Everything about Sedona Arizona totally explained
» For the Kia Motors Sedona automobile, see Kia Carnival
Sedona is a city and community that straddles the county line between
Coconino and
Yavapai counties in the northern
Verde Valley region of the
U.S. state of
Arizona. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,220.
Sedona's main attraction is its stunning array of red
sandstone formations, the Red Rocks of Sedona. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The Red Rocks form a breathtaking backdrop for everything from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails. Among the rock formations is one that closely resembles the character
Snoopy (from the popular
Peanuts comic strip) lying on top of his doghouse. Another nearby rock is said to resemble Lucy, also from
Peanuts. Other landmark rock formations include Coffeepot Rock, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Chimney Rock, Courthouse Butte, the Mittens, the Cow Pies, and the Rabbit Ears.
Sedona is named after Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of the city's first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness.
Geography
Sedona is located at (34.859897, -111.789199), which is in the Upper
Sonoran Desert of northern Arizona. At an elevation of 4,500 feet (1,372 m), Sedona has mild winters and summers that are often described as being, "not as hot as
Phoenix."
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.6
square miles (48.2
km²), all of it land.
The famous red rocks of Sedona are formed by a layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation. The Schnebly Hill Formation is a thick layer of red to orange-colored
sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. The sandstone is thought to have been deposited during the
Permian period.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 10,192 people, 4,928 households, and 2,863 families residing in the city. The
population density was 548.0 people per square mile (211.6/km²). There were 5,684 housing units at an average density of 305.6/sq mi (118.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.17%
White, 0.49%
Black or
African American, 0.45%
Native American, 0.94%
Asian, 0.09%
Pacific Islander, 4.29% from
other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 8.90% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 4,928 households out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were
married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.52.
In the city the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,042, and the median income for a family was $52,659. Males had a median income of $32,067 versus $24,453 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $31,350. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Native American
According to the Yavapai Native Americans, their ancestors were the first people of Sedona, descendants of "The First Lady," daughter of the Lady of the Pearl. The Yavapai Creation Story recounts how The Lady of the Pearl was sealed in a log with the Woodpecker and sent from Montezuma Well at the beginning of a Great Flood. For days and nights to follow, it rained incessantly and flood waters rose to cover every land form on earth. After 40 days, the rain stopped, the water receded and the log finally came to rest in Sedona. The Woodpecker freed the beautiful young woman from the log and guided her to the summit of
Mingus Mountain, bearing a white stone or "Pearl" her people had given her for protection on the journey. There, she met the Sun, who fell in love with her. Returning to Sedona, she bathed in an enchanted pool in
Boynton Canyon. Soon afterward, she gave birth to a daughter, referred to as the "First Lady," mother to all the Yavapai people. (Source: Spokesperson/representative of the
Yavapai-Apache Nation Clarkdale, AZ.)
The Yavapai-Apache tribe were forcefully removed from the
Verde Valley in 1876, to the
San Carlos Indian Reservation, 180 miles southeast. 1500 people were marched, in midwinter, to San Carlos. Several hundred lost their lives. The survivors were interned for 25 years. About 200 Yavapai-Apache people returned to the Verde Valley in 1900.
Anglo-American settlement
The first Anglo settler moved into
Oak Creek Canyon in 1879. The early settlers were farmers and ranchers. Oak Creek Canyon was well-known for its apple orchards. In 1902, when the Sedona post office was established, there were 55 residents. In the mid-1950's, the first telephone directory listed 155 names. Parts of the Sedona area weren't electrified until the 1960's.
Sedona began to develop as a tourist destination, vacation-home and retirement center in the 1950's. Most of the development seen today was constructed in the 1980's and 1990's. As of 2007, there are no large tracts of undeveloped land remaining. Section source:
Political structure
Politically, Uptown Sedona (the part in Coconino County) and West Sedona (the Yavapai County portion) form the City of Sedona. Originally founded in 1902, the town was incorporated into a city in January 1988. The Village of Oak Creek, despite its location seven miles (11 km) to the south and outside Sedona city limits, is a significant part of the community.
Cinematic legacy
Many of Hollywood's classic westerns were filmed in or near Sedona. The red rock
buttes and
desert landscape provided a striking setting for these films. Most notably is 1950’s
Broken Arrow, starring
James Stewart. A number of its shooting locations can still be visited via
off-road trails.
An intricate chase scene in the
Robert De Niro and
Charles Grodin comedy
Midnight Run was filmed on the trails surrounding Sedona.
One rock formation appears to be a replica of the
Nautilus, from the
Disney film
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but in reality the rock formation was visited by
Walt Disney and used intentionally as a model for the
submarine .
Fire
On
June 18,
2006, a wildfire, reportedly started by campers, began about one mile (1.6 km) north of Sedona. The so-called "Brins Fire" covered on Brins Mesa, Wilson Mountain and in
Oak Creek Canyon before the
USDA Forest Service declared it 100% contained as of 6 p.m. on
June 28. Containment cost was estimated at $6,400,000.
Arts
There are several events that are hosted annually in the Sedona area, including:
Sedona is home to several large arts organizations in northern
Arizona.
The Sedona Arts Center
, founded in 1958, is the oldest arts center in northern Arizona.
The Sedona Jazz on the Rocks festival, founded in 1982, takes place annually at Radisson Poco Diablo Resort and other locations over four days in September.
Chamber Music Sedona sponsors a chamber music program annually from October to May. 2007-2008 is the 25th anniversary season for this organization.
Sedona International Film Festival & Workshop was established in 1995. The weeklong annual festival takes place in late February and early March at Harkins Theatres while supplemental events take place at area resorts. The festival also hosts monthly events.
GumptionFest, established in 2006 by GumptionFest Artistic Support Foundation Executive Director Dylan Jung, is a grassroots, local art street festival takes place the first weekend of June.
NORAZ Poets, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit poetry network based in Sedona.
Sedona has also inspired the following songs and albums:
Sedona is mentioned in the Pixies song "Havalina" the last song on their album "Bossanova." The lyrics are: "Walking in the breeze / On the plains of old Sedona / Arizona / Among the trees."
The Electro group Dynamix II released a single by the name of Sedona.
Aerosmith recorded a song called "Sedona Sunrise" released on their 2006 compilation Devil's Got a New Disguise. The lyrics and laidback tone of the song were apparently inspired by the songwriters' visit to Sedona.
Sedona is the home of German-born guitarist Ralf Illenberger; one of his albums is named "Sedona".
Inspired by the gorgeous rock formations surrounding the town, music composer Steven Reineke wrote a piece which he named "Sedona."
In Jamie O'Neal's love ballad, "There Is No Arizona", Jamie belts out the name Sedona in the chorus, "There is no Arizona. No painted desert, no Sedona."
While relaxing on vacation, Walt Disney became inspired by Oak Creek Canyon and wrote the movie Fantasia.
London-based band Callaghan (now known as Clayton), were inspired by Sedona pioneer James Elmer, Sr. to write and record the song "Road to Elmersville".
Education
Sedona is served by the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District.
Sedona Red Rock High School (SRRHS), is located near the edge of town in West Sedona. The school's mascot is the Scorpion. The high school's new campus, a series of single story buildings, is located opposite the Sedona campus of Yavapai College, in West Sedona.
Sedona Charter School (SCS) is located behind the Sedona Public Library, it serves as Montessori based school for grades K-8th grade.
Yavapai College's Sedona Center for Arts & Technology includes the Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking, the Business Partnership Program, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the University of Arizona Mini Med School.
Verde Valley School, a boarding/preparatory high school with many international students, is located between the Village of Oak Creek and Red Rock Crossing.
University of Sedona, a non-traditional institute providing ministerial training and education in metaphysics.
Vortices
There is a specialized New Age tourist industry in Sedona, where the "Harmonic Convergence" was organized by Jose Arguelles in 1987. Some purported "spiritual vortices" are said to be concentrated in the Sedona area at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Schnebly Hill.
The validity of these vortices is debatable. Mainstream opinion considers such phenomena to be New Age mythology, but a small number of believers maintain that such vortices are real natural phenomena.
Notable current residents and celebrity visitors
Maynard James Keenan (born 1964), singer, songwriter, musician, and producer.
Samaire Armstrong (born 1980), actress
Michelle Branch, (born 1983), musician and Sedona native
Nicolas Cage, actor, and former wife Lisa Marie Presley were frequent visitors
Ted Danson (born 1947), actor, owns a home in the copper cliffs area.
Justin Frankel (born 1978), Sedona native and computer programmer, inventor of the Gnutella peer-to-peer system.
Goldie Hawn and her domestic partner, Kurt Russell, are frequent Sedona visitors.
Stanley Jordan, (born 1959) jazz guitarist
Diane Lane (born 1965), actress, owns a second home in Sedona.
Gerard Maguire (born 1945), stage and television actor, lives with his wife, producer Jane Alsobrook.
U.S. Sen. John McCain, (R-Arizona) (born 1936), politician, owns a ranch southwest of the city
Nick Nolte (born 1941), actor, celebrity visitor
Rosie O'Donnell (born 1962), celebrity visitor
Al Pacino (born 1940), actor owns a second home in Sedona
Debbie Reynolds (born 1932), actress, owns a vacation home in Sedona
Jane Russell (born 1921), actress and sex symbol, lived in Sedona with her third husband, John Calvin Peoples.
Robert Shields (born 1972), part of 1970's Shields and Yarnell mime duo is a Sedona resident.
Notable former residents
Lucille Ball (1911-1989), comedienne, film, television, stage and radio actress
Joe Beeler (1931-2006), Western artist and cofounder of the Cowboy Artists of America, lived and worked in Sedona, 1961-2006.
Max Ernst (1881-1976), the German Dadaist and surrealist artist, lived in Sedona from 1948 to 1953 with his fourth wife, the artist Dorothea Tanning.
James Gregory (1911-2002), character actor
Ann Miller (1923-2004), actress and dancer, owned a Sedona vacation home
Lois Moran (1909-1990), actress
Donald O'Connor (1925-2003), dancer, singer and actor
Israel Regardie (1907-1985), former secretary and friend of Aleister Crowley and member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn died in Sedona in 1985.
Orson Welles (1915-1985), actor, director & writer
Deborah Walley (1943-2001), actress
Mary Wills (1914-1997), costume designer
Sean Young (born 1959), actress, lived in Sedona in the 90's
Photos
Further Information
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