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Williams, Arizona

24 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1989. It stands in the Williams census division. It lies in ZIP code area 86046. It lies near High School Hill. The Survey maps it on the Williams South quadrangle. 3,202 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 6,765 feet above sea level.

Williams within Coconino County

On record in Williams

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 12 records

Population over time

2 figures

Williams grew from 3,023 to 3,202 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20103,023
20203,202+179 (+6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

11 surveys from 24 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Photographs

8 photographs, 1943

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams (vicinity), Arizona. A train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona coming out of a tunnel through the hillside
Williams (vicinity), Arizona. A train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona coming out of a tunnel through the hillside
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams (vicinity), Arizona. A diesel freight train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona going through the mountains
Williams (vicinity), Arizona. A diesel freight train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona going through the mountains
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Williams, Arizona. On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona, going around a curve in the mountains
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Williams, Arizona. A diesel freight train climbing through mountainous area along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad between Winslow and Seligman, Arizona
Delano, Jack, 1943. Library of Congress

Fires near this place

377 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 377 fires within 5 miles of Williams between 1992 and 2020, burning about 220 acres in total. 207 started naturally. 7 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural207
Recreation and ceremony72
Missing data/not specified/undetermined39
Debris and open burning14
Smoking12
Equipment and vehicle use8
Misuse of fire by a minor7
Arson/incendiarism7
Railroad operations and maintenance7
Power generation/transmission/distribution2
Other causes1
Fireworks1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2009Debris and open burningunder an acreKaibab National ForestCOUNTRY CLUB
7 September 2011Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreKaibab National ForestCINDER
6 September 2013Naturalunder an acreKaibab National ForestSADDLE
6 September 2013Naturalunder an acreKaibab National ForestBOX
6 September 1995Naturalunder an acreKaibab National ForestMOORE
4 September 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreKaibab National ForestDOGTOWN
4 September 2007Naturalunder an acreKaibab National ForestKNOLL
3 September 2017Naturalunder an acreKaibab National ForestSCHOOL

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Coconino County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 20 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 20 workings within 5 miles of Williams: 12 past producers, 7 unknowns, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Pumice, Volcanic Materials, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Pumice, Volcanic Materials. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Arizona MinePumice, Volcanic MaterialsPast ProducerPumice
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerGravel
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerGravel
Cinder PitVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders
Pit TankVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders
Three Sisters Cinder PitVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders
West SideVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders
Williams No. 2 Cinder PitVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders
Williams No. 3 Cinder PitVolcanic MaterialsPast ProducerCinders

Every working recorded in Coconino County

Storms near this place

24 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Williams in 24 storm reports between 1996 and 2024: 7 heavy rain, 5 flood, 5 hail, 2 wildfire. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 1996FloodWilliams1 hurt, $1,000no account filed
July 2024HailWilliams-A thunderstorm produced enough hail to cover the ground in Williams. Most of the hail was 1/4 to 7/8 inch in diamter (pea to nickel sized). There was one report of 1 inch diameter hail (quarter sized).
July 2024Dust DevilWilliams-As people were trying to set up a hot air balloon, a dust devil created winds estimated to be between 40-50 mph. This caused the balloon to detach from its anchor point, sending it into nearby buildings. Three bystanders were injured, including an 8-year-old girl with a broken thumb and rope burns, a 15-year-old who sustained neck and back injuries, and an adult woman who was cut. The balloon also caused damage to two parked cars, knocked down a light pole, and damaged electrical equipment in a nearby building.
July 2021Flash FloodWilliams-Lewis Street in Williams was flooded.
July 2017Heavy RainWilliams-A thunderstorm over Williams produce 1.37 inches of rain in 40 minutes, very gusty winds, and lots of lightning. Moderate street flooding was observed in the neighborhood southwest of Downtown.
June 2016Heavy RainWilliams-Heavy rain and hail up to 1/2 inch in diameter caused local flooding in and around Williams.
September 2016Funnel CloudWilliams-A funnel cloud was seen about two miles south-southwest of Williams.
August 2015Heavy RainWilliams-Over half an inch (0.55 inches) fell in Williams in less than 15 minutes. Mud and debris were flowing down 10th Street in Williams.
September 2014Heavy RainWilliams-A trained spotter in Williams reported 0.95 inches of rain in just 45 minutes.
July 2012Heavy RainWilliams-Trained spotters reported 1.17 and 1.70 inches of rain in Williams.
July 2010Heavy RainWilliams-A thunderstorm produced 2.45 inches of rain in just 45 minutes.
August 2008HailWilliams-Quarter sized (1 inch diameter) hail fell for about 10 minutes with heavy rain in Williams.
July 2007Flash FloodWilliams-Heavy rain from thunderstorms caused flooding in the Williams area. Two feet of water covered Country Club Road at the railroad underpass.
August 2007FloodWilliams-Several streets were closed in Williams due to water in streets from heavy rain.
July 2006HailWilliams-3/4 inch diameter hail was reported 3 miles east of Williams.
August 2004HailWilliams-One inch diameter hail was reported 5 miles north of Williams.
August 2003Heavy RainWilliams-Williams Police Department reported 2.30 inches of rain in just under 40 minutes. This caused extensive street flooding. Some streets had enough water to trap small cars. Several streets were barricaded.
September 2002Funnel CloudWilliams-An off duty NWS employee reported a funnel cloud four miles east of Williams.
May 2000WildfireWilliams-The Pumpkin fire started on May 24, 2000 and had burned 9500 acres by the end of May. The fire was started by lightning on the afternoon of May 24, 2000. The fire was burning in the wilderness area of Kendrick Peak and was 40 percent contained by May 31, 2000.
July 2002FloodWilliams-no account filed
August 2001HailWilliams-no account filed
August 2001FloodWilliams-no account filed
June 2000WildfireWilliams-no account filed
August 2000FloodWilliams-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Coconino County

Newspapers printed here

5,720 digitised pages

1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 1,089 issues, 5,720 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

NewspaperPublished
The Williams News1891 to 1989

What the paper printed

6,890 words

Front pages of the local paper, read from the Library of Congress scans: 4 issues spread across its run from 1901 to 1922, 6,890 words in total. Each is reproduced on its own page, exactly as the recogniser returned it.

These pages read less well than anything else here, and the number is worth stating: about three words in four come through cleanly, against nine in ten for the building records. An 1896 broadsheet sets eight-point type in seven columns on microfilm, which is the hardest thing in this archive to read by machine. We tested our own recognisers against the Library's and they were not better, so the Library's text is what appears, with the wholly unreadable columns removed. Read it as a guide to what the paper covered, and follow the link to the scan before quoting anything.

IssuePaper Length
1901-07-06The Williams News593 words
1901-09-14The Williams News1,257 words
1901-11-30The Williams News1,414 words
1922-12-29The Williams News3,626 words

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Williams Junction3.0 miles24
Bootlegger Crossing4.1 miles22
Sereno4.4 miles27
Sereno Spring4.8 miles27
Pine Tank6.6 miles22
Sherwood Forest Estates7.8 miles22
Corva8.6 miles21
Chalender8.9 miles22

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on WilliamsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q79864The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 36208. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.