Flagstaff, Arizona

www.flagstaff.az.gov/
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. It is the principal city of the Flagstaff, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 57,391. The total Metropolitan Statistical Area was 122,000. It is the county seat of Coconino County, an important railroad town, and home to Lowell Observatory and Northern Arizona University.

The city's name commemorates a Ponderosa Pine tree that was made into a tall flagpole by members of a scouting party from Boston (known as the "Flagstaff Tea Party"), on July 4, 1876 to celebrate the United States Centennial.

Flagstaff lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau and along the western side of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest on earth at an elevation of 6910 ft (2106 m). Flagstaff is located adjacent to 9,299 ft (2834 m) Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona. The San Francisco Peaks (known locally as simply "The Peaks") consist of several summits including Humphreys, Agassiz, Fremont, and Doyle Peaks. Humphreys Peak, also known as Mount Humphreys, is one corner of this ancient volcano and the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 ft (3,850 m). It is located about 10 mi (16 km) north of Flagstaff.

The major daily newspaper in Flagstaff is the Arizona Daily Sun. The Navajo Hopi Observer is a weekly newspaper that is commonly read by the Native American population. There are two local broadcast television stations serving the city; KNAZ-2 (NBC) and KFPH-13 (TeleFutura). Several repeaters also provide access to all of the local television stations serving the Phoenix, Arizona, market. The major cable television provider serving the city is NPG Cablevision.

Scenic Oak Creek Canyon is a short drive from Flagstaff, on the road to Sedona, Arizona. Flagstaff's proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, about 75 mi (120 km) north of the city, has made the city a popular tourist destination. Route 66, originally running between Chicago and Los Angeles, greatly increased the accessibility to the area, and enhanced the tourist industry in the city. Today, Route 66 remains as a historic route and popular tourist attraction, passing through the city between Barstow, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Other nearby tourist attractions include Walnut Canyon National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Barringer Crater (meteor crater), The Arboretum at Flagstaff, and the Museum of Northern Arizona. The city of Sedona, Arizona, is also a short half hour drive from Flagstaff, traveling south along Arizona State Route 89A through scenic Oak Creek Canyon. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell are also both about 135 mi (216 km) north along U.S. Route 89.