Fort Defiance is a community in Apache County, Arizona, home to about 3,351 people across 6.4 square miles. Its ZIP code is 86504.
Mostly Fort Defiance; also Sawmill
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| Nearest major airport | Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)147 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Gallup Municipal Airport (GUP)23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Albuquerque, NM144 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Phoenix, AZ228 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fort Defiance; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Fort Defiance had 3,541 residents in the 2020 census, down 13% since 2000.
It’s the 121st largest of 441 towns in Arizona by population.
Apache County grew from 8,297 residents in 1900 to 66,021 in 2020.
Apache County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 11.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Window Rock Ap, AZ weather station (6 miles away).
6,112 jobs at 442 businesses in Apache County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
302 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fort Defiance.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 67 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 71 |
| Dentists | 26 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 61 |
| Mental health providers | 27 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 37 |
| Optometrists | 13 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Window Rock Unified District (4154), Northeast Arizona Technological Institute of Vocat (81114). Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated PreschoolFort Defiance | Pre-K | 39 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Tsehootsooi Primary Learning CenterFort Defiance | K–3 | 430 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Tsehootsooi Intermediate Learning CenterFort Defiance | 4–6 | 340 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Tsehootsooi Middle SchoolFort Defiance | 7–8 | 284 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| NATIVE - Window Rock High SchoolFort Defiance | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 1.6 mi |
| Window Rock High SchoolFort Defiance | 9–12 | 548 | Public | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Sawmill.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.