Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet, on a plateau of ponderosa pines below Arizona's highest mountain. That's why it snows here when Phoenix is warm, and why your first walk uphill may leave you more out of breath than you expect.
Humphreys Peak, January 2009 · Photo: JohnIngraham / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Credits
Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet (about 2,100 meters) above sea level. You'll see slightly different figures, roughly 6,800 to 7,000 feet, because the town spreads over hills and each source measures at a different point; Discover Flagstaff, the city's tourism office, rounds it to 7,000. Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill is a little higher at 7,250 feet, Arizona Snowbowl's lifts run from 9,200 to 11,500 feet, and Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona, reaches 12,633 feet (3,851 meters).
Bars start at 6,000 feet so the differences show.
Williams and the Grand Canyon's South Rim are at almost the same height as Flagstaff, with the same cold nights and winter snow. Drive south to Sedona and you drop about 2,800 feet in under an hour and a half; Phoenix is almost 6,000 feet lower.
Humphreys Peak
Elevation12,633 ftMeters3,851 mCompared with Flagstaff5,600 ft above townFlagstaff
ElevationAbout 7,000 ftMetersAbout 2,100 mCompared with Flagstaff–Grand Canyon South Rim
ElevationAbout 7,000 ft on averageMeters2,134 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout the sameWilliams
Elevation6,780 ftMeters2,067 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout 200 ft lowerDenver
Elevation5,280 ftMeters1,609 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout 1,700 ft lowerPage (Antelope Canyon)
Elevation4,300 ftMeters1,311 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout 2,700 ft lowerSedona
Elevation4,240 ftMeters1,292 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout 2,800 ft lowerPhoenix
Elevation1,117 ftMeters340 mCompared with FlagstaffAbout 5,900 ft lowerYes, it's possible, especially if you come straight from sea level and head higher, to Snowbowl or up Humphreys Peak, on day one. The body adjusts to altitude over the first three to five days. For the first 48 hours, keep to light activity and skip the alcohol.
Sleeping above 8,000 feet without time to adjust is a risk factor for acute mountain sickness, but there's no fixed safe line: people get it lower too. Being fit doesn't protect you.
Headache is the main symptom. Loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness and nausea can come with it. If you have symptoms, don't go higher to sleep, and go back down if they get worse despite rest. This is general information, not medical advice; see a doctor if you feel unwell.
With lower air pressure, water boils at a lower temperature, so food takes longer to cook in boiling water.
In baking, the gases that make dough rise expand more at altitude. Cakes and breads can rise too fast and fall. In a cabin kitchen, the high-altitude version of a recipe works better.
What the elevation does to the weather Hiking Humphreys Peak
Most visitors drive up I-17 from Phoenix and arrive in Woodlands Village, where many hotels sit right by the interstate.
Photo: ExpediaBest for Sedona daysWoodlands Village and I-17 9.0/10 on Expedia
Free parkingNo petsBreakfast included
By I-17 where the drive from Phoenix ends, with free breakfast and an indoor pool for a quiet first evening.
Comfort Inn Flagstaff South I-17Woodlands Village and I-17 9.4/10 on Expedia · 1,920 reviewsFree parkingPets: pets allowedBreakfast includedCheck prices
Home2 Suites By Hilton FlagstaffWoodlands Village and I-17 9.4/10 on Expedia · 445 reviewsParking $7 a dayPets: dogs and cats, up to 2, up to 100 lb eachBreakfast includedCheck prices
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham FlagstaffWoodlands Village and I-17 9.2/10 on Expedia · 2,980 reviewsFree parkingPets: dogs and cats, up to 2, up to 75 lb each, set rooms onlyBreakfast includedCheck pricesAbout 7,000 feet above sea level. Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill is a little higher, at 7,250 feet.
Yes. At about 7,000 feet, many visitors notice the thinner air on the first day or two.
Yes. Denver, the Mile High City, is at about 5,280 feet. Flagstaff is roughly 1,700 feet higher.
It's possible. Sleeping above 8,000 feet without time to adjust is a risk factor, and altitude illness can happen lower too. Headache is the main symptom. If symptoms get worse, don't go higher, and see a doctor.
12,633 feet (3,851 meters), the highest point in Arizona. It towers over Flagstaff from the north.
About 2,100 meters (7,000 feet).
Because the town isn't flat. Figures between about 6,800 and 7,000 feet all appear, depending on where they were measured. Mars Hill, where Lowell Observatory stands, is about 7,250 feet; Snowbowl and Humphreys Peak are far higher.
6,780 feet (2,067 meters) at the visitor center, about 200 feet lower than Flagstaff.
About 2,800 feet. Sedona sits at 4,240 feet, roughly 34 miles and an hour and 10 minutes south by road.
Almost the same. The National Park Service puts the South Rim at about 7,000 feet on average, the same as Flagstaff.
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