AREA INFORMATION
Flagstaff is located at the intersection of Interstate 17 and I-40. It is the largest city and regional center of Northern Arizona. It is the county seat for Coconino County, the second largest county in the U.S., with 12 million acres. Flagstaff, at 7,000 feet, is one of the highest U.S. cities and its breath-taking backdrop is even higher. The community sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, Arizona's highest point at 12,633 feet.
Flagstaff is a year-round Mecca for visitors. Many Arizonans maintain second homes here. The weather is wonderful! Summer temperatures average 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix which is 146 miles south on Interstate 17. In winter there is skiing, ice skating and hunting.
Flagstaff has long been a transportation hub. Located along an old wagon road to California, Flagstaff began after the railroad arrived in 1881. Today the town links I-40 to I-17, Highway 89 to Page and Utah, and Highway 180 to the Grand Canyon. Historic Route 66 passes through Flagstaff.
Flagstaff's name comes from a tall pine tree made into a flagpole in 1876 to celebrate the Declaration of Independence Centennial.
| Climate Averages |
| |
Maximum |
Minimum |
| January |
42.2F |
15.2F |
| April |
57.8 |
26.7 |
| July |
81.9 |
50.5 |
| October |
63.4 |
31.0 |
| Annual Precipitation |
22.8 inches |
| Annual Snowfall |
108.8 inches |
| Days of Sunshine |
Nearly 300 |
| (National Weather Service 2000) |
ECONOMIC ACTIVITES
Flagstaff is a governmental, educational, transportation, cultural and commercial center. Tourism is a major source of employment. Traditional economic activities continue to employ people.
New scientific and high tech research and development industries have located in Flagstaff. Approximately 16,000 students attend Northern Arizona University. More than 100,000 people do business in Flagstaff, both in the historic downtown area and at several shopping centers. Most of Flagstaff is a designated Enterprise Zone.
