Phoenix is one of the nation’s most acclaimed cities, as well as being the center of almost everything in Arizona --- population, government, industry, finance, business, agriculture, fine arts, and sports. This desert metropolis offers an unsurpassed climate, spectacular scenery, economic opportunity and high quality living, not to mention the lively culture, glamorous resorts, luxurious spas, and world-class golf. Is it any wonder that Phoenix has become a prime destination for visitors, residents and businesses?
Location
Central Phoenix is the main section of the city, the very heart of the Valley of the Sun in south central Arizona. It is situated at the edge of the Sonoran Desert in Maricopa County, about 120 miles from the Mexican border. Camelback Mountain sits to the east, Piestewa Peak (Squaw Peak) to the northeast, South Mountain to the south, and in the distant west is the White Tank Mountains.
Scottsdale is to the east, the towns of Cave Creek and Carefree are to the north, Glendale is to the west, and Arizona’s Golden Corridor travels southward down toward Tucson.
Phoenix is located 8.3 miles from Paradise Valley, 9.2 miles from Glendale, 13.1 miles from Scottsdale, and 14 miles from Tempe. Phoenix is located 115 miles from Tucson and 367 miles west of Los Angeles.
Transportation to and from Central Phoenix is straightforward. State Route Loop 101 forms a semicircle around the northern suburbs, starting from I-10 in the west and going around to I-10 in the southeast. Loop 202 provides a route from Downtown around the perimeter of the southeast part of the metro area.
In addition, State Route 51 connects I-10 through Downtown Phoenix to the north part of the city, connecting to Loop 101, making it easy to get anywhere in the sprawling metro area.
State Route I-10 from Los Angeles travels from the west through downtown Phoenix, and exits the metro area traveling to the southeast towards Tucson and El Paso.
I-17 begins in downtown Phoenix and provides a north-south route to Flagstaff, where it intersects with I-40.
US 60 also travels through the city, going northwest through Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. It exits east of downtown, going through Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Apache Junction.
The main streets dissecting Phoenix are Central Ave, running north-south and Washington St, running east-west.
Airports
Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport is located just north of I-10, southeast of downtown.
Sky Harbor is the largest airport in the Southwest and the fifth busiest airport in the nation, with non-stop flights to over 108 domestic and international destinations. It serves over 35 million passengers, with 3 terminals and over 100 gates. Headquarters for American West Airlines, Sky Harbor has over 1,300 daily flights, using 21 passenger airlines.
The Williams Gateway Airport is located in Mesa, and serves as a commercial airline.
Scottsdale Municipal Airport in Scottsdale and the Falcon Field Airport in Mesa are two smaller airports that mainly handle private and corporate jets.
Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, home to over 900 aircraft, is used for private planes and serves to relieve the air-traffic congestion at Sky Harbor.
Terrain
Phoenix covers more than 514 square miles, geographically exceeding Los Angeles in area. It is desert terrain, situated on a flat valley floor, at an elevation of 1,090 feet.
Mountain ranges surrounding it on every side, ranging from 2,500 to over 7,000 feet in elevation. South Mountain has the largest municipal parks in the United States, the White Tank Mountains have a natural waterfall flowing during the winter months, Piestewa Peak (Squaw Peak) and North Mountain both have outstanding trails, and Camelback Mountain has red rock surface and is a rock climber’s delight.
The Salt River runs west through the city, but the riverbed itself is generally dry.
Population
With a growing population of 1.4 million, Phoenix is Arizona’s largest city and the fifth largest city nationwide. Phoenix has a well-educated populace. Of those over 25 years old, 76.6% have a high school degree, 22.7% have a bachelor’s degree, and 7.6% have a graduate or professional degree. The unemployment rate in Phoenix is 5.6%.
Jobs
Phoenix’s economy has grown dramatically in recent decades, aided by the numerous tourists and retirees coming to the city. Currently the hub of a $50 billion regional marketplace, its thriving economy attracts many new businesses. Many high-tech, banking and telecommunications companies have located in the area.
As Phoenix is the state capital of Arizona, the government is a prime employer in the city. There are many jobs in tourism and recreation, particularly the golf industry.
Two major Fortune 500 companies are located in Phoenix, the electronics corporation Avnet, Inc and the mining company Phelps Dodge Corporation. America West Airlines, Motorola, Intel, Honeywell and Luke Air Force Base are also located in Phoenix.
The average time to travel to work in Phoenix is 26 minutes.
Colleges/Universities
Phoenix has many outstanding universities in the city and nearby cities.
The University of Phoenix is the nation’s largest private, for-profit university, with an enrollment of 14, 783.
Arizona State University is the main university in the area. It is one of the largest public universities in the US, with an enrollment of 57, 543, and has a satellite campus in Phoenix.
Phoenix College is a public institution with an enrollment of 5,911.
Paradise Valley Community College, Devry Institute of Technology, Gateway Community College, Grand Canyon University and Universal Technical Institute Inc. all have enrollments over 2000.
Maricopa County has ten community colleges and two skills centers, which provide excellent adult education and training.
Housing
Properties in Phoenix are very diverse, from newly built lofts, high-rise penthouses or condominiums in the downtown area to large properties with horse privileges and luxurious estates. Historic areas with old trees lining the wide streets and brand new country club development homes where you can live right on a championship golf course are also popular in Phoenix. Phoenix has a wide range of housing options including pueblo-style homes, and sleek, low maintenance townhomes.
Housing costs in the Phoenix area are well below many other major metropolitan areas. With a median cost of $243,400 it has one of the lowest average prices for a new single-family home.
Desert Ridge, 5,700 acres in size, is the largest master planned community in metro Phoenix. It borders Scottsdale, managing to combine the best of desert living with the urban Phoenix/Scottsdale lifestyle. It has a full range of homes, from single family and move-up homes to golf course and custom homes.
Historic Buildings
At Phoenix’s Pueblo Grande Museum, an ancient Hohokam Indian community has been preserved.
Heritage Square is a collection of the city's early homes that have been transformed into shops and restaurants.
The Victorian-era Rosson House was once one of the most prominent homes in Phoenix.
Recreation
Phoenix provides outstanding recreational opportunities, such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating and fishing. These are all available in the Camelback Mountains and Tonto National Forest. 9,000 foot Squaw peak, an amazing hike, is the most famous landmark on the Camelback Mountain skyline.
The Phoenix Mountain Preserve with more than 24,000 acres of land is the largest municipal park in the United States. Many mountain parks are a part of the preserve, such as South Mountain Park, the largest metropolitan park in the world. It stretches 16,500 acres and has 3 million visitors yearly. The Phoenix Mountains Preserve has intricate trails through the north Valley for hiking, biking or horseback riding.
Phoenix has over 200 world-class golf courses offering year-round recreation, and Phoenix hosts several professional golf events, including the FBR Open of the PGA tour, the Standard Register Turquoise Classic of the LPGA, and The Tradition of the PGA Champions Tour. More than 2 million golfers tee up in metro Phoenix each year, enjoying the lush fairways.
The city has more than 1,130 tennis courts, over 100 miles of hiking trails, numerous parks including the largest municipal park in the United States, and nearby lakes. The many municipal and county parks provide swimming pools, baseball diamonds, football fields, tennis courts, playgrounds and picnic areas.
Phoenix is home to several major league professional sport teams --- the NFL Cardinals, the World Series Champion MLB Diamondbacks, the NBA Suns, the WNBA Phoenix Mercury, and the NHL Coyotes.
Indy Car Racing is often held at The Phoenix International Raceway, and sprint car racing events happen at Manzanita Speedway.
Special Attractions/Events
Phoenix is the Southwest’s cultural capital. Its museums carry art ranging from Native American artifact collections to classical European art. It is home to the Phoenix Art Museum, the Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Opera, as well as the restored Orpheum Theatre. Some of the city's largest art collections can be found at the Heard Museum, which has an internationally acclaimed art and artifact collection of regional Native American cultures.
Phoenix has varied and upscale shopping, such as at the Biltmore. Another great shopping spot in downtown Phoenix is the Arizona Center, an outdoor mall with great restaurants and nightlife.
Phoenix is the home of the stunning Desert Botanical Garden where 20,000 different species of plants are set along gently rolling hills, and located nearby is the Phoenix Zoo, which houses nearly 1,200 species of animals. These "living museums" showcase wildlife and plant life from all over the world.
The Arizona Science Museum is a hands-on museum that allows children to experience scientific theories and be a part of the learning.
The Desert Sky Pavilion has many bands perform in its outdoor amphitheater.
Downtown Phoenix is the focal point of sports, arts and culture for the entire Valley. It is home to the Arizona Center, American West Arena, Bank one Ballpark, the Arizona Science Center, the Phoenix Museum of History and the Phoenix Central Library.
Local festivals in Phoenix include the Arizona State Fair, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Maricopa County Fair.
Interesting Facts
In January 2000, after a yearlong, in-depth study of management efficiency by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Phoenix was the only city among the nation’s 35 largest urban centers to earn an overall grade of “A.”
Since 1950, Phoenix has been selected four times as an All-America City, exemplary in the extent to which its private citizens get involved in the workings of their government.
In 1993 Phoenix was selected as the “Best Run City in the World”, also known as the Carl Bertelsmann Prize.
Phoenix comes from the word Hoozo (meaning “the place is hot”) in the Navajo language.
The earliest settlers of Phoenix were the Hohokam people who lived there as early as 300 BC. Their disappearance is still a mystery.
In 1874, the total cost of the Phoenix town site, which consisted of 320 acres of land, was $550.
“The Valley of the Sun” (the combined areas of Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe) is so-called because there are 300 sunny days a year.
The $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Civic Plaza will triple the amount of rentable space, positioning Phoenix as a top destination for 85 percent of all conventions.
