Williams, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona
, United States west of Flagstaff
. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40
, and the Southwest Chief
Amtrak
train route. It is also the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway
, which takes visitors to Grand Canyon Village.
Because of its location near the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
, Williams is a major tourist stop and has many inns and motels. Restaurants and gas stations may be seen serving mainly tourists rather than local residents, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.
and trader who often trapped in the area.
, the city has a total area of 43.8 square miles (113.4 km²), of which, 43.5 square miles (112.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
, 2.89% Black
or African American
, 1.72% Native American
, 1.34% Asian
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
, 14.22% from other races
, and 2.67% from two or more races. 32.34% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,057 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,455, and the median income for a family was $39,063. Males had a median income of $27,237 versus $25,162 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,223. About 9.9% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Federally, Williams is part of Arizona's 1st congressional district
, represented by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick
, elected in 2008.
The state's senior member of the United States Senate is the former Republican presidential candidate, John McCain
, elected in 1986. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Republican Jon Kyl
, elected in 1994. The Governor of Arizona is Republican Jan Brewer
, who took office in 2009 following the resignation of Democrat Janet Napolitano
to become Secretary of Homeland Security.
bypassed. The original plan was to have the last section of the famous highway bypassed somewhere in Texas
, but lawsuits that had been filed kept the last section of Interstate 40 from being built around Williams. After settlements called for the state to build three exits for the town, the suits were dropped and I-40 was built. In 1984, Interstate 40 was opened around the town and newspapers the next day reported the essential end of the famous US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned.
. Two schools, Williams Elementary Middle School, and Williams High School, serve the city. A charter school, Heritage Elementary Charter School, also provides services.
, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Williams, operating its Southwest Chief
between Chicago
and Los Angeles
. Rail passengers actually arrive and depart at Williams Junction
, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Williams, and are shuttled by Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
from Williams Junction to the Grand Canyon Railroad Station in downtown Williams. The downtown station
also serves as the southern terminus for the Grand Canyon Railway.
Coconino County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*61.7% White*1.2% Black*27.3% Native American*1.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*5.2% Other races*13.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, United States west of Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
, and the Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
train route. It is also the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway
Grand Canyon Railway
The Grand Canyon Railway , is a passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.-Santa Fe Ownership:...
, which takes visitors to Grand Canyon Village.
Because of its location near the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
, Williams is a major tourist stop and has many inns and motels. Restaurants and gas stations may be seen serving mainly tourists rather than local residents, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.
History
Williams is named after William "Old Bill" Williams, a mountain manMountain man
Mountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through the 1880s where they were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains...
and trader who often trapped in the area.
Geography
Williams is located at 35°14′58"N 112°11′24"W (35.249369, -112.189872) at 6800 feet (2,072.6 m) in elevation. Bill Williams Mountain rises to an elevation of 9256 feet (2,821.2 m) just south of Williams. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 43.8 square miles (113.4 km²), of which, 43.5 square miles (112.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
Climate
On average in Williams, December is the coolest month, July is the warmest month, and August is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Williams was 102 °F (38.9 °C) in 1909; the coldest temperature recorded was -25 °F in 1937.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,842 people, 1,057 households, and 733 families residing in the city. The population density was 65.3 people per square mile (25.2/km²). There were 1,204 housing units at an average density of 27.7 per square mile (10.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.13% WhiteRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.89% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.72% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.34% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 14.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.67% from two or more races. 32.34% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 1,057 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,455, and the median income for a family was $39,063. Males had a median income of $27,237 versus $25,162 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,223. About 9.9% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Federally, Williams is part of Arizona's 1st congressional district
Arizona's 1st congressional district
Arizona's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona. Geographically, it is the tenth largest congressional district in the country and includes much of the state outside the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas.It is currently represented by...
, represented by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann Kirkpatrick is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She earlier served in the Arizona House of Representatives. She was defeated by Republican Paul Gosar in the 2010 election...
, elected in 2008.
The state's senior member of the United States Senate is the former Republican presidential candidate, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, elected in 1986. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Republican Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
, elected in 1994. The Governor of Arizona is Republican Jan Brewer
Jan Brewer
Janice Kay "Jan" Brewer is the 22nd and current Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona and a member of the Republican Party. She is the fourth woman, and third consecutive woman, to hold the office...
, who took office in 2009 following the resignation of Democrat Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
to become Secretary of Homeland Security.
Williams and Route 66
Williams, Arizona would go down in history as being the last town to have its section of Route 66U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
bypassed. The original plan was to have the last section of the famous highway bypassed somewhere in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, but lawsuits that had been filed kept the last section of Interstate 40 from being built around Williams. After settlements called for the state to build three exits for the town, the suits were dropped and I-40 was built. In 1984, Interstate 40 was opened around the town and newspapers the next day reported the essential end of the famous US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned.
Education
Williams is served by the Williams Unified School DistrictWilliams Unified School District
Williams Unified School District 2 is a unified school district located in Williams, Arizona, a town located in Coconino County. It is composed of two schools; Williams Elementary-Middle School, and Williams High School. The mascot of the school districts is the Viking; the current superintendent...
. Two schools, Williams Elementary Middle School, and Williams High School, serve the city. A charter school, Heritage Elementary Charter School, also provides services.
Transportation
AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Williams, operating its Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Rail passengers actually arrive and depart at Williams Junction
Williams Junction (Amtrak station)
The Williams Junction is located southeast of Williams, Arizona. This station is not accessible to private vehicles; passengers are transferred via an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach shuttle to Williams, Arizona which travels in part on a gravel road to connect with the Grand Canyon Railway...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Williams, and are shuttled by Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
from Williams Junction to the Grand Canyon Railroad Station in downtown Williams. The downtown station
Williams (Train station)
Williams is a privately owned train station in Williams, Arizona, United States. It serves as the Grand Canyon Railway depot in Williams, Arizona. It is located adjacent to the BNSF line from Phoenix...
also serves as the southern terminus for the Grand Canyon Railway.