Payson, Arizona

Payson, Arizona
Town
Green Valley Park
Flag
Motto:  "Arizona's Cool Mountain Town"
Location of Payson in Gila County, Arizona
Payson, Arizona Location in Arizona Payson, Arizona Location in United States Payson, Arizona Location in North America
Coordinates: 34°14′22″N 111°19′39″W
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Gila
Incorporated	1973
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• Body	Payson Town Council
• Mayor	Steve Otto
Area
• Total	19.36 sq mi (50.13 km2)
• Land	19.35 sq mi (50.11 km2)
• Water	0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	5,000 ft (1,524 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,351
• Density	845/sq mi (326.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP codes	85541, 85547
Area code	928
FIPS code	04-53700
GNIS ID(s)	32746, 2413121
Website	www.paysonaz.gov

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Payson (Navajo: Ndzistsooí) is a town in northern Gila County, Arizona, United States. Due to Payson's location being very near to the geographic center of Arizona, it has been called "The Heart of Arizona." Payson is also considered part of the colloquially defined Northern Arizona region, and the town serves as a gateway to the vast wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The town is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, the largest of the six national forests in Arizona—and the ninth largest national forest in the United States.

Payson boasts a lively festival calendar, including The World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo established in 1884, as well as the Arizona State Old Time Fiddlin' Championship, which celebrates the area's musical heritage.

As of the 2020 census, the population of Payson was 16,361.