islander population in Flagstaff has a higher degree for a total of 30, with the lowest rate per race being 16.21% of the Native American population (at 554). The average earnings for people in Flagstaff is $36,536 p.a., rising to $55,258 for people with a graduate degree, with the low at $22,079 for people without a high school diploma.

Crime

Flagstaff has two police departments: Flagstaff PD and NAU PD. NAU PD employs 30 officers and 25 students, and is responsible for law enforcement on the campus. Flagstaff PD will share information of concern about the neighborhoods surrounding the NAU campus to the NAU PD, and NAU PD may also respond to situations off-campus that involve students; NAU PD also investigates the missing person reports of students who are registered as resident on campus. From campus phones, all

911 911 or 9/11 may refer to: Dates * AD 911 * 911 BC * September 11 ** 9/11, the September 11 attacks of 2001 ** 11 de Septiembre, Chilean coup d'état in 1973 that outed the democratically elected Salvador Allende * November 9 Numbers * 911 ...

calls will go to NAU PD. The rate of crime in Flagstaff is above average, while its

violent crime A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violence, violent act is t ...

is below average, for the United States. For 2017, the FBI's

Uniform Crime Report The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program compiles official data on crime in the United States, published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). UCR is "a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort of nearly 18,000 city, university and co ...

indicated for Flagstaff a rate of 290 cases of violent crime per 100,000 people and 2,710 cases of property crime per 100,000 population;FBI Uniform Crime Report
." ''

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

.'' 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2020. the violent crime rate across the US was 382.9 per 100,000. In 2018, Flagstaff had a rate of 469.44 cases of all crimes per 100,000 people, up 10.69% on the total in 2017; this was below the average for Arizona, but above the average for the US. Until 2017, Flagstaff's crime rate was typically in line with the US average. The safest neighborhood in Flagstaff is Elden Pueblo, with several downtown areas, NAU and the surrounding neighborhoods, Fort Valley, and Cosnino all in the top ten. In 2017, Flagstaff PD responded to four hostage situations, including in

Tuba City Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

, and fifteen explosive device removal calls. There were 3,262 criminal investigations. The Flagstaff narcotics task force headed up 'Operation Nightfall' between 2015 and 2017, aiming to prevent the use of I-40 through the city being used by Mexican drug cartels for trafficking, successfully seizing over of cocaine. Within Flagstaff, there were over 100 arrests relating to other narcotics crimes. NAU operates as a weapon-free and drug-free campus (even

medical marijuana Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...

), with restrictions on alcohol possession for resident students over 21 within certain private areas of certain residence halls. In 2016, it became a tobacco-free campus. Additionally, alcohol may not be consumed in public on the campus. The overwhelming majority of NAU PD recorded crimes are related to drugs and alcohol, with hundreds of arrests each year and over 1500 disciplinary referrals in 2018. The second-most recorded area of crime on the campus is gender based violence (rape, domestic abuse), with a few dozen cases. There are over 160 blue light phones on the campus; each has a large button that connects directly to NAU PD and provides the location of the call to them. The police in Flagstaff also deal with skunk-related problems, including suspected burglaries that turn out to be skunks. The skunks can be an issue in the city, as they start rabies epidemics among animals every few years.

Economy

In its early days, the city's economic base comprised the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

, railroad, and

ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

industries. Today, that has largely been replaced by tourism, education, government, and transportation. Some of the larger employers in Flagstaff are Northern Arizona University, the

Flagstaff Medical Center Flagstaff Medical Center is a major regional hospital and level I trauma center in Flagstaff, Arizona. The hospital was founded in 1936 by Dr. Charles Sechrist as ''Flagstaff Hospital,'' with 25 beds, and was donated to the community of Flagstaf ...

, and the Flagstaff Unified School District. Tourism is a large contributor to the economy, as the city receives over 5 million visitors per year. Scientific and high tech research and development operations are in the city, including Lowell Observatory, Northern Arizona University, the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS) and the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff campus. Research is involved in observations of near-Earth phenomena such as asteroids and comets. In 2012 the observatory commissioned its

Lowell Discovery Telescope The Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), formerly the Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT), is a aperture telescope owned and operated by Lowell Observatory. The LDT was built at a dark sky site in the Coconino National Forest near Happy Jack, Arizo ...

, a 4.3-meter telescope with an instrument cube that can hold five instruments at once. Lowell Observatory and NOFS also are collaborators on the

Navy Precision Optical Interferometer The Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) is an American astronomical interferometer, with the world's largest baselines, operated by the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS) in collaboration with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) ...

, on nearby Anderson Mesa. NOFS is heavily involved with the science of star catalogs and

astrometry Astrometry is a branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. It provides the kinematics and physical origin of the Solar System and this galaxy, the Milky Way. His ...

, or the positions and distances of stars and celestial objects. There are five industrial parks in the city, situated near I-40 and I-17. Major manufacturers in Flagstaff include W. L. Gore & Associates, widely known as the maker of

Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is a waterproof, breathable fabric membrane and registered trademark of W. L. Gore & Associates. Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex can repel liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterpr ...

;

, manufacturer of pet food;

SenesTech SenesTech, Inc. () is an Agriculture, agricultural biotechnology life-sciences company, specializing in Birth control, fertility management as a form of pest control. The company's primary product, ContraPest is designed to make Brown rat, brown ...

, a biotechnology research lab and manufacturer; SCA Tissue, a major

tissue paper Tissue paper or simply tissue is a lightweight paper or, light crêpe paper. Tissue can be made from recycled pulp (paper), paper pulp on a paper machine. Tissue paper is very versatile, and different kinds of tissue are made to best serve these ...

producer; and Joy Cone, manufacturer of ice cream cones.

Walgreens Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, an ...

operated a distribution center in the city until 2014.

Tourism

Flagstaff has a thriving tourism industry, and has since the early 1900s, primarily stemming from its proximity to the

and other natural wonders, giving it the nickname 'City of Seven Wonders'. Other natural wonders and native ruins, Route 66, and its astronomical history also bring tourism from out of state, while people from further south in Arizona visit Flagstaff because of its cooler climate in the summer and its ski resort in the winter. The city has several hotels and restaurants, including its historic hotels. The first hotel of the

Ramada Inn Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. As of December 31, 2018, it operates 811 hotels with 114,614 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand. Name The ''Ramada'' name derives from t ...

chain opened in 1954 at the intersection of Routes 66, 89, and 89A, adjacent to what was then Arizona State College (now NAU). The original building is still intact, operating as a

Super 8 motel Super 8, formerly Super 8 Motels, is an American hotel brand, being the world's largest budget hotel chain with over 2,000 locations worldwide. The chain is a subsidiary of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. The original room cost was $8.88 per night. ...

.McDonough, Brian. "Building Type Basics for Hospitality Facilities." 2001. ''

John Wiley and Sons John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in p ...

'', p. 11. Flagstaff is said to attract a lot of the tourism for the entire county as it is the only large population center that can cater to tourists, as well as being the location of information points for the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

(NPS). In 1996, 39% of Coconino County residents were employed in tourism. There are large service sectors, particularly hotels and restaurants, in Flagstaff, with many of these companies having a close connection to NAU's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, to employ these students. Tourism to Flagstaff is a well-established industry, but still relies on environmental forces. Nature and weather conditions can damage tourism; having a mild but warm summer temperature attracts tourists from many locales, but storms and forest fires in its climate can be a detraction. Flagstaff also experiences very cold winters, and despite a successful ski resort still sees less tourism in this period; decreasing snow levels also threaten the winter industry. The pristine condition of the natural sites can also experience degradation due to overuse through tourism, losing its main selling point. The development of Tusayan into the Grand Canyon gateway town also affected Flagstaff's capture of some overnight tourists. The Grand Canyon, a Wonder of the World, is about northwest of Flagstaff. The first stagecoach tours to the Grand Canyon from the city began running from the Bank Hotel in 1892. In 2000, about 5 million people visiting the Grand Canyon also visited Flagstaff. As Rick Heffernon wrote, "the world recognizes only one Grand Canyon, and northern Arizona has it". However, he also suggested this can act to the area's detriment, as the Grand Canyon is a world-class marvel and competes with other attractions of the same prestige for visitors, which are all equally impressive; Flagstaff itself also competes with its nearby towns for access to the Grand Canyon, several of which have growing themes based on it (like Tusayan and the

Grand Canyon Village Grand Canyon Village is a census-designated place (CDP) located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 2,004 at the 2010 Census. Located in Grand Canyon National Park, it is whol ...

). Lowell Observatory celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2019 and continues to be a leading astronomical research center, as well as a popular destination for visitors. More than 100,000 people visited in both 2018 and 2019; in 2019 the observatory opened its new Giovale Open Deck Observatory, an observation plaza with a suite of six advanced telescopes. Arizona Snowbowl does not publish their revenue or make it public knowledge, which makes it hard to calculate its impact on the Flagstaff economy. The Snowbowl supports approximately 200 full-time jobs and $12.08 million in economic output for the city of Flagstaff. Heffernon suggested that the perception of tourism from the residents of Flagstaff could affect the industry, something researched in 1990 by NAU's Tim Schroeder. Schroeder saw six main areas of concern from Flagstaff residents: "Standard of Living for Residents; Future Use of Parks; Quality of Fire Protection; Occurrences of Crime; Changes in Community Values, Norms and Customs; and Population Density". He acknowledged that the focus on fire protection was anomalous, and likely caused by a particularly high concern surrounding recent wildfires at the time the survey had been conducted. The respondents to Schroeder's survey generally found that their "Opportunity for Jobs, Opportunity for Shopping, Quality of Fire Protection, Understanding Different People, Quality of Health Care, Availability of Cultural Arts, and Overall Quality of Life" had improved because of tourism to the area, but that standards in terms of "Traffic and Road Conditions, General Prices for Goods and Services, Future Use of Forests, Noise, Litter, Air Quality, and Occurrences of Crime" had worsened.

Arts and culture

Local culture

Downtown Flagstaff lit up for the Holidays

Flagstaff has its own New Year's Eve tradition; in the city, people gather around the Weatherford Hotel as a , tall, metallic

pine cone A conifer cone (in formal botanical usage: strobilus, plural strobili) is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants. It is usually woody, ovoid to globular, including scales and bracts arranged around a central axis, especially in conifers a ...

is dropped from the roof at midnight. The tradition originated in 1999, when Henry Taylor and Sam Green (owners of the hotel), decorated a garbage can with paint, lights, and pine cones, and dropped it from the roof of their building to mark the new millennium. By 2003 the event had become tradition, and the current metallic pine cone was designed and built by Frank Mayorga of Mayorga Welding in the city.Craven, Scott.
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve Block Party and Pinecone Drop
" ''

Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

.'' December 28, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2007. Local museums include the

, which features displays of the biology, archeology, photography, anthropology, and native art of the Colorado Plateau, and the Arboretum at Flagstaff, a

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

containing 2,500 species of drought-tolerant native plants representative of the high desert region.Museum of Northern Arizona
(website)." Retrieved on July 14, 2007.The Arboretum at Flagstaff
(website)." Retrieved on July 14, 2007. A lot of the local culture is also focused on Route 66, which originally ran between Chicago and Los Angeles, greatly increased the accessibility to the area, and enhanced the culture and tourism in Flagstaff.
."
theroadwnaderer.net
.'' 2003. Retrieved April 11, 2007. Route 66 remains a historic route, passing through the city between

Barstow, California Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 census. Barstow is an important crossroads for the I ...

, and

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. In early September, the city hosts an annual event, Route 66 Days, to highlight its connection to the famous highway.Flagstaff Route 66 Days
(website)." Retrieved on July 14, 2007.

Dark Sky City

Flagstaff takes one of its nicknames from its legislative designation as the world's first International Dark Sky City, a deliberate dark sky preserve area with measures to reduce

light pollution Light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive use of artificial Visible spectrum, lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day ...

. This was one of the world's first coordinated legislative efforts to do so. In the city there has been over fifty years of planning and development, with the support of the ecologically aware population and community advocates, frequent government support, and the assistance of major observatories in the area – including the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Lowell Observatory. The city's designation as an International Dark Sky City was on October 24, 2001, by the

, after a proposal by the city's own Dark Sky Coalition to start the preserve program. It is seen as a world precedent in dark sky preservation. Before this, it had been nicknamed the "Skylight City" in the 1890s, the same decade that the Lowell Observatory opened. In 1958, it passed Ordinance 400, which outlawed using large or powerful searchlights within city limits. In the 1980s a series of measures were introduced for the city and Coconino County, and the Dark Sky Coalition was founded in 1999 by Chris Luginbuhl and Lance Diskan. Luginbuhl is a former U.S. Naval astronomer, and Diskan had originally moved to Flagstaff from Los Angeles so that his children could grow up able to see stars, saying that "part of being human is looking up at the stars and being awestruck." It was reported in an award-winning article that even though greater restrictions on types of public lighting were introduced in 1989, requiring them all to be low-emission, some public buildings like gas stations hadn't updated by 2002, after the Dark Sky designation. Flagstaff and the surrounding area is split into four zones, each permitted different levels of light emissions. The highest restrictions are in south and west Flagstaff (near NAU and its observatory), and at the Naval, Braeside, and Lowell Observatories. Photographs detecting emissions taken in 2017 show that Flagstaff's light is 14 times less than another Western city of comparable size,

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...

, which Luginbuhl described as "even better than

hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

might have expected".

Arts

Flagstaff has an active cultural scene. The city is home to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, which plays concerts from September through April at Ardrey Auditorium on the NAU campus.History of the FSO
."

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra played its first concert in 1950 under the name Northern Arizona Orchestra. It is associated with the non-profit Flagstaff Symphony Association, which was incorporated in 1961. The orchestra is currently composed of ...

. Retrieved April 11, 2007. The city also attracts folk and contemporary acoustic musicians, and offers several annual music festivals during the summer months, such as the Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music Festival, the Flagstaff Music Festival, and Pickin' in the Pines, a three-day bluegrass and acoustic music festival held at the Pine Mountain Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Fairgrounds.Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007.Flagstaff Music Festival
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007.Pickin' in the Pines – Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Popular bands play throughout the year at the Orpheum Theater, and free concerts are held during the summer months at Heritage Square.Thursdays on the Square
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Beyond music, Flagstaff has a popular theater scene, featuring several groups. Northern Arizona University's Department of Theatre produces productions for the community as well as the campus. The department has won awards, including multiple invitations to the

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States. Focused on the celebration of diverse and exciting theatre, KCACTF involves student ...

. NAU Theatre performs in two facilities: the Clifford E. White Theatre (named for long-time professor Clifford E. White) and the Studio Theatre. Both facilities are housed in the Fine and Performing Arts Building on campus. A local community theater company called Theatrikos was founded in 1972 in the basement of the Weatherford Hotel, and today puts on six major productions per year. In 2002, the company moved into a new venue now known as the Doris-Harper White Community Playhouse, a downtown building which was built in 1923 as an

Elks Lodge The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

and later became the Flagstaff library.Theatrikos: A Brief History
."
theatrikos.com
.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Since 1995, the Flagstaff Light Opera Company has performed a variety of musical theater and light opera productions throughout the year at the Sinagua Middle School auditorium.Flagstaff Light Opera Company
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007. There are several dance companies in Flagstaff, including Coconino Community College Dance Program, Northern Arizona Preparatory Company and Canyon Movement, which present periodic concerts and collaborate with the Flagstaff Symphony for free concerts during the summer and holiday seasons.Canyon Movement Company
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007. A variety of weekend festivals occur throughout the year. The annual Northern Arizona Book Festival, held in the spring, brings together authors to read and display their works.Northern Arizona Book Festival
Retrieved August 10, 2012. The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival is held every October, and features a variety of independent films and documentaries focusing on extreme sports, environmental issues, and global topics. The festival is four days long and consists of several sessions of films. The screenings are held at the Orpheum Theater in the historic downtown area.Four Spectacular Days of Films
(website)." Retrieved on July 18, 2007. The summer months feature several festivals, including Hopi and Navajo Festivals of Arts and Crafts, the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, Pride in the Pines, and the Made in the Shade Beer Tasting Festival. For more than 20 years Flagstaff has hosted the 10-day Flagstaff Festival of Science in September. It is a family event which features open houses, lectures, informal talks, and hands-on activities at area museums, observatories, other scientific facilities, and the university. In-school programs also are an important part of the festival. The festival begins with the annual

Eugene Shoemaker Eugene Merle Shoemaker (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was an American geologist. He co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn S. Shoemaker and David H. Levy. This comet hit Jupiter in July 1994: the impact was televise ...

keynote address. Guest speakers have included famous astronauts, arctic explorers, storm chasers, and scientists from many disciplines. The Coconino County Fair is held every September at the Fort Tuthill County Fairgrounds, featuring a

demolition derby Demolition derby is a non-racing motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehic ...

, livestock auction, carnival rides, and other activities.Miller, Cindy.
Summer's worth of festival fun
" ''

.'' June 18, 2006. Retrieved July 18, 2007.

Historic districts and properties

Flagstaff is home to seven

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

historic districts: Southside, Townsite, Fort Tuthill, North End, Northern Arizona Normal School, the Railroad Addition, and USFS Fort Valley Experimental Forest Station, as well as a variety of many other structures and areas. The Lowell Observatory is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

Sports

Flagstaff has no professional sports of its own, but is home to the college sports teams of Northern Arizona University. It is a popular training destination for a variety of sports, largely due to its altitude and climate.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

Northern Arizona University sponsors 15 sports at the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

level, including a Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football, football team that competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship, Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. The NAU football team has a List of NCAA college football rivalry games, rivalry with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds football, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, known as the Grand Canyon Rivalry, based on the universities residing on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon. All sports are members of the Big Sky Conference with the exception of the Women's Swimming & Diving team, which competes in the Western Athletic Conference. The Men's Cross Country team has featured four straight top ten finishes at the NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship, NCAA Division I Cross Country championships. The track and field team has been home to several All-America#Track and field, All-Americans, including NCAA Champion and Olympian Lopez Lomong (and brother Peter Lomong), two-time NCAA Champion David McNeill (runner), David McNeill, and 2012 Olympian Diego Estrada (runner), Diego Estrada.

Arizona Cardinals

From 1988 to 2012 (with the exception of the 2005 season), the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League held their summer training camp at Northern Arizona University. The 2005 training camp relocated to Prescott because of a norovirus outbreak at the university that emerged from a summer wrestling training camp and infected over 100 people. The NAU training camp was named as one of the top five training camps in the NFL by ''Sports Illustrated'', citing the cooler temperature, scenic area, and the possibility for fans to get close to athletes as key points. Players have said that the altitude of Flagstaff was the key benefit, as well as seeing the dedication of fans traveling to the city, but that they did not enjoy living in the NAU dorm rooms. The Cardinals left Flagstaff in summer 2013, placing NAU at fault after the team was put in the visitors' facilities, though NAU had offered the home facilities when the concern was raised, and moved their training camp to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Glendale. At Glendale, they train in a domed stadium rather than outside, which player Bertrand Berry said took away some of the feeling of training camp, saying "there really isn't that need to practice outside when most of the games are inside, but when you talk about building a team and going through adverse situations and bonding together, I think they miss out on a little bit of that". The Cardinals had trained at NAU since the franchise moved to Arizona, with Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports reporting that "some argued they pulled the plug on the team's only Arizona tradition". Bill Bidwill, owner of the Cardinals, was inducted into the Flagstaff Sports Foundation's Hall of Fame in 2009, after bringing the team and resultant tourism boost to the city for over 20 years.

Altitude training destination

Flagstaff is also a popular destination for altitude training. The first elite athletes to start altitude training in the city were those going to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. A 2009 analysis showed that groups of 35 athletes spent three to eight weeks training in Flagstaff, to positive effect. This was one of the highest number of athletes and longest periods among seventeen sites used in the research. Australian rules football team Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood Magpies regularly train at NAU facilities, as does the Olympic Games, Olympic-medal-winning Team GB British Swimming team. Another British Olympian, Mo Farah, trains in Flagstaff. Long-distance runner Andrea Seccafien used to altitude train in Flagstaff but moved to Australia in 2018, saying "We don't go to Flagstaff or St. Moritz anymore which are more populated by runners and the general public. [...] Flagstaff feels quite metropolitan compared to where we are now"; the Canadian ''Running Magazine'' noted that the city becomes host to many professional runners in the spring. The popularity among runners is because of the altitude and pleasant climate, making it "for distance runners [...] a practically unparalleled paradise", known as the "running mecca". Runner Nick Hilton said that "Flagstaff and Boulder, Colorado, are probably the two biggest centers for elite distance runners in the country". The HYPO2 altitude training center in the city is used by swimmers and runners alike, and is an elite facility that attracts many teams from around the world. HYPO2 was created in 2012, largely with staff from NAU's Center for High Altitude Training, which closed in 2009. As of 2019, over 85 Olympic medalists from 44 countries trained at the facility. In 2016, the city advertised NAU and the HYPO2 with promotions saying "The Road to Rio Runs Through Flagstaff", prominently noting that if Flagstaff (with its training athletes) was a country, it would be in the top 10 of Olympic-medal winning nations since 1996. Flagstaff, United States (Unsplash)

Parks and recreation

Flagstaff has acquired a reputation as a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, and the region's varied terrain, high elevation, and amenable weather attract campers, backpackers, climbers, recreation and elite runners, and mountain bikers from throughout the southwestern United States. There are of city parks in Flagstaff, the largest of which are Thorpe Park and Buffalo Park. Wheeler Park, next to city hall, is the location of summer concerts and other events.City Parks
."
City of Flagstaff Website
.'' Retrieved on July 14, 2007. The city maintains an extensive network of trails, the Flagstaff Urban Trails System, or "FUTS" includes more than 50 miles of paved and unpaved trails for hiking, running, and cycling. The trail network extends throughout the city and is widely used for both recreation and transportation.Flagstaff Urban Trails System
.
City of Flagstaff Website
. Retrieved July 18, 2010. There are over of urban trails in Flagstaff. The area is a recreational hub for road cycling and mountain biking clubs, organized triathlon events, and annual cross country ski races. Several major river running operators are headquartered in Flagstaff, and the city serves as a base for Grand Canyon and Colorado River expeditions.Staff Writer.
What to Do in Flagstaff
."
flagstaff.com
.'' May 10, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2007. Flagstaff's proximity to

, about north of the city, has made it a popular tourist destination since the mid-19th century. Other nearby outdoor attractions include Walnut Canyon National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, and Barringer Crater. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell are both about north along U.S. Route 89.

Government

The city government is organized under a Council–manager government, council–manager form of government.Council-Manager Charter for the City of Flagstaff, Arizona
."
City Government Website
.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007. The mayor of Flagstaff is Becky Daggett, who was elected in November 2022. The town council consists of the mayor and six councilmembers: Austin Aslan (vice mayor), Jim McCarthy, Miranda Sweet, Lori Matthews, Deborah Harris, and Khara House (appointed as an interim councilmember in May 2022). On July 2, 2019, the city council named Greg Clifton as city manager among 50 candidates.https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1414/City-Manager''.'' Retrieved on March 1, 2020 Regular meetings of the city council are held on the first and third Tuesday of every month.City Council Meetings
."
City Government Website
.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. The last mayoral election occurred in November 2022. At the state level, Flagstaff is in the 6th legislative district. In the Arizona Senate, Arizona State Senate, the 6th is represented by Wendy Rogers (politician), Wendy Rogers (R) of Flagstaff. In the Arizona House of Representatives, House of Representatives, the 6th is represented by Brenda Barton (R) of Payson, Arizona, Payson and Walter Blackman (R) of Snowflake, Arizona, Snowflake. At the federal level, Flagstaff is within Arizona's 1st congressional district, which is the tenth largest congressional district, covering nearly 60,000 sq. miles. The district is represented by Tom O'Halleran (D) of Sedona, Arizona, Sedona. The City of Flagstaff raised its minimum wage above the State minimum wage in 2017. This wage increase was the result of a ballot measure – Proposition 414 – on the November 8, 2016, ballot. The City Council of Flagstaff then passed Title 15 of the City Ordinance, which provided for implementation of the new law. The new minimum wage in Flagstaff on July 1, 2017, was $10.50, fifty cents more than the Arizona state minimum wage. On January 1, 2021, the minimum wage rose to $15.00.

Education

There are 19 Public school (government funded), public schools, with 11,500 students and 800 faculty and staff, in the Flagstaff Unified School District. In 1997, Mount Elden Middle School was named an A+ School, citing an outstanding school climate, progressive use of technology and zero-tolerance approach to discipline. The 1999 National Science Teacher of the Year, David Thompson, teaches physics at Coconino High School.District Information
." ''Flagstaff Unified School District.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007. Three Arizona Teachers of the Year from 2001 through 2003 teach at Flagstaff High School.Past Teachers of the Year and Ambassadors
."
Arizona Education Foundation
.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007. In 2012, Flagstaff was named America's first Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM Community. In addition to the numerous public schools, there are several charter schools operating in the Flagstaff area including Flagstaff Junior Academy, Northland Preparatory Academy (ranked No. 52 in ''US News''s America's Top 100 Best High Schools), the Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy, Pine Forest Charter School, BASIS Flagstaff (ranked No. 2 in The Washington Post's America's Most Challenging High schools) and the Montessori method, Montessori Schools of Flagstaff. Flagstaff is home to three institutions of higher education,

(one of the three public state universities in Arizona); Coconino Community College; and Flagstaff College (a very small Upper division college, upper-division college with only one major – sustainability and social justice).

Media

The major daily newspaper in Flagstaff is the ''Arizona Daily Sun''. Northern Arizona University's weekly newspaper ''The Lumberjack'' also covers Flagstaff news, while the other publications that serve the city include weeklies ''Flagstaff Live'' and the ''Navajo Hopi Observer'', and monthlies ''Mountain Living Magazine'' and ''The Noise''. NAU runs several radio stations including KNAU and KPUB and their translator stations, which provide NPR and Public Radio International, PRI news coverage, as well as classical music. Flagstaff is included in the

Designated market area (DMA), the 13th largest in the U.S.Holmes, Gary.
Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006–2007 Season
." ''Nielsen Media Research.'' August 23, 2006. Retrieved April 11, 2007. Over-the-air television service is provided mostly by low-powered repeaters of the Phoenix stations.Faber, Daniel M.
Television and FM Translators: A History of Their Use and Regulation
." 1993.
danielfaber.com
.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007 There are two local broadcast television stations serving the city, KNAZ-TV, KNAZ-2 (NBC), and KFPH-DT, KFPH-13 (UniMás). In reality television, ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' built a home just outside Flagstaff for slain soldier Lori Piestewa's two children and parents in 2005. In December 2007, talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres selected Flagstaff as the winner of her show's "Wish You Were Here" contest.Parra, Jerome.
Ellen DeGeneres coming to Flagstaff
." ''

.'' December 3, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2007.

Film production

In the early 20th century, the city was considered as a site for the film ''The Squaw Man (1914 film), The Squaw Man'' by Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille, but was abandoned in favor of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood. During the 1940s and 1950s, over 100 Western (genre), Westerns were filmed in Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff hosted many film stars during this era, including Jane Russell, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, John Wayne, and Bing Crosby. A scene from the movie ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca'' was filmed in one of the rooms of the hotel.Legends of the High Desert: Haunted Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff
".
Legends of America
''. May 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2007. Several films then used Flagstaff's Route 66 in scenes: the 1969 film ''Easy Rider'' were filmed on Milton Road and Route 66 as well as near Sunset Crater; a moment in the film'' National Lampoon's Vacation'' was filmed at a truck stop gas station near Little America Hotels, Little America Hotel in 1983; a small scene in ''Midnight Run'' was filmed in Flagstaff at the train depot, and the city was referenced in the film; several of the running scenes in ''Forrest Gump'' were filmed in and around the area, including a memorable scene in which Forrest is seen jogging in downtown Flagstaff and gives inspiration to a bumper sticker designer; parts of 79th Academy Awards, 2007 Academy Award winner ''Little Miss Sunshine'' were filmed at the junction of I-40 and I-17 in Flagstaff; and ''Terminal Velocity (film), Terminal Velocity'' was partially filmed in the city.Moody, Annemarie.
Arizona in autofocus: Movies put state on road map
." ''

.'' November 7, 2006. Retrieved February 27, 2007. Grizzly Peak Films also filmed ''Sasquatch Mountain'', a feature-length film for the Syfy, Science Fiction Channel about a Yeti, in Flagstaff and Williams.Staff Writer.
Flagstaff economy held steady in 2005
" ''

.'' December 28, 2005. Retrieved February 22, 2007.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

The city is connected to Phoenix by Interstate 17 (I-17), and to Los Angeles, Las Vegas (via U.S. Route 93 in Arizona, Route 93), and Albuquerque by Interstate 40 (I-40). Page can be reached via U.S. Route 89, Route 89 from the city, as can Salt Lake City and, ultimately, Canada. The main road through Flagstaff is Route 66/Santa Fe Avenue, which runs parallel to the BNSF Railway, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway line east–west through the city. Downtown Flagstaff and the surrounding neighborhoods are separated from East Flagstaff by Buffalo Park, with the city connected by Route 66 and I-40. Route 66 is connected to the interstates in downtown by Milton Road, running roughly south alongside the NAU campus; Milton Road then merges into I-17. Flagstaff is connected to Sedona and Prescott, Arizona, Prescott by Arizona State Route 89A, State Route 89A, which Beulah Boulevard merges into, and to the Grand Canyon by Route 180, which Fort Valley Road merges into just northwest of the city. It is the northern terminus of I-17 and Route 89A, and the southern terminus of Route 89. Several towns are close to Flagstaff along I-40 and I-17. Approximately south are the small urban areas of Kachina Village (west of I-17) and Mountainaire (east of I-17; ). About to the west is Williams, to the south is Munds Park, Arizona, Munds Park, and to the south on Route 89A is Sedona. to the east of Flagstaff is the town of Winona. From the city, Amtrak provides connecting Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach, Thruway Motorcoach service via Open Road Tours, which has an office inside the rail depot. Local bus service is provided throughout the city by the Mountain Line (Arizona), Mountain Line. Interstate bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines and Flixbus. Groome Transportation provides in-state shuttle service. Bus service to the Hopi Reservation is provided by Hopi Senom Transit, and to

and the Navajo Nation by Navajo Transit System, Navajo Transit. Flagstaff is served by Navajo Transit Route 11 from Birdsprings to Tuba City.

Rail

The major rail corridor running through Flagstaff is the Southern Transcon, originally built by the Santa Fe Railroad and now owned and operated by the BNSF Railway. Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak at the downtown Flagstaff station, connecting on east–west routes to Los Angeles and Albuquerque via the Southwest Chief line.

Air

Air travel is available through

, just south of the city. The airport is primarily a small, general aviation airport with a single runway. The airport finished a major expansion project to add to the north end of the runway and lengthen the taxiway in 2007. The primary purpose of the project was to increase its viability for commercial and regional jets.Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
".
City Government Website
.'' Retrieved on April 11, 2007. As of January 2020, the airport offers year-round direct flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and Denver International Airport, on American Airlines and United Airlines.

Cycle

Flagstaff is fairly bike-friendly; there are bike lanes on many major streets, and the Flagstaff Urban Trails System (FUTS) includes more than 50 miles of off-street trails that wind throughout the community. In 2006 Flagstaff was designated a Bicycle-Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. About nine percent of trips in Flagstaff are made by bicycle.

Utilities

Electricity generation in Flagstaff is provided by Arizona Public Service, an electric utility subsidiary operated by parent company Pinnacle West. The primary generating station near Flagstaff is the coal-fired, 995-MW Cholla Power Plant, near Holbrook, Arizona, Holbrook, which uses coal from the McKinley Mine in New Mexico. Near Page, Arizona, Page is the coal-fired, 750-MW Navajo Power Plant, supplied by an Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad, electric railroad that delivers coal from a mine on the Navajo Nation, Navajo and

reservations in northern Arizona.About APS: Power Plants
." ''Arizona Public Service.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Flagstaff is also home to Arizona's first commercial solar power generating station, which was built in 1997 and provides 87 kW of electricity. Combined with 16 other solar power locations in Arizona, the system provides over 5 MW of electricity statewide.About APS: APS Solar Power Plants
." ''Arizona Public Service.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Drinking water in Flagstaff is produced from conventional surface water treatment at the Lake Mary Water Treatment Plant, on Upper Lake Mary, as well as from springs at the inner basin of the San Francisco Peaks. Groundwater from several water wells throughout the city and surrounding area provide additional sources of drinking water.Drinking Water
." ''City of Flagstaff.'' Retrieved on July 18, 2007. Water and wastewater services are provided by the City of Flagstaff. Natural gas is provided by UniSource Energy Services. Qwest Corporation, CenturyLink QC is the incumbent local exchange carrier. Cable television service is offered by Suddenlink Communications.

Health care

The first hospital in the city was opened in 1936, by Charles Sechrist. The city's primary hospital is the 267-bed

, on the north side of downtown Flagstaff. The hospital was founded in 1936, and serves as the major regional trauma center for northern Arizona.

Notable people

Sister cities

Flagstaff's sister cities are: * Barnaul, Altai Krai, Russia * City of Blue Mountains, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia * Manzanillo Municipality, Colima, Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico * Xindian District, Xindian, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Explanatory notes

References

External links

City of Flagstaff

Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce

Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

Flagstaff Arizona Visitors Guide

Flastaff's economic development

* {{Authority control Flagstaff, Arizona, 1876 establishments in Arizona Territory Cities in Arizona Cities in Coconino County, Arizona County seats in Arizona Metropolitan areas of Arizona Populated places established in 1876 U.S. Route 66 in Arizona