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Sedona ( ) is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern
Verde Valley The Verde Valley (; ) is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habitat for fish and wildlife, fresh water fo ...
region of the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. The city is within the Coconino National Forest. Sedona's main attraction is its array of pink
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
formations. The formations appear to glow in pink when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The pink rocks form a popular backdrop for many activities, ranging from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails. Sedona was named after Sedona Schnebly whose husband, Theodore Carlton Schnebly, was the city's first postmaster. She was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. Her mother, Amanda Miller, claimed to have made the name up because "it sounded pretty".


History


Anglo-American settlement

The first European-American settler, John J. Thompson, moved to Oak Creek Canyon in 1876, an area well known for its peach and apple orchards. The early settlers were farmers and ranchers. In 1902, when the Sedona post office was established, there were 55 residents. In the mid-1950s, the first telephone directory listed 155 names. Some parts of the Sedona area were not electrified until the 1960s. The area, then unincorporated, had no local government and was bisected by two counties. Growth increased after a resident discovered water. That meant area residents no longer had to transport water, and could directly build infrastructure. Sedona began to develop as a tourist destination, vacation-home and retirement center in the 1950s. Most of the development seen today was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. As of 2007, there are no large tracts of undeveloped land remaining. Important early settlers included the Steele family, originally of Scotland.


Chapel of the Holy Cross

In 1956, construction of the Chapel of the Holy Cross was completed. The chapel rises out of a redrock cliff. The most prominent feature of the chapel is the cross. Later a chapel was added. Inside the chapel there is a window and a cross with benches and pews.


Cinematic legacy

Sedona played host to more than sixty Hollywood productions from the first years of movies into the 1970s. Stretching as far back as 1923, Sedona's pink rocks were a fixture in major Hollywood productionsincluding films such as '' Angel and the Badman'', ''
Desert Fury ''Desert Fury'' is a 1947 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen (director), Lewis Allen, and starring Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiak and Burt Lancaster. Its plot follows the daughter of a casino owner in a small Nevada town who become ...
'', '' Blood on the Moon'', '' Johnny Guitar'', '' The Last Wagon'', '' 3:10 to Yuma'' and ''Broken Arrow''. However, the surroundings typically were identified to audiences as the terrain of Texas, California, Nevada, and even Canada–US border territory. The town lent its name to the 2011 film ''Sedona'', which is set in the community.


Brins Fire

On June 18, 2006, a wildfire, reportedly started by campers, began about one mile (2 km) north of Sedona. The Brins Fire covered on Brins Mesa, Wilson Mountain and in Oak Creek Canyon before the US Forest Service declared it 100 percent contained on June 28. Containment cost was estimated at $6.4 million.


Slide Fire

On May 20, 2014, a wildfire started from an unknown cause began north of Sedona at Slide Rock State Park. The Slide Fire spread across 21,227 acres in Oak Creek Canyon over nine days and prompted evacuations. State Route 89A opened to Flagstaff in June, but all parking and canyon access was closed to the public until October 1, 2014.


Geography

Sedona is located in the interior chaparral, semi-desert grassland, Great Basin
conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
woodland biomes of northern Arizona. Sedona has mild winters and warm summers. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of of which , or 0.22%, is water.


Flora

Sedona’s interior chaparral has many shrubs and small tree species of '' Quercus turbinella'' and '' Rhus ovata'' and a large population of '' Quercus palmeri''. The Great Basin woodland has many small to medium trees of '' Pinus monophylla'' Var. ''fallax'', '' Juniperus arizonica'', '' Juniperus deppeana'', ''
Juniperus osteosperma ''Juniperus osteosperma'' (Utah juniper; syn. ''J. utahensis'') is a shrub or small tree native to the southwestern United States. Description The plant reaches , rarely to 9 m, tall. The shoots are fairly thick compared to most junipers, i ...
'', and '' Juniperus monosperma'' and a large population of '' Cupressus glabra''. At higher elevations in Oak Creek Canyon ''
Juniperus virginiana ''Juniperus virginiana'', also known as eastern redcedar, red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, and other local names, is a species of juniper native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico an ...
'', '' Pinus edulis'' and other pines occur.


Geology

The pink rocks of Sedona are formed by a unique layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation. The Schnebly Hill Formation is a thick layer of pink colored sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. The sandstone, a member of the Supai Group, was deposited during the
Permian Period The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
. Notable landforms in or around Sedona include the Seven Sacred Pools, Bell Rock, Capitol Butte, Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Butte, Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole, House Mountain, Two Nuns, and Wilson Mountain which is the highest.


Climate

Sedona has a cold semi-arid climate ( BSk) and is a high
desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
. In January, the average high temperature is with a low of . In July, the average high temperature is with a low of . Annual precipitation is just over .


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,192 people, 4,928 households, and 2,863 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.2%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.5% Black or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.5% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 4.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2000 census there were 7,229 people living in the Yavapai County (western) portion of the city (70.9% of its population) and 2,963 living in the Coconino County (eastern) portion (29.1%). By land area Yavapai had 66.2% of its area, versus 33.8% for Coconino. There were 4,928 households, out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.52. In the city, the population was spread out, with 13.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $44,042, and the median income for a family was $52,659. Males had a median income of $32,067 versus $24,453 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $31,350. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture

Annual events include: * St. Patrick's Day parade, Celebration of Spring, Sedona Food Truck Festival, Red Dirt Concerts, Pumpkin Splash, and WagFest and Fair. * Sedona Marathon. * Sedona Miracle Annual Charity Fundraiser. * Sedona Hummingbird Festival. * The Sedona Solstice Festivals (summer and winter) at Unity of Sedona. Arts organizations include: * Chamber Music Sedona chamber-music program. * Sedona Arts Center, founded in 1958, the oldest arts center in northern Arizona. * Sedona International Film Festival, established in 1995. * Greg Lawson Galleries. A
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
tourist industry operates in Sedona, where José Arguelles organized the " Harmonic Convergence" in 1987. Some New Age proponents purport that "spiritual vortices" are concentrated in the Sedona area at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The Sedona Wetlands Preserve is a popular area for birding.


Government

Politically, Uptown Sedona, the Gallery District and the Chapel area (all in Coconino County) and West Sedona (in Yavapai County) form the City of Sedona. Founded in 1902, it was incorporated as a city in 1988. The unincorporated Village of Oak Creek, to the south and well outside the Sedona city limits, is a significant part of the Sedona community. In 2013, Sedona became one of the Arizona municipalities to approve of
civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage, with ch ...
s for same-sex partners.


Education

Sedona is in the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District. West Sedona School (Sedona-Oak Creek USD), serving grades K–6, is located at 570 Posse Ground Road. Sedona Red Rock High School (SRRHS), built in 1994, is located on the western edge of town in West Sedona. The school's mascot is the Scorpion. The high school's new campus, a series of single-story buildings, is located opposite the Sedona campus of Yavapai College. As of 2016, Sedona Red Rock High School holds grades 7–8 in the Junior High portion of campus. Prior to the establishment of Sedona-Oak Creek USD, Flagstaff Unified School District included Sedona and operated the Sedona School. In the pre-1991 period some Sedona-area students attended Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary School District and Mingus Union High School District. The Sedona school district opened in 1991, taking territory and assets from Flagstaff USD. At the time, Sedona students continued to attend Flagstaff for high school. Red Rock Early Learning Center is a year-round Preschool program designed for children aged 3–5 years old. Their normal school year runs from August to May each year, with a summer session offered during June and July. It is licensed by the ADHS, and located in West Sedona Elementary School building 300. Verde Valley School, a boarding International Baccalaureate high school with many international students, is located between the Village of Oak Creek and Red Rock Crossing. It hosts numerous 'traditions' and performances open to the community. Their mascot is the coyote. Total attendance measures about 120 students per year, grades 9–12. Oscar-winning composer
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside tr ...
studied there (Titanic, Braveheart, Avatar, Legends of The Fall). Sedona Charter School (SCS) is located behind the Sedona Public Library, serving as a
Montessori The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...
-based school for grades K–8. Yavapai College's Sedona Center for Arts & Technology includes the Sedona Film School, which offers certificates in independent filmmaking, the Business Partnership Program, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the University of Arizona Mini Med School.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Sedona Airport is a non-towered
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
airport located within the city limits. The nearest commercial airports are Flagstaff Pulliam Airport ( away), Prescott Regional Airport ( away), and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ( away).


Healthcare

Verde Valley Medical Center – Sedona Campus is an outpatient facility providing 24/7 emergency services, cancer services, and primary and specialty healthcare to the Sedona/Oak Creek area. The facility is part of the Northern Arizona Healthcare system and is a subdivision of Verde Valley Medical Center in the nearby city of Cottonwood.


Cemeteries

Sedona's oldest burial ground is the Schuerman–Red Rock Cemetery, dating from 1893. Another pioneer cemetery is the Cooks Cedar Gate Cemetery, with an initial burial in 1918. The Sedona Community Cemetery, also known as Sedona Memorial Park, is on Pine Drive.


Notable people

* Robert Adams – American Advaita teacher * Samaire Armstrong – actress * Michelle Branch – singer/songwriter * Brandon Decker - singer/songwriter based in Sedona * Gail Edwards – actress *
Max Ernst Max Ernst (; 2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) was a German-born painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism in Europe. He had no formal artistic trai ...
- surrealist and dadaist artist, brought international art world attention to Sedona when it was less than 100 people. *
Justin Frankel Justin Frankel (born 1978) is an American computer programmer best known for his work on the Winamp media player application and for inventing the Gnutella peer-to-peer network. Frankel is also the founder of Cockos Incorporated, which create ...
– computer programmer * Kevin Geary – English portrait and abstract artist * Steve George – musician/songwriter (Mr. Mister) * James Gregory – television actor *
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside tr ...
– film composer (studied at the Verde Valley School in the 1970s) * Greg Lawson – American photographer, author, and publisher * Sagan Lewis – actress, former program director of the Sedona International Film Festival * Howard Madole – recognized as "Sedona's first architect", his influence is seen all over the city * Tom O'Halleran – U. S. representative *
Israel Regardie Francis Israel Regardie (; né Regudy; November 17, 1907 – March 10, 1985) was an English and American occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer who spent much of his life in the United States. He wrote fifteen books on the subject of occultis ...
– writer, occultist, and sometime secretary to
Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...
* Dorothea Tanning - artist, writer, feminist art icon


In popular culture

* In 1982 singer Donna Loren released the song "Sedona" on her own label, Royalty Records. The song was written by Loren while living in Sedona. James Burton produced the song with Loren, played guitar, and assembled other members of the Elvis Presley TCB Band: Ronnie Tutt (drums), Jerry Scheff (bass), and Glen D. Hardin (piano).
Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...
played mandolin. It was Loren's first recording since 1967, and subsequently appeared on her compilation, ''Magic: The 80's Collection''. * A film titled '' Sedona'' was released in 2012. It was the first feature film to be shot entirely in Sedona since the 1970s when the heyday of Hollywood filmmaking in the area ended. The cast includes
Frances Fisher Frances Louise Fisher (born May 11, 1952) is an American actress. She began her career in theater and later starred as Detective Deborah Saxon in the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Edge of Night'' (1976–1981). In film, she is known for her rol ...
,
Seth Peterson Seth Peterson (born August 16, 1970) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Robbie Hansen from 1999 until 2002 on the television series '' Providence'' and Nate Westen on '' Burn Notice'' from 2007 through 2012. Personal life Peterson ...
, Barry Corbin, Christopher Atkins, Lin Shaye and
Beth Grant Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actor, character actress. Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular on the television comedy ''The Mindy Project'' in the role of Beverly Janoszewski. She is also known for her ...
. * The racing video games '' Forza Motorsport 3'' and '' Forza Motorsport 4'' feature the fictional track "Sedona Raceway Park".Forza Motorsport 4 Locations
– Forza Motorsport official website (04/10/2022)


See also

*
Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topography, topographical and geological feature cutting across Northern Arizona, the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapa ...


Notes


External links

* * {{authority control 1902 establishments in Arizona Territory Cities in Arizona Cities in Coconino County, Arizona Cities in Yavapai County, Arizona Populated places of the Mogollon Rim Populated places established in 1902