# Region 5: Flagstaff, AZ CBSA

# I. Geographic Boundaries, Political Jurisdictions, and Infrastructure

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="5.6375in" height="6.626388888888889in"}

Map 5.1 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Major Highways and Fixed Guideway System

The Flagstaff, AZ Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) is the county of
Coconino situated in the northeast corner of the state, which is
bordered to the north by Utah and to the east by New Mexico. Flagstaff,
AZ, located at the base of the San Francisco Mountains in north central
Arizona, is the largest city located in Coconino County. Coconino County
is the largest county in Arizona at 18,658 square miles with a
population of 116,320. A total of 33,161, or 29 percent, of the county's
population is American Indian. The Navajo, Hualapai, and Hopi Nations
are predominantly located in the northeast corner of the county. The
county population accounts for approximately two percent of the state of
Arizona's total population of 5,130,632.

A 65-mile private tourist train to the south rim of the Grand Canyon is
a fixed guideway out of Williams, AZ. Interstates 40 and 17 and the
United States highways of 89, 160, and 180 are the major highways that
radiate out from the city of Flagstaff.

The climate of the Flagstaff CBSA varies. In the eastern portion, which
is high desert, there is less than ten inches of rainfall each year. In
the forest areas near the center of the county, there is over 25 inches
of precipitation each year.

#  

# II. Agencies Operating in the Flagstaff, AZ CBSA

+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+
| **Agency**       | **Jurisdictions      | **Pop   | *      | *      |
|                  | Served**             | ulation | *Opera | *Staff |
|                  |                      | S       | ting** | Size** |
|                  |                      | erved** |        |        |
|                  |                      |         | **Bu   |        |
|                  |                      |         | dget** |        |
+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+
| Arizona          | Coconino County      | 116,320 | *(a)*  | 4,700  |
| Department of    |                      |         |        |        |
| Transportation   |                      |         |        |        |
+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+
| Flagstaff MPO    | Coconino County      | 116,320 | \$2    | 2      |
|                  |                      |         | 46,667 |        |
+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+
| Northern Arizona | Apache, Coconino,    | 3,      | *(a)*  | *(a)*  |
| Council of       | Navajo, and Yavapai  | 608,488 |        |        |
| Governments      | Counties             |         |        |        |
+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+
| Mountain Line    | City of Flagstaff    | 48,603  | *(a)*  | *(a)*  |
| Transit/ VanGO   |                      |         |        |        |
| Paratransit      |                      |         |        |        |
+------------------+----------------------+---------+--------+--------+

## *Not Available*

##  {#section-1 .unnumbered}

##   {#section-2 .unnumbered}

## III. Transit Service Area: Fixed Guideway and Bus Service Area {#iii.-transit-service-area-fixed-guideway-and-bus-service-area .unnumbered}

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="4.879166666666666in"
height="5.739583333333333in"}

Map 5.2 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Transit Service Area

The Flagstaff city bus service and a 65-mile private tourist train to
the south rim of the Grand Canyon are the only transit agencies
operating in the Flagstaff CBSA and serve less than 100 square miles.

**Mountain Line Transit**

Mountain Line Transit is the operator of the city\'s public
transportation system for bus service. Mountain Line Transit operates a
bus fleet of approximately 13 buses on five routes in downtown
Flagstaff, AZ. Annual ridership on the Mountain Line Transit is
approximately 383,696.

**Grand Canyon Railways**

The Grand Canyon Railways is a privately owned and operated tourist
train located in Williams, AZ approximately 65 miles south of the Grand
Canyon. The train operates daily from Williams to the south rim of the
Grand Canyon National Park serving approximately 220,000 passengers
annually.

## Number and Proportion of Minority, Below Poverty, and Limited English Proficient Populations in Relation to the Transit Service Area

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="1.7541666666666667in"
height="1.6076388888888888in"}

Map 5.3 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Minority Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 27

Total Population of CBSA 116,320

Total Minority Population residing in CBSA 42,939

Regional Average of Minority Population in the CBSA 34%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average minority population 7
(26%)

Total Minority Population in the above average census tracts 26,454

Based on U.S. 2000 Census Data, the total population of the Flagstaff,
AZ CBSA is 116,320. The total minority population residing in the CBSA
is 42,939. As shown in Map 5.3, seven of the 27 tracts (26 percent) have
minority populations that exceed the regional minority average (34
percent). Five of the seven above average census tracts are located in
the northeast corner of the county. The total minority population of
these five tracts is 23,588, or 97 percent of the total population
(24,219). The large population of minorities in the northeast corner of
the CBSA is due to the presence of the American Indian nations of the
Hopi, Navajo, and Hualapai. This area of the CBSA, which is over 5,900
square miles, is not served by a transit system.

The one green census tract located in the center of the CBSA is only
slightly above average (34.9 percent) with a total minority population
of 193 persons.

The city of Flagstaff, AZ has a total population of 48,603, which
accounts for 42 percent of the entire CBSA population, and is served by
the Mountain Line Transit Service. The city has a below average minority
population, except for one census tract that has an above average
percentage of minority population of 39.5 percent (2,673 persons). The
other 67,717, or 58 percent, of the CBSA population lives outside the
public transit service area.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="6.075in" height="6.872916666666667in"}

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="1.4534722222222223in"
height="1.5208333333333333in"}Map 5.4 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Below Poverty
Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 27

Total Population of CBSA 116,320

Total Below Poverty Population residing in CBSA 20,609

Regional Average of Below Poverty Population in the CBSA 17%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Below Poverty pop. 10
(37%)

Total Below Poverty Population in the above average census tracts 14,180

The 2000 U.S. Census Data shows 20,609 of the total Flagstaff CBSA
population of 116,320, approximately 17 percent, are living below
poverty level. Ten of the 27 census tracts (37 percent) have an above
average population. The northeast corner of Coconino County has a below
poverty level population of 7,954, which is 39 percent of the total
below poverty population residing in the CBSA. As shown on the map, the
Mountain Line Transit does not service this area. A total of 16 census
tracts with a population of 67,717, or 58 percent of the entire CBSA
population, are located outside the transit service area.

Approximately 17 percent (8,381) of the 48,603 persons living in the
city of Flagstaff are in the below poverty population. Five census
tracts in the city have above average populations of below poverty level
persons, totaling 6,143 persons. Below poverty persons living in
Flagstaff, AZ are in the Mountain Line Transit bus service area.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="5.519444444444445in"
height="6.252777777777778in"}

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="1.5090277777777779in"
height="1.773611111111111in"}Map 5.5 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Limited English
Proficient Population

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 27

Total Population of CBSA 116,320

Total Population 5 years and older of CBSA 107,876

Total LEP Population\* residing in CBSA 10,836

Regional Average of LEP Population\* in the CBSA 11%

Number ( %) of Census Tracts with above average LEP population\* 6 (22%)

Total LEP Population\* in the above average census tracts 6,901

\* LEP includes those 5 years of age and older

The Flagstaff, AZ CBSA total limited English proficient (LEP) population
is 10,836. As the LEP map shows, six census tracts (22 percent) have
above average LEP populations. A total of 6,901 LEP persons are living
in the census tracts with above average LEP populations. The one census
tract appearing in red with an above average LEP population of 86
percent contains less than one percent of the total CBSA population. The
Mountain Line Transit does not service the northeast corner of Coconino
County. A total of 67,717, or 58 percent of the entire CBSA population,
is located outside the transit service area.

In the city of Flagstaff, the LEP population is well below the CBSA
average, except for one tract that has an above average LEP population
of 14 percent, which equals approximately 895 persons.

## Number and Proportion of Zero Car Households: Greater than the Regional Average 

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="1.5569444444444445in"
height="1.1972222222222222in"}

Map 5.6 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Zero Car Households

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 27

Total Households in the CBSA 40,448

Total Zero Car Households in CBSA 2,790

Regional Average of Zero Car Households in the CBSA 7%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Zero Car Households 13
(48%)

Total Zero Car Households in the above average census tracts 2,110

The average for households without vehicles is seven percent of the
total households located in the Flagstaff CBSA. There are 13 census
tracts (48 percent) in which the number of zero car households exceeds
the regional average. A total of 2,790 households in the Flagstaff CBSA
are households without vehicles.

According to the U.S. 2000 Census, the city of Flagstaff has a total of
19,306 households. A total of 1,170 (6 percent) of these households are
households without vehicles. Six of the census tracts located in
Flagstaff has an above average percentage of households without vehicles
that contain 894 of the 1,170 zero car households located in the city.

Seven of the census tracts with an above average percentage of zero car
households, are located outside the city of Flagstaff in the central and
northeast areas of Coconino County. Out of the nearly 9,500 households
present in these census tracts, a total of 1,216 (13 percent) households
are households without vehicles.

As shown on the Zero Car Household map, the Mountain Line Transit only
services the city of Flagstaff, AZ. A total of 21,142 households, or 52
percent, are located outside the transit service area.

## Number and Proportion of Minority Population with overlay of Below Poverty Population

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="1.575in" height="1.6458333333333333in"}

Map 5.7 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Minority Population with an overlay of the
Below Poverty Population

The percentage of minority population is shown overlaid with the
percentage of below poverty population in the Flagstaff CBSA. There are
six census tracts in the CBSA that have populations of minorities and
persons below the poverty level that are greater than the regional
averages for these statistics. These tracts contain a population of over
25,551 minorities and 9,564 persons below poverty level. Although not
all minority areas have an above average level of poverty, Map 5.7 shows
the four of the census tracts (66 percent) showing the combined above
average statistics that are located in the northeast corner of Coconino
County.

In Flagstaff, AZ, the map shows one census tract with an above average
minority population of 39 percent (2,673) and above average population
below poverty (1,527). This census tract is located within the Mountain
Line Transit bus service area.

## Number and Proportion of Minority Population with overlays of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households

![](media/image13.jpeg){width="1.3958333333333333in"
height="1.2493055555555554in"}

Map 5.8 Flagstaff, AZ CBSA Proportion of Minority Population with
overlays of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households

The maps show the relationship of minority population, below poverty
population and zero car household statistics for the Flagstaff CBSA. Of
the 27 total census tracts in the CBSA, five census tracts (19 percent)
have minority populations, below poverty populations and zero car
households that exceed the regional average for these statistics. The
tracts found to have all three above average statistics have 25,464
minority population, 9,530 below poverty level persons, and 1,028
households without vehicles.

Three census tracts in the central and northeast section of Coconino
County (60 percent) have the combined above average statistics. These
census tracts have a population of 15,911 minorities and over 6,000
below poverty persons, along with 686 households without vehicles.

In the city of Flagstaff, AZ, only one census tract has above average
populations of persons that are minorities, below the poverty level, and
households without vehicles. This tract has a population of 2,673
minorities, 1,527 person below poverty level, and 186 zero car
households.

## Correlation among Minority, Below Poverty, LEP Populations, and Zero Car Households

  ----------------- --------------- ---------------- --------- ------------
  * *               *Minority*      *Below Poverty*  *LEP*     *Zero Car
                                                               HH*

  Minority          1.00                                       

  Below Poverty     0.91            1.00                       

  LEP               0.32            0.26             1.00      

  Zero Car HH       0.65            0.76             0.14      1.00
  ----------------- --------------- ---------------- --------- ------------

Based on the coefficients highlighted in the table above, at 0.91 the
strongest positive correlation is between the minority and below poverty
level populations. High correlations are also seen between below poverty
population and zero car households (0.76) and between minority and zero
car households (0.65). Very low correlations are indicated among
minority and LEP, below poverty and LEP, and LEP and zero car
households.

## Natural Disasters

The Flagstaff, AZ CBSA has had flash floods, tornados, and wild fires
over the last twenty years that have had human and financial tolls for
the region, but these events were not declared disasters by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. On a scale ranging from Moderate to High,
to Very High Risk, the United States Geological Survey rates the State
of Arizona as having a High Risk of earthquakes.

## Man-made Disasters

The Flagstaff, AZ CBSA has not had a man-made disaster in the last 20
years. There are no nuclear power plants within the CBSA; however, there
is one large facility 144 miles north of Flagstaff that poses a
potential threat in the event of a radiological release. 2005 data from
the U.S. Department of Transportation on Hazardous Material Safety shows
the state of Arizona accounted for 2% of the hazardous materials
incidents and 3% of related deaths for the year.

##  {#section-3 .unnumbered}