Best time to visit Flagstaff
United States · North America
All twelve months scored on daily temperature, rainfall, humidity and holiday crowding.
The year in Flagstaff
Tap a month for its page
- JanJFlagstaff in January: avoid
- FebFFlagstaff in February: ok
- MarMFlagstaff in March: ok
- AprAFlagstaff in April: sweet spot
- MayMFlagstaff in May: sweet spot
- JunJFlagstaff in June: sweet spot
- JulJFlagstaff in July: good
- AugAFlagstaff in August: sweet spot
- SepSFlagstaff in September: sweet spot
- OctOFlagstaff in October: sweet spot
- NovNFlagstaff in November: ok
- DecDFlagstaff in December: ok, busy
- Sweet spot
- Good
- OK
- Avoid
- Busy
Plan this trip
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Flights from
Flights
Your city is a guess from your time zone. Choose your city
Where are you flying from? Choose your city for its flights and fares.
Book with the airline
Where to stay
Book direct
Luxury
Things to do
Car hire
Rent direct
Travel insurance
Check whether your bank card or home insurance already covers this trip.
If the trip needs a visa, the travel agent or visa centre usually sells the cover it asks for.
Mobile data (eSIM)
Your own plan's EU roaming may already cover this.
Renting a pocket Wi-Fi is the other common way to stay connected.
These are sites people in book with. Each opens in a new tab, on the site's own pages.
Things to do in Flagstaff
- San Francisco Peaks Mountain range in Arizona, United States
- Lowell Observatory An astronomical research center from which the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered, this historic institution is on a mesa overlooking the west side of town.
- Mount Elden Mountain in Arizona, United States
- Museum of Northern Arizona On the north side of town, it has displays on Native American life and the natural history of the region.
- Riordan Mansion State Historic Park This fine example of an Arts and Crafts style house was built in 1904 for a prominent local family.
- Elden Pueblo Historic Site A Sinagua archeological site which was inhabited from 1050-1275 BCE.
- Arboretum at Flagstaff This 200-acre botanical garden, environmental research station, and nature center displays one of America's largest collections of high country wildflowers.
Tours and tickets in Flagstaff
Each site opens on its own search: choose your dates there. A few open on their home page, where you type the place too. Links marked Ad pay us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; most pay nothing, and what a site pays never decides whether it is listed or where. How we rank
Sights and their lines from Wikivoyage (Flagstaff), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata; in order of how often each one's Wikipedia article was read on phones in the last 12 months.
Month by month
No fare history for this route yet, so this ranking is climate and crowds only — the price column will fill in as the scanner collects.
| Month | Max °C | Rain days | Humidity | Sun h/day | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5° | 5d | 61% | 8.5h | avoid | bitter cold: 5C daily max |
| Feb | 6° | 5d | 59% | 9.6h | ok | 6C max, 5 rainy days |
| Mar | 10° | 6d | 56% | 10.4h | ok | 10C max, 6 rainy days |
| Apr | 16° | 2d | 39% | 12.4h | sweet spot | 16C max, 2 rainy days |
| May | 20° | 4d | 34% | 13.0h | sweet spot | 20C max, 4 rainy days |
| Jun | 27° | 2d | 26% | 13.7h | sweet spot | 27C max, 2 rainy days |
| Jul | 29° | 6d | 42% | 12.5h | good | 29C max, 6 rainy days |
| Aug | 27° | 5d | 48% | 12.2h | sweet spot | 27C max, 5 rainy days |
| Sep | 24° | 4d | 46% | 11.5h | sweet spot | 24C max, 4 rainy days |
| Oct | 17° | 4d | 45% | 10.5h | sweet spot | 17C max, 4 rainy days |
| Nov | 11° | 3d | 48% | 9.2h | ok | 11C max, 3 rainy days |
| Dec | 7° | 4d | 54% | 8.2h | okbusy | busier than usual |
Rain days are the days with at least 1 mm of rain, as a weather station counts them.
Weather read at the historic downtown, 7 km from the airport (FLG): ten years of ERA5 and ERA5-Land reanalysis, through Open-Meteo's open data.
A busy month is a crowded one, not a bad one — usually it is crowded because the weather is good. It is flagged rather than scored down, and crowds alone never make a month “avoid”: that is reserved for weather worth skipping.
How busy it gets
Then and now
Flagstaff's August days now average 27.3°C, 2.3°C warmer than in 1981–1990. 3 of 12 months are clearly warmer.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–90 | 4.7° | 6.1° | 9.6° | 15.2° | 20.4° | 26.5° | 26.6° | 25.1° | 22.0° | 16.6° | 9.6° | 4.8° |
| 2017–26 | 4.6° | 6.4° | 9.8° | 15.7° | 20.2° | 27.0° | 28.6° | 27.3° | 23.8° | 17.4° | 11.2° | 6.8° |
| Change | -0.1° | +0.3° | +0.2° | +0.5° | -0.2° | +0.5° | +2.0° | +2.3° | +1.7° | +0.7° | +1.7° | +2.0° |
The average daily high, month by month, for the nearest ERA5 grid cell. Bold is a clear change; grey is within the ordinary spread between years. Every destination, ranked.
Getting there
Fly into Phoenix (PHX), then drive. The flights under Where to book are to Phoenix.
| Phoenix (PHX) | the drive is not measured yet |
|---|---|
| Flagstaff (FLG) | the drive is not measured yet |
The drive from each airport is the road's, from openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT: typical, not a schedule.
How far Flagstaff is, and what it costs, depends on where you set off from — the months above do not.
- from Las Vegas
- from San Diego
- from Salt Lake City
- from Los Angeles
- from Denver
- from San Francisco
- from Dallas
- from Austin
Open in Rome2rio for every way from to Flagstaff, flying or not.
Before you go
Type A and B plugs at 120 V. Drives on the right. The currency is the United states dollar. No UK Foreign Office advice against travel. Global Affairs Canada: Exercise normal security precautions. Everything for United States: cost of living, languages, emergency numbers and health.
Being there
On arrival
- Paying — Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work almost everywhere, though a few small places take cash only. Keep some $1 and $5 notes for tips; Venmo and PayPal are for locals.
- UPI, for visitors from India — Not accepted for paying here; bring a card that works abroad.
- Tipping — Expected: 15–20% in sit-down restaurants (18–20% is standard in New York) and 10–20% for taxi, Uber and Lyft drivers. Large groups may find it already on the bill.
Getting around Flagstaff
- Apps — Rides: Lyft, Uber. Maps: Google Maps, Apple Maps. Messages: Text messages (SMS), WhatsApp. In San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and some other cities you can also book a driverless Waymo in its own app.
Flagstaff is stretched out along historic Route 66, which runs roughly east-west. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Flagstaff, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Help
- Emergency — 911 (any emergency).
TravelCharika is not an emergency service: we cannot call for help or send anyone. Numbers can change; if one fails, ask someone local or your hotel.
Your embassy — : how to reach your embassy or consulate abroad. A guess from your city, : a city is not a passport.
Put together by hand from the sources listed, checked 7 October 2026. Apps, cards and rules change, so check before you rely on one.
Sources (50)
- gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/getting-help
- omny.info
- omny.info/fares
- clippercard.com/contactless-payments
- clippercard.com/pay-with-phone
- mtc.ca.gov/news/starting-wednesday-bart-riders-can-tap-bank-cards
- sfcta.org/blogs/next-generation-clipper-tap-pay-here
- metro.net/fares/how-to-pay
- transitchicago.com/howto/pay-for-your-fare
- info.myorca.com/contactless
- miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1565197498854306
- mbta.com/fares/charlie/tap-ride
- holocard.net/for-visitors
- holocard.net/help
- sdmts.com/fares/pronto-ways-pay
- ridepronto.com
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/fares
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/lepass
- capmetro.org/fares
- wmata.com/fares
- wmata.com/pay/tap-ride-go.html
- muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Pages/FaresandPasses.aspx
- uber.com/global/en/cities/new-york
- lyft.com/rider/cities/new-york-ny
- waymo.com/faq
- visittheusa.com/travel-trade/faq
- nyctourism.com/tipping-sales-tax
- en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/United_States
- infobip.com/blog/most-popular-messaging-apps-by-country
- developers.google.com/maps/coverage
- apple.com/ios/feature-availability
- visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/septa
- lvmonorail.com/ticket-information
- lvmonorail.com/frequently-asked-questions
- apps.apple.com/us/app/ridertc/id909691507
- lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/your-guide-to-exploring-las-vegas-bus-it-bike-it-or-share-it
- visitlasvegas.com/plan/getting-here-and-around/maps
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/getting-around-vegas
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/vegas-on-budget
- wegotransit.com/buy/fare-information
- wegotransit.com/wego-now-accepts-credit-card-mobile-wallet-contactless-payment
- wegotransit.com/ride/transit-services/airport
- trimet.org/fares
- trimet.org/schedules/maxredline.htm
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/fares
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/tap-n-ride
- app.rtd-denver.com/en-US/route/A/schedule
- pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286608
- rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/AnnualReport/PDFs/09PAYMENT290526C6588B796E664822A2BD0DEB6452CAD4.PDF
Flagstaff in pictures
i
JohnIngraham, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
i
Coconino National Forest/Brady Smith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What Flagstaff is like
Flagstaff is a city of over 75,000 people (2019) near the San Francisco Peaks mountain range of northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon. At an altitude of 6,990 ft (2,130 m), Flagstaff and much of the surrounding region are substantially cooler than the low desert that dominates the southern part of the state. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth seeing
- Lowell Observatory, 1400 W Mars Hill Rd. An astronomical research center from which the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered, this historic institution is on a mesa overlooking the west side of town. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth doing
- Twin Arrows Casino Resort, 22181 Resort Blvd. The area surrounding Flagstaff is a hotspot for outdoor activities. More on Wikivoyage
- Getting in
- Flagstaff is at the intersection of I-40, which runs west to California and east to New Mexico (following historic Route 66) and I-17, which runs south to Phoenix. More on Wikivoyage
- Staying safe
- Although Flagstaff is well within the southern half of the U.S., it receives more snowfall than just about any other American city. Always come prepared in wintertime. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Flagstaff, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the full article has far more. The numbers above are measured; this is experience.
Around Flagstaff
Also in United States
- Anaheim best Apr, May, Oct
- Anchorage best Apr, May, Jun
- Asheville best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Aspen best Mar, Apr, Jun
- Atlanta best Apr, May, Sep
- Atlantic City best Apr, May, Oct
- Austin best Feb, May, Oct
- Bend best May, Aug, Sep
- Big Island best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Big Sur best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Boston best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Boulder best May, Jun, Aug
- Burlington best May, Jun, Sep
- Cape Cod best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Carmel-by-the-Sea best May, Sep, Oct
- Charleston best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Charlotte best Apr, May, Oct
- Charlottesville best Mar, Apr, May
- Chicago best May, Jun, Sep
- Dallas best Apr, May, Oct
- Death Valley best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Denver best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Detroit best May, Jun, Sep
- Fairbanks best May, Jun, Jul
- Fort Lauderdale best Mar, Apr, May
- Galveston best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Houston best Apr, May, Oct
- Jackson Hole best Mar, Aug, Sep
- Joshua Tree best Apr, May, Oct
- Juneau best Jun
- Kauaʻi best Jan, Feb, Oct
- Key West best Mar, Apr, May
- Lake Tahoe best Mar, May, Oct
- Las Vegas best Jan, Feb, Apr
- Los Angeles best Jan, Apr, Oct
- Martha's Vineyard best May, Aug, Oct
- Maui best May, Sep, Oct
- Miami best Jan, Feb, Mar
- Minneapolis best May, Jul, Sep
- Nantucket best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Nashville best May, Sep, Oct
- New Orleans best Mar, Apr, May
- New York best May, Jul, Oct
- Newport best May, Aug, Sep
- Oahu best May, Sep, Oct
- Orlando best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Palm Springs best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Park City best Feb, Mar, Jun
- Philadelphia best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Phoenix best Feb, Apr, Oct
- Portland best May, Aug, Sep
- Portland best May, Jul, Aug
- Salt Lake City best May, Sep, Oct
- San Antonio best Mar, Apr, Oct
- San Diego best Apr, May, Sep
- San Francisco best May, Oct, Nov
- Santa Barbara best Apr, May, Sep
- Santa Cruz best Apr, May, Oct
- Santa Fe best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Sarasota best Apr, May, Oct
- Savannah best Feb, Apr, Oct
- Scottsdale best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Seattle best Apr, May, Jul
- Sedona best Apr, May, Aug
- St. Augustine best Apr, May, Oct
- Tampa best Mar, Apr, Oct
- The Grand Canyon best May, Sep, Oct
- The Hamptons best Jun, Sep, Oct
- Virginia Beach best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Washington DC best Apr, May, Oct
- Yellowstone best Jul, Aug, Sep
- Yosemite best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Zion best Apr, May, Sep
Nearby
- Cabo San Lucas Mexico · 1,378 km
- Kelowna Canada · 1,751 km
- Victoria Canada · 1,758 km
- Calgary Canada · 1,773 km
Kind of place
Flagstaff is in United States, North America. Distances are great-circle, so a short one can still be a long way round.
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