Felicity

Travel 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
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool in our reviews. ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (2,236 reviews)
Very easy check-in and was given the exact room we had requested. Complimentary breakfast had some good options.

Reviewed on Mar 11, 2026

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La Fuente Inn & Suites
Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma

2.5 out of 5
1691 S Riley Ave Yuma AZ
The price is P4,949 per night from Mar 22 to Mar 23
P4,949
P5,464 total
Mar 22 - Mar 23
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,201 reviews)
Quite, clean and friendly

Reviewed on Mar 10, 2026

Quality Inn & Suites Yuma
Ramada by Wyndham Yuma

Ramada by Wyndham Yuma

3 out of 5
711 E 32nd St Yuma AZ
The price is P3,956 per night from Mar 14 to Mar 15
P3,956
P4,368 total
Mar 14 - Mar 15
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this motel in Yuma. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in our reviews. Popular ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,012 reviews)
The place was nicely maintained but at smoking destination area needs to be made 50ft from the complex people would be smoking outside the area or from the 2nd floor above my room whike i be sleeping and while having the a/c on the smoke would come through the ac vents into our room. Not good your ...

Reviewed on Mar 9, 2026

Ramada by Wyndham Yuma
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Luxe Yuma Home With Private Pool!

Luxe Yuma Home With Private Pool!

3 out of 5
2179 W 22nd Ln Yuma AZ
Stay at this cottage in Yuma. Enjoy free parking, in-room fireplaces, and air conditioning. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course and Desert Hills Municipal ...
Luxe Yuma Home With Private Pool!
Centrally Located Yuma Retreat w/ Fenced Patio

Centrally Located Yuma Retreat w/ Fenced Patio

4 out of 5
Yuma AZ
Book a stay at this business-friendly apartment in Yuma. Enjoy free parking, patios, and an in-room coffeemaker. Popular attractions Arroyo Dunes Golf Course ...
Centrally Located Yuma Retreat w/ Fenced Patio
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