Tusayan

Tusayan is a town, but was a census-designated place during the 2010 census. It is located in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. It was incorporated in 2010. A resort town near the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, Tusayan is served by Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The population was 558 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Tusayan is located at 35°58′32″N 112°7′45″W / 35.97556°N 112.12917°W / 35.97556; -112.12917 (35.975674, -112.129046).

As an incorporated town, Tusayan has a land area of only 144 acres (58 ha), or 0.225 square miles (0.58 km2), making it the smallest town in Arizona by area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place (CDP) in 2000 had a total area of 28.6 square miles (74 km2), of which, 28.6 square miles (74 km2) of it is land and 0.04% is water.

Transportation

Grand Canyon National Park Airport is in Tusayan.

Arizona State Highway 64, coming from Williams and U. S. Highway 180, coming from Flagstaff serve Tusayan. They share a four-lane highway through town, which becomes two lanes outside the business district. The route designations then split south of town at Valle.

Incorporation

The community first explored incorporation in the early 1990s. Legislation passed to allow it, but was challenged and defeated as unconstitutional because it applied only to Tusayan. In 2003, new legislation was passed allowing any community of 500 or more to incorporate if located in proximity to a national park or monument. The Tusayan-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce appointed a task force of community leaders who studied the issue for four years. In June 2007, they made a neutral presentation to the community, offering revenue projections and an overview of pros and cons. In April 2008, about 30 voters signed a petition to put the question of incorporation on the September 2, 2008, ballot. The measure was defeated by a vote of 78 to 62.

Another vote, held on March 9, 2010, proved more successful when the measure was approved by a margin of 116 to 71, making Tusayan the 91st incorporated place in the state of Arizona. An interim town council appointed by the Coconino County Board of Supervisors held the town's first council meeting on April 7. Opposition to the town's incorporation have filed a lawsuit to overturn the election as fraudulent, with opening arguments in the case being scheduled for April 14.