Overview
Eastern Arizona is part of the state of Arizona, in the United States of America. It is a complex region of remarkable cultural, geological and scenic diversity despite its sparse population.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Nov–Apr. Summer highs reach about 107°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Very hot (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Jul. (climate data from nearby Casa Grande Ruins National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SOW Show Low Regional Airport, Show Low — 61 mi away. Directions
- AZA Mesa Gateway Airport, Mesa — 82 mi away. Directions
- TUS Tucson International Airport, Tucson — 98 mi away (major hub). Directions
There are no major airports in the region; the closest airports with significant commercial service are in Phoenix and Tucson.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 2-day trip
- Day 1: Mogollon Rim — Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Hannagan Meadow, Fossil Springs Wilderness.
- Day 2: Southeast Arizona — Hiking the Arizona Trail.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Photos
Places in Eastern Arizona
Regions
Mogollon Rim
A geologic feature separating the high desert to the north and low desert to the south.
Southeast Arizona
A scenic region of the Sonoran Desert, with sites of the Arizona "Old West".
Cities
- Holbrook – along Route 66 with Arizona "Old West" history of in its own right.
- Globe – a copper mining town back in the day and still today, with many historic buildings.
- Sierra Vista – the region's largest town, with a historic military fort.
- Tombstone – an iconic Wild West town most famous for the conflict between Wyatt Earp and the Clanton gang at the O.K. Corral.
Other destinations
- [https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests]
- Chiricahua National Monument
- Petrified Forest National Park — Filled with beautifully colored mineralized trees.
- [https://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto Tonto National Forest].
Get in
- Interstate 10 (I-10) runs east-west across southern and central Arizona, connecting from El Paso and southern New Mexico, to Tucson, Phoenix and on towards southern California.
- Interstate 40 (I-40) runs east-west across northern Arizona and connects travelers with the cities of Flagstaff, Williams and Kingman. I-40 comes into Arizona from east after passing through Albuquerque, New Mexico and from the west after passing through Barstow and Needles, California. I-40 is positioned above the Mogollon Rim in elevation and is affected by heavy snowfall during winter months.
- U.S. Route 60 (US 60) runs (in a general) east-west across central Arizona, entering the state just south of I-40 from New Mexico. U.S. 60 runs through the White Mountains and the towns of Eagar and Springerville on its way to Globe and eventually to Phoenix.
- U.S. Route 70 (US 70) runs east-west, with its western terminus in Globe, through Safford and into New Mexico through Lordsburg.
- U.S. Route 180 (US 180) runs east-west, with its western terminus south of the Grand Canyon in Valle, through Flagstaff and into the Mogollon Rim region, through St. Johns and Alpine, and into New Mexico to Silver City.
- U.S. Route 191 (US 191) runs north-south from the US-Mexico border near Douglas, north to Safford through the Mogollon Rim region, through Alpine and St. Johns, continuing through the Navajo Nation and into Utah.
There are no major airports in the region; the closest airports with significant commercial service are in Phoenix and Tucson.
Get around
Due to the Rim, travel within the region often is not as straight-as-a-crow; even major highways like US 60 must meander around valleys, canyons and rivers.
A car is essential as there is no public transportation. To access some of the more remote off-road areas, a four-wheel drive is recommended.
Do
- Historic Route 66 – Historic Route 66 runs east-west across northern Arizona, edging the northern edge of this region.
- Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (U.S. Route 191) – An Arizona Scenic Route and National Scenic Byway, US 191 travels north-south through the Apache–Sitgreaves National Forest, running all the way from the Mexico border near Douglas to the Utah state line near Mexican Water. Between Morenci and Hannagan Meadow the road is dangerous with no shoulders and many hairpin turns along steep mountainsides. Also called the "Devil's Highway", as US 191 formerly was US 666 as the 6th numbered spur from US 66, but also fitting for the deadly stretch between Morenci and Hannagan Meadow with the numerous hairpin turns.
Go next
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Nearby
My experience
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