I-17

About I-17

Also known as Black Canyon Freeway.

From Phoenix, AZ (I-10) to Flagstaff, AZ (I-40)

Interstate 17 is a north-south route entirely within Arizona, running about 146 miles from Phoenix to Flagstaff. It begins in Phoenix at Interstate 10 and climbs steadily northward through the high desert and central highlands to end at Interstate 40 in Flagstaff. It is the principal route connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area with the higher country of northern Arizona.

The highway gains thousands of feet of elevation along its course, rising from the low Sonoran Desert around Phoenix through Black Canyon City and Cordes Junction into the pine forests near Flagstaff. The long climb, including steep grades and the rise onto the Colorado Plateau, makes it a notable mountain route, and winter weather can affect its northern end. It serves heavy weekend and seasonal traffic between the desert cities and the cooler high country.

State-by-state mileage

State	Miles
Arizona	145.8
Total	145.8

History

Interstate 17 was designated in 1961 and built to replace and upgrade the older highway between Phoenix and Flagstaff. Parts of it carry the name Black Canyon Freeway through the Phoenix area.

Construction across the climbing terrain north of Phoenix was completed in stages, producing a modern divided freeway over what had been a difficult mountain road.

Major cities and places

Notable features

• Climb onto the Colorado Plateau
• Black Canyon

Did you know

• The route lies entirely within Arizona.
• It climbs thousands of feet from the Sonoran Desert to the pine country near Flagstaff.
• Its Phoenix-area segment is known as the Black Canyon Freeway.
• It connects I-10 in Phoenix with I-40 in Flagstaff.