Day Trippin' › Arizona › From Phoenix › Best small towns
Our picks for the best small towns within 3 hours of Phoenix: 13 places, 0 under an hour away, 7 between 1 and 2 hours and 6 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 85004.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Wickenburg, 1 hr 6 min northwest of Phoenix.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Seasider53, CC BY 4.0
#1 · Town · 1 hr 47 min north
A former copper boomtown hanging off Cleopatra Hill, now full of galleries, tasting rooms and views.
Heads-up: Steep streets and stairs; parking is tight on weekends. The big 300 Level lot is free, with a free shuttle on weekends and holidays.
Photo: Gillfoto, CC BY-SA 4.0
#2 · Town · 2 hr 47 min southeast
Walk the wooden boardwalks of Allen Street in the 1880s silver boomtown made famous by the Earps, then step into the 1882 county courthouse, now a museum, for the town's real story.
Heads-up: The courthouse is open 9 to 4:30 October to May and 9 to 3 June to September, and no pets inside. Gunfight shows and other private attractions keep their own hours and prices.
Photo: Tony the Marine, CC BY-SA 3.0
#3 · Ghost town · 1 hr 20 min northwest
A restored 1860s gold-mining camp outside Wickenburg with original buildings and guided tours in the cooler months.
Heads-up: Open Thursday to Sunday in season. Dirt paths with little shade.
Photo: Tony the Marine (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
#4 · Town · 1 hr 6 min northwest
An Old West town with a strong Western art museum (the Sigler Western Museum, formerly Desert Caballeros), bronze statues and the old Jail Tree in the historic district.
Heads-up: The museum is open Monday to Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 11 to 3. Summer afternoons are hot.
Photo: Gordon Leggett, CC BY 4.0
#5 · Town · 1 hr 49 min west
A desert crossroads that fills with rock, gem and swap-meet vendors every January and February; Hi Jolly's pyramid tomb honors the camel driver from the Army's camel experiment.
Heads-up: Show season brings huge crowds and I-10 traffic. In summer the heat is extreme and many vendors close.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/storygirl68/, CC BY 2.0
#6 · Town · 2 hr 10 min north
A lively mountain town with historic brick downtown, breweries and Route 66 running through.
Heads-up: At 7,000 feet it's much cooler than Sedona; snow is likely in winter.
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
#7 · Town · 2 hr 30 min north
A Route 66 town with neon diners and shops, the gateway to the Grand Canyon.
Photo: MB, CC BY-SA 4.0
#8 · Town · 1 hr 37 min north
A historic courthouse square and old-west saloon row with shops and restaurants.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gee01/, CC BY 2.0
#9 · Town · 1 hr 48 min north
Galleries, shops and courtyards built to look like an old Mexican village, under sycamores on Oak Creek.
Heads-up: Free parking in several lots; leashed pets welcome.
Photo: Vidor at en.wikipedia, Public domain
#10 · Town · 2 hr 41 min north
A small Route 66 town that helped bring the old highway back, full of retro shops and diners.
Photo: dvs from Vermont, USA, CC BY 2.0
#11 · Town · 2 hr 51 min northeast
A Route 66 town with Standin' on the Corner Park and La Posada, a restored 1930 railroad hotel.
Photo: Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 · Town · 1 hr 37 min north
A walkable main street of tasting rooms and restaurants at the heart of Verde Valley wine country.
Photo: Mosamiazaz, Public domain
#13 · Town · 2 hr 18 min southeast
Browse a walkable arts village full of galleries, then visit the remains of Arizona's oldest Spanish fort (1752) and the state's first printing press.
Heads-up: The presidio park is closed Mondays and keeps short hours. The Anza Trail links Tubac to Tumacácori, about 4.5 miles each way.
Our top picks are Jerome (1 hr 47 min), Tombstone (2 hr 47 min), Vulture City (1 hr 20 min), Wickenburg (1 hr 6 min) and Quartzsite (1 hr 49 min). The page lists 13 places in all.
13: 0 under an hour away, 7 between 1 and 2 hours and 6 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 85004.
Wickenburg, about 1 hr 6 min northwest of Phoenix.
11 need no pass or fee, including Seligman, Williams and Downtown Flagstaff and Route 66. Fees change, so check each place.
9 of the 13 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.