Did Route 66 go through Flagstaff?

Yes. Route 66 runs through downtown Flagstaff beside the Santa Fe railway, and the Railroad Addition Historic District sits right on the old road.

What is there to see on Route 66 in Flagstaff?

We list 20 stops in and around Flagstaff, mostly landmarks and roadside art, archaeological sites and historic buildings. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Lowell Observatory, Twin Arrows and Winona. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.

How far is Flagstaff from the next towns on Route 66?

Flagstaff sits at about mile 1,892 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Winslow, AZ, about 66 miles back. Heading west, Williams, AZ is about 37 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.

Is Flagstaff a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?

Yes. Our trip planner uses Flagstaff as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.

Route 66 town guide · Arizona

Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff is the mountain town of Route 66, about 1,892 miles from Chicago and nearly 7,000 feet up in the pine forest. It is a main overnight town on our planner and a common base for side trips to the Grand Canyon.

About mile 1,892 of 2,448 from Chicago
20 stops in and around Flagstaff
Main overnight town

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop. Open Flagstaff on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

Flagstaff's big claim is the sky. Lowell Observatory is where Pluto was found in 1930, and its working 1896 telescope is open for public viewing. Several more observatories sit around town, among them the Navy's dark-sky station and Lowell's research station on Anderson Mesa.

Downtown, the Railroad Addition Historic District holds blocks of brick and stone where the Santa Fe railway and Route 66 meet. Two historic hotels stand a short walk from the old road: the Weatherford Hotel, opened by John W. Weatherford in 1897, and the Hotel Monte Vista. The Riordan Mansion, a duplex mansion built for two lumber-baron brothers, is now a state historic park.

The land around Flagstaff is old and dramatic. East of town, Walnut Canyon National Monument has a short trail past cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people, and the Museum of Northern Arizona, founded in 1928, holds Native art and the natural history of the Colorado Plateau. Mount Elden, an extinct lava dome laced with trails, rises over the town, and further east on the road to Winslow, Twin Arrows is a ghost town on the old highway.

Practical note: the altitude means cool nights and the chance of snow from late fall into spring. Williams, the last town bypassed by the interstate, is about 37 miles further west.

Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Flagstaff

Lowell ObservatoryThe Flagstaff observatory where Pluto was found in 1930, with a working 1896 telescope for public viewing.
Twin ArrowsAn abandoned Route 66 trading post east of Flagstaff, named for the giant wooden arrows planted beside it.
WinonaThe Arizona stop named in the Route 66 song, about 13 miles east of Flagstaff, with a trading post by I-40.
Hotel Monte VistaA historic downtown Flagstaff hotel a short walk from Route 66, set among the old railroad-era blocks.
Weatherford HotelA downtown Flagstaff hotel opened by John W. Weatherford in 1897, one block from Route 66.
United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff StationThe Navy's dark-sky telescope station west of Flagstaff, whose plates revealed Pluto's moon Charon in 1978.
Mount EldenAn extinct lava dome rising above Flagstaff, laced with forest roads and hiking trails.
Riordan Mansion State Historic ParkA duplex mansion built for two lumber-baron brothers, preserved as a state park in Flagstaff.
Braeside ObservatoryA small private observatory west of Flagstaff with a 16-inch telescope run by remote computer control.
Robotic Lunar ObservatoryA NASA-funded Flagstaff observatory that used the Moon to calibrate instruments on Earth-orbiting satellites.

Art & landmarks (5)

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Anderson Mesa Station

Flagstaff, Arizona · 7.7 mi from Route 66

Lowell Observatory's dark-sky research station on a remote mesa southeast of Flagstaff.

Art & landmarks

Robotic Lunar Observatory

Flagstaff, Arizona · 1.3 mi from Route 66

A NASA-funded Flagstaff observatory that used the Moon to calibrate instruments on Earth-orbiting satellites.

Art & landmarks

Lowell Observatory

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.7 mi from Route 66

The Flagstaff observatory where Pluto was found in 1930, with a working 1896 telescope for public viewing.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.7 mi from Route 66

The Navy's dark-sky telescope station west of Flagstaff, whose plates revealed Pluto's moon Charon in 1978.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

Braeside Observatory

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.5 mi from Route 66

A small private observatory west of Flagstaff with a 16-inch telescope run by remote computer control.

Art & landmarks

Ghost towns (1)

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Twin Arrows

Twin Arrows, Arizona · on Route 66

An abandoned Route 66 trading post east of Flagstaff, named for the giant wooden arrows planted beside it.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Route 66 sites (1)

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Winona

Winona, Arizona · on Route 66

The Arizona stop named in the Route 66 song, about 13 miles east of Flagstaff, with a trading post by I-40.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

Historic hotels (2)

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Hotel Monte Vista

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A historic downtown Flagstaff hotel a short walk from Route 66, set among the old railroad-era blocks.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

Weatherford Hotel

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A downtown Flagstaff hotel opened by John W. Weatherford in 1897, one block from Route 66.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

Nature & parks (3)

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Mount Elden

Flagstaff, Arizona · 1.3 mi from Route 66

An extinct lava dome rising above Flagstaff, laced with forest roads and hiking trails.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A duplex mansion built for two lumber-baron brothers, preserved as a state park in Flagstaff.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

Flagstaff, Arizona · 2.1 mi from Route 66

A 200-acre high-country garden of 750 plant species, set at 7,150 feet on Flagstaff's west side.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Museums (1)

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Museum of Northern Arizona

Flagstaff, Arizona · 2.5 mi from Route 66

Founded in 1928, this Flagstaff museum holds Native art and natural history of the Colorado Plateau.

MuseumPhoto credit

Archaeology (3)

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Winona Site

Winona, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A National Historic Landmark site near Flagstaff that reveals how life changed after Sunset Crater erupted.

Archaeology

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Flagstaff, Arizona · 2.7 mi from Route 66

A short trail drops into a Flagstaff canyon past cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

Elden Pueblo

Doney Park, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A prehistoric trading village below Mount Elden, where macaw bones from Mexico were found.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

Historic districts (1)

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Railroad Addition Historic District

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Downtown Flagstaff blocks of brick and stone where the Santa Fe railway and Route 66 meet.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Historic buildings (3)

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The Ice House

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A stone commercial building from 1946, once Babbitt's Ice Plant, a block from downtown Flagstaff.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Brannen-Devine House

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

An 1892 brick Queen Anne cottage built for a Flagstaff pioneer, a few blocks from Route 66.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Presbyterian Church Parsonage

Flagstaff, Arizona · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A Queen Anne style parsonage on a quiet downtown Flagstaff street, a few blocks from Route 66.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Flagstaff: questions

Did Route 66 go through Flagstaff?: Yes. Route 66 runs through downtown Flagstaff beside the Santa Fe railway, and the Railroad Addition Historic District sits right on the old road.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Flagstaff?: We list 20 stops in and around Flagstaff, mostly landmarks and roadside art, archaeological sites and historic buildings. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Lowell Observatory, Twin Arrows and Winona. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Flagstaff from the next towns on Route 66?: Flagstaff sits at about mile 1,892 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Winslow, AZ, about 66 miles back. Heading west, Williams, AZ is about 37 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Flagstaff a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?: Yes. Our trip planner uses Flagstaff as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.