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Prescott, pronounced locally as "press-kit" instead of "press-caught," is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 40,360. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County, and in 1863 this then remote and lightly populated town was designated as the original capital of the Arizona Territory in order to keep the seat of government far from Confederate sympathizers prevalent in the southern part of the state. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until the capital was changed to Phoenix in 1889.

The towns of Prescott Valley (7 miles east) and Chino Valley (16 miles north), and Prescott, together make up the area known locally as the "Tri-City". The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation is located next to, and partially within, the borders of Prescott. These four government entities sometimes work together on projects of mutual interest; At other times, however, they come into conflict. An example is the ongoing fight over Prescott buying the water rights of Chino Valley's rich Verde River watershed. The area is growing rapidly, and lately (2005) one begins to hear the term "Quad-City" for the area. The villages of Dewey and Humboldt voted to incorporate as a town, known as Dewey-Humboldt. This area is getting a lot of moderate and upper-level housing developments, because it is close to Prescott and has land area. The weather conditions are favorable owing to the altitude of 5354 ft, being significantly cooler than the lower southern areas of the state and yet without the harsh winters found at higher altitudes.

Prescott began as a mining town with the discovery of gold on nearby Lynx Creek in 1863. During the nineteenth century, Prescott experienced far fewer anti-Mexican and anti-Chinese sentiments than other communities. In fact, when the mining district enacted its laws in 1863, the officers specifically mentioned that "Senorians" and "Asiatics" meaning Mexicans and Chinese, were free to mine and work in the region. In 1863 Arizona became a territory and Prescott was the Territorial Capital between then and 1867, and again from 1877 until 1889. The Sharlot Hall Museum houses much of Prescott's territorial history, and the Smoki and Phippen museums also maintain local collections. Whiskey Row in Downtown boasts many historic buildings, including the Palace, Arizona's oldest restaurant and bar (establishment) bar, and many other buildings that have been converted to boutiques, art galleries, bookstores, and restaurants. The City is named after author William H. Prescott, whose writings were popular during the Civil War.

After major fires in the early part of the century, downtown Prescott was rebuilt with brick. The central courthouse plaza, a lawn under huge old elm trees, is a good gathering and meeting place. Cultural events and performances take place on many nights in the summer on the plaza. Prescott features the famous old Western Whiskey Row and many Victorian homes. It has been remarked to be the most Midwestern-appearing city in the Southwest, and it has 525 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.