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City of Sedona
City
Cathedral Rock
FlagSeal
Location of Sedona in Coconino County and Yavapai County, Arizona
SedonaLocation of SedonaShow map of ArizonaSedonaSedona (the United States)Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 34°52′11″N 111°45′40″W / 34.86972°N 111.76111°W / 34.86972; -111.76111
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Counties	Yavapai, Coconino
Founded	1902
Incorporated	1988
Government
• Type	Council–Manager
• Mayor	Scott Jablow
Area
• Total	18.30 sq mi (47.41 km)
• Land	18.26 sq mi (47.30 km)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km)
Elevation	4,360 ft (1,330 m)
Population
• Total	9,684
• Density	530.28/sq mi (204.75/km)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
ZIP Code	86336
Area code	928
FIPS code	04-65350
GNIS feature ID	2411858
Website	www.sedonaaz.gov

Sedona (/sɪˈdoʊnə/ si-DOH-nə) is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Forest.

Sedona's main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The red rocks form a popular backdrop for many activities, ranging from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails.

Sedona was named after Sedona Schnebly whose husband, Theodore Carlton Schnebly, was the city's first postmaster. She was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. Her mother, Amanda Miller, claimed to have made the name up because "it sounded pretty".

History

Anglo-American settlement

The first European-American settler, John J. Thompson, moved to Oak Creek Canyon in 1876, an area well known for its peach and apple orchards. The early settlers were farmers and ranchers. In 1902, when the Sedona post office was established, there were 55 residents. In the mid-1950s, the first telephone directory listed 155 names. Some parts of the Sedona area were not electrified until the 1960s.

The area, then unincorporated, had no local government and was bisected by two counties. Growth increased after a resident discovered water. That meant area residents no longer had to transport water, and could directly build infrastructure.

Sedona began to develop as a tourist destination, vacation-home and retirement center in the 1950s. Most of the development seen today was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. As of 2007, there are no large tracts of undeveloped land remaining.

Important early settlers included the Steele family, originally of Scotland.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

In 1956, construction of the Chapel of the Holy Cross was completed. The chapel rises 70 feet (21 m) out of a 1,000-foot (300 m) redrock cliff. The most prominent feature of the chapel is the cross. Later a chapel was added. Inside the chapel there is a window and a cross with benches and pews.

Cinematic legacy

Sedona played host to more than sixty Hollywood productions from the first years of movies into the 1970s. Stretching as far back as 1923, Sedona's red rocks were a fixture in major Hollywood productions – including films such as Angel and the Badman, Desert Fury, Blood on the Moon, Johnny Guitar, The Last Wagon, 3:10 to Yuma and Broken Arrow. However, the surroundings typically were identified to audiences as the terrain of Texas, California, Nevada, and even Canada–US border territory. The town lent its name to the 2011 film Sedona, which is set in the community.

Brins Fire

On June 18, 2006, a wildfire, reportedly started by campers, began about one mile (2 km) north of Sedona. The Brins Fire covered 4,317 acres (17 km) on Brins Mesa, Wilson Mountain and in Oak Creek Canyon before the USDA Forest Service declared it 100 percent contained on June 28. Containment cost was estimated at $6.4 million.

Slide Fire

On May 20, 2014, a wildfire started from an unknown cause began north of Sedona at Slide Rock State Park. The Slide Fire spread across 21,227 acres in Oak Creek Canyon over nine days and prompted evacuations. State Route 89A opened to Flagstaff in June, but all parking and canyon access was closed to the public until October 1, 2014.

Geography

Sedona is located in the interior chaparral, semi-desert grassland, Great Basin conifer woodland biomes of northern Arizona. Sedona has mild winters and warm summers.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.7 km) of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km), or 0.22%, is water.

Flora

Sedona interior chaparral has many shrubs and small tree species of Quercus turbinella and Rhus ovata and a large population of Quercus palmeri. The Great Basin woodland has many small to medium trees of Pinus monophylla Var. fallax, Juniperus arizonica, Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus osteosperma, and Juniperus monosperma and a large population of Cupressus glabra. At higher elevations in Oak Creek Canyon Juniperus virginiana, Pinus edulis and other pines occur.

Geology

The red rocks of Sedona are formed by a unique layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation. The Schnebly Hill Formation is a thick layer of red to orange-colored sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. The sandstone, a member of the Supai Group, was deposited during the Permian Period. Notable landforms in or around Sedona include the Seven Sacred Pools, Bell Rock, Capitol Butte, Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Butte, Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole, House Mountain, Two Nuns, and Wilson Mountain which is the highest.

Climate

Sedona has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk). In January, the average high temperature is 58.3 °F (14.6 °C) with a low of 34.0 °F (1.1 °C). In July, the average high temperature is 96.9 °F (36.1 °C) with a low of 67.6 °F (19.8 °C). Annual precipitation is just over 17 inches (430 mm).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,192 people, 4,928 households, and 2,863 families residing in the city. The population density was 548.0 inhabitants per square mile (211.6/km). There were 5,684 housing units at an average density of 305.6 per square mile (118.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 92.2% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2000 census there were 7,229 people living in the Yavapai County (western) portion of the city (70.9% of its population) and 2,963 living in the Coconino County (eastern) portion (29.1%). By land area Yavapai had 66.2% of its area, versus 33.8% for Coconino.

There were 4,928 households, out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.52.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 13.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,042, and the median income for a family was $52,659. Males had a median income of $32,067 versus $24,453 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,350. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Annual events include:

• St. Patrick's Day parade, Celebration of Spring, Sedona Food Truck Festival, Red Dirt Concerts, Pumpkin Splash, and WagFest and Fair.
• Sedona Marathon.
• Sedona Miracle Annual Charity Fundraiser.
• Sedona Hummingbird Festival.
• The Sedona Solstice Festivals (summer and winter) at Unity of Sedona.

Arts organizations include:

• Chamber Music Sedona chamber-music program.
• Sedona Arts Center, founded in 1958, the oldest arts center in northern Arizona.
• Sedona International Film Festival, established in 1995.
• Greg Lawson Galleries.

A New Age tourist industry operates in Sedona, where José Arguelles organized the "Harmonic Convergence" in 1987. Some New Age proponents purport that "spiritual vortices" are concentrated in the Sedona area at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The Sedona Wetlands Preserve is a popular area for birding.

Government

Politically, Uptown Sedona, the Gallery District and the Chapel area (all in Coconino County) and West Sedona (in Yavapai County) form the City of Sedona. Founded in 1902, it was incorporated as a city in 1988. The unincorporated Village of Oak Creek, 7 miles (11 km) to the south and well outside the Sedona city limits, is a significant part of the Sedona community.

In 2013, Sedona became one of the Arizona municipalities to approve of civil unions for same-sex partners.

Education

Sedona is in the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District. West Sedona School (Sedona-Oak Creek USD), serving grades K–6, is located at 570 Posse Ground Road. Sedona Red Rock High School (SRRHS), built in 1994, is located on the western edge of town in West Sedona. The school's mascot is the Scorpion. The high school's new campus, a series of single-story buildings, is located opposite the Sedona campus of Yavapai College. As of 2016, Sedona Red Rock High School holds grades 7–8 in the Junior High portion of campus.

Prior to the establishment of Sedona-Oak Creek USD, Flagstaff Unified School District included Sedona and operated the Sedona School. In the pre-1991 period some Sedona-area students attended Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary School District and Mingus Union High School District. The Sedona school district opened in 1991, taking territory and assets from Flagstaff USD. At the time, Sedona students continued to attend Flagstaff for high school.

Red Rock Early Learning Center is a year-round Preschool program designed for children aged 3–5 years old. Their normal school year runs from August to May each year, with a summer session offered during June and July. It is licensed by the ADHS, and located in West Sedona Elementary School building 300.

Verde Valley School, a boarding International Baccalaureate high school with many international students, is located between the Village of Oak Creek and Red Rock Crossing. It hosts numerous 'traditions' and performances open to the community. Their mascot is the coyote. Total attendance measures about 120 students per year, grades 9–12. Oscar-winning composer James Horner studied there (Titanic, Braveheart, Avatar, Legends of The Fall).

Sedona Charter School (SCS) is located behind the Sedona Public Library, serving as a Montessori-based school for grades K–8.

Yavapai College's Sedona Center for Arts & Technology includes the Sedona Film School, which offers certificates in independent filmmaking, the Business Partnership Program, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the University of Arizona Mini Med School.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Sedona Airport is a non-towered general aviation airport located within the city limits. The nearest commercial airports are Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (26 miles away), Prescott Regional Airport (68 miles away), and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (119 miles away).

Healthcare

Verde Valley Medical Center – Sedona Campus is an outpatient facility providing 24/7 emergency services, cancer services, and primary and specialty healthcare to the Sedona/Oak Creek area. The facility is part of the Northern Arizona Healthcare system and is a subdivision of Verde Valley Medical Center in the nearby city of Cottonwood.

Cemeteries

Sedona's oldest burial ground is the Schuerman–Red Rock Cemetery, dating from 1893. Another pioneer cemetery is the Cooks Cedar Gate Cemetery, with an initial burial in 1918. The Sedona Community Cemetery, also known as Sedona Memorial Park, is on Pine Drive.

Notable people

• Robert Adams – American Advaita teacher
• Samaire Armstrong – actress
• Michelle Branch – singer/songwriter
• Brandon Decker - singer/songwriter based in Sedona
• Gail Edwards – actress
• Justin Frankel – computer programmer
• Kevin Geary – English portrait and abstract artist
• Steve George – musician/songwriter (Mr. Mister)
• James Gregory – television actor
• James Horner – film composer (studied at the Verde Valley School in the 1970s)
• Greg Lawson – American photographer, author, and publisher
• Sagan Lewis – actress, former program director of the Sedona International Film Festival
• Howard Madole – recognized as "Sedona's first architect", his influence is seen all over the city
• Tom O'Halleran – U. S. representative
• Israel Regardie – writer, occultist, and sometime secretary to Aleister Crowley.

In popular culture

• In 1982 singer Donna Loren released the song "Sedona" on her own label, Royalty Records. The song was written by Loren while living in Sedona. James Burton produced the song with Loren, played guitar, and assembled other members of the Elvis Presley TCB Band: Ronnie Tutt (drums), Jerry Scheff (bass), and Glen D. Hardin (piano). Chris Hillman played mandolin. It was Loren's first recording since 1967, and subsequently appeared on her compilation, Magic: The 80's Collection.
• "Sedona" is the title and subject of Houndmouth's first single from their second studio album, Little Neon Limelight.
• A film titled Sedona was released in 2012. It was the first feature film to be shot entirely in Sedona since the 1970s when the heyday of Hollywood filmmaking in the area ended. The cast includes Frances Fisher, Seth Peterson, Barry Corbin, Christopher Atkins, Lin Shaye and Beth Grant.
• The racing video games Forza Motorsport 3 and Forza Motorsport 4 feature the fictional track "Sedona Raceway Park".

See also

• Mogollon Rim

Notes

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sedona, Arizona
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
3. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sedona city, Arizona". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
4. Territorial Women's Memorial Rose Garden: Sedona Arabelle Miller Schnebly Archived April 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. (n.d.) Sharlot Hall Museum. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
5. "Arizona Scenic Roads ~ See for yourself why the Scenic Roads of Arizona are truly a hidden treasure!". Arizonascenicroads.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
6. "History of Sedona". Sedona Heritage Museum. March 24, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
7. Rigby, Elizebeth (July 17, 1967). "Water Discovery Leads Sedona to Rapid Boom". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Heidinger & Trevillyan (2007). Images of America: Sedona, Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4800-5
9. "Chapel of the Holy Cross". Sacred Destinations. April 18, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
10. Somerville, Slyvia. "Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona Architectural Landmark". Gateway To Sedona. Range Dog Publishing Inc. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
11. McNeill, Joe. "Arizona's Little Hollywood: Sedona and Northern Arizona's Forgotten Film History 1923–1973" (2010, Northedge & Sons)
12. USDA Forest Service. (June 19, 2006). Brins Fire Update. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
13. "BRINS FIRE UPDATE" (PDF). Coconino National Forest. June 29, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2010.
14. "Slide Fire Information – InciWeb the Incident Information System". inciweb.nwcg.gov. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
15. Graham, Christopher Fox. "Oak Creek Canyon evacuated north of Slide Rock due to fire o". Redrocknews.com – Sedona Red Rock News. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
16. "Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona to reopen Wednesday". azcentral. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
17. "Arizona biomes, biotic communities, and habitats - Reptiles of Arizona". Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
18. "Annual Weather | Red Rock State Park". azstateparks.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
19. "SEINet Portal Network Checklist: Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon". Swbiodiversity.org. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
20. "Pinus monophylla (singleleaf piñon) description - The Gymnosperm Database". Conifers.org. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
21. "Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) – Sedona, AZ". NWS Flagstaff, AZ - Climate. Sedona, AZ: National Weather Service, NOAA. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
22. "Station: SEDONA, AZ US USC00027708" (PDF). Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020. National Centers for Environmental Information. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved August 8, 2024. Elev: 4220 ft. Lat: 34.8956° N Lon: 111.7644° W
23. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
24. "Sedona recent events". Sedonaaz.gov. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
25. "Sedona Marathon". Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
26. "My Blog". Sedonamiracle.org. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
27. "Unity of Sedona – New Age Spiritual Center, New Thought Church and Energy Vortex". Unityofsedona.com.
28. "Greg Lawson's Sedona Art Gallery and Museum in Arizona". Greglawsongalleries.com. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
29. Greg Lawson Galleries Archived March 24, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Artzii.
30. Ivakhiv, Adrian (September 1997). "Red Rocks, "Vortexes" and the Selling of Sedona: Environmental Politics in the New Age". Social Compass. 44 (3): 367–384. doi:10.1177/003776897044003005. ISSN 0037-7686.
31. Garner, Dwight (April 9, 2006). "In Search of the Vortex Vibe in Sedona". Nytimes.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
32. "Sedona City Council OKs civil unions in 5-2 vote". KCBD. 2013. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
33. "Bi-County School Bill Hit: Senate Unit Refuses Its Introduction". Arizona Daily Sun. Vol. 17, no. 154. January 31, 1963. pp. 1-2 – via Newspapers.com.
34. Rothschild, Becca (August 21, 1991). "Dropout rate falls at FUSD". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
35. "8KBET | 8KBET.COM - Nhà Cái Uy Tín 8K BET Đăng Ký +88K". 8kbetttttt.co. October 4, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
36. "Sedona Charter School". Sedonacharterschool.com. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
37. "Contact Us |". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
38. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sedona Community Cemetery
39. Fried, Paul. "Michelle Branch, Local singer/songwriter is "Everywhere"". Red Rock Review. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
40. "List of Famous People from Arizona". The Free Resource. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
41. Kronthaler, Helmut (2009). Tegethoff, Wolf; Savoy, Bénédicte; Beyer, Andreas (eds.). "Geary, Kevin". Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon Online / Artists of the World Online. K. G. Saur. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
42. Barnes, Mike (August 9, 2016). "Sagan Lewis, Actress and Wife of Emmy Winner Tom Fontana, Dies at 63". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
43. "Howard Madole's History | Howard Madole | Modern Phoenix". modernphoenix.net. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
44. "Donna Loren Official Website". DonnaLoren.net.
45. "Sedona". AllMovie.
46. Forza Motorsport 4 Locations – Forza Motorsport official website (04/10/2022)

External links

• Official website
• [REDACTED] Geographic data related to Sedona, Arizona at OpenStreetMap

v t e Municipalities and communities of Coconino County, Arizona, United States
County seat: Flagstaff
Cities	Flagstaff Page Sedona‡ Williams
Towns	Fredonia Tusayan
CDPs	Bellemont Bitter Springs Blue Ridge Cameron Doney Park Forest Lakes Fort Valley Grand Canyon Village Greenehaven Kachina Village Kaibab Estates West Kaibito LeChee Leupp Moenkopi Mormon Lake Mountain View Ranches Mountainaire Munds Park Oak Creek Canyon Parks Red Lake Supai Timberline-Fernwood Tolani Lake Tonalea Tuba City Valle Winslow West‡
Populated places	Big Springs Chalender Cosnino Cow Springs Frazier Wells The Gap Gray Mountain Happy Jack Hidden Springs Indian Gardens Jacob Lake Lakeview Lost Eden Marble Canyon Moenave Navajo Mountain (Chapter) Old Leupp Rare Metals Rockledge Sand Springs Stoneman Lake Wahweap Willow Springs Winona
Indian reservations	Havasupai Hopi‡ Hualapai‡ Kaibab‡ Navajo‡
Ghost towns	Anita Apex Canyon Diablo Coal Mine Mesa Corva House Rock Riordan Tolchico Twin Arrows Two Guns
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Arizona portal United States portal

v t e Municipalities and communities of Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
County seat: Prescott
Cities	Cottonwood Peoria‡ Prescott Sedona‡
Towns	Camp Verde Chino Valley Clarkdale Dewey-Humboldt Jerome Prescott Valley Wickenburg‡
CDPs	Ash Fork Bagdad Black Canyon City Congress Cordes Lakes Cornville Lake Montezuma Mayer Paulden Peeples Valley Seligman Spring Valley Verde Village Village of Oak Creek (Big Park) Wilhoit Williamson Yarnell
Populated places	Arcosanti Aultman Breezy Pines Briggs Copperopolis Crookton Crown King Drake Dugas Forbing Park Goodwin Groom Creek Hecla Highland Park Hillside Hooper Humbug Iron Springs Juniper Heights Kirkland Kirkland Junction Lapham Minnehaha Mint Nelson Oak Creek Perkinsville Potato Patch Red Rock Skull Valley Walnut Grove Yava
Indian reservations	Hualapai Indian Reservation Yavapai Reservation Yavapai-Apache Nation Indian Reservation
Ghost towns	Alexandra Big Bug Bradshaw City Bumble Bee Catoctin Cherry Cleator Columbia Constellation Cordes Curtis Fort Misery Gillett Glen Oaks Jerome Junction Octave Stanton Tip Top Venezia Wagoner Walker Weaver
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Arizona portal United States portal

• Sedona, Arizona
• 1902 establishments in Arizona Territory
• Cities in Arizona
• Cities in Coconino County, Arizona
• Cities in Yavapai County, Arizona
• Populated places of the Mogollon Rim
• Populated places established in 1902