Tuba City, AZ
Hotels/Motels
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Location / Description
Tuba City is the Navajo Indian Reservation's largest community. It
is located within the Painted Desert on the western side of the Navajo Nation.
The town is on US Route 160 near Route 264. It lies 50 miles from the eastern
entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. Most of the residents are Navajo with
a small Hopi minority.
Population / Elevation
Population: 9116 (2003)
Elevation: 4940 feet above sea level
Area: 8.9 square miles
History
The name Tuba City comes from Toova, a Hopi headman from Oraibi and in Navajo translates as "tangled water" - Tonanes dizi. This refers to the many springs below the surface of the ground which or the source of several nearby reservoirs.
The town's written history goes back more than 200 years when Father Francisco Garces visited the area in 1776 and recorded Indians cultivating crops. It was settled by Mormons late in the 1870s, but in 1907, it was discovered to be Native American land, and the United States government bought out the improvements to the town.
The Tuba City Trading Post dates back to 1905.
The state of Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. However, the Navajo Nation does. Thus, for half the year Tuba City and its Navajo community neighbors are a different time than the rest of the state.
Things To Do
- Boating
- Hiking
- Camping
- Offroad Activities
- Shopping
- Fishing
Events
- Every Friday Night - Flea Market behind the Chapter House offering Navajo and Hopi arts and crafts plus food.
- October - Navajo Western Fair - authentic Navajo crafts, rugs, pottery, foods.
Resources & Nearby Attractions
Resources
Cities & Towns
- Flagstaff (25 miles)
- Grand Canyon (64 miles)
- Page (56 miles)
- Moen Kopi (Hopi town) lies to the southeast
- Phoenix (225 miles)
- Winslow (129 miles)
Parks & Monuments
Recreation & Wilderness Areas
- Lake Powell through Page, Arizona.
- Petrified Forest - colorful petrified logs, many thousands of years old. Also
- Indian ruins and petroglyphs.
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Historic & Points of Interest
- Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff (56 miles)
- Sunset Crater National Monument in Flagstaff - eruption took place in the winter of 1064-1065 and formed a cinder cone. Just east of Flagstaff.
- Dinosaur Tracks - on Route 160 just before Tuba City on top of a Mesa.
- Monument Valley
Other DesertUSA Resources
Gem Trails Guides Books
Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post
Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
Desert Survival Primer
Desert Survival Kit
Related DesertUSA Pages
- How to Turn Your Smartphone into a Survival Tool
- 26 Tips for Surviving in the Desert
- Death by GPS
- 7 Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Camping Experience
- Maps Parks and More
- Desert Survival Skills
- How to Keep Ice Cold in the Desert
- Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
- Preparing an Emergency Survival Kit
- Get the Best Hotel and Motel Rates
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The North American Deserts
Desert Geological Terms
