Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater

The site was formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater, and scientists generally refer to it as Barringer Crater in honor of Daniel Barringer who was first to suggest that it was produced by meteorite impact.

Despite its importance as a geological site, it is not protected as a national monument, a status that would require federal ownership. The crater is still owned by the Barringer family. The crater was designated a national natural landmark in November 1967.

The crater is somewhat misnamed. A meteor is a small space object that burns up in the atmosphere. If the object actually reaches the surface it is referred to as a meteorite.

Location

55 km East of Flagstaff
Winslow, Arizona
USA

Getting There

It is located in Northern Arizona, approximately 18 miles west of Winslow. The nearest airport to Meteor Crater is Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), which is located about 40 miles east of the crater. From the airport, visitors can rent a car and drive to Meteor Crater via Interstate 40.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Arizona that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.