13 Of The Most Welcoming Towns In Arizona
The wonderful state of Arizona is filled with Sonoran Desert beauty and a charm of its own. From large attractions like the Grand Canyon to the snow-covered ski valleys of Flagstaff and the saguaro-filled hills of Tucson, nature in all its vast glory can be found throughout the state.
Larger cities like Phoenix can be overwhelming when first visiting. There's so much to see and do, and it's so large that it's difficult to fit in. However, Arizona has plenty of smaller towns that offer desert charm, a strong tourism culture, and an even stronger sense of community. If you're looking for welcoming towns in Arizona, small towns like Bisbee, Tombstone, Willcox, Sierra Vista, and Oatman are among the best.
Bisbee
Bisbee has a small population, but it is rich in history. The site of a now-abandoned copper mine, Bisbee became a thriving cultural community filled with art, new-age-style stores, and a welcoming and unique environment for visitors.
Bisbee has historical significance in the mining industry as the "Queen of the Copper Camps" due to its high production of copper. You can take a mine tour into the depths of the Copper Queen Mine and see where the mining took place. The Warren area of Bisbee gave rise to its own fame as the home of the nation's oldest ballpark at Warren Ballpark.
Downtown Bisbee attracts residents and visitors who enjoy browsing through the downtown shops and streets and soaking in the artsy spirit. Art is featured everywhere, from original paintings on the sides of buildings to art galleries like the Artemizia Foundation. Bisbee 1000 Great Stair Climb is hosted yearly and brings marathon enthusiasts from all over the world to see who can make it to the end of the 1000-step journey located throughout the town, and during Bisbee Pirate Weekend, residents and tourists bring out their inner pirate by dressing up, participating in pirate jousts and plays, and enjoying pirate-oriented food and drink.
Everyone is friendly and welcoming in Bisbee, not just greeting you on the street but really wanting to know each other. Locals frequent dining favorites like Cafe Roka and the Bisbee Breakfast Club, so it's easy to find familiar and smiling faces when stopping for a meal.
Tombstone
Tombstone is another small town in Arizona that's filled with both history and a strong sense of community. Home of a famous silver-mining boom in the 19th century, Tombstone is also known for its iconic gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The hills of the town are littered with old silver mining shafts, and the downtown is full of western history, gunfighters, and rambling stagecoaches complete with draft horses.
People all over the world come to Tombstone, and it's a place where you can hear every language in the world as you walk down the streets, and yet be connected in a common love of western lore and the spirit of tourism. Locals are welcoming and friendly, and enjoy meeting new people. You can see gunfighters in action at the original O.K. Corral, or take a tour of the silver mines at Good Enough Silver Mine.
Every October, Tombstone celebrates its Helldorado Days, features three days of western reenactments, a parade, free street gunfighting shows and other entertainers, a parade, and western food and drink galore. It's a great opportunity to show off your traditional western costumes as well. And in February, Vigilante Days brings the entire town and tourists together to see the Tombstone Vigilettes perform, take stagecoach and trolley rides, and see street gunfights. You can even watch mock hangings! It's a great way to learn about the true western history and culture of the area.
Oatman
Oatman is a quaint little town in the Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona. Located on the historic Route 66, Oatman has a gold mining history, is covered in wooden sidewalks, and boasts the fame of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard having stayed in the Oatman Hotel.
The best part about Oatman, however, and one that brings visitors from far and wide and lends a grand sense of community, is the free-roaming burros. During certain parts of the day, wild burros wander into town and beg to be fed the carrots sold at many of the downtown stores. It's a daily tradition that's been going strong since the mining days, when the burros were actually used for mining. Visitors flock from far and wide for a chance to feed a baby burro a carrot and snap a photo beside it.
Browse through the downtown shops while waiting for the burros to come down from the hills, and stock up on Route 66 sodas and snacks and Oatman merchandise. Daily Wild West Gunfight reenactments, along with the daily burro visits, foster a strong sense of entertainment and welcoming community. Oatman Hotel Restaurant and Bar and Cool Springs Station are great places to soak up the local culture and be welcomed with a smiling, friendly face.
Williams
Williams is one of the few small towns in Arizona where you can experience snow. Little snowfall is found in the desert towns, but Williams is situated in northern Arizona and is known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. Williams gets around 75 inches of snow every year, making it a unique desert town.
Williams is also located on the historic Route 66, and is the home of the Route 66 Zipline and Pete's Route 66 Gas Station Museum. The Grand Canyon Railway leads into the Grand Canyon National Park, where you can ride the train to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Because of its prime location on the way to the Grand Canyon, Williams is a popular tourist spot and a great place to stay for the night when visiting the Grand Canyon.
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park offers 13 acres of fun with a mountain coaster, summer mountain tubing, and winter snow tubing. Polar Express at the Grand Canyon Railway is in November, and brings locals and tourists from everywhere to experience the magic of the classic story as you ride on the train. Frequent rodeo competitions at the Rodeo Grounds give everyone a chance to mingle, root for their favorite cowboy, and enjoy traditional western fare. Williams is filled with the true spirit of excitement and tourism, making it a welcoming place to visit or live.
Chloride
Chloride is a unique, very small town that boasts the accolade of being the oldest continually inhabited mining town in Arizona. With a population of around 157 residents, it's by far the smallest town on the list. It's nearly a ghost town, but it still plays host to numerous tourists every year and has enough residents to have its own churches, general store, and restaurant.
Chloride once had over 75 working silver mines and over 2,000 residents. The mines are long closed, but the charm and idealism of the old-western mining spirit live on, and you can see the abandoned mine structures and shafts as you walk around town. You can also see the old Chloride Jail and Chloride Post Office, in all their original, shambling glory.
Cyanide Springs Western Town is a ramshackle street in Chloride that was created to look like a western town. It's used for filming and frequent events like gunfighting shows and other western entertainers. The Old Miners' Day Parade honors its hard rock miners of the past with a noon parade, a bake sale and raffle, gunfight reenactments, and a chance to dress up in your old-time western best. Afterward, you can stop at Mineshaft Market, the town's primary general store, to pick up a snack and Route 66 and Chloride souvenirs.
Sierra Vista
One of the largest towns on the list, Sierra Vista has a population of around 45,000 residents. Sierra Vista is founded in history as the home of Fort Huachuca and the Buffalo Soldiers. It also has the prestige of being the home of the first-ever McDonalds drive-thru, which opened on January 24, 1975.
Sierra Vista is a popular area for lovers of nature and outdoor adventure, and it brings nature enthusiasts together from all over the world. The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area offers world-class birding, along with nature walks, popular events like weekly guided nature and history walks, and frequent guided birding walks. Close by to the north, Kartchner Caverns is also a popular area for locals and tourists alike. It's one of Arizona's top state parks, and offers daily cave tours, picnic areas, and frequent free events, like the Bat Fest, which brings the entire community together.
Local community centers, like the Oscar Yrun Community Center, offer weekly classes and workshops of all kinds. The local Cochise Community College hosts frequent events, like the Haunted Union, which features a haunted house, games, food, and treats, and a chance to see the local college students. Be sure to visit the Sierra Vista Mall and Cinemark while you're visiting!
Willcox
Willcox is a quaint little town filled with history and beauty. With less than 3,500 residents, it's small enough to offer a true and welcoming sense of community. Located directly off I-10, Willcox is a popular stay-over town, but it's also a great place to spend a few days and explore the history and culture of the area.
Willcox is the birthplace of Rex Allen, who was known as "The Arizona Cowboy" and was a western film star, singer, and songwriter from the 1950s. The Rex Allen Museum is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike to mingle and explore the area's history. The nearby Willcox Historic Theater and Arts is the original, restored theater that first opened in 1937. It played host to the original cowboy western stars, and now plays new and classic movies for the community to enjoy.
While you're visiting Willcox, be sure to plan for October's Rex Allen Days. You can enjoy a rodeo, parade, carnival rides, and family-friendly entertainment while celebrating the legacy of Rex Allen. Wings over Willcox in January is a fun event that brings birding enthusiasts from around the world to see the Sandhill Cranes gather on their migratory route.
Benson
Benson has fewer than 6,000 residents, and was originally founded as a rail terminal for the area when the Southern Pacific Railroad came through southern Arizona in 1880. The railroad is a big part of the town, with frequent trains and the area's only Amtrak stop. Benson Visitor Center is located in the Train Depot, and has historic railway artifacts, history, and even a free train simulator, where aspiring engineers can earn a souvenir Benson Train Engineer Certificate.
Kartchner Caverns is nearby, making Benson a popular area to stay when visiting the caves. Also, you can visit the peaceful and enchanting grounds of the nearby Benedictine Holy Trinity Monastery. It's a peaceful, walkable, friendly town that's located off I-10 and accessible to everything you need.
Benson was also a famous stopping point for the Butterfield Overland Stage mail delivery route, and Butterfield Days brings the entire county together to enjoy the thrill of the rodeo, live music, local vendors, a parade, games, delicious food, and even a stickhorse competition. Mystic Raven Natural Wellness is even offering a first Adult Halloween Party this year, with a chance to make a mini pumpkin, get a card reading, and share in spooky stories and treats.
Douglas
Douglas is a border town, located directly across the border from Agua Prieta, Mexico. With a history of mining and a population of less than 20,000, Douglas offers a unique location, history, and a strong sense of community.
Known as "The Gateway for Mexico," Douglas is home to an array of cultural and architectural wonders, including the Classic Revival Style of the Grand Theatre and the ornate lobby of the Gadsden Hotel. The Border Air Museum offers displays and historical facts of aerial events dating back to 1908. The Cochise County Fair and Douglas Rodeo are hosted every year on the Douglas Fairgrounds, bringing ranchers and countywide residents far and wide to celebrate the western heritage by enjoying rodeos, live music, carnival rides, countywide arts, crafts, and animal fair entries, daily entertainers, like magicians, and plenty of delicious fair food and local vendors.
Downtown Douglas has a wide variety of stores and restaurants in a still-vibrant area. Visit Mr. Miller's Art Emporium, then walk down the street to grab a bite to eat at Wild Dog Grille. Afterward, plan to walk across the border and visit a thriving town in Mexico. Just be sure to bring your passport along!
Sedona
Sedona is surrounded by red rock buttes, canyon walls, and nearby pine forests. A thriving art community of less than 10,000 residents, Sedona is home to a unique beauty, New Age shops and spas, and plenteous art galleries and up-and-coming artists.
The dramatic red rock landscapes are considered to have spiritual significance as a vortex for healing. Visitors from around the world flock to the area to experience the spas and scenery. Wellness retreats, like the Spiritflow Sedona Healing & Retreat Center, let you experience the healing energy of the area. All this alongside a McDonald's with blue arches and an outdoor downtown center that hosts performing artists on a regular basis, makes Sedona a quirky and unusual town.
Enjoy a spiritual wolf experience at Sedona Wolf Sanctuary by having an immersive, up-close encounter with these majestic creatures. The Sedona Lantern Festival lets you float your own lantern in Healing Lake, listen to traditional Korean drums, and watch Korean expressive dancers. Wings and Wheels is an air show that features vintage aircraft, offers spectacular flights over the red rocks, and lets you enjoy food, vendors, and amazing aircraft displays. Stop by afterward at Casa Sedona Inn to dine under a canopy of juniper.
Safford
Safford is a mining town in the Mogollon Rim of eastern Arizona with a population of slightly over 10,000 residents. With a history of Mormon settlement, copper mining, and a rich agriculture centered on cotton, Safford is small enough to offer real community, but still give access to everything necessary, with a friendly and welcoming attitude.
Eastern Arizona College is a community college that offers numerous Associate Degrees, trade training, and even some Bachelors Degrees. Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area offers activities for everyone, from a space to ride your ATV over rolling sand dunes to hot tubs with mineral water.
The Pioneer Day Celebration provides an entire day of local fun with a pickleball tournament, parade, variety show, family rodeo, family dance, and a delicious BBQ dinner. Cowboy Poets Round Up and Old-Time Fiddlers offers a chance for residents and tourists alike to hear authentic cowboy poets and singers and listen to traditional western stories. There's also a fiddler contest that features a real spirit of camaraderie and community.
Gila Bend
Gila Bend was founded in 1872 and has a population of nearly 2,000 residents. A truly unique little town, Gila Bend is located in the desert region near the Gila River, making it hotter than some areas in Arizona. The mascot of Gila Bend is the Gila Monster, so you just might spot one of these infamous creatures while you're visiting.
Known as "The Gateway to the Sonoran Desert National Monument," Gila Bend's prime location on the route to other cities and states has made it a place for weary travelers to stop and rest for centuries. M&J Artisanias Authentic Decor brims with unique ceramic pottery, metal sculptures, and barrio pots, and is known worldwide by tourists passing through. The Town of Gila Bend Light Parade features a night parade of light-decorated floats to showcase the community. Gila Bend's Butterfield Stage Days and Rodeo celebrates one of the most legendary stagecoach routes in history with stickhorse races, gunny sack races, Gila Bend trivia, chili cook-off, pie baking contest, and even a Wild West shoot out.
Also, while the Best Western Space Age Lodge may be a favorite for travelers to stop and rest, the onsite Space Age Restaurant and Bar is a local favorite that offers food, fun, and entertainment to the entire community. From alien and UFO-related menu items and souvenirs, to birthday parties, frequent contests, and weekly karaoke, this unusual spaceship restaurant is known far and wide.
Parker
Parker is a thriving little town with a population of less than 4,000. It's located on the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation, which spans not only the Colorado River, but lands in both Arizona and California. The nearness of the large Colorado River makes Parker a popular spot for water enthusiasts to engage in fun of all types, from boating to swimming to waterboarding. The rest of Parker, away from the river, is true hot desert and filled with Native American culture, artifacts, museums like the Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum, and western history.
Bluewater Resort & Casino is a popular tourist spot, and also offers multiple jobs to the community. From rental cabanas and access to boating and jet skiing, the atrium pool, and the Blue Water Cinemas for all the recent movies, to the nearby Emerald Cove Resort that offers miniature golf, an arcade, and a kid's club, entertainment is centrally located and draws the entire community and travelers alike.
Line Dancing at the Parker Community Center offers the entire community and visitors free, weekly Country Line Dance lessons. The Forbidden Shelf Book Club at Parker Public Library meets monthly to discuss banned and challenged books and provide a little literary fun.
Arizona is truly one of the most unique states in America. The state offers snow-covered, pine-filled mountains to the hottest desert imaginable and a thriving river culture, making it an ideal place no matter what environment you enjoy. From tourist-centric small towns to cultural hot spots filled with Native American and Hispanic history and an enormous mining boom culture, it's a wonderful state to learn about the early beginnings of the vast United States.
The small towns listed are some of the most welcoming places not only in Arizona, but in the entire country. They're passionate about their history, culture, and unique environments, and they thrive on welcoming new visitors to their favorite towns. If you can manage to visit them all, it'll be a definite trip to remember!
