Downtown Flagstaff, AZ: See why it has been called the City of 7 Wonders!
March 2024: After a fun weekend in Phoenix, our next spring break road trip stop was Downtown Flagstaff (some portion of total pop.76,831*) along old Route 66. We stayed in an Airbnb on the south side of Route 66 on the edge of the beautiful historic downtown, which is a fantastic walking area! There are SO MANY local shops and restaurants, coffee shops and local breweries. We used this central location as a hub for exploring the surrounding area – because Flagstaff is indeed a city near multiple natural wonders!
Flagstaff is the county seat of Coconino County, Arizona. It is located at the cross-roads of east-west I40 and north-south Interstate 17, with old Route 66 running through its historic downtown.
Flagstaff – A brief History
Early days of Flagstaff – Late 19th century
- 1871: The first White (non-Native) settlement in the area was established by Edward Whipple, who opened a saloon on the wagon road (a trade route along the 35th parallel between Arkansas to California).
- 1876: The first permanent settlement, when Thomas F. McMillan built a cabin just north of the present-day main town
- 1886: Flagstaff (at around 900 inhabitants) was the largest city on the railroad line between Albuquerque and the West Coast of the US. The CO Bar (cattle) Ranch was opened around this date by the Babbitt brothers, whose family would be very influential in northern Arizona for decades.
- 1888: McMillan purchased an unfinished building that sits at the present-day intersection of Leroux Street and Route 66/Santa Fe Avenue, turning it into a bank and hotel known as the Bank Hotel. Today it is a bar and restaurant.
- 1891: Flagstaff was chosen as its county seat of the newly created Coconino County, over the nearby town of Williams.
- 1894: A. E. Douglass recommended Flagstaff to Percival Lowell as the site for the Lowell Observatory, where it was built on Mars Hill.
- 1899: Northern Arizona Normal School was established – later renamed to Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 1966.
Downtown Flagstaff experiences economic highs and lows – 20th century
- 1900s early years: Flagstaff saw its first tourism boom, becoming known as the City of Seven Wonders – a list including Coconino National Forest, Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki National Monument .
- 1912: state of Arizona was admitted to the Union.
- 1926: Route 66 was completed and ran through Flagstaff with the staunch support of the wealthy Babbitt and Riordan families. The railroad, which became the Santa Fe Railroad, had largely controlled Flagstaff until this point. A new depot was built and Front Street was renamed Santa Fe Avenue.
- 1928: Flagstaff was incorporated into a city with over 3000 residents.
- By the end of the 1920s decade, Flagstaff had become a popular tourist stop along Route 66, particularly due to its proximity to the natural wonders. In the last years of the 1920s, tourism took over from traditional industries.
- 1930s: The Great Depression brought both unemployed workers from the mid-west and the discovery of Pluto from the Lowell Observatory.
- 1940s: World War II brought military travelers and later automobile tourists, further improving the downtown economy.
- 1950s: The era of Urban Renewal improved housing quality and the arrival of Interstate 40 which was to replace Route 66.
- 1960s: The era of space travel relied on the Lowell Observatory Clark Telescope to map the Moon for the lunar expeditions, providing further economic stimulus to the area.
- 1970s and 80s: downtown area slid into economic decline, even in an era of population growth at the expanding city boundaries.
- 1990s: however, the downtown reversed course again as the city began to redevelop. Store owners in downtown supported the Main Street programs of preservation-based revitalization, and in 1992, the city hired a new manager to improve the area: a different mix of shops and restaurants opened up to take advantage of the area’s historical appeal. Heritage Square was built as the center of the revitalized downtown.
Our Favorite community places – Coffee shops, Breweries, and Local Art
We spent our first evening walking around historic downtown Flagstaff. Despite the chilly temperatures and it being a Monday evening, there were lots of people out shopping and dining. We walked around and admired the historic buildings, ending our evening at the Flagstaff Brewing company for dinner and a stop by the local bookstore.
Local Downtown Coffee Shops
- Macy’s European Coffeehouse & Bakery – Google Maps – we stopped at this popular coffee shop before our day trip to the Grand Canyon!
- The Toasted Owl Cafe – Google Maps
- Awa Kava & Coffee – Google Maps
- Wicked AZ Coffee – Downtown – Google Maps
- Firecreek Coffee Company Flagstaff – Google Maps
- Late For the Train – Google Maps
- MIX Flagstaff – Google Maps
Local Downtown Breweries
- Historic Brewing Barrel House – Flagstaff – Google Maps
- Lumberyard Brewing Co – Google Maps
- Beaver Street Brewery – Google Maps
- Mother Road Brewing Company – Google Maps – we had dinner and a brew here one evening. Loved the Route 66 “Mother Road” vibe!
- Drinking Horn Mead Hall – Google Maps
- Flagstaff Brewing Company – Google Maps – we had dinner here; pretty good!
- Mountain Top Tap Room – Google Maps
- Dark Sky Brewing Co. – Google Maps
- Dark Sky Brewing- Beer Garden + Atmosphere Kitchen – Google Maps
- Hops On Birch – Google Maps
Examples of Local Art
More to Explore
Downtown Flagstaff Events – There are so many events available downtown! See this webpage for a comprehensive list of activities.
A vibrant downtown requires the efforts of many groups with many different perspectives. See below for a list of non-profit organizations involved with keeping Downtown Flagstaff vibrant, beautiful and safe.
- Discover Flagstaff – non-profit organization charged with developing, promoting and maintaining Flagstaff as a year-round visitor destination with professional and visitor services that will benefit the community economically, environmentally and socially.
- Request a FREE TRAVEL GUIDE at this website
- Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance – a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Historic Downtown Flagstaff
- Flagstaff Downtown Business Improvement & Revitalization District – a 20-block taxing district approved and funded by property owners within the FDBIRD boundaries to protect and enhance the vitality of our historic district
- District map (pdf)
- Downtown Vision & Action Plan – The mission of this effort, and resulting Plan, is to make a more connected, beautified, active environment for people who live, work and visit Downtown Flagstaff. The Plan was funded through a partnership between the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance, City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, and Mountain Line. The Vision & Action Plan identifies priorities and initiatives to guide improvements in Downtown Flagstaff over the next five to ten years.
- Downtown Mile Safety and Connectivity Improvement project – This project is an effort to design and construct projects to improve public safety, multimodal transportation, and rail improvements in the downtown area into one project.
