City comparison
Flagstaff, AZ is about 225 miles (350 km) from Tucson, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Flagstaff, AZ to Tucson, AZ takes about 26 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Tucson has a population of 541,033, vs 76,177 in Flagstaff — about 7.1× larger by population. By land area, Tucson covers about 240 sq mi vs 66 sq mi for Flagstaff.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Flagstaff | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,469/mo | $991/mo | 48.2% higher in Flagstaff |
| Median home value | $466,600 | $218,200 | 113.8% higher in Flagstaff |
| Median household income | $65,652 | $52,049 | 26.1% higher in Flagstaff |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.6 | 92.7 | 4.2% higher in Flagstaff |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 100.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 100.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Flagstaff, you'd need $91,870 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 8.1% cheaper overall than Flagstaff, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Flagstaff than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Flagstaff, you'd need about $73,496 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.