St. Michaels, Arizona
St. Michaels is a community of 1,142 people in Apache County, Arizona.
Why visit St. Michaels
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Navajo Nation Council Chamber, St. Michael's Mission and Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; December lows average 14°F.
Weather in St. Michaels
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About St. Michaels
St. Michaels (Navajo: Tsʼíhootso) is a chapter of the Navajo Nation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The Navajo Nation Government Campus is located within the chapter at Window Rock.
From the Wikipedia article St. Michaels, Arizona (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Navajo Nation Council Chamber
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Government center of the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States
St. Michael's Mission
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Navajo Nation Museum
Museum · 2.4 mi
Museum and library in Window Rock, Arizona, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park
Park · 2.5 mi
Zoo in Window Rock, Arizona, United States
Restaurants and cafes3
Where to stay1
History
The St. Michaels area is referred to as Ts'ithootso in the Navajo language and translates to "area that extends out in yellow and green." The microclimate was originally referred to by its Spanish translation Ciénega Amarilla (Spanish: "yellow meadow") describing the late summer yellow flowers and grass. The area was first noted by the U.S. military in 1850 when Lt. James Harvey Simpson named it Sieneguilla de Maria, its Spanish name misheard by a non-native speaker.
In the 1850s a planned ambush against local Navajos was thwarted by a man who went on to become a signatory to the Navajo Treaty of 1868. Delgadito (Chách'oshnééz ((“Tall Syphilis”)) successfully alerted Navajos preparing for a prisoner exchange with Mexican slave-holders.
From the History section of St. Michaels, Arizona on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Saint Michael High School
School · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
1 Lupton Road, Saint Michaels
Hunters Point Boarding School
School · 4.7 mi
Route 12- South Lupton Road, St. Michaels
Tsehootsooi Intermediate Learning Center
School · 5.7 mi
Navajo Route 7, Fort Defiance
Healthcare1
Map of St. Michaels
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 14°F | 1.0 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 19°F | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 24°F | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 29°F | 0.5 in |
| May | 74°F | 36°F | 0.6 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 45°F | 0.3 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 55°F | 1.8 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 52°F | 1.9 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 43°F | 1.3 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 31°F | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 21°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 14°F | 0.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Window Rock Ap (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Apache County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-05-14: Greer Fire (Fire)
- 2021-09-13: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-02: Wallow Fire (Fire)
- 2010-03-18: Severe Winter Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Window Rock 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Fort Defiance 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Rock Springs 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Navajo 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Gamerco 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Gallup 22 mi southeast, about 36 min by car
- Zuni Pueblo 43 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chinle 43 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Crownpoint 53 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Thoreau 53 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Navajo Nation Council Chamber exterior, April 2024, SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ST. MICHAEL'S MISSION, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Window Rock, AZ-Navajo Nation Museum, 2010 - panoramio, Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.