Felicity Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.
Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.
According to the French government and California’s Imperial County, the official center of the world lies in the town of Felicia in California’s Sonora Desert. There is no scientific or political reason for the designation, but only the effort of Jacques-André Istel and his wife Felicia Lee (the town's namesake), who founded the town in 1986. Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founded of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book "Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World" about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation
La Fuente Inn & Suites

La Fuente Inn & Suites

3 out of 5
1513 E 16th St Yuma AZ
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in their reviews. ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (2,174 reviews)
Great place. Lovely staff

Reviewed on 16 Jan 2026

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La Fuente Inn & Suites
Motel 6 Yuma, AZ - East

Motel 6 Yuma, AZ - East

2 out of 5
1445 E 16th St Yuma AZ
The price is AU$87 per night from 21 Jan to 22 Jan
AU$87
21 Jan - 22 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this motel in Yuma. Enjoy free parking, a 24-hour front desk and a snack bar/deli. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their reviews. ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,104 reviews)
Room was comfortable and clean, the Personnel was very friendly, just as curteous...everything is a hop skip n jump shopping b restaurants.

Reviewed on 16 Jan 2026

Motel 6 Yuma, AZ - East
Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

2.5 out of 5
1691 S Riley Ave Yuma AZ
The price is AU$117 per night from 23 Jan to 24 Jan
AU$117
23 Jan - 24 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,049 reviews)
Everything was good.

Reviewed on 13 Jan 2026

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma
See all 246 properties in Felicity
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Cozy and Bright 3 BR | 2 BA home in the Yuma Foothills

Cozy and Bright 3 BR | 2 BA home in the Yuma Foothills

Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and patios. Popular attractions Castle Dome Mines Museum & Ghost Town and Yuma County ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (46 reviews)
Great cozy home away from home. Host very responsive. Family and small pets enjoyed the stay. We will definitely stay again.

Reviewed on 24 Dec 2025

Cozy and Bright 3 BR | 2 BA home in the Yuma Foothills
Terrific 3-bedroom house in sunny Yuma.

Terrific 3-bedroom house in sunny Yuma.

2 out of 5
Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy in-room fireplaces and air conditioning. Popular attractions Castle Dome Mines Museum & Ghost Town and Yuma County Foothills ...
Terrific 3-bedroom house in sunny Yuma.
Home away from home-Quiet cozy casita

Home away from home-Quiet cozy casita

Yuma AZ
Stay at this holiday home in Yuma. Enjoy private pools, a fitness centre and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course and Yuma Palms ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (11 reviews)
We had a wonderful stay..The house is clean and well stocked. The neighborhood is quiet and safe..The owner graciously, let us check in early as you arrived ahead of schedule

Reviewed on 21 Nov 2025

Home away from home-Quiet cozy casita
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Cities near Felicity

desert near of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

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Yuma which includes street scenes

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