Located along the fabled American highway, Route 66, Flagstaff is the largest city and regional center in northern Arizona. Known as "the Gateway to the Grand Canyon," it is the county seat for Coconino County, the second largest in the nation, with 12 million acres. At 7,000 feet, Flagstaff is one of the highest cities in the United States. This attractive community sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, Arizona's highest point at 12,633 feet. There are many tales surrounding how the city got its name. A popular one holds that a group from Boston stripped a pine tree on the Fourth of July and placed a flag atop it. Flagstaff boasts a refurbished downtown and a top-rate museum, and its colony of college students make for a lively atmosphere.