Which State Is the Grand Canyon In?

The entire Grand Canyon is located in the state of Arizona.

Heading east to west, the Grand Canyon begins in the Northeast near the town of Page, AZ and continues westward for 277 miles. It curves through Grand Canyon National Park, all of which is located in the state of Arizona as well.

The Grand Canyon is so large (1,904 square miles in total), it occupies an area that is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island (1,212 square miles).

The canyon was created by the Colorado River and and its many tributaries cutting into the Colorado Plateau as it uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to flow where it does today between sheer 4,000 foot walls of ancient rock. The canyon is so deep, it exposes rocks that date back the earliest parts of Earth's history, rocks as old as 1.8 billion years old.

Page, AZ, which is close to the Utah-Arizona border, is the closest large city to the Grand Canyon. It is also the base for a number of magical Southwest destinations including Antelope Canyon, the most popular and photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest, the Colorado River's famous Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, America's second largest reservoir which is located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Navajo Nation, Tower Butte, and much more.

Tucked into the northwest corner of the sixth largest state in America, Arizona, the Grand Canyon is also close to the borders of Utah and Nevada and winds through some of the most extremely rugged and beautiful terrain in the entire nation.

It is part of the 130,000 square mile high desert Colorado Plateau, which drains its namesake Colorado River and a number of other tributaries, including the Green River, San Juan River, Little Colorado River, and others.  The Colorado Plateau is full of other famous National Park destinations including Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Capitol Reef.

North and South Rims

The North and South Rim combined comprise the official "Grand Canyon National Park".

The South Rim is the most developed region of the park and offers plentiful shopping, dining options, hotels, museums, and historic buildings to explore. Here you'll find some of the most world-famous views of the Grand Canyon, and even opportunities to explore in a helicopter tour or across the canyon's edge in a Hummer ground excursion.

Conversely, the North Rim is a rugged and mostly untouched area perfect for skilled hikers and campers. The North Rim is 1,000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim and experiences heavy snowfall in winter, and is completely closed to visitors from December to May. The only way to get from the North Rim to South Rim is a nearly five hour drive or an arduous 24-mile hike along the Bright Angel Trail that takes you from the North Rim Village to the South Rim Village.

The Grand Canyon West Rim, only 125 miles from Las Vegas, is the rugged, less-trafficked alternative to the Grand Canyon National Park. It is owned and operated by the Hualapai Indian Tribe, and is not not administered by the National Park Service. The West Rim is the home of breathtaking lookout points such as Eagle Point and Guano Point, the Grand Canyon Skywalk, and a Native American cultural center called Hualapai Point, which offers dining, authentic handmade crafts for sale, a shooting gallery, and a zipline.

Another part of the Grand Canyon still owned by ancestral Indian Nations is Havasu Falls.

Located on the Havasupai Indian reservation, Havasupai Falls is remote, beautiful, and requires a reservation to access.

Havasupai Falls is the most well known oasis in all of the Grand Canyon. The famous photos of turquoise and blue/green waterfalls spilling over rust red and bright orange cliffs deep in the recesses of America's deepest canyon beckons travelers from all over the world to this amazing site.

The distance from Las Vegas, NV to the Grand Canyon depends on which part of the canyon you would like to visit.

There are three different and unique rims - the North Rim and the South Rim (both of which are part of Grand Canyon National Park) and the West Rim. Each destination offers its own variety of activities and sightseeing opportunities, from hiking to helicopter tours, shopping, dining, and more.

Here are distances to each rim from Las Vegas:

• The West Rim is the closest rim to Las Vegas. It is located about 130 miles from the heart of Las Vegas. On average, the drive takes approximately two and a half hours.
• Both the North Rim and South Rim are located over 270 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. On average, both drives take approximately four and a half hours. The National Park is so massive that if you want to drive from the North Rim to the South Rim, it is a 4.5 hour drive of 220 miles!

The distance from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon depends entirely on which rim of the canyon you are wanting to reach.

• West Rim: Approximately 130 miles or two and a half hours driving
• South Rim: Approximately 280 miles or four and a half hours driving
• North Rim: Approximately 270 miles or four and a half hours driving

Instead of spending most of your trip to the Grand Canyon in the car, you can fly instead and cut your travel time in half! You reach the Grand Canyon West in a helicopter tour from Las Vegas in just a little over an hour! If you'd like to visit the Grand Canyon National Park, flights depart daily from the Boulder City air terminal near Las Vegas. You can fly to the South Rim in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. The aerial journeys to both destinations include bird's-eye views of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and of course - the Grand Canyon.

• The distance from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon depends on which rim you are traveling to. The South Rim, which is part of the Grand Canyon National Park, is the closest location to Phoenix, Arizona. The drive is approximately 224 miles, and takes around three and a half hours.
• The Grand Canyon West Rim is approximately 260 miles and takes around four and a half hours to drive from Phoenix.