Holbrook is on the banks of the Little Colorado River and along Interstate 40 in northeastern Arizona's high plateau country. In 1881 and 1882, railroad tracks were laid and a railroad station was built in the community. The community was then named Holbrook in honor of the first chief engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The railroad is now owned by BNSF, and Holbrook has since been a transportation hub and service center for northeastern Arizona. Holbrook is on historic Route 66 and is the gateway city to the Petrified Forest National Park. A colorful cowboy history also helps to make Holbrook an interesting tourist community. Holbrook is the county seat of Navajo County.
Holbrook is a key trade center for northeastern Arizona. Its location on historic Route 66 and on I-40 at the junction of four major highways between the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest and Navajo and Hopi Native American Reservations make tourism important to the local economy. Government employment also is key. The Cholla Power Plant, Arizona Public Service's largest coal-fired generating station, is located just outside of Holbrook.
A variety of attractions surround Holbrook. The northern rugged plateau country with canyons contains prehistoric cliff-dwellings such as the Hidden Cove Petroglyph Park. The Navajo and Hopi Reservations offer many attractions including ceremonial dances, tribal events and arts and crafts. Nearby resides the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. Holbrook’s courthouse, which houses the Navajo County Historical Museum, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Special events include the Hashknife Posse Pony Express Ride, Holbrook's Route 66 Festival, the Wild West Days celebration, the Fourth of July Fireman’s Barbecue, the Native American & Mexican Folkloric Summer Dancers, the Navajo County Fair, the Petrified Forest Marathon, the Festival of Trees and the Christmas Parade of Lights.
Holbrook offers a wide range of community facilities including a museum, a community center, a senior center, a library, five parks, one swimming pool, a splash pad, one golf course, six softball fields, three off-leash dog parks and numerous tennis and racquetball courts. The town includes a county fairground with rodeo arena.
| Founded | 1881 | Incorporated | 1917 |
| Elevation | 5,069 ft. | Location | Navajo County |
| Phoenix | 191 miles | San Diego | 538 miles |
| Tucson | 241 miles | Los Angeles | 556 miles |
| Las Vegas | 342 miles |
| 2000 | 2010 | 2023 (est.) | |
| Holbrook | 4,917 | 5,055 | 4,877 |
| Navajo County | 97,470 | 107,677 | 107,748 |
| State of Arizona | 5,130,632 | 6,401,569 | 7,285,370 |
Office of Economic Opportunity
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| Holbrook | 3.00% |
| Navajo County | 0.50% |
| State | 5.60% |
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| 2000 | 2010 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | 2,199 | 2,721 | 2,013 |
| Unemployed | 103 | 379 | 58 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 13.9% | 2.9% |
Office of Economic Opportunity
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 500 | 15.5% |
| High school or equivalent, no college | 785 | 24.3% |
| Some college or Associate degree | 1,444 | 44.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree | 499 | 15.5% |
American Community Survey
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, entertainment, food & recreation services | 389 | 21.2% |
| Public administration | 370 | 20.1% |
| Education, health care & social assistance | 330 | 17.9% |
| Construction | 177 | 9.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, & utilities | 130 | 7.1% |
| Retail trade | 113 | 6.1% |
| Other services, except public administration | 98 | 5.3% |
| Manufacturing | 87 | 4.7% |
| Professional, scientific, & administrative services | 85 | 4.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining | 39 | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 10 | 0.5% |
| Finance, insurance & real estate | 9 | 0.5% |
| Information | 2 | 0.1% |
American Community Survey
This profile was prepared by the Arizona Commerce Authority in cooperation with local sources. For further information, please contact: