Kingman

History During the Second World War the Army Air Forces built Kingman Army Airfield as an aerial gunnery school, and it trained some 35,000 soldiers and airmen. After the war it became one of the largest scrapping grounds for obsolete military aircraft, and the airport still stores aircraft today. On July 5, 1973, a propane rail car exploded on a siding near Andy Devine Avenue; Firefighters Memorial Park honours the 11 firefighters who died. A 1985 survey identified 63 historic resources in town, and most of Mohave County's National Register listings are here, including the 1915 courthouse, the 1909 jail and the Santa Fe locomotive 3759, built in 1928.

Route 66 in Town Route 66 runs through Kingman as Andy Devine Avenue. The Powerhouse at number 120, a power plant built between 1907 and 1909 that supplied the mines, the town and the construction of Hoover Dam, opened as a visitor center in October 1997 and has housed the Arizona Route 66 Museum since 2001. The museum's exhibits were renovated in 2025. The city has added photo stops ahead of the highway's 2026 centennial: a Route 66 Drive Thru Shield (2021), a heart-shaped neon sign that came from a Las Vegas wedding chapel, and new Route 66 murals. One block north, Beale Street finished a $7 million streetscape renovation in June 2024, and the historic Beale Street Theater opened for performances in July 2025. The first Kingman Route 66 Fest was held in October 2021.

Museums The Mohave County Historical Society runs the Route 66 Museum, the Mohave Museum of History & Arts on Beale Street and the Bonelli House, the home of a pioneer family; a single $10 adult ticket covers all of them. The society is also restoring the historic Mohave County Jail.

Beyond Town Hualapai Mountain Park, run by Mohave County, charges $12 per vehicle for day use, from sunrise to sunset (Mohave County Parks, as of November 2026). Grand Canyon West, with the Skywalk, is on the Hualapai Reservation about 76 road miles away, a little over two hours by car. It is not part of Grand Canyon National Park, and park passes are not accepted there.

Getting There Kingman is on Interstate 40 and US 93. Flagstaff is 147 miles east, Needles, California, 62 miles southwest and Las Vegas 107 miles northwest. Amtrak's Southwest Chief between Los Angeles and Chicago stops daily at the Mission Revival station downtown, renovated in 2010, which also has a model-railroad museum. The BNSF main line through town carries roughly 100 to 150 freight trains a day. Kingman Airport has no commercial flights; the nearest is Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, about 104 miles away.

Climate Kingman's height keeps it out of the worst desert heat. Summer highs often pass 90°F but rarely exceed 107°F, with nights between 60°F and 70°F; the record, 114°F, was set on July 15, 2023. Winter days are mild, around 50°F to 60°F, but nights often freeze and the town sees occasional snow. On New Year's Eve 2014 a 6.5-inch fall helped close Interstate 40 at the US 93 junction for 24 hours.