Flagstaff climbs to about 7,000 feet near the San Francisco Peaks, a mountain town surrounded by the largest ponderosa pine forest in the country. About 77,000 people live here, many tied to Northern Arizona University. It feels outdoorsy, a little hippie, and cooler than the rest of Arizona, with a historic downtown along old Route 66.
It works as a base for the Grand Canyon's South Rim (about 80 miles), Sedona (about 30 miles), Sunset Crater and Walnut Canyon. In town you can visit Lowell Observatory, hike Buffalo Park, or ski at Arizona Snowbowl. The tradeoffs are cost, altitude and weather. Housing is expensive, well above the national average. Winter brings heavy snow and ice, summer monsoons bring lightning and flash floods, and burn scar flooding is a concern after wildfires. Violent crime is moderate.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- City of Seven Wonders; Flag; Gateway to the Grand Canyon; Mountain Town
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Navajo (Diné); Hopi
- Airports
- FLG Flagstaff Pulliam (limited commercial service, mainly to Phoenix and Dallas); PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor (about 145 mi, 2 hr 15 min drive); GCN Grand Canyon National Park Airport (about 80 mi); LAS Las Vegas (about 250 mi); Sedona Airport has no scheduled service
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; shuttles and taxis 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; tour guides $10-20 per person for day tours; ski and outdoor rental staff optional; counter service tip screens optional
