FLagstaff Fast Facts & Trivia

History

Sinagua, Anasazi and Cohonina Indians were the first to settle in the area of Flagstaff.
Flagstaff derived its name from a flag-raising ceremony held on the Fourth of July in 1876. Boston travelers chose a tall pine, trimmed its branches from the bottom up and attached a flag to the top in of observance of the nation's centennial.
Flagstaff's early development was associated with the railroad, lumber and livestock industries.
Northern Arizona University, which calls Flagstaff home, was founded as the Northern Arizona Normal School at Flagstaff in 1899.

Flagstaff is situated in the pines at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet (2,134 m), near the base of the San Francisco Peaks.
Mount Humphreys is the highest point in Arizona and towers above Flagstaff at 12,633 feet.
Flagstaff is located near the center of Northern Arizona at the juncture of Interstate 17 and Interstate 40, about 150 miles north of Phoenix, AZ and 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon.
Flagstaff is the county seat for Coconino County, the second largest county in the United States, with an area of 11,896,720 acres.

The city enjoys a four-season climate.
Altitude and low humidity combine to produce clear air and relatively mild weather conditions year-round.
Flagstaff has an average of 108 inches of snowfall in a year.
Flagstaff averages 288 days of sunshine per year
The Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Walnut Canyon, Wupatki and many treasured archaeological sites are all within an easy driving distance of a city that boasts the Arizona Snowbowl, Arboretum at Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University, the Pluto-discovering Lowell Observatory, the world-famous Museum of Northern Arizona, the arts-and-crafts style architecture of Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, and authentic Route 66 nostalgia.
Visiting Flagstaff is a journey of discovery that includes exciting events, educational, recreational and scientific opportunities plus an abundance of cultural diversity, beauty and history of the American West.

Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ.
Arizona High Spirits Distillery is in Flagstaff, the first legal distillery in the state of Arizona, operation began in November 2005. The feature products are a Prickly Pear Vodka and American Vodka.
The famous Route 66 runs directly through Flagstaff.
The Hotel Monte Vista, Weatherford Hotel and Museum Club, among other places in Flagstaff, are believed to be haunted. Guests have reported seeing "spirits" or having supernatural experiences.
Olympic and world-class athletes train at the Center for High Altitude Training located in Flagstaff, AZ. More than 14 Gold Medalists Train in Flagstaff at CHAT year-round.
The Museum of Northern Arizona houses more than 5 million southwestern artifacts.
Sunset Crater Volcano is just one of over 600 volcanoes located in Northern Arizona.
Flagstaff is home to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) which encompasses approximately 33 miles of trails throughout the city and includes areas on all sides of town.
Flagstaff is home to the world's largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest.
Walnut Canyon was originally home to the Sinagua Indians, who lived in the area in the 1200s before volcanic eruptions drove them out.
On average, 100 trains pass through Flagstaff in a day.
Riordan Mansion was designed by Charles Whittlesey, designer of the Grand Canyon's El Tovar Hotel.