Williams

History

Founded in 1881, Williams was named for William Sherley "Old Bill" Williams (1787–1849), a famous trapper, trader, scout and mountain man, who often trapped in the area. A statue of "Old Bill" stands in Monument Park, located on the west side of the city. The large mountain directly to the south is named Bill Williams Mountain. The city was incorporated on July 9, 1901. Williams was the last city whose section of Route 66 was bypassed, due to lawsuits that kept the last section of Interstate 40 in Arizona from being built around the city. After settlements called for the state to build three Williams exits, the suits were dropped and I-40 was completed. On October 13, 1984, Interstate 40 was opened around the town and newspapers the next day reported the essential end of US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned. The Williams Historic Business District and Urban Route 66, Williams were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and 1989, respectively.

Geography

Bill Williams Mountain rises to an elevation of just south of Williams. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.66%, is water. On average in Williams, December is the coldest month, July is the warmest month, and August is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Williams was in 1909; the coldest temperature recorded was in 1937. }}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Williams Elementary/Middle School
  Elementary · WILLIAMS · 426 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Williams High School
  High · WILLIAMS · 242 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Heritage Elementary - Williams
  Elementary · WILLIAMS · 69 students
• CAVIAT - Williams High School
  High · WILLIAMS
• CAVIAT-Williams Central Program
  High · WILLIAMS