View source for Prescott, Arizona

{{short description|City in Arizona, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Prescott
| official_name            = 
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| motto                    = "Welcome to Everybody's Hometown"
| image_skyline            = Courthouseplaza_buckeyoneil.jpg
| image_caption            = [[Yavapai County Courthouse|Courthouse]] and [[Buckey O'Neill]] statue
| image_seal               = Prescott,_Arizona_official_seal.png
| image_map                = Yavapai County Arizona Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Prescott Highlighted 0457380.svg
| mapsize                  = 250x250px
| map_caption              = Location of Prescott in Yavapai County, Arizona
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
| pushpin_map              = USA Arizona#USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in [[Arizona]]##Location in United States
| pushpin_relief           = yes
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_name1        = [[Arizona]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Yavapai County, Arizona|Yavapai]]
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|government_type = [[Council-manager government|Council-manager]]
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Phil Goode
| leader_title2            = Mayor Pro Tem
| leader_name2             = Connie Cantelme
| leader_title3            = City council members<ref name=council>{{cite web
 |url         = https://www.prescott-az.gov/city-management/leadership/council/
 |title       = City Council
 |date = December 18, 2022
|publisher   = City of Prescott}}</ref>
| leader_name3             = Brandon Montoya<br />Eric Moore<br />Lois Fruhwirth<br />Ted Gambogi<br />Patrick Grady
| leader_title4            = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name4             = Dallin Kimble
| established_date         = 1881<ref name="prescott-az.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.prescott-az.gov/history/timeline.php|title=Prescott History Timeline – City of Prescott, Arizona|first=Webmaster at City of|last=Prescott|website=Prescott-az.gov|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430075310/http://www.prescott-az.gov/history/timeline.php|archive-date=April 30, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_04.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 117.09
| area_total_sq_mi         = 45.21
| area_land_km2            = 116.47
| area_land_sq_mi          = 44.97
| area_water_km2           = 0.62
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.24
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| elevation_ft             = 5319
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 45827
| population_metro         = 129,643
(Landscan)
| population_density_km2   = 393.47
| population_density_sq_mi = 1019.08 
| timezone                 = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]] (no [[Daylight savings time|DST]])
| utc_offset               = &minus;7
| coordinates              = {{coord|34|35|07|N|112|26|49|W|region:US-AZ|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code              = 86301–86305 & 86318
| area_code                = [[Area code 928|928]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 04-57380
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2411487<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411487}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|www.prescott-az.gov}}
| footnotes                = 
| image_blank_emblem       = Prescott,_Arizona_official_wordmark-logo.png
| blank_emblem_type        = Wordmark
| named_for                = [[William H. Prescott]]
}}

'''Prescott''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|r|ɛ|s|k|ə|t}} {{respell|PRESS|kət}})<ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|Prescott}}</ref><ref>{{cite American Heritage Dictionary|Prescott}}</ref><ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|Prescott}}</ref> is a [[city]] in and the [[county seat]] of [[Yavapai County, Arizona]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> As of [[2020 United States census|2020 Census]], the city's population was 45,827.

In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the [[Arizona Territory]], replacing the temporary capital of [[Fort Whipple, Arizona|Fort Whipple]].<ref name="Wagoner 36">{{cite book|last=Wagoner|first=Jay J.|title=Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history|publisher=University of Arizona Press|location=Tucson|year=1970|isbn=978-0-8165-0176-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/36 36]|url=https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/36}}</ref> The territorial capital was moved to [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]] in 1867. Prescott again became the territorial capital in 1877, until [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] became the capital in 1889.

Prescott has a rich history as a frontier gold and silver mining town. Mining and settlers brought frequent conflict with native American tribes in the area, including the [[Yavapai]] and [[Apache]]. Prescott was the home to [[Fort Whipple, Arizona|Fort Whipple]] from its inception, which acted as a base for campaigns against natives. Prescott was a stereotypical "wild west" town during the latter half of the 19th century; famous residents included [[Doc Holliday]] and [[Virgil Earp]] of the [[gunfight at the O.K. Corral]]. The makeshift wooden town burned to the ground several times in the first decade of the 20th century, which finally resulted in the town being rebuilt in brick. The modern city subsists on tourism, especially around its storied past. It is host to the self-proclaimed "World's Oldest Rodeo", running continuously since 1888. The rodeo, one of the most famous in the United States, draws some 35,000 tourists a year.

The towns of [[Prescott Valley, Arizona|Prescott Valley]], {{convert|7|mi|km}} east; [[Chino Valley, Arizona|Chino Valley]], {{convert|16|mi|km}} north; [[Dewey-Humboldt]], {{convert|13|mi|km}} east, and Prescott comprise what is locally known as the "Quad-City" area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.azcommerce.com/a/profiles/ViewProfile/101/Prescott+Valley/|title=Community Profile for Prescott Valley|website=Arizona Commerce Authority|access-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713093111/http://www.azcommerce.com/a/profiles/ViewProfile/101/Prescott+Valley/|archive-date=July 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> This also sometimes refers to central Yavapai County in general, which would include the towns of: [[Mayer, Arizona|Mayer]], [[Paulden, Arizona|Paulden]], [[Wilhoit, Arizona|Wilhoit]], and [[Williamson, Arizona|Williamson Valley]]. Combined with these smaller communities, the area had a population of 103,260 {{As of|2007|lc=y}}. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] as all of Yavapai County.

The [[Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe]] reservation is adjacent to and partially within the borders of Prescott.

Prescott is in the [[Granite Creek (Arizona)|Granite Creek]] watershed and contains the convergence of Miller Creek and Granite Creek on its north side.<ref>United States Geological Survey (USGS).&nbsp;[http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=34.862778&lon=-112.431944&datum=nad83&zoom=4 "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201132323/https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=34.862778&lon=-112.431944&datum=nad83&zoom=4 |date=December 1, 2017 }}. TopoQuest. Retrieved&nbsp;March 17,&nbsp;2013.</ref>

==History==
[[File:GovMans.jpg|thumb|First Territorial Capital and Governor's Mansion, 1864. Now part of [[Sharlot Hall Museum]].]]
[[File:Prescott Courthouse, AZ (ca 1885).jpg|thumb|First Prescott Courthouse, {{Circa|1885}}]]
[[File:"Execution of a soldier of the 8th Infantry at Prescott, Arizona, 1877." - NARA - 530921.jpg|thumb|"Execution of a soldier of the 8th Infantry in Prescott, Arizona 1877" is the caption. In fact, it is the execution of Private James Malone of Company K 12th US Infantry in Prescott Arizona March 15, 1878, for his part in a January 1876 murder.<ref>[http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062081/1878-03-16/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=03%2F01%2F1878&index=0&date2=03%2F31%2F1878&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=JAMES+James+MALONE+Malone&proxdistance=5&state=Arizona&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=James+MAlone&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1 Salt River Herald., March 16, 1878, Image 3]</ref>]]
Prescott was originally inhabited by the indigenous [[Yavapai]], who had split off from [[Patayan]] groups around 1300 AD.<ref>{{cite book|last=Braatz|first=Timothy|title=Surviving Conquest|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-8032-2242-7|page=27}}</ref> The first recorded European contact with the Yavapai was made by Spaniard [[Antonio de Espejo]] in 1583, who was looking for gold.<ref>Ruland Thorne, Kate; Rodda, Jeanette; Smith, Nancy R. (2005). ''Experience Jerome: The Moguls, Miners, and Mistresses of Cleopatra Hill'', Primer Publishers, {{ISBN|0-935810-77-3}}. {{Page needed|date=September 2023}}</ref> Until the 1860s, there was no permanent European presence. The territory was explored by the [[Walker Party]] in 1862 and 1863. Walker and his men discovered gold at [[Hassayampa Creek]], just south of Prescott, in 1863. Further gold was struck at nearby [[Lynx Creek]], Weaver Creek, and [[Big Bug, Arizona|Big Bug]]. With the backing of Ohio railroad magnates, the [[Arizona Organic Act]] establishing the [[Arizona Territory]] was pushed through in February 1863. The land was now open to settlers. [[Fort Whipple, Arizona|Fort Whipple]] was established the same year near present day [[Chino Valley, Arizona|Chino Valley]]. The fort was also made the territorial capital.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Sheridan|first=Thomas E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-8m0NmqUiEC&dq=Prescott&pg=PP8|title=Arizona: A History|edition= Rev.|year=2012|publisher=University of Arizona Press|isbn=978-0-8165-9954-7|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|78–79}}

The fort was moved to more mountainous terrain {{convert|20|mi|km}} south the next year.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|78–79}} Arizona Territorial Governor [[John Noble Goodwin]] selected the site of Prescott following his first tour of the new territory. Goodwin replaced Governor [[John A. Gurley]], appointed by Abraham Lincoln, who died before taking office. Downtown streets in Prescott are named in honor of both of them. Goodwin selected a site south of the temporary capital on the east side of [[Granite Creek (Arizona)|Granite Creek]] near a number of mining camps.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} The new town was named in honor of historian [[William H. Prescott]] during a public meeting on May 30, 1864.<ref name="Wagoner 36" /> Robert W. Groom surveyed the new community, and an initial auction sold 73 lots on June 4, 1864. By July 4, 1864, 232 lots had been sold within the new community.<ref name="Wagoner 38">{{cite book|last=Wagoner|first=Jay J.|url=https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/36|title=Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history|publisher=University of Arizona Press|year=1970|isbn=978-0-8165-0176-2|location=Tucson|pages=[https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/36 36, 38]}}</ref> Prescott was incorporated in 1881.<ref name="prescott-az.gov" />

The mineral wealth of Prescott included a good quantity of both gold and silver, and made the hamlet the most important city in northern Arizona. It also escalated the [[American Indian Wars]], as pioneers and natives increasingly attacked the other, in ever bloodier reprisals. Tribes also chose sides against each other, with the [[Maricopa people|Maricopa]] and [[O'odham]] fighting alongside American and Mexican settlers against the Yavapai and Apache in brutal campaigns.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|79–81}} The [[Hualapai War]] broke out in northern Arizona in 1865, which brought a period of guerilla warfare, though few pitched battles.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|79–81}} Not until 1935 were the Yavapai given a reservation in Prescott, and at first only a mere {{Convert|75|acres}} directly adjacent to Fort Whipple. An extra {{Convert|1320|acres}} were provided in 1956.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|106}}

The mining camps brought much prosperity, but also much racism. On July 12, 1863, the miners of Lynx Creek passed a resolution banning Asian and Mexican miners. Similar resolutions were passed in the other mining districts. Since there was no extant Mexican population, there was little to temper the racism of new Anglos from the Eastern United States. There were also very few women on the frontier at the time; an 1864 census found just 40. 31 were Mexican, which, combined with the racism of the territory, led to frequent allegations of sexual promiscuity. By the 1870s, as Prescott became increasingly "civilized", it took on the values of Victorian society, including its sexual standards. There were exceptions, however. [[Mary DeCrow]], a white woman, arriving around 1863, had a relationship with a black Texan, breaking taboos around [[miscegenation]]. She later married a Mexican blacksmith, starting a boarding house with him; public opinion calmed down after this and she eventually became much loved. Another legendary Prescott woman, Mary Sawyer, wore men's clothes, drank hard, swore hard, and worked a mining claim. Sawyer's breaking of gender norms however resulted in her 1877 institutionalization in an insane asylum, in which she remained until her death in 1902.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|156–157}}

Prescott served as capital of Arizona Territory until November 1, 1867, when the capital was moved to Tucson by act of the [[4th Arizona Territorial Legislature]].<ref name="Wagoner 70">{{cite book | last = Wagoner | first = Jay J. | title = Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history | publisher = University of Arizona Press | location = Tucson | year = 1970 | isbn = 978-0-8165-0176-2 | page = [https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/70 70] | url = https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/70 }}</ref> The capital was returned to Prescott in 1877 by the [[9th Arizona Territorial Legislature]].<ref name="Wagoner 113">{{cite book | last = Wagoner | first = Jay J. | title = Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history | publisher = University of Arizona Press | location = Tucson | year = 1970 | isbn = 978-0-8165-0176-2 | page = [https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/113 113] | url = https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/113 }}</ref> The capital was finally moved to Phoenix on February 4, 1889, by the [[15th Arizona Territorial Legislature]].<ref name="Wagoner 245">{{cite book | last = Wagoner | first = Jay J. | title = Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history | publisher = University of Arizona Press | location = Tucson | year = 1970 | isbn = 978-0-8165-0176-2 | page = [https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/245 245] | url = https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago/page/245 }}</ref> The three [[Arizona Territory capitals]] reflected the changes in political influence of different regions of the territory as they grew and developed.

Prescott also holds a place in the larger history of the American southwest. Both [[Virgil Earp]] (brother of [[Wyatt Earp]]) and [[Doc Holliday]] lived in Prescott before their now infamous [[gunfight at the O.K. Corral]]. Virgil Earp lived in Prescott starting in 1878 as a constable/watchman.<ref name="MacKell Collins">{{Cite book|last=MacKell Collins|first=Jan|title=Wild Women of Prescott Arizona}}</ref> [[Doc Holliday]] was there for a while in the summer of 1880 and even appears in the 1880 census records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6742/4239798-00124?pid=13727940&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DzQP8%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D6742%26gsln%3DHolliday%26_83004003-n_xcl%3Df%26msbpn__ftp%3Dprescott,%2520yavapai,%2520arizona,%2520usa%26msbpn%3D67677%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26uidh%3D62m%26redir%3Dfalse%26gss%3Dangs-d%26pcat%3D35%26fh%3D0%26h%3D13727940%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D1%26queryId%3D4d0bab29cfad6ce6f8486562b21d7d8a&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=4d0bab29cfad6ce6f8486562b21d7d8a&usePUB=true&_phsrc=zQP8&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.205655760.2143366641.1583112944-1664878472.1583112944&_gac=1.14043845.1583112945.Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H1-IhW9m6JRHGGG_5OaON4DHvOOumBwYh7D__ZslFYDFBV7hvRpq8EaAmSDEALw_wcB|title=Ancestry.com|website=[[Ancestry.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Roberts|first=Gary L.|title=Doc Holliday: The Life and Legend}} {{ISBN?}} {{page needed|date=September 2023}}</ref>

Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott boasts many historic buildings, including The Palace, Arizona's oldest restaurant and bar. Many other buildings have been converted to [[boutique]]s, [[art gallery|art galleries]], [[bookstore]]s, and restaurants. Prescott is home to the [[Arizona Pioneers' Home]]. The Home opened during territorial days, February 1, 1911.

After several major fires in the early part of the century, downtown Prescott was rebuilt with [[brick]]. The central [[courthouse]] [[plaza]], a lawn under huge old [[elm]] trees, is a gathering and meeting place. [[Cultural]] events and performances take place on many nights in the summer on the plaza.

[[Barry Goldwater]], the 1964 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for president, launched his presidential campaign from the steps of Prescott's Yavapai County Courthouse.

=== Notable wildfires ===
[[Yarnell Hill Fire]]: Nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, part of the Prescott Fire Department, died on Sunday, June 30, 2013, while battling the wildfire that had ignited two days earlier south of Prescott.<ref>{{cite news|last=Santos|first=Fernanda|date=July 1, 2013|title=Arizona Blaze That Killed 19 Firefighters Rages On|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/us/arizona-blaze-rages-on-as-crews-cope-with-death-of-19-firefighters.html?_r=0|access-date=July 1, 2013}}</ref>

[[Goodwin Fire]]: The wildfire ignited in the [[Bradshaw Mountains]] south of Prescott on Saturday, June 24, 2017. The fire eventually led to the evacuations of [[Mayer, Arizona|Mayer]] and [[Walker, Arizona|Walker]] a few days later. [[Arizona State Route 69|State Route 69]] was partially closed between the towns of Mayer and [[Dewey-Humboldt]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Drone operator arrested for interfering with firefighting aircraft |url=https://wildfiretoday.com/tag/goodwin-fire/ |website=wildfiretoday.com |date=July 2017 |publisher=Bill Gabbert |access-date=December 2, 2021}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Prescottscenic.jpg|thumb|left|Thumb Butte and Granite Mountain in Prescott]]

Prescott is {{convert|55|mi|km|abbr=on}} west-northwest of the State of Arizona's geographic center.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|107.5|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|105.4|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|2.1|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} is water.

Prescott is considered part of [[North Central Arizona]], sitting just north of the [[Bradshaw Mountains]] and east of the [[Sierra Prieta|Sierra Prieta range]]. The [[Granite Dells]], often called ‘The Dells’, lies just north of the Prescott city center and is known for its large boulder outcroppings of granite that have eroded into a spectacular appearance of bumpy rock features. Within 'The Dells'<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://featureprescott.com/|title=Prescott Real Estate |website=Prescott Real Estate for Sale|language=en-US|access-date=April 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428023926/http://featureprescott.com/|archive-date=April 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> are Watson and Willow Lakes, which are two small, man-made reservoirs. Here a number of hiking trails connect to the Peavine Trail.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cityofprescott.net/services/parks/trails/?id=40|title=Trails – City of Prescott, Arizona|last=Prescott|first=Webmaster at City of|website=Cityofprescott.net|access-date=April 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428015529/http://www.cityofprescott.net/services/parks/trails/?id=40|archive-date=April 28, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Peavine [[National Recreation Trail]] follows what was the former rail bed of the [[Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway]]. This railroad traveled from Prescott to Phoenix through the Granite Dells. The "Peavine" got its name from the winding portion of this railroad that twists and curves, resembling the vine on which peas grow. The Peavine trail connects to the Iron King Trail, which was the route of the old [[Prescott and Eastern Railroad]] through the Granite Dells. Other lakes include Lynx, Granite Basin and Goldwater, all surrounding different areas of this rustic community. Goldwater Lake,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arizona-leisure.com/goldwater-lake.html|title=Goldwater Lake {{!}} Prescott Arizona |website=Arizona-leisure.com|access-date=April 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421004501/http://www.arizona-leisure.com/goldwater-lake.html|archive-date=April 21, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> by Goldwater Park, is {{convert|4|mi|km}} from downtown Prescott, has {{convert|15|acre|ha}} of water surface, and is a popular destination for park recreation and picnic facilities. Lynx Lake<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/prescott/recreation|title=Prescott National Forest – Recreation Area|website=Fs.usda.gov|access-date=April 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513140758/http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=75178|archive-date=May 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> is another lake close to Prescott in tall [[Pinus ponderosa|ponderosa pines]], and gets some 125,000 visitors every year. This {{convert|55|acre|adj=on}} lake offers visitors recreational activities, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking and a small, seasonal restaurant with a view of the lake. Finally, there is the smallest of the natural lakes with {{convert|5|acre}} of surface water at Granite Basin Lake.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/prescott/recreation|title=Prescott National Forest – Granite Basin Boating Site|website=Fs.usda.gov|access-date=April 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513160407/http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/prescott/recreation/recarea/?recid=67261&actid=42|archive-date=May 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> None of these lakes permit swimming due to a history of water quality problems,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prescottcreeks.org/paying-the-price-for-cleaner-water/|title=Paying the Price for Cleaner Water|website=Prescott Creeks|language=en-US|date=December 17, 2010|access-date=September 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite report|title=Contaminants in Fish and Wildlife of Lynx Lake, Arizona|last=Marr|first=Carrie|date=June 2008|publisher=Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2|pages=1–2|url=https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Documents/ECReports/lynx%20lake%2008%20final%20report.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=September 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706094220/https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Documents/ECReports/lynx%20lake%2008%20final%20report.pdf|archive-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref> however all are popular recreational destinations near Prescott.

[[Granite Creek (Arizona)|Granite Creek]] flows generally north from the Bradshaw Mountains through the city, the Granite Dells, and the [[Little Chino Valley]] to the [[Verde River]].

===Climate===
Prescott is in the Bradshaw Mountains of central Arizona, at an elevation of {{convert|5400|ft|m}}. The city has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Csa''). However, unlike most other locations in this climate class, there is a pronounced summer wet season due to the [[North American Monsoon]].

Average annual precipitation for 1991 to 2020 was {{convert|16.46|in|mm|0}}, with spring and early summer the driest times of the year, while the largest portion of precipitation falls during the July–September monsoon season.<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/normals |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |title=Data Tools: 1981–2010 Normals |access-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714010203/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/normals |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref><ref name=TWC>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USAZ0178 | publisher=The Weather Channel |access-date=August 26, 2014 | title=Monthly Averages for Prescott, Arizona |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629010203/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USAZ0178 |archive-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref> The wettest "rain year" was from July 1919 to June 1920 with {{convert|34.87|in|mm|1|disp=or}} and the driest from July 2020 to June 2021 with {{convert|7.39|in|mm|1|disp=or}}.<ref name="NOW"/> Snowfall is typically light and snow cover usually melts away quickly; the average seasonal total is {{convert|10.2|in|m|sigfig=2}}, although as much as {{convert|97.1|in|m|sigfig=2}} fell between July 1931 and June 1932, and a monthly total of {{convert|53.0|in|m|sigfig=2}} occurred in January 1949. Average daytime temperatures remain above {{convert|50|F}} the entire year, but [[diurnal temperature variation]] is large throughout the year, averaging nearly {{convert|30|F-change|1}} annually.<ref name=NOAA /><ref name=TWC /> On average, temperatures reach {{convert|90|F|1}} on 44 days annually, though {{convert|100|F|1}}+ readings are uncommon and occur only 1–2 days per year on average, much unlike the [[Sonoran Desert]] to the south and Mojave Desert to the west. The average season for freezing temperatures is October 21 through May 1.<ref name="NOW"/>

Temperature extremes are fairly widespread. The warmest measured temperature in Prescott is {{convert|105|F|C|1}} on two separate occasions (1925 and 2021).<ref name=PrescottNOWData>{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=fgz|title=NOWData Weather Forecast Office Flagstaff, AZ|publisher=[[NOAA]]|accessdate=August 6, 2022}}</ref> The coldest low was measured in 1937 and stood at {{convert|-21|F|C}}.<ref name=PrescottNOWData/> Due to the large [[diurnal temperature variation]], cold winter days are rare, but being far inland causes a variability which occasionally leads to ice days. The coldest maximum on record is {{convert|20|F|C|1}} in February 1905 and a normal year between 1991 and 2020 saw the coldest day of the year not rise above {{convert|33|F|C|1|disp=or}}.<ref name=PrescottNOWData/> Warm summer nights are rare due to being on an elevated plain, but happen on occasion. The warmest on record is {{convert|79|F|C|1}} in August 1904, whereas a normal year has a more modest {{convert|69|F|C|1}} for the highest low.<ref name=PrescottNOWData/>

There was a severe drought from 1999 to 2009, seen from the lack of snowpack in the Bradshaw Mountains. Local creeks do not contain water except immediately after the rare rains. Nevertheless, at the start of 2007 lakes were reported as full. The winter of 2008–09 had only a trace of snow, compared to an average snowfall of {{convert|12.8|in|m|sigfig=2}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrh/techMemos/TM-274.pdf|title=Climate of Prescott, Arizona|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051024120524/http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrh/techMemos/TM-274.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2005|website=Wrh.noaa.gov|access-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Prescott, Arizona (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898–present)
|width=auto
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|Jan record high F = 73
|Feb record high F = 77
|Mar record high F = 83
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 97
|Jun record high F = 105
|Jul record high F = 105
|Aug record high F = 103
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 94
|Nov record high F = 83
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F = 105
|Jan avg record high F = 64.8
|Feb avg record high F = 67.8
|Mar avg record high F = 73.8
|Apr avg record high F = 81.4
|May avg record high F = 88.5
|Jun avg record high F = 96.4
|Jul avg record high F = 98.5
|Aug avg record high F = 95.4
|Sep avg record high F = 91.0
|Oct avg record high F = 84.8
|Nov avg record high F = 74.7
|Dec avg record high F = 65.8
|year avg record high F = 99.6
|Jan high F = 52.6
|Feb high F = 55.2
|Mar high F = 61.2
|Apr high F = 67.8
|May high F = 76.3
|Jun high F = 87.0
|Jul high F = 89.6
|Aug high F = 87.2
|Sep high F = 82.4
|Oct high F = 72.9
|Nov high F = 61.6
|Dec high F = 51.9
|Jan mean F = 38.2
|Feb mean F = 40.8
|Mar mean F = 46.4
|Apr mean F = 52.5
|May mean F = 60.7
|Jun mean F = 70.3
|Jul mean F = 75.3
|Aug mean F = 73.5
|Sep mean F = 67.3
|Oct mean F = 56.5
|Nov mean F = 45.7
|Dec mean F = 37.7
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 23.8
|Feb low F = 26.4
|Mar low F = 31.6
|Apr low F = 37.3
|May low F = 45.0
|Jun low F = 53.6
|Jul low F = 61.0
|Aug low F = 59.7
|Sep low F = 52.2
|Oct low F = 40.1
|Nov low F = 29.8
|Dec low F = 23.6
|Jan avg record low F = 11.9
|Feb avg record low F = 15.1
|Mar avg record low F = 20.5
|Apr avg record low F = 26.4
|May avg record low F = 32.5
|Jun avg record low F = 42.3
|Jul avg record low F = 52.6
|Aug avg record low F = 52.3
|Sep avg record low F = 40.8
|Oct avg record low F = 28.2
|Nov avg record low F = 17.9
|Dec avg record low F = 11.8
|year avg record low F = 9.2
|Jan record low F = −21
|Feb record low F = −12
|Mar record low F = 2
|Apr record low F = 11
|May record low F = 20
|Jun record low F = 28
|Jul record low F = 34
|Aug record low F = 32
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 13
|Nov record low F = −1
|Dec record low F = −9
|year record low F = -21
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.52
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.78
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.46
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.57
|May precipitation inch = 0.51
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.23
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.69
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.78
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.64
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.96
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.87
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.45
|Jan snow inch = 1.9
|Feb snow inch = 3.1
|Mar snow inch = 2.5
|Apr snow inch = 0.4
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.9
|Dec snow inch = 1.4
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 5.6
|Feb precipitation days = 5.9
|Mar precipitation days = 5.4
|Apr precipitation days = 3.2
|May precipitation days = 3.0
|Jun precipitation days = 1.6
|Jul precipitation days = 9.9
|Aug precipitation days = 9.9
|Sep precipitation days = 5.9
|Oct precipitation days = 3.9
|Nov precipitation days = 3.8
|Dec precipitation days = 5.1
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 1.2
|Feb snow days = 1.2
|Mar snow days = 0.8
|Apr snow days = 0.3
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.4
|Dec snow days = 1.3
|year snow days = 
| Jan humidity =57
| Feb humidity =53
| Mar humidity =42
| Apr humidity =33
| May humidity =30
| Jun humidity =23
| Jul humidity =41
| Aug humidity =44
| Sep humidity =42
| Oct humidity =42
| Nov humidity =47
| Dec humidity =58
| year humidity =
| Jand sun  =6.8
| Febd sun  =8.8
| Mard sun  =9.0
| Aprd sun  =10.6
| Mayd sun  =11.8
| Jund sun  =12.1
| Juld sun  =11.9
| Augd sun  =12.0
| Sepd sun  =9.8
| Octd sun  =8.1
| Novd sun  =7.3
| Decd sun  =6.7
| yeard sun =
| Jan light = 10.2
| Feb light = 11.0
| Mar light = 12.0
| Apr light = 13.1
| May light = 14.0
| Jun light = 14.4
| Jul light = 14.2
| Aug light = 13.4
| Sep light = 12.4
| Oct light = 11.3
| Nov light = 10.4
| Dec light = 9.9
| year light= 
| Jan uv  =3
| Feb uv  =4
| Mar uv  =6
| Apr uv  =9
| May uv  =11
| Jun uv  =12
| Jul uv  =12
| Aug uv  =11
| Sep uv  =9
| Oct uv  =6
| Nov uv  =4
| Dec uv  =3
| year uv =
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name="NOW">{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=fgz
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = June 29, 2021
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00026796&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = June 29, 2021
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather Atlas (UV and humidity)<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/arizona-usa/prescott-climate
| title = Climate and monthly weather forecast Prescott, AZ
| access-date = August 15, 2022}}</ref>}}

=== Monsoon season ===
Prescott is affected each year by the [[North American Monsoon]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eol.ucar.edu/field_projects/name|title=North American Monsoon Experiment|website=www.eol.ucar.edu|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070113/https://www.eol.ucar.edu/field_projects/name|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Monsoon]] season is June 15 – Sep 15, and brings significant rain, wind, [[hail]], [[thunderstorm]]s, and [[flood]]ing to the area. In spite of the dangers of [[flash flood]]s and [[wildfire]]s, many locals enjoy monsoon season for the relief of cooler temperatures, which commonly result from storms during the height of summer [[Heat wave|heatwaves]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ein.az.gov/emergency-information/emergency-bulletin/monsoon-storms-bring-lightning-ignitions-result|title=Monsoon storms bring lightning, ignitions result|date=July 10, 2018|website=Arizona Emergency Information Network|language=en|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070242/https://ein.az.gov/emergency-information/emergency-bulletin/monsoon-storms-bring-lightning-ignitions-result|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Arizona receives half of its annual rainfall during monsoon season, but this can be misleading. Monthly averages in precipitation can give the false impression that rains are confined to monsoon season, while single-day annual rainfall records have been set far outside of monsoon season, repeatedly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azpres|title=Prescott, Arizona – Climate Summary|website=wrcc.dri.edu|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416175255/https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azpres|archive-date=April 16, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The area is prone to weather extremes and often, monthly rainfall records are actually the result of one or two dramatic rain events.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

===Flood risk===
Prescott area residents have faced the challenges of extreme rain and flash flooding since the first [[Prospecting|prospectors]] arrived in search of gold in the late 1800s. In 1863 [[Joseph R. Walker|Joseph R. Walker's]] original mining camp on the banks of [[Lynx Creek]] was completely swept away in a flash flood less than a year after arriving in Prescott.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VoPPCwAAQBAJ|title=Joseph Reddeford Walker and the Arizona Adventure|last=Conner|first=Daniel Ellis|year=2016|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0806154077|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/road-trips/2018/09/10/arizona-mining-history-wild-west/953080002/|title=Arizona's mining history: Danger for many, riches for a few|website=azcentral|language=en|access-date=December 26, 2018}}</ref> In the late 1880s, floods destroyed the first dam on Lynx creek near present-day SR-69.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7GVXAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA112|title=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper|date=1965|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|language=en}}</ref> 1891 brought the heaviest flooding on record across Arizona (a record broken in 1993), carving lasting changes to the [[Verde River|Verde river]] drainage, bordering Prescott. The Verde, which has in some years been completely dry, gushed with 4,284 cubic meters per second of water on February 24, 1891, or about half the size of the [[Columbia River|Columbia river]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Neary|first=Daniel G.|display-authors=etal|date=December 2012|title=Synthesis of Upper Verde River Research and Monitoring|url=https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr291.pdf|journal=General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-291|pages=24|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814124514/https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr291.pdf|archive-date=August 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|journal=The Journal of Arizona History|volume=43|issue=2|pages=109–132|language=en|jstor = 41696696|last1 = Honker|first1 = Andrew M.|title='A Terrible Calamity has Fallen Upon Phoenix': The 1891 Flood and Salt River Valley Reclamation|year=2002}}</ref>

[[Tropical Storm Octave (1983)|Tropical Storm Octave]], in 1983, brought 14.5" of rain to parts of Prescott in less than forty-eight hours. Damages included the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe Railway]], which was washed out in so many places it was completely abandoned the following year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/10/03/The-worst-floods-in-Arizona-in-the-20th-century/5697434001600/|title=The worst floods in Arizona in the 20th century...|website=UPI|language=en|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070158/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/10/03/The-worst-floods-in-Arizona-in-the-20th-century/5697434001600/|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dcourier.com/news/2013/sep/23/1983-flood-ranks-among-prescotts-worst/|title=1983 flood ranks among Prescott's worst|website=The Daily Courier|date=September 22, 2013 |language=en|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215121135/https://www.dcourier.com/news/2013/sep/23/1983-flood-ranks-among-prescotts-worst/|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Two Prescott area college students died in [[Granite Creek (Arizona)|Granite Creek]] during flooding in 2004, which brought an official [[state of emergency]] declaration from state governor [[Janet Napolitano|Napolitano]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/deaths-linked-to-arizona-floods/article_1418f02a-5431-51c4-8fc0-15923cc3efee.html|title=3 deaths linked to Arizona floods|last=Lucas|first=Beth|website=East Valley Tribune|date=December 31, 2004 |language=en|access-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref> Significant flooding has been recorded as recently as 2018, prompting the evacuation of nearby [[Mayer, Arizona|Mayer]] in August.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc15.com/news/region-northern-az/prescott/evacuations-ordered-in-mayer-area-due-to-flash-flooding|title=Mayer evacuation lifted following flash flooding|date=August 2, 2018|website=KNXV|language=en|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070028/https://www.abc15.com/news/region-northern-az/prescott/evacuations-ordered-in-mayer-area-due-to-flash-flooding|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

A large number of homes in Prescott are located within [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] designated "high risk [[Floodplain|flood zones]] A and AE".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ycflood.com/Projects-Programs-Studies/Prescott-Map-Revision|title=Prescott Map Revision|website=www.ycflood.com|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070052/http://www.ycflood.com/Projects-Programs-Studies/Prescott-Map-Revision|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The City of Prescott recently updated [[Flood insurance rate map|Flood Insurance]] Rate Maps in response to increased construction and notable flooding for several consecutive years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.floodmapupdates.com/|title=FEMA Map Revisions|website=FEMA |language=en-US|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070055/https://www.floodmapupdates.com/|archive-date=December 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 668
|1880= 1836
|1890= 1759
|1900= 3559
|1910= 5092
|1920= 5010
|1930= 5517
|1940= 6018
|1950= 6764
|1960= 12861
|1970= 13631
|1980= 19865
|1990= 26455
|2000= 33938
|2010= 39843
|2020= 45827
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|website=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Prescott city, Arizona – Racial composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!{{partial|% 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |title=HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2020) |url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=Race+and+Ethnicity&g=160XX00US0457380&y=2020&d=DEC+Demographic+and+Housing+Characteristics |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>
!% 2010<ref>{{cite web |title=HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE (2010) |url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=Race+and+Ethnicity&g=160XX00US0457380&y=2010 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>
!% 2000<ref>{{cite book |title=Arizona: 2000 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |pages=28–29 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2002/dec/phc-1-4.pdf}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}
!Pop 2010
!Pop 2000
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |83.3%
|87.1%
|88.2%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |38,174
|34,690
|29,941
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.7%
|0.6%
|0.4%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |307
|242
|149
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.8%
|0.9%
|1.1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |350
|358
|376
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.7%
|1.2%
|0.8%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |788
|481
|279
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.1%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |43
|45
|17
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.4%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |196
|38
|25
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Multiracial]] (NH)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.8%
|1.4%
|1.1%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,744
|547
|378
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic/Latino]] (any race)
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.2%
|8.6%
|8.2%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,225
|3,442
|2,773
|}
The most reported ancestries in [[2020 United States census|2020]] were [[english people|English]] (23.6%), [[germans|German]] (21.1%), [[irish people|Irish]] (17.3%), [[mexicans|Mexican]] (6.5%), [[italians|Italian]] (5.6%), and [[scottish people|Scottish]] (5.2%).<ref>{{cite web |title=TOTAL POPULATION |url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=-06:-1000E:-3000F:-4000G:-5000K:-7000E:-8000B&g=160XX00US0457380&d=DEC+Detailed+Demographic+and+Housing+Characteristics+File+A |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>

As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 33,938 people, 15,098 households, and 8,968 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{cvt|915.6|PD/sqmi}}. There were 17,144 housing units at an average density of {{cvt|462.5|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.9% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.5% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.3% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.8% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.8% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.6% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 15,098 households, out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.62.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 15.9% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,446, and the median income for a family was $46,481. Males had a median income of $31,834 versus $22,982 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $22,565. About 7.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
[[File:Derby_Mine,_Mill_&_Camp,_Thumb_Butte_Prescott.png|thumb|The Derby Mine mill & camp, one of the many gold and silver mines in Prescott around the turn of the century. Taken 1901. Thumb Butte is visible in the far background.]]
The Pineridge Marketplace, (formerly the Prescott Gateway Mall) is an enclosed shopping mall that opened in 2002, replacing Ponderosa Plaza, which was Prescott's first enclosed mall when it opened in 1980.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Simpson|first=Chad|date=March 10, 2002|title=Gateway opens for business – Shoppers rush to welcome regional mall|work=The Daily Courier|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b6oKAAAAIBAJ&pg=5749,1263832&dq=prescott-gateway+chad-simpson&hl=en|access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref>

Downtown Prescott has dozens of independently owned and operated shops.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chamberorganizer.com/members/directory/query.php?org_id=PRES&bci=26294675|title=Directory Search Results|website=Chamberorganizer.com|access-date=August 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911185837/http://www.chamberorganizer.com/members/directory/query.php?org_id=PRES&bci=26294675|archive-date=September 11, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Derby_Mine_George_Young_Highland_Pines_Prescott.png|thumb|Men from the Derby Mine, 1905]]

Prescott is home to a [[Pure Wafer]] silicon foundry.<ref name="biz1">{{cite news |title=Pure Wafer plans Arizona expansion after private equity deal |date=November 15, 2024 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2024/11/15/pure-wafer-expansion-prescott.html}}</ref>

===Top employers===
According to the city's 2021 ''Comprehensive Annual Financial Report'',<ref>{{cite web|year=2021|title=Comprehensive Annual Financial Report|url=https://www.prescott-az.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FY21-ACFR.pdf|publisher=City of Prescott, Arizona}}</ref> the top employers in Prescott are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of employees
|-
| 1
|[[Yavapai Regional Medical Center]]
|2,094
|-
|2
|[[Yavapai County, Arizona|Yavapai County]]
|1,750
|-
|3
|Northern Arizona [[Veterans Health Administration|VA]] Health Care System 
|1,300
|-
|4
|[[Yavapai College]]
|1,290
|-
|5
|[[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott]]
|650
|-
|6
|[[Walmart]]
|575
|-
|7
|City of Prescott
|518
|-
|8
|[[Prescott Unified School District]]
|457
|-
|9
|[[Sturm, Ruger & Co.]]
|400
|-
|10
|Polara Health 
|305
|}

Other major area employers include the [[Yavapai-Prescott Tribe]], the James Family Prescott [[YMCA of the USA|YMCA]], and Fann Contracting.

== Places of interest and culture ==
[[File:Brinkmeyer House Prescott, AZ.JPG|thumb|Brinkmeyer House, listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] ]]
[[File:Hassayampa Hotel through the courtyard..JPG|thumb|upright|Hassayampa Hotel, built 1927. [[Henry Trost]], architect.]]

The [[Sharlot Hall Museum]] houses much of Prescott's territorial history, and the Museum of Indigenous People (formerly the Smoki museum)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofindigenouspeople.org/about-museum-of-indigenous-people|title = About Us &#124; Museum of Indigenous People}}</ref> and Phippen Museum also maintains local collections.<ref name="PM/pe">{{cite web |title=Permanent Exhibits |url=https://phippenartmuseum.org/permanent-exhibits/ |website=Phippen Museum |access-date=28 August 2024 |date=23 April 2020}}</ref>

Prescott has many [[Victorian architecture|Victorian style]] homes. Prescott has 809 buildings on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Prescott, Arizona|National Register of Historic Places]]. The tallest house in North America, [[Falcon Nest]] is in Prescott, on the slope of [[Thumb Butte]].

Prescott is home to the downtown historical area known as [[Whiskey Row, Prescott|Whiskey Row]]. Adjacent to Whiskey Row was the [[red-light district]] which operated until 1917, at which point prostitution was outlawed in the state of Arizona.<ref name="MacKell Collins" /> In 1900, a great fire destroyed almost all of the buildings on Whiskey Row, including the 1891 Hotel Burke, advertised as "the only absolutely fireproof building in Prescott".<ref>Prescott Area Geological Field Guide, 1999, prepared for Earth Science Week. Copy available at [[Yavapai College]] library.</ref> By legend, the patrons of the various bars simply took their drinks across the street to the Courthouse square and watched it burn. At the time of the fire, patrons removed the entire bar and back-bar of the [[Palace Restaurant & Saloon]] to the square by the patrons as the fire approached, re-installing it after the gutted brick structure was rebuilt. Whiskey Row runs north and south on Montezuma St. between Gurley and Goodwin St., directly west of the county courthouse.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} This single city block has been the home of the St. Michael's Hotel (formerly the Hotel Burke) and the Palace Hotel since the late 19th century, along with other colorful purveyors of nightlife. Originally built in 1877, The Palace Restaurant and Saloon was rebuilt after the fire, and is now the state's oldest continuous business.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.azfamily.com/story/29456985/the-bird-cage-on-whiskey-row |newspaper=Arizona Republic |title=The Bird Cage on Whiskey Row |date=July 1, 2015 |last=Holland |first=Catherine |access-date=January 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706014918/http://www.azfamily.com/story/29456985/the-bird-cage-on-whiskey-row |url-status=live |archive-date=July 6, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://pageoneforprofessionals.mysocialmediausa.com/content/587815180f801 | magazine=Entrepreneur | title=These Are the Oldest Businesses in Every State | date=January 12, 2017 | last=Leadem | first=Rose | access-date=January 13, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116153802/http://pageoneforprofessionals.mysocialmediausa.com/content/587815180f801 | archive-date=January 16, 2017 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Merchant Sam Hill's large hardware store was near Whiskey Row.<ref>A volunteer docent statement from the free official downtown Prescott guided historical and architectural tour claims this is the origin of the phrase, "Where in the Sam Hill did you get that?". This may not be accurate, since "[[Sam Hill (euphemism)|Sam Hill]]" is also a [[euphemism|euphemistic reference]] to [[Hell]] predating Prescott, being a polite way of saying "Where in the Hell did you get that?". However, there was indeed a Sam Hill Hardware store, attested to by the bronze letters embedded in the concrete sidewalk spelling out "SAM HILL" inset in the sidewalk at each boundary of the property.</ref>
[[File:Prescott SW02.jpg|thumb|Whiskey Row]]

[[File:Rodeo_grounds.jpg|thumb|Rodeo grounds]]

Prescott is host to the self-proclaimed "World's Oldest Rodeo", running continuously since 1888. Also known as "Frontier Days", it runs in the days leading up to Fourth of July. It is one of the most famous rodeos in the United States. In the 2010s, it drew over 35,000 tourists a year, nearly doubling Prescott's population for the rodeo week. During the same period, some 45,000 people also attend the Rodeo Parade, which winds through downtown Prescott. Though several other rodeos pre-date Prescott's by decades, Prescott claims it was the first to charge admission and turn it into a spectator sport. This is backed up by a 1985 trademark on "World's Oldest Rodeo". The rodeo was featured in the 1972 film ''[[Junior Bonner]].''<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 21, 2017|title=10 Oldest Rodeos in the World|url=https://www.oldest.org/entertainment/rodeos/|access-date=January 10, 2022|website=Oldest.org|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Canby, Vincent (August 3, 1972). "'Junior Bonner' Is a Rodeo Family Close-Up". ''[[The New York Times]]''. 24.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Rodeo Parade {{!}} World's Oldest Rodeo|url=https://worldsoldestrodeo.com/rodeo-parade/|access-date=January 10, 2022|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=June 26, 2017|title=World's Oldest Rodeo® |language=en-US|work=Prescott Lliving Magazine|url=https://prescottlivingmag.com/worlds-oldest-rodeo/|access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Prescott SW01.jpg|thumb|Elks Theatre Performing Arts Center (formerly Elks Opera House)]]

Prescott hosts annual events such as Frontier Days, Easter Egg-Stravaganza, the [[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass]] Festival, [[Earth Day]], July 4 Celebration, [[Tsunami on the Square]], art festivals, a [[Cinco de Mayo]] celebration, [[Navajo Nation|Navajo]] Rug Auction, Pumpkin Patch Carnival, World's Largest [[Gingerbread]] Village at the Prescott Resort & Conference center (on the [[Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe]] reservation), Prescott Film Festival, Folk Arts Fair, parades, the Acker Music Festival, The Cowboy Poets Gathering, the Prescott Highland Games, Courthouse Lighting, Whiskey Off Road and Ragnar Relay Del Sol. On New Year's Eve, historic Whiskey Row saw the inaugural Prescott Boot Drop to usher in the 2012 New Year. The illuminated {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=on}} tall cowboy boot with multi-colored stars was lowered from the historic Palace Restaurant rooftop's {{convert|40|ft|m|adj=on}} flagpole to the delight and cheers of celebrants gathered on Montezuma Street which was closed for the occasion. Also in Prescott is the [[Heritage Park Zoo]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

There are four [[golf course]]s within the city limits: Antelope Hills Golf Course, which consist of the City of Prescott South Course and the City of Prescott North Course, Capital Canyon Golf Club (formerly the Hassayampa Golf Club) (private), Talking Rock Golf Club (private), and Prescott Lakes Golf Club (private). More public courses are located nearby in surrounding towns.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Prescott+AZ |publisher=golf link |title=Prescott, Arizona Golf Courses |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322151748/http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Prescott+az |archive-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Prescott is home to The [[Arizona Pioneers' Home]], a continuing care retirement home, operated and funded by the State of Arizona, originally intended for impoverished Arizona founders from Territorial days. Initially the home was built to house 40 men, but in 1916 an addition of a women's wing was completed to provide for 20 women. Later, in 1929, the home again expanded to include Arizona's [[Hospital for Disabled Miners]] (current total capacity is 150 beds). Scenes from the 2008 movie ''[[Jolene (2008 film)|Jolene]]'' were filmed in the Pioneer's Home in 2006. The Home has had many colorful residents, including a John Miller, who claimed to be [[Billy the Kid]], and who was exhumed from the Pioneer's Home Cemetery in 2005 in an attempt to identify DNA evidence. Another resident was [[Big Nose Kate|"Big Nose Kate" Elder]], who would also be laid to rest in the Pioneer's Home Cemetery, though not without controversy.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Prescott is home to [[Prescott College]], a small liberal arts college just west of the downtown area that emphasizes environmental and social justice. It is a [[non-profit organization]] which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms.<ref>http://www.prescott.edu/rdp/index.html {{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref> There are four general programs at Prescott College: the On-campus Undergraduate Program (RDP), Limited-Residency Undergraduate Degree Program (ADP), the Limited-Residency Master of Arts Program (MAP), and a Limited-Residency PhD program in Sustainability Education.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prescott.edu/academics/index.html |title= An education for adventurous, engaged learners|website=www.prescott.edu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403155412/http://www.prescott.edu/academics/index.html |archive-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> Those enrolled in the Limited-Residency programs work with various mentors and Prescott College faculty, usually in their home communities. On-campus students live in Prescott and attend classes at the college itself.

Prescott was at one point a recovery destination, with over 200 sober living homes dedicated to drug or alcohol recovery. However, increased regulation and enforcement has whittled the number down to less than 30 as of June 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/jun/10/prescotts-total-sober-living-drops-below-30/ |title=Prescott's total of sober-living homes drops below 30 |date=June 9, 2018 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016164911/https://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/jun/10/prescotts-total-sober-living-drops-below-30/ |archive-date=October 16, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The cultures of Prescott's recovery community, the students at [[Prescott College]], and preexisting small town punk subculture have fostered a thriving punk scene. Shows are hosted weekly at [[Punk house|house venues]], tattoo shops, and bars throughout downtown and the Dexter neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dodiy.org/index.php?n=Main.Arizona|title=Do DIY : Arizona|website=Dodiy.org|access-date=August 11, 2016}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Prescott has been home to several nationally known punk bands, including Bueno, [[Life in Pictures]], and Hour of the Wolf. Local bands often play shows alongside touring bands, who include Prescott in their tours.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Prescott was the location of Arizona's first Elks Lodge ([[Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks|BPOE]]). In December 1895 a group of enterprising businessmen in Prescott established the Prescott Elks Lodge #330, known as the "Mother Lodge of Arizona". The Prescott Elks Opera House was built by the lodge in 1905. The Prescott Elks Lodge is in [[Prescott Valley, Arizona|Prescott Valley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=330|title=Elks.org : Lodge #330 Home|website=www.elks.org|access-date=September 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927125203/https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=330|archive-date=September 27, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{wide image|Panorama of the Courthouse Square in downtown Prescott, Arizona.jpg|1024px|A panorama of the Courthouse square in downtown Prescott}}

===Designations===
Prescott was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor [[Rose Mofford]] in 1989.

Other notable designations include:

2000: Downtown Historic Preservation District (which includes "Whiskey Row") – one of 12 such National Register Historic Districts within the city.

2004: A "Preserve American Community"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.preserveamerica.gov/7-24-04PAcommunity-prescottAZ.html|title=Preserve America Community: Prescott, Arizona|website=Preserveamerica.gov|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202152902/http://preserveamerica.gov/7-24-04PAcommunity-prescottAZ.html|archive-date=December 2, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> in 2004 by [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Laura Bush]].

2006: One of a "Dozen Distinctive Destinations"<ref>Dozen Distinctive Destinations – Prescott, AZ:
http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southwest-region/prescott-az-2006.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331152317/http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southwest-region/prescott-az-2006.html |date=March 31, 2012 }}</ref> by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

2008: Yavapai Courthouse Plaza recognized as one of the first ten "Great Public Places"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/spaces/2008/yavapaicounty.htm|title=Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza: Prescott, Arizona|website=American Planning Association|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911054626/https://www.planning.org/greatplaces/spaces/2008/yavapaicounty.htm|archive-date=September 11, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> in America by the [[American Planning Association]].

2012: Number 1 True Western Town of the Year<ref>Meghan Sarr / by the Editors. 2012, Feb. "Top Ten True Western Towns". ''True West''. p. 78.</ref> for 2011 by ''[[True West Magazine]]'' and One of the 61 Best Old House Neighborhoods in the U.S and Canada by ''[[This Old House]]'' Magazine.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pandolfi |first=Keith |url=http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20569041_21120801,00.html |title=Pine Crest Historic District, Prescott, Arizona &#124; Best Old House Neighborhoods 2012: The West &#124; Photos &#124; Home & Real Estate |date=February 9, 2012 |publisher=This Old House |access-date=August 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404044229/http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20569041_21120801,00.html |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Prescott, Arizona}}
The City of Prescott operates under a [[council–manager government|council-manager]] form of government. The council has six council members and a mayor, all elected at-large by the people of Prescott. Council members are elected to staggered four-year terms, and the mayor to a two-year term. Elections for mayor and council members are held in the first year after the national presidential and mid-term elections to keep national issues from overshadowing local concerns. Mayoral and council elections are non-partisan. There are no term limits for council members or the mayor. The council appoints a professional city manager to oversee the daily administrative operations of city services and their respective departments, including the [[Prescott Fire Department]]. The current city manager is Katie Gregory. The current mayor is Phil Goode, elected in 2021. The current Magistrate is Keith Carson. Council members as of June 2022 are Cathey Rusing, Connie Cantellme, Brandon Montoya (Mayor Pro-Tem), Eric Moore, Steve Sischka, and Clark Tenney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prescott-az.gov/city-management/leadership/council/|title=Leadership – Council|publisher=Cityofprescott.net|access-date=July 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506233701/http://www.prescott-az.gov/city-management/leadership/council/|archive-date=May 6, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prescott-az.gov/leadership/|title=City Leadership – City of Prescott, Arizona|first=Webmaster at City of|last=Prescott|website=Prescott-az.gov|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811133402/http://prescott-az.gov/leadership/|archive-date=August 11, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=City Council – City of Prescott |url=https://www.prescott-az.gov/city-management/leadership/council/ |access-date=June 15, 2022 |website=www.prescott-az.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Magistrate Court - Prescott Valley, AZ |url=https://prescottvalleycourt.com/ |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=www.prescottvalleycourt.com}}</ref>

==Education==
===Higher education===
*[[Yavapai College]]
*[[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott]]
*[[Prescott College]]

===K-12===
[[Prescott Unified School District]] includes almost all of Prescott, while small pieces of the municipality are in [[Chino Valley Unified School District (Arizona)|Chino Valley Unified School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st04_az/schooldistrict_maps/c04025_yavapai/DC20SD_C04025.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yavapai County, AZ|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=2 (PDF p. 3/3)|access-date=2024-12-28}} - Includes boundaries of municipalities and CDPs.</ref>

Schools in Prescott include:
*[[Prescott High School (Arizona)|Prescott High School]]
*Mile High Middle School (serves seventh and eighth grades<ref name="dcourier.com"/>)
*Granite Mountain Middle School (serves fifth and sixth grades<ref name="dcourier.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/may/04/celebration-marks-99-years-at-miller-valley-schoo/|title=Celebration marks 99 years at Miller Valley school|website=Dcourier.com|date=May 3, 2015 |access-date=February 26, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226131336/http://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/may/04/celebration-marks-99-years-at-miller-valley-schoo/|archive-date=February 26, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>)
*[[BASIS Schools]]
*[[Expeditionary learning schools|Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy]]
*[[Tri-City College Prep High School]]

There are 18 public schools in Prescott USD, including five charter schools, in grades K-12 and four private schools in Prescott.<ref name=ArizDoE>{{cite web|url=http://www.ade.state.az.us|title=AZ Dept of Education|website=Ade.state.az.us|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329053903/http://ade.state.az.us/|archive-date=March 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, due to budget cuts, the Prescott Unified School District closed Washington Elementary and Miller Valley Elementary schools. To make up for the change all elementary schools only went up to fourth grade. Granite Mountain Middle School serves fifth and sixth grades. Mile High Middle School serves seventh and eighth grades and Prescott High School remains unchanged.<ref name="dcourier.com"/>  A district preschool has been operating in the Washington Elementary since the latter's closure.  A recent renovation of the building will be completed in 2018 and will also be the home of the Prescott Unified School District Offices.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/feb/01/oldest-school-arizona-gets-major-makeover/|title=Oldest school in Arizona gets a major makeover: Prescott's Washington School gets touch of the new, while respecting its past|last=Hutson|first=Nanci|date=February 1, 2018|work=The Daily Couriers|access-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201181309/http://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/feb/01/oldest-school-arizona-gets-major-makeover/|archive-date=February 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:Earnestalovefield sign.jpg|thumb|View of airport from Hwy 89]]
[[Ernest A. Love Field|Prescott Regional Airport, Ernest A. Love Field]] (PRC) is located {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} north of the downtown courthouse. As of 2021, [[United Airlines]] operates commercial flights from Prescott to [[Denver International Airport|Denver]] and [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/air-carrier-announces-additional-non-stop-denver-flight-to-from-prescott-beginning-june-2021/ | title=Air Carrier Announces Additional Non-Stop Denver Flight to/From Prescott, AZ Beginning June 2021 – Signals AZ | date=April 21, 2021 }}</ref>

The three main thoroughfares in and around Prescott are [[Arizona State Route 89A]], [[Arizona State Route 69]] and [[Arizona State Route 89]]. State Route 89A connects [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]] and [[Cottonwood, Arizona|Cottonwood]] to Northern Prescott and meets with State Route 89 near the Airport eventually turning into Pioneer Parkway where it connects to Williamson Valley Road. State Route 69 connects Prescott with Prescott Valley to the east, eventually curving southeast before reaching [[Interstate 17]] at mile marker 262, about {{convert|65|mi|km}} from downtown Phoenix. State Route 89 travels mostly north–south and connects Prescott with [[Chino Valley (Arizona)|Chino Valley]] and [[Paulden, Arizona|Paulden]] to the north, continuing northward until it joins [[Interstate 40 in Arizona|Interstate 40]] at mile marker 146, [[Ash Fork, Arizona|Ash Fork]].

In 2016, ADOT realigned Willow Creek Road between State Route 89 and Pioneer Parkway adding a roundabout on State Route 89 with new access to the Ernest A. Love Field Airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://azdot.gov/projects/northwest-district-projects/sr-89-to-deep-well-ranch-road-widening-project|title=Overview|website=azdot.gov|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201132228/https://azdot.gov/projects/northwest-district-projects/sr-89-to-deep-well-ranch-road-widening-project|archive-date=December 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A future Great western Corridor is planned go on the east side of the Ernest A. Love Field Airport and provide an alternative route to the Airport.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pvaz.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/656 |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 2, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407172527/http://www.pvaz.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/656 |archive-date=April 7, 2017  }}</ref>

Yavapai Regional Transit provides local bus service connecting Prescott and [[Chino Valley, Arizona|Chino Valley]].<ref name="yavapairegionaltransit.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.yavapairegionaltransit.com/riders-guide/maps/gold-green-chino-prescott/|title = Gold and Green Routes – Chino Valley and Prescott}}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!--PLEASE don't add people here&nbsp;— they should be added to the list on the link below-->
{{main|List of people from Prescott, Arizona}}

==Nearest cities and towns==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Chino Valley, Arizona|Chino Valley]]
* [[Groom Creek, Arizona|Groom Creek]]
* [[Iron Springs, Arizona|Iron Springs]]
* [[Highland Park, Yavapai County, Arizona]]
* [[Prescott Valley, Arizona|Prescott Valley]]
* [[Wildwood Estates, Arizona|Wildwood Estates]]
* Yavapai Hills
{{div col end}}

==Sister cities==
{{As of|2015}}, Prescott has three [[Twin towns and sister cities|sister cities]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sistercities.org/interactive-map/Prescott,%20Arizona |publisher=Sister Cities International |title=Prescott, Arizona |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610184926/http://sistercities.org/interactive-map/Prescott%2C%20Arizona |archive-date=June 10, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|MEX}} [[Caborca, Sonora|Caborca]], [[Sonora]], Mexico
* {{flagdeco|SLV}} [[Suchitoto]], El Salvador
* {{flagdeco|DEU}} [[Zeitz]], [[Saxony-Anhalt]], Germany

==See also==
{{Portal|Arizona}}
* [[List of historical markers in Prescott, Arizona]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author=August, Jack L.  |date=1998|title=We Call It 'Preskit': A Guide to Prescott and Central Arizona High Country|publisher= Arizona Highways |isbn=978-0916179571}}
* {{cite news|url= https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-that-only-the-brave-leaves-out| title= The Story That 'Only the Brave' Leaves Out |author=Brody, Richard |magazine=The New Yorker|date=October 23, 2017}}
* {{cite book|author=Henson, Pauline|date=1965|title=Founding a wilderness capital, 1864|location=Prescott, Arizona|publisher=Northland Press}}
* {{cite book|author=Wildfang, Frederic|date=2006|title=Prescott|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-73854858-6|url=https://archive.org/details/prescott00wild}})

==External links==
[[File:NGA Prescott.jpg|thumb|upright|Detail, old National Guard Armory]]
* [http://www.cityofprescott.net/ City of Prescott website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307050437/http://www.cityofprescott.net/ |date=March 7, 2018 }}
* [http://www.visit-prescott.com/ City of Prescott tourism website]
* [http://www.prescott.org/ Prescott Arizona Chamber of Commerce]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161024023540/https://sharlot.org/1999/may/1161-135-years-ago-today-a-capital-is-born-named-prescott 135 Years Ago Today a Capital is Born Named Prescott]}}, by Earl Hoagberg, Sharlot Hall Archive & Library, May 1999.
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161024155146/https://sharlot.org/2000/august/419-many-prescott-places-take-their-name-from-1850s-surveyor Many Prescott places take their name from 1850s surveyor]}}, By Harley G. Shaw, harlot Hall Archive & Library, August 2000.

===Sister projects===
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline}}
*{{Cite NSRW|short=x|wstitle=Prescott, Ariz.}}
{{Prescott, Arizona}}
{{Yavapai County, Arizona}}

{{Arizona county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Prescott, Arizona| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Yavapai County, Arizona]]
[[Category:County seats in Arizona]]
[[Category:Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1864]]
[[Category:Cities in Arizona]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of Arizona]]