Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona
State Capital
City of Phoenix
Images, from top, left to right: Downtown Phoenix skyline, Saint Mary's Basilica, Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Tovrea Castle, a saguaro cactus, Camelback Mountain Images, from top, left to right: Downtown Phoenix skyline, Saint Mary's Basilica, Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Tovrea Castle, a saguaro cactus, Camelback Mountain
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Valley of the Sun, The Valley
Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Incorporated	February 5, 1881
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Body	Phoenix City Council
• Mayor	Greg Stanton (D)
Area
• City	1,338.26 km2 (517.948 sq mi)
• Land	1,338.26 km2 (516.704 sq mi)
• Water	3.22 km2 (1.244 sq mi)
• Metro	42,920 km2 (16,573 sq mi)
Elevation	331 m (1,086 ft)
Population  (2010 census)
• City	1,445,632
• Estimate  (2012)	1,488,750 (US: 6th)
• Density	1,080.2/km2 (2,797.8/sq mi)
• Metro	4,263,236 (US: 14th)
• Demonym	Phoenician
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (no DST/PDT)
ZIP codes	85001–85099
Area code(s)	480, 602, 623
FIPS code	04-55000
GNIS ID(s)	44784, 2411414
Major airport	Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport - PHX (Major/International)
Website	www.phoenix.gov

Phoenix (/ˈfiːnɪks/ FEE-niks; O'odham: S-ki:kigk; Yavapai: Wathinka or Wakatehe; Western Apache: Fiinigis; [Hoozdoh] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); Mojave: Hachpa 'Anya Nyava) is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona. Phoenix, with 1,445,632 people (as of the 2010 U.S. Census) is the most populous state capital in the United States, as well as the sixth most populous city nationally, after (in order) New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia.

It is the anchor of the Phoenix metropolitan area (also known as the Valley of the Sun), the 12th largest metro area by population in the United States with about 4.3 million people in 2010. In addition, Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County and is one of the largest cities in the United States by land area.

Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881, after being founded in 1867 near the Salt River close to its confluence with the Gila River. The city has a notable and famous political culture and has been home to numerous influential American politicians, including Barry Goldwater, William Rehnquist, John McCain, Carl Hayden, and Sandra Day O'Connor. Residents of the city are known as Phoenicians.

Located in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix has a subtropical desert climate.

History

See also: Timeline of Phoenix, Arizona history

Native American period

For more than 2,000 years, the Hohokam peoples occupied the land that would become Phoenix. The Hohokam created roughly 135 miles (217 km) of irrigation canals, making the desert land arable. Paths of these canals would later become used for the modern Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct. The Hohokam also carried out extensive trade with the nearby Anasazi, Mogollon and Sinagua, as well as with the more distant Mesoamerican civilizations. It is believed that a Hohokam witness of the supernova that occurred in 1006 CE created a representation of the event in the form of a petroglyph that can be found in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park west of Phoenix. This has been interpreted as the first known North American representation of the supernova.

It is believed that between 1300 and 1450, periods of drought and severe floods led to the Hohokam civilization's abandonment of the area. Local Akimel O'odham settlements, thought to be the descendants of the formerly urbanized Hohokam, concentrated on the Gila River. Some family groups did continue to live near the Salt River, but no large villages existed. Yavapai also had settlements in the area. Later, Maricopa peoples fleeing enemy tribes, came from the lower Gila River near its confluence with the Colorado River, and settled alongside, as well as deer and Mexican wolves, often lived in the Salt River Valley when water supplies and temperatures allowed.

When the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, most of Mexico's northern zone passed to United States control, and a portion of it was made the New Mexico Territory (including what is now Phoenix) shortly afterward. The Gadsden Purchase was completed in 1853. The land was contested ground during the American Civil War: both the Confederate Arizona Territory, organized by Southern sympathizers in 1861 with its capital in Tucson, and the United States Arizona Territory, formed by the United States Congress in 1863 with its capital at Fort Whipple (now Prescott), included the Salt River Valley within their borders. The valley was not militarily important, however, and did not witness conflict.

In 1863 the mining town of Wickenburg was the first to be established in what is now Maricopa County. At the time this county did not exist, as the land was within Yavapai County along with the other major town of Prescott.

The US Army created Fort McDowell on the Verde River in 1865 to quell Native American uprisings. The fort established a camp on the south side of the Salt River by 1866, which was the first non-native settlement in the valley after the decline of the Hohokam. In later years, other nearby settlements would form and merge to become the city of Tempe, but this community was incorporated after Phoenix.

Founding

The history of the city of Phoenix begins with Jack Swilling, a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War (1861–1865), who came west to seek wealth in the 1850s, and worked primarily in Wickenburg. On an outing in 1867, he stopped to rest at the foot of the White Tank Mountains, observed the abandoned river valley, and considered its potential for farming, much like that already cultivated by the military further east, near Fort McDowell. The terrain and climate were optimal; only a regular source of water was necessary. The existence of the old Hohokam ruins, showing clear paths for canals, made Swilling imagine new possibilities. He had a series of canals built, which followed those of the ancient Native American system.

A small community formed that same year about 4 miles (6 km) east of the present city. It was first called Pumpkinville, due to the large pumpkins that flourished in fields along the canals. Later it was called Swilling's Mill in his honor, though later renamed Helling Mill, Mill City, and finally, East Phoenix. Swilling, a former Confederate soldier, wanted to name the city "Stonewall", after General Stonewall Jackson. Others suggested the name "Salina". Neither name, however, was supported by the community. Finally, Lord Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix", as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization.

The Board of Supervisors in Yavapai County, which at the time encompassed Phoenix, officially recognized the new town on May 4, 1868, and formed an election precinct. The first post office was established on June 15, 1868, with Jack Swilling serving as the postmaster. With the number of residents growing (the 1870 U.S. census reported about a total Salt River Valley population of 240), a town site needed to be selected. On October 20, 1870, the residents held a meeting to decide where to locate it. A 320 acres (1.3 km²) plot of land was purchased in what is now the downtown business section.

On February 12, 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County, the sixth one formed, by dividing Yavapai County. The first election for county office was held in 1871, when Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff. Barnum ran unopposed as the other two candidates, John A. Chenowth and Jim Favorite, had a shootout that ended in Favorite's death and Chenowth withdrawing from the race.

Several lots of land were sold in 1870 at an average price of $48. The first church opened in 1871, as did the first store. Public school had its first class on September 5, 1872, in the courtroom of the county building. By October 1873, a small school was completed on Center Street (now Central Avenue). Land entry was recorded by the Florence Land Office on November 19, 1873, and a declaratory statement filed in the Prescott Land Office on February 15, 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant issued a land patent for the present site of Phoenix on April 10, 1874. The total value of the Phoenix Townsite was $550, with downtown lots selling for between $7 and $11 each.

By 1875, the town had a telegraph office, sixteen saloons, and four dance halls, however the town the townsite-commissioner form of government was no longer working well. At a mass meeting held at the courthouse on Oct. 20, 1875, an election was held to select three village trustees and other officials. Those first three trustees were John Smith (Chairman), Charles W. Stearns (treasurer), and Capt. Hancock (secretary). 1878 saw the opening of the first bank, the National Bank, and by 1880, the town's population stood at 2,453. Later in 1880 would see the first legal hanging in Maricopa County, performed in town.

Incorporation (1881)

An aerial lithograph of Phoenix from 1885

By 1881, Phoenix' continued growth made the existing board of trustees/village structure obsolete. The 11th Territorial Legislature passed "The Phoenix Charter Bill", incorporating Phoenix and providing for a mayor-council government. The bill was signed by Governor John C. Fremont on February 25, 1881, officially incorporating Phoenix with a population of approximately 2,500. On May 3, 1881, Phoenix held its first city election. Judge John T. Alsap defeated James D. Monihon, 127 to 107, to become the city's first mayor.

In early 1888 the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, at Washington and Central (later the site of the city bus terminal, until Central Station was built in the 1990s).

The coming of the railroad in the 1880s was the first of several important events that revolutionized the economy of Phoenix. A spur of the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Phoenix and Maricopa, was extended from Maricopa into Tempe in 1887. Merchandise now flowed into the city by rail instead of wagon. Phoenix became a trade center, with its products reaching eastern and western markets. In response, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was organized on November 4, 1888. Earlier in 1888 the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, at Washington and Central (later the site of the city bus terminal, until Central Station was built in the 1990s). When the territorial capital was moved from Prescott to Phoenix the following year, in 1889, the temporary territorial offices were also located in City Hall.

The Arizona Republic became a daily paper in 1890, with Ed Gill as its editor. 1891 was marked by the greatest flood in the Valley's history, as well as by the advent of the first telephone system in Phoenix. The Phoenix Street Railway electrified its mule-drawn streetcar lines in the 1893, with streetcar service continuing until a 1947 fire. From 1911 to 1926, an interurban line carried passengers and express packages between Glendale and downtown Phoenix. On March 12, 1895, the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railroad ran its first train to Phoenix, connecting it to the northern part of Arizona. The additional railroad speeded the capitol city's economic rise, and that same year, 1895, the Phoenix Union High School was established, with an enrollment of 90.

1900 — WWII

Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, 1908.

Downtown Phoenix from an airplane, 2011

By the turn of the century, the population of Phoenix had reached 5,554, and the following year, on February 25, 1901, Governor Murphy dedicated the permanent state Capitol building. It was built on a 10 acre site on the west end of Washington Street, at a cost of $130,000. The Phoenix City Council levied a $5,000,000 tax for a public library after the state legislature, in 1901, passed a bill allowing such a tax to support free libraries. This action satisfied the conditions set by Mr. Andrew Carnegie in his proposal to donate a library building to the city. The Carnegie Free Library would open seven years later, on Feb.18, 1908, dedicate by Benjamin Fowler. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the National Reclamation Act, allowing for dams to be built on western streams for reclamation purposes. Residents were quick to enhance this by organizing the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association (on February 7, 1903), to manage the water and power supply. The agency still exists as part of the Salt River Project. Theodore Roosevelt Dam was started in 1906. It was the first multiple-purpose dam, supplying both water and electric power, to be constructed under the National Reclamation Act. On May 18, 1911, the former President himself dedicated the dam, which was the largest masonry dam in the world, which formed several new lakes in the surrounding mountain ranges.

On February 14, 1912, under President William Howard Taft, Phoenix became the capital of the newly formed state of Arizona. This occurred just six months after Taft had vetoed, on August 11, 1911, a joint resolution giving Arizona statehood. Taft disapproved of the Recall of Judges in the state constitution. Phoenix was selected as the capital because it was considered preferable due to its more central location, compared to Tucson or Prescott. It was smaller than Tucson, but outgrew that city within the next few decades, to become the state's largest city. Phoenix saw the first wedding in the newly named state, when Joe Melczer married Hazel Goldberg, who delayed their wedding by several hours so they could claim the privilege. A three-year-old Barry Goldwater, who would later serve as US Senator from Arizona, and run for President, was the ring-bearer.

In 1913 Phoenix adopted a new form of government, from mayor-council to council-manager, making it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government. After statehood, Phoenix's growth started to accelerate, and by the end of its first eight years under statehood, Phoenix' population had grown to 29,053, while two thousand were attending Phoenix Union High School. Later in 1920 would see the Phoenix' first skyscraper, the Hearst Building. In 1928 Scenic Airways, Inc. wanted to get flights going in the Southwest because they thought it would be a profitable venture. Scenic General Manager, J. Parker Van Zandt purchased the land for Scenic in Phoenix, and named the new airport Sky Harbor, which was formally dedicated on Labor Day in 1929.

March 4, 1930 Former President Calvin Coolidge dedicates dam on the Gila River named in his honor. Because of a long drought the “lake” behind it has no water. Humorist Will Rogers also a guest speaker quips, “If that was my lake I’d mow it.” Phoenix population had more than doubled during the decade of the 1920s, and now stood at 48,118.

After the stock market crash, Sky Harbor was sold to another investor, and in 1930 American Airlines brought passenger and air mail service to Phoenix. In 1935 the city of Phoenix would purchase the single runway airport, nicknamed "The Farm" due to its isolation, and it has been owned and operated by the city, it to this day. During the 1930's couples used to fly into Sky Harbor solely to get married. There was a chapel close to the original terminal, and Arizona was one of the few states that did not have a waiting period to get married.

WWII and the post-war years

During World War II, Phoenix's economy shifted to that of a distribution center, rapidly turning into an embryonic industrial city with mass production of military supplies. Luke Field, Williams Field, and Falcon Field, coupled with the giant ground-training center at Hyder, west of Phoenix, brought thousands of new people into Phoenix.

On Thanksgiving night 1942, an off-duty black soldier struck a black woman during an argument in a Phoenix bar. When an MP attempted to arrest the soldier, he resisted, pulling a knife. The MP responded by shooting and wounding the soldier, and several black servicemen protested. The MPs initially had the situation quickly contained, when they rounded up about 150 random black soldiers at random, to transfer them to the nearby Papago Park Military installation. However, before the transfer could be facilitated, the black soldiers broke ranks. When a shot was fired, the riot was underway. Soldiers disbursed as handguns, rifles, and high caliber automatic weapons furiously “snapped and barked.” A “hunt” for everyone involved in inciting the riot ensued.

All available Phoenix police officers joined the MPs in trying to squelch the riot. Twenty-eight blocks were cordoned off and searched. Several black soldiers hid in the homes of friends. To “flush them out,” MPs mounted armored personnel carriers. Three men died and eleven were wounded in the riot. Most of the 180 men arrested and jailed were released, but some were court-martialed and sent to military prison.

Radio program written and performed in Phoenix, Arizona, by children of Junior Artists Club (Federal Arts Program, 1935).

Another wartime incident took place at a prisoner-of-war camp that was established at the site of what is now Papago Park and Phoenix Zoo, for the internment of German soldiers captured in Europe. During World War II, nearly 400,000 German POWs were brought to the United States and were interned in prisoner-of-war camps. Officials recorded precisely 2,222 individual attempts by the Germans to flee their camps by scaling fences, smuggling themselves out in or under vehicles, sneaking through the gates in makeshift GI uniforms, cutting throught the barbed wire (or tunneling under it), or simply walked away from work details. But none would match the audacity or scale of the escape plan at Compound 1A at Papago Park, the plan. Led by four U-boat captains, German prisoners began tunneling in September of 1944. On the evening of 23 December 1944, the tunnel was complete, and 25 men escaped from the compound, under the cover of a party occurring among the other POW's supposedly celebrating Hitler's last offensive, the Battle of the Bulge. It would trigger the largest manhunt in Arizona history, bringing in local law enforcement, the FBI, and even Papago Indian scouts. It would take over a month to recapture all 25 men, then last surrendering in Phoenix on 27 January 1945.

A huge factor in the shaping of the growth of Phoenix was a suspicious fire in October 1947 which destroyed most of the Phoenix Street Railway fleet, forcing the city to choose between implementing a new street railway system, or using buses and cars. The fire, along with the growing Great American streetcar scandal, made the city choose to go in the direction of buses.

Another impetus to the growth of Phoenix was the migration of industry to the Valley of the Sun after World War II. When the war ended, many of the men who had undergone their training in Phoenix returned , and their families came with them. Large industry, learning of this labor pool, started to move branches here. In 1948 high-tech industry, which will become a staple of the state's economy, arrived in Phoenix when Motorola chose Phoenix for the site of its new research and development center for military electronics. Motorola is attracted by the city's business-friendly attitude, its location within reasonable distance of supply houses in New Mexico and southern California, the potential for engineering programs at Arizona State College (now Arizona State University), and the climate. In time, other high-tech companies such as Intel and McDonnell Douglas follow Motorola's lead and set up manufacturing operations in the Valley.

The 1950s through the 1980s

By 1950, over 105,000 people lived within the city and thousands more in surrounding communities. There were 148 miles (238 km) of paved streets and 163 miles (262 km) of unpaved streets. The 1950s growth was also spurred on by advances in air conditioning, which allowed both homes and businesses to offset the extreme heat known to Phoenix during its long summers. In the 1950s, air-conditioning really makes its mark, and affordable cooling contributes to a wild building boom. In 1959 alone, Phoenix sees more new construction than in more than three decades from 1914 to 1946.

Over the next several decades, the city and metropolitan area attracted more growth and became a favored tourist destination for its exotic desert setting and recreational opportunities. Nightlife and civic events concentrated along now skyscraper-flanked Central Avenue. In 1960 the Phoenix Corporate Center opened, at the time it was the tallest building in Arizona topping off at 341 feet. 1964 saw the completion of the Rozenweig Center, today called Phoenix City Square, and Architect Wenceslaus Sarmiento's largest project, the landmark Phoenix Financial Center (better known by locals as the "Punch-card Building" in recognition of its unique southeastern facade) was also finished in 1964. In addition to a number of other office towers, many of Phoenix's residential high-rises, were built during this decade.

In 1965 the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum was opened on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair, west of downtown, and in 1968, the city was surprisingly awarded the Phoenix Suns NBA franchise, which played its home games at the Coliseum until 1992.

In 1968, the Central Arizona Project is approved by President Lyndon B. Johnson, assuring future water supplies for Phoenix, Tucson and the agricultural corridor in between.

In 1971, Phoenix adopted Central Phoenix Plan, allowing unlimited building heights along Central Avenue, but the plan did not sustain long-term development of the "Central Corridor." While a few office towers were constructed along North Central during the 1970s, none approached the scope construction during the previous decade. Instead, the downtown area experienced a resurgence, with a level of construction activity not seen again until the urban real estate boom of the 2000s. By the end of the decade, Phoenix adopted the Phoenix Concept 2000 plan which split the city into urban villages, --each with its own village core where greater height and density is permitted, further shaping the free-market development culture (see Cityscape, below). This officially turned Phoenix into a city of many nodes, which would later be connected by freeways.

After the Salt River flooded in 1980 and damaged many bridges, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Amtrak worked together and temporarily operated a train service, referred in Metro Light Rail (Phoenix) as the "Hattie B." line, between central Phoenix and the southeast suburbs. It was discontinued because of high operating costs and a lack of interest from local authorities in maintaining funding.

1990-present

Phoenix’s Navy Week, 2005.

The famous "Phoenix Lights" UFO sightings took place in March 1997. The Baseline Killer and Serial Shooter crime sprees occurred in Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. Steele Indian School Park was the site of a mid-air collision between two news helicopters in July 2007. In 2008 Squaw Peak, the second tallest mountain in the city, was officially renamed Piestewa Peak after Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, an Arizona native who was the first Native American woman to die in combat with the U.S. military, and the first American female casualty in the 2003 Iraq War.

Phoenix has maintained a growth streak in recent years, growing by 24.2% before 2007. This made it the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States following only Las Vegas, whose population had grown by 29.2% in that time. In 2008, Phoenix was one of the hardest hit by the Subprime mortgage crisis. In early 2009, the median home price was $150,000, down from its $262,000 peak in recent years. Crime rates in Phoenix have gone down in recent years and once troubled, decaying neighborhoods such as South Mountain, Alhambra, and Maryvale have recovered and stabilized. Recently Downtown Phoenix and the central core have experienced renewed interest and growth, resulting in numerous restaurants, stores and businesses opening or relocating to central Phoenix.

A panoramic view of Phoenix from the South Mountain Range, Winter 2008 with Sky Harbor International Airport on the far right.

Geography

Astronaut photograph of Phoenix, Arizona, taken from the International Space Station (ISS)

Landsat 7 Satellite image of the Phoenix Metro Area in 2002.

Phoenix is located at 33°27' North, 112°4' West (33.4485°, −112.0738°)Template:GR in the Salt River Valley, or "Valley of the Sun", in central Arizona. It lies at a mean elevation of 1,117 feet (340 m), in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert.

Timelapse of the Phoenix area from 1972 to 2011. Data from Landsat satellites. Due to the wavelengths of light recorded, healthy vegetation appears red in these images.

Other than the mountains in and around the city, the topography of Phoenix is generally flat, allowing the city's main streets to run on a precise grid with wide, open-spaced roadways.

The Salt River runs westward through the city of Phoenix, and the riverbed is often dry or contains a little water due to large irrigation diversions. It will have a heavier flow of water after the area's infrequent rainstorms or when more water is released from upstream dams. The city of Tempe has built two inflatable dams in the Salt River bed to create a year-round recreational lake, called Tempe Town Lake. The dams are deflated to allow the river to flow unimpeded during releases. Lake Pleasant Regional Park is located in northwestern Phoenix within the suburb of Peoria.

The Phoenix area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and the Sierra Estrella to the southwest. Within the city are the Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains. Current development (as of 2005) is pushing beyond the geographic boundaries to the north and west, and south through Pinal County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 517.9 square miles (1,341 km²); 516.7 square miles (1,338 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (0.6 km², or 0.2%) of it is water.

The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale MSA), is the 12th largest in the United States, with a total population of 4,192,887 as of the Census 2010. It includes the Arizona counties of Maricopa and Pinal. Other cities in the MSA include Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Peoria. Several smaller communities are also included, such as Cave Creek, Queen Creek, Buckeye, Goodyear, Guadalupe, Fountain Hills, Litchfield Park, Anthem, Sun Lakes, Sun City, Sun City West, Avondale, Surprise, El Mirage, Paradise Valley, and Tolleson. The communities of Ahwatukee, Arcadia, Laveen and some others are part of the city of Phoenix; Ahwatukee being separated from the rest of the city by South Mountain.

Northern skyline, Downtown Phoenix in foreground, Sunnyslope Mountain clearly visible on high resolution.

The city is the largest city in the Arizona Sun Corridor. The Sun Corridor is the 8th largest megaregion, in terms of area, in the United States of America and is predicted to be the 10th most populous megaregion in 2025.

Phoenix is the nation's sixth most populous city with approximately 1.47 million people, however, with a huge land area of 516.7 square miles (1,338 km²), the city has a low density rate of about 2,797 people per square mile due to about a third of its land area being undeveloped desert. By comparison, Philadelphia has approximately 1.55 million people in a land area of 135.1 square miles (350 km²), giving it a high density rate of over 11,000 people per square mile.

As with most of Arizona, Phoenix does not observe daylight saving time. In 1973, Gov. Jack Williams argued to the US Congress that energy use would increase in the evening, as refrigeration units were not used as often in the morning on standard time. He went on to say that energy use would rise "because there would be more lights on in the early morning." He was also concerned about children going to school in the dark, which indeed they were. The exception to this are lands of the Navajo Nation in Northeastern Arizona, which observe daylight saving time in conjunction with the rest of their tribal lands in other states.

Climate

Phoenix has a subtropical desert climate (Köppen: BWh), typical of the Sonoran Desert in which it lies. Phoenix has extremely hot summers and warm winters. The average summer high temperatures are some of the hottest of any major city in the United States, and approach those of cities such as Riyadh and Baghdad. The temperature reaches and exceeds 100 °F (38 °C), on average for 110 days of the year, including most days from late May through to early October. Highs top 110 °F (43 °C) an average of 18 days during the year. On average, the city experiences 92 days of 100 or more degree weather days per year. The longest stretch of continuous 100 degree days is 76, from 10 June - 24 August 1993. The greatest number of 100 degree days in a year in Phoenix history is 143 (1989), while the fewest is 48 (1913). For comparison, New York City has had a total of 59 days of 100 degree weather since 1870. On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time recorded high of 122 °F (50 °C).

Overnight lows greater than 80 °F (27 °C) occur frequently each summer, with the average July low being 81 °F (27 °C), and the average August low being 80 °F (27 °C). On average, 67 days throughout the year will see the nighttime low at or above 80 °F (27 °C). The highest low temperature recorded in Phoenix was 96 °F (36 °C), which occurred on July 15, 2003.

The city averages over 330 days of sunshine, or over 90%, per year, and receives scant rainfall, the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport being 7 inches (180 mm). Precipitation is sparse during a most of the year, but the monsoon season brings an influx of moisture. Prior to 2008, the start of the monsoon season began when the average Dew point was 55 degrees for three days in a row, however In 2008 the National Weather Service decided to take the guesswork out of monsoon start and end dates. From now on June 15 will be the first day of the monsoon, and September 30 will be the last day. The monsoon raises humidity levels and can cause heavy localized precipitation, flooding occasionally, large hail, strong winds, the rare tornado, and dust storm's, which can rise to the level of a haboob in some years. July is the wettest month of the year (1.05 inches (27 mm)) with June being the driest (.02 inches (0.51 mm)).

Downtown Phoenix skyline looking northeast toward Camelback Mountain.

On average, Phoenix has only one day per year where the temperature drops to or below freezing. However, the frequency of freezes increases the further one moves outward from the urban heat island. Frequently, outlying areas of Phoenix see frost. The earliest frost on record occurred on November 4, 1946, and the latest occurred on April 4, 1945. The all-time lowest recorded temperature in Phoenix was 16 °F (−9 °C) on January 7, 1913, while the coldest daily maximum was 36 °F (2 °C) on December 10, 1898. Snow is a very rare occurrence for the city of Phoenix. Snowfall was first officially recorded in 1898, and since then, accumulations of 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) or greater have occurred only eight times. The heaviest snowstorm on record dates to January 21, 1937 – January 22, 1937, when 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10.2 cm) fell in parts of the city and did not melt entirely for three days. Before that, 1 inch (2.5 cm) had fallen on January 20, 1933. On February 2, 1939, 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) fell. Snow also fell on March 12, 1917 and on November 28, 1919. The most recent snow of significance fell on, December 6, 1998 across the northwest portions of the valley that are below 2,000 feet. During the 1998 event, Sky Harbor reported a dusting of snow. The last measurable snowfall was recorded when 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) fell in central Phoenix on December 11, 1985. On December 30, 2010 and February 20, 2013, graupel fell, although it was widely believed to be snow.

Climate data for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona, 1981–2010 normals
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	88 (31)	92 (33)	100 (38)	105 (41)	114 (46)	122 (50)	121 (49)	117 (47)	116 (47)	107 (42)	96 (36)	87 (31)	122 (50)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	67.4 (19.7)	70.9 (21.6)	77.1 (25.1)	85.4 (29.7)	95.0 (35.0)	104.1 (40.1)	106.2 (41.2)	104.5 (40.3)	100.0 (37.8)	88.7 (31.5)	75.8 (24.3)	66.2 (19.0)	86.8 (30.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	56.5 (13.6)	59.8 (15.4)	65.3 (18.5)	72.8 (22.7)	82.1 (27.8)	90.9 (32.7)	94.8 (34.9)	93.6 (34.2)	88.4 (31.3)	76.7 (24.8)	64.2 (17.9)	55.5 (13.1)	75.0 (23.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	45.6 (7.6)	48.7 (9.3)	53.5 (11.9)	60.2 (15.7)	69.3 (20.7)	77.7 (25.4)	83.4 (28.6)	82.7 (28.2)	76.8 (24.9)	64.7 (18.2)	52.6 (11.4)	44.8 (7.1)	63.3 (17.4)
Record low °F (°C)	16 (−9)	24 (−4)	25 (−4)	35 (2)	39 (4)	49 (9)	63 (17)	58 (14)	47 (8)	34 (1)	27 (−3)	22 (−6)	16 (−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.91 (23)	0.92 (23)	0.98 (25)	0.27 (6.9)	0.11 (2.8)	0.02 (0.51)	1.05 (27)	1.00 (25)	0.64 (16)	0.58 (15)	0.64 (16)	0.88 (22)	8.01 (203)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	4.1	4.4	3.9	1.7	1.0	0.5	4.2	5.0	2.8	2.5	2.6	3.9	36.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	257.3	257.6	319.3	354.0	399.9	408.0	378.2	359.6	330.0	310.0	255.0	244.9	3,873.8
Source: NOAA (extremes 1895–present) Hong Kong Observatory (sun only, 1961–1990) The Weather Network

Cityscape

See also: List of tallest buildings in Phoenix

Map of the urban villages of Phoenix.

Since 1986, the City of Phoenix has been divided into urban villages, many of which are based upon historically significant neighborhoods and communities that have since been annexed into Phoenix. Each village has a planning committee that is appointed directly by the city council. According to the village planning handbook issued by the city, the purpose of the village planning committees is to work with the city's planning commission to ensure a balance of housing and employment in each village, concentrate development at identified village cores, and to promote the unique character and identity of the villages.

The 15 urban villages are:

• Ahwatukee Foothills
• Alhambra
• Camelback East
• Central City
• Deer Valley
• Desert View
• Encanto
• Estrella
• Laveen
• Maryvale
• North Gateway
• North Mountain
• Paradise Valley
• Rio Vista
• South Mountain

Commonly referred-to Phoenix regions and districts include Downtown, Midtown, West Phoenix, North Phoenix, South Phoenix, Biltmore, Arcadia, Sunnyslope, Ahwatukee.

Demographics

Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the nation according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the most populous state capital in the United States, with a population of 1,445,632. According to the Census:

• White: 65.9% (46.5% non-Hispanic)
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 40.8% (35.9% Mexican, 0.6% Puerto Rican 0.5% Guatemalan, 0.3% Salvadoran, 0.3% Cuban)
• Black or African American: 6.5% (6.0% non-Hispanic)
• Native American: 2.6%
• Asian: 3.2% (0.8% Indian, 0.5% Filipino, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.2% Thai, 0.1% Burmese)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Other race: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 1.7%

Phoenix's population has historically been predominantly white. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites represented over 80% of the population.

Ancestry and language

According to the survey, the top ten ancestries were Mexican (38.4%), German (12.8%), Irish (8.8%), English (7.1%), African American (6.0%), Italian (4.0%), American (3.5%), Polish (2.2%), French (1.4%), and Scottish (1.6%).

According to the survey, the linguistic abilities of Phoenix residents were as follows:

• Population 5 years and over: 1,335,333
  • English only: 68.8%
  • Language other than English: 32.2%
  • Spanish: 27.6%
    • Speak English less than "very well": 14.1%
  • Other Indo-European languages: 0.7%
    • Speak English less than "very well": 0.2%
  • Asian languages and Pacific Islander languages: 1.5%
    • Speak English less than "very well": 0.8%
  • Other languages: 1.4%
    • Speak English less than "very well": 0.4%

2000 census

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	240		—
1880	1,708		611.7%
1890	3,152		84.5%
1900	5,544		75.9%
1910	11,314		104.1%
1920	29,053		156.8%
1930	48,118		65.6%
1940	65,414		35.9%
1950	106,818		63.3%
1960	439,170		311.1%
1970	581,572		32.4%
1980	789,704		35.8%
1990	983,403		24.5%
2000	1,321,045		34.3%
2010	1,445,632		9.4%
2012 (est.)	1,488,750		3.0%
sources:

According to the 2000 census, there were 1,321,045 people, 865,834 households, and 407,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,782 people per square mile (1,074/km²). There were 895,832 housing units at an average density of 1,044 per square mile (403/km²).

There were 865,834 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-traditional families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the city the population age distribution was 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,207, and the median income for a family was $46,467. Males had a median income of $32,820 versus $27,466 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,833. 15.8% of the population and 11.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.0% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

As of 2000, the racial makeup of the Phoenix population was 71.1% White, 5.1% African American, 2.0% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 16.4% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.1% of the population. Since the 2000 census, the non-Hispanic white population in Phoenix dropped below 50.0%, according to William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution.

In 2000, the Phoenix metro area's religious composition was reported as 45% Catholic, 13% LDS (concentrated heavily in the suburb of Mesa) and 5% Jewish. The remaining 37% are largely members of Protestant denominations or are unaffiliated.

Economy

The early economy of Phoenix was primarily agricultural, dependent mainly on the "5Cs" which were copper, cattle, climate, cotton and citrus. In the last four decades most of the farmlands have been turned into suburbs, and the economy has diversified as swiftly as the population has grown. The construction boom collapsed in 2008, as the financial crisis of 2007–2010 began; housing prices plunged. As Phoenix is the state capital, many residents in the area are employed by the government. Arizona State University has also enhanced the area's population through education and its growing research capabilities. Numerous high-tech and telecommunications companies have also recently relocated to the area. Due to the warm climate in winter, Phoenix benefits greatly from seasonal tourism and recreation, such as the golf industry.

Phoenix is currently home to four Fortune 500 companies: electronics corporation Avnet, mining company Freeport-McMoRan, retailer PetSmart and waste hauler Republic Services. Honeywell's Aerospace division is headquartered in Phoenix, and the valley hosts many of their avionics and mechanical facilities. Intel has one of their largest sites here, employing about 10,000 employees and 7 chip manufacturing fabs, including the $3 billion state-of-the-art 300 mm and 45 nm Fab 32.

American Express hosts their financial transactions, customer information, and their entire website in Phoenix. The city is also home to the headquarters of U-HAUL International, a rental and moving supply company; as well as Best Western, the world's largest family of hotels; Apollo Group, parent of the University of Phoenix; and utility company Pinnacle West. Choice Hotels International has its IT division and Operations Support Center in the North Phoenix area. US Airways relocated its Corporate Headquarters to Metro Phoenix area (Tempe) in 2005 after being acquired by America West Airlines. US Airways is the largest carrier at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Mesa Air Group, a regional airline group, is headquartered in Phoenix.

Despite the housing collapse, Phoenix is seeing an improvement in its rental housing. “Commercial-property owners are counting on apartment buildings to lead the Phoenix area's real-estate market toward recovery, based on a recent rebound for units rented and buildings sold.” The military has a significant presence in Phoenix with Luke Air Force Base located in the western suburbs. At its height, in the 1940s, the Phoenix area had three military bases: Luke Field (still in use), Falcon Field, and Williams Air Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport), with numerous auxiliary air fields located throughout the region.

Foreign governments have established 30 consular offices and eleven active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations in metropolitan Phoenix.

See also: List of corporations in Phoenix

Culture

Phoenix and the surrounding area have several cultural activities, including the performing arts, museums, and events.

Performing arts

Several music venues take place around Arizona, but primarily in and around downtown Phoenix and in Scottsdale. One such venue is the Phoenix Symphony Hall, where performances from groups such as the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Youth Symphony Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona often occur. Another venue is the Orpheum Theatre which is home to the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera. Concerts also regularly make stops in the area. The largest downtown performing art venue is the Herberger Theater Center, which houses three performance spaces and is home to resident companies Actors Theatre of Phoenix and Arizona Theatre Company.

Venues for concerts include the US Airways Center and the Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix, Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Maryvale, Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, and Gammage Auditorium in Tempe. Since 2002, Phoenix has also seen a rapid growth in local arts through Artlink Phoenix. Several smaller theatres including Trunk Space, Space 55 and Modified Arts support regular independent musical and theatre performances.

Phoenix has been home to numerous popular musicians, mostly of the country and rock genres. Solo artists originally from the area include Duane Eddy, Stevie Nicks, Willy Northpole, Buck Owens, Wayne Newton, Jordin Sparks, Marty Robbins, CeCe Peniston, Dierks Bentley, and Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. Several prominent rock groups have come from the Valley, including Sacred Reich, Flotsam and Jetsam, The Maine, the Format, Meat Puppets, Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Refreshments, Jimmy Eat World, Sun City Girls, Mr. Mister, Gin Blossoms, Several Members of the Coasters, The Tubes and Fun.'s Nate Ruess are also from the area. Phoenix is becoming a musical hot spot as more established artists like George Benson, Steve Gadd, Bob Hoag, Joey DeFrancesco, Samuel David Moore have moved to the city, drawn by the lower cost of living..

Several television series were set in Phoenix, including the 2000s paranormal drama Medium, the 1960–1961 syndicated crime drama, The Brothers Brannagan, Alice and the CBS sitcom, The New Dick Van Dyke Show from 1971 to 1974.

Museums

Several museums exist throughout the Valley.

Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest’s largest destination for visual art from across the world. Located at 1625 North Central Avenue, the 285,000-square-foot (26,500 m²) art museum stands at the intersection of Central Avenue and McDowell Road on the historic Central Avenue corridor. Phoenix Art Museum displays international exhibitions alongside the Museum’s comprehensive collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design.

A community center since 1951, Phoenix Art Museum presents a year-round program of festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs. Visitors can also experience PhxArtKids, an interactive space for children; photography exhibitions through the Museum’s partnership with the Center for Creative Photography; the landscaped Sculpture Garden; dining at Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum; and shopping at The Museum Store. Children and adults alike will enjoy the interactive exhibits found in nearby Peoria's Challenger Space Center, where individuals learn about space, renewable energies, and meet astronauts

Another prominent area museum is the Heard Museum just north of downtown. It has over 130,000 square feet (12,000 m²) of gallery, classroom and performance space. Some of the signature exhibits include a full Navajo hogan, the Mareen Allen Nichols Collection containing 260 pieces of contemporary jewelry, the Barry Goldwater Collection of 437 historic Hopi kachina dolls, and an exhibit on the 19th century boarding school experiences of Native Americans. The Heard Museum attracts about 250,000 visitors a year.

Other notable museums in the city include the Arizona Science Center, Hall of Flame Firefighting Museum, the Phoenix Zoo, the Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park, and the Children's Museum of Phoenix. In 2010 the Musical Instrument Museum opened their doors, featuring the biggest musical instrument collection in the world.

Fine arts

The downtown Phoenix art scene has developed in the past decade. The Artlink organization and the galleries downtown have successfully launched a First Friday cross-Phoenix gallery opening.

In April 2009, artist Janet Echelman inaugurated her monumental sculpture, Her Secret Is Patience, a civic icon suspended above the new Phoenix Civic Space Park, a two-city-block park in the middle of downtown. This netted sculpture makes the invisible patterns of desert wind visible to the human eye. During the day, the 100-foot (30 m)-tall sculpture hovers high above heads, treetops, and buildings, the sculpture creates what the artist calls "shadow drawings", which she says are inspired by Phoenix's cloud shadows. At night, the illumination changes color gradually through the seasons.

Author Prof. Patrick Frank writes of the sculpture that "...most Arizonans look on the work with pride: this unique visual delight will forever mark the city of Phoenix just as the Eiffel Tower marks Paris."

The Arizona Republic editorialized: "This is just what Phoenix needs: a distinctive feature that helps create a real sense of place."

Cuisine

Phoenix has long been renowned for authentic Mexican food, thanks to both the large Hispanic population and proximity to Mexico. But the recent population boom has brought people from all over the nation, and to a lesser extent from other countries, and has since influenced the local cuisine. International food, such as Korean, Brazilian, and French, has become more common throughout the valley in recent years. However, Mexican food is still the most popular food, with Mexican restaurants found all over the area.

Sports

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix

Phoenix is home to several professional sports franchises, including representatives of all four major professional sports leagues in the U.S. – although only two of these teams actually carry the city name and play within the city limits.

The Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA) were the first major franchise in Phoenix, in 1968. They played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In 1992 the Suns moved to the America West Arena, which is now the US Airways Center. In 1997, the Phoenix Mercury was one of the original eight teams to launch the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both teams play at U.S. Airways Center. The U.S. Airways Center was the setting for both the 1995 and the 2009 NBA All-Star Games. The Phoenix Flame of the International Basketball League began play in the spring of 2007. They play at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

University of Phoenix Stadium on the game day of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008.

The Arizona Cardinals moved to Phoenix from St. Louis, Missouri in 1988 and currently play in the Western Division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. The team, however, has never played in the city itself; they played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in nearby Tempe until 2006. Sun Devil Stadium held Super Bowl XXX in 1996 when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cardinals now play at University of Phoenix Stadium in west suburban Glendale. University of Phoenix Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots. It is also the home of the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, a college football bowl game that is part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). The University of Phoenix Stadium will host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

Phoenix has an arena football team, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. Games are played at US Airways Center downtown.

The Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League moved to the area in 1996; they were formerly the Winnipeg Jets franchise. They play at Jobing.com Arena, adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

The Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (National League West Division) began play as an expansion team in 1998. The team plays at Chase Field (downtown). In 2001, the Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 4 games to 3 in the World Series, becoming not only the city's first professional sports franchise to win a national championship while located in Arizona, but also one of the youngest expansion franchise in U.S. professional sports to ever win a championship.

Randy Johnson pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks

Additionally, due to the favorable climate, fifteen Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the metro Phoenix area in what is known as The Cactus League. The Cincinnati Reds were the last team to begin play in Goodyear, AZ as the 15th Cactus League team and share the stadium in Goodyear with the Cleveland Indians. Since 2011, the Cactus League has been based solely in greater metro Phoenix as the last two teams that had played in Tucson (The Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks) now share a spring training home near Scottsdale.

The Phoenix International Raceway is a major venue for two NASCAR auto racing events per season. Boat racing, drag racing, and road course racing are also held at Firebird International Raceway. Sprint car racing is no longer held at Manzanita Speedway.

Phoenix hosted the United States Grand Prix from 1989 to 1991. The race was discontinued after poor crowd numbers.

Phoenix has also hosted the Insight Bowl at Chase Field until 2005, after which it moved to nearby Tempe, as well as several major professional golf events, including the LPGA's Safeway International and The Tradition of the Champions Tour. Phoenix was originally scheduled to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game, but it was canceled due to the 2006 Winter Olympics (the recently adopted NHL collective bargaining agreement prohibits the All-Star Game to be held during Olympic years).

Phoenix has been named as a team in the WAMNRL which will begin in summer 2011.

Phoenix's Ahwatukee American Little League reached the 2006 Little League World Series as the representative from the U.S. West region. Phoenix is one of the three cities that hosts the annual Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in January. On March 28, 2010, the University of Phoenix stadium hosted WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania XXVI, which had broke the stadium's attendance record with 72,219 fans which have been broken by the 2011 BCS National Championship Game with 78,603 fans. Phoenix has also hosted TNA Bound for Glory on October 14, 2012.

Professional Clubs

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Championships
Arizona Cardinals	Football	National Football League – NFC	University of Phoenix Stadium	2*
Arizona Diamondbacks	Baseball	Major League Baseball – National League	Chase Field	1
Phoenix Suns	Basketball	National Basketball Association – Western Conference	US Airways Center	0
Phoenix Coyotes	Ice hockey	National Hockey League – Western Conference	Jobing.com Arena	0
Phoenix Mercury	Women's Basketball	Women's National Basketball Association	US Airways Center	2
Arizona Rattlers	Arena Football	Arena Football League	US Airways Center	3
Phoenix FC	Soccer	USL Professional Division	Sun Devil Soccer Stadium	0

(*)Note: The Cardinals won 2 of their championships while in Chicago pre-modern era.

Semi-Professional and Amateur Clubs

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Championships
Arizona Scorpions	Basketball	American Basketball Association	Phoenix College	0
Arizona Storm	Indoor Soccer	Professional Arena Soccer League	Arizona Sports Complex	0
Real Phoenix FC	Indoor Soccer	Professional Arena Soccer League	Barney Family Sports Complex	0
Arizona Derby Dames	Banked Track Roller Derby	Roller Derby Coalition of Leagues	Hall of Dames	0

Parks and recreation

Phoenix is home to a large number of parks and recreation areas. Many waterparks are scattered around the valley to help residents cope with the harsh desert heat during the summer months. Some of the notable parks include Big Surf in Tempe, Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix in Phoenix (has a Glendale mailing address), Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa, and the Oasis Water Park at the Arizona Grand Resort – formerly known as Pointe South Mountain Resort – in Phoenix. The area also has two amusement parks, Castles N' Coasters in north Phoenix, next to the Metrocenter Mall and Enchanted Island located at Encanto Park.

Midtown Phoenix is visible to the left in this view from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, December 2010.

Many parks have been established to preserve the desert landscape in areas that would otherwise quickly be developed with commercial and residential zoning. The most noteworthy park is South Mountain Park, the world's largest municipal park with 16,500 acres (67 km²); others include Camelback Mountain, and Sunnyslope Mountain, also known as "S" Mountain.

The Desert Botanical Garden displays desert plant life from deserts all over the world. Encanto Park is the city's largest and primary urban park, and lies just northwest of downtown Phoenix. Papago Park in east Phoenix is home to both the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, in addition to several golf courses and the Hole-in-the-Rock geological formation.

Media

See also: List of radio stations in Arizona and List of films shot in Arizona § Phoenix

The first newspaper in Phoenix was the weekly Salt River Valley Herald, which later changed its name to the Phoenix Herald in 1880.

Today, the city is served by two major daily newspapers: The Arizona Republic (serving the greater metropolitan area) and the East Valley Tribune (serving primarily the cities of the East Valley). The Jewish News of Greater Phoenix is an independent weekly Jewish newspaper that was established in 1948. In addition, the city is also served by numerous free neighborhood papers and weeklies such as the Phoenix New Times, Arizona State University's The State Press, and the College Times. For 40 years, The Bachelor's Beat, a paid weekly newspaper, has covered local politics while selling ads for area strip clubs and escort services.

The Phoenix metro area is served by many local television stations and is the 12th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 1,802,550 homes (1.6% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are KNXV 15 (ABC), KPHO 5 (CBS), KPNX 12 (NBC), KSAZ 10 (Fox), KASW 61 (The CW), KUTP 45 (MyNetworkTV), and KAET 8 (PBS, operated by Arizona State University). Other network television affiliates operating in the area include KPAZ 21 (TBN), KTVW-DT 33 (Univision), KTAZ 39 (Telemundo), KDPH 48 (Daystar), and KPPX-TV 51 (ION). KTVK 3 (3TV) and KAZT 7 (AZ-TV) are independent television stations operating in the metro area. KAZT broadcasts in digital format only.

The radio airwaves in Phoenix cater to a wide variety of musical and talk radio interests.

Many major feature films and television programs have been filmed in the city, including, Waiting to Exhale, War of the Worlds, Days of Thunder, Anastasia, American Anthem, 24, The Kingdom, Transamerica, The Uninvited, What Planet Are You From, Take Me Home Tonight, Titan A.E., O.C. and Stiggs, Pardners, Private Lessons, Song of the South, The Gauntlet, Psycho, Raising Arizona, Jerry Maguire, Baraka, Little Miss Sunshine, Interstate 60, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Beyond the Law, A Home at the End of the World, The Prophecy, A Boy and His Dog, Used Cars, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (used as a stand-in for San Dimas, California), U Turn, Eight Legged Freaks, Bus Stop, The Getaway, The Grifters, Electra Glide in Blue, Private Lessons, Medium, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Never Been Thawed, Just One of the Guys, Away We Go, Terminal Velocity, Taxi, Twilight, and The Banger Sisters.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona

The Arizona State Capitol, which used to house the state legislature, is now a museum.

Phoenix City Hall, showing the city's logo, the phoenix bird.

As the capital of Arizona, Phoenix houses the state legislature. In 1913, the commission form of government was adopted. The city of Phoenix is served by a city council consisting of a mayor and eight city council members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote to a four-year term. Phoenix City Council members are elected to four-year terms by voters in each of the eight separate districts that they represent.

The current mayor of Phoenix is Greg Stanton, a Democrat who was elected to a four-year term in 2011. The mayor and city council members have equal voting power to adopt ordinances and set the policies that govern the city.

Phoenix operates under a council-manager form of government, with a strong city manager supervising all city departments and executing policies adopted by the Council.

As of February 9, 2009, Phoenix offers a domestic partnership registry open to opposite- and same-sex couples with no resident requirements for registrants.

The city's website was given a "Sunny Award" by Sunshine Review for its transparency efforts.

State government facilities

The Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections operates the Adobe Mountain School and the Black Canyon School in Phoenix. Another major state government facility is the Arizona State Hospital, operated by the Arizona Department of Health Services. This is a mental health center which is the only medical facility run by the state government.

The headquarters of numerous Arizona state government agencies are in Phoenix, with many located in the State Capitol district immediately west of downtown.

Federal government facilities

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Phoenix near the northern boundary of the city.

The Sandra Day O'Connor US Courthouse, US District Court of Arizona, is located on Washington Street downtown. It is named in honor of retired US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was raised in Arizona.

The Federal Building is at the intersection of Van Buren Road and First Avenue downtown, and contains various federal field offices and the local division of the US Bankruptcy Court. This building also formerly housed the US District Court offices and courtrooms, but these were moved in 2001 to the new Sandra Day O'Connor US Courthouse. Before the construction of this building in 1961, federal government offices were housed in the historic US Post Office on Central Avenue, completed in the 1930s.

Crime

By the 1970s there was rising crime and a decline in business within the downtown core. Arizona Republic writer Don Bolles was murdered by a car bomb at the Clarendon Hotel in 1976. It was believed that his investigative reporting on organized crime in Phoenix made him a target. Bolles' last words referred to Phoenix land and cattle magnate Kemper Marley, who was widely regarded to have ordered Bolles' murder, as well as John Harvey Adamson, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1977 in return for testimony against contractors Max Dunlap and James Robison.

Dunlap was convicted of first degree murder in the case in 1990 and remained in prison, until his death on July 21, 2009, while Robison was acquitted, but pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting violence against Adamson. Street gangs and the drug trade had turned into public safety issues by the 1980s. Van Buren Street, East of downtown (near 24th St), became associated with prostitution. The city's crime rates in many categories have improved since that time, but still exceed state and national averages.

The city has recently seen a tremendous drop in crime in recent years with 2008 and 2009 recording large declines in car thefts and murders. Phoenix expects to report to the FBI nearly 100 murders fewer in 2009 compared to two years prior when 222 murders occurred. Through November 2009, 106 murders were recorded in Phoenix.

Car theft has been a problem in Phoenix. The city consistently ranks high for both total thefts and rate per 100,000. In 2001, Phoenix was number one for theft rate with 35,161 total thefts, giving a rate of 1,081.25 per 100,000. However, in 2003, Phoenix dropped to second place with 1,253.71 per 100,000 (behind Modesto, California), although total car thefts rose to 40,769.

In 2008 Phoenix also experienced a huge decline in auto thefts dropping the city to the number 19 spot for such crimes; credit for the decline has been given to the Phoenix Police Department's efforts to patrol areas where reporting of thefts are prevalent and in use of bait cars to deter would-be thieves.

Phoenix continues to experience large drops in all crimes in 2009 (A 24% drop in all violent crimes in Phoenix for 2008, and a further 18% drop in crime through November 2009 have been experienced in the city).

In the late 2000s, Phoenix earned the title "Kidnapping capital of the USA". The majority of the kidnapped are believed to be victims of human smuggling, or related to illegal drug trade, while the kidnappers are believed to be part of Mexican Drug War cartels, particularly the Sinaloa Cartel. John McCain has also called Phoenix the "Number-Two Kidnapping Capital of the World", even though fact-checkers universally regarded the statement as false.

Education

See also: List of school districts in Phoenix, Arizona

Public education in the Phoenix area is provided by over 30 school districts. The Phoenix Union High School District operates most of the public high schools in the city of Phoenix. Charter schools such as North Pointe Preparatory, Sonoran Science Academy, and Veritas Preparatory Academy also exist.

Post-secondary education

The campus of ASU from Tempe Butte in nearby Tempe.

Arizona State University is the main institution of higher education in the region. Its main campus is in Tempe. ASU also has campuses in Northwest Phoenix (ASU West Campus), Downtown Phoenix (ASU Downtown Campus) and Mesa (ASU Polytechnic Campus). A branch of the University of Arizona College of Medicine is located at the downtown Phoenix campus. ASU is currently one of the largest public universities in the U.S., with a 2011 student enrollment of 72,250.

There are also small satellite offices for the University of Arizona (based in Tucson) and Northern Arizona University (based in Flagstaff) located in Phoenix.

The Maricopa County Community College District includes ten community colleges and two skills centers throughout Maricopa County, providing adult education and job training. Phoenix College, part of the district, was founded in 1920 and is the oldest community college in Arizona and one of the oldest in the country.

• Barrow Neurological Institute
• Grand Canyon University is a private Christian university. Initially a non-profit school started in 1949, it was purchased by three investors who brought it out of bankruptcy. The university operates as a for-profit institution. Since the takeover in 2004, enrollment has increased each year. It currently enrolls close to 40,000 students offering bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees.
• Arizona Christian University is a non-profit evangelical Christian institution located in north Phoenix.
• Midwestern University has a campus in Glendale northwest of Phoenix proper, founded as a sister school to the original campus in Downers Grove, Illinois. The institute grants only graduate degrees in the health sciences, including the school grants doctoral degrees in pharmacy (PharmD), clinical psychology (PsyD), dentistry (DMD), podiatry (DPM) optometry (OD), and Osteopathic Medicine (DO), as well as the Master of Medical Science (MMS) in Physician Assistant Studies.
• Thunderbird School of Global Management is a private business college with its main campus in Glendale northwest of Phoenix proper. The school also operates overseas.

  

  Students at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

• American Indian College is a private Assemblies of God college located in the northwestern section of Phoenix. It was founded to educate Native Americans, but now accepts students of all ethnicies.
• The Art Institute of Phoenix is a small, private undergraduate college which offers various majors in the areas of design, fashion, media, and culinary arts. It admitted its first class in 1996.
• Western Governors University, an online non-profit university, opened a business office in Phoenix in 2006. Former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano was on the WGU board until 2008, and former Northern Arizona University President Clara Lovett was active in the creation of WGU.
• The University of Phoenix is also headquartered in Phoenix. This is the nation's largest for-profit university with over 130,000 students at campuses throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, and the Netherlands, as well as online.
• University of Advancing Technology is a small, for-profit university, notable for being a technology-oriented school. Their newly expanded campus is located in Tempe, bordering Phoenix. The university is composed of four colleges, along with an online program for continuing adult education. As of 2009, about 1200 undergraduates and 50 postgraduates enroll at UAT.
• Collins College is a private, for-profit career college focusing on visual arts and design.
• DeVry University and Argosy University are for-profit institutions that operate across the country and a large online presence. Both operate post-secondary schools on the west side of Phoenix.
• Brookline College is a for-profit institution offering certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees in the medical field at its Phoenix campus. Its corporate office is also in Phoenix.
• Fortis College, a private, for-profit two-year institution offering certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in the health sciences, has a campus in Phoenix.
• Ottawa University offers students the chance to pursue online degree programs, graduate degree programs and Bachelor’s degree programs from an accredited university in Phoenix.
• The Phoenix School of Law is a private, for-profit law school located in downtown Phoenix and within the Phoenix Central Neighborhood. The Phoenix School of Law is the only private law school in Arizona and the only one with both a part-time evening program and full-time program. It is not affiliated with the similarly named University of Phoenix.
• Phoenix Seminary is an evangelical Christian seminary, fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) since 2002. The seminary holds to a modified version of the National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith.

Transportation

Air

An aerial view of the control tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor that began operations on January 17, 2007.

Phoenix is served by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (IATA: PHX, ICAO: KPHX), which is centrally located in the metro area near several major freeway interchanges east of downtown Phoenix. The airport serves more than 100 cities with non-stop flights.

Aeroméxico, Air Canada, British Airways, and WestJet are among several international carriers as well as American carrier US Airways (which maintains a hub at the airport) providing flights to destinations such as Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IATA: AZA, ICAO: KIWA) in neighboring Mesa also serves the area's commercial air traffic. It was converted from Williams Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. The airport has recently received substantial commercial service with Allegiant Air opening a focus city operation at the airport with non-stop service to over a dozen destinations.

Smaller airports that primarily handle private and corporate jets include Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (IATA: DVT, ICAO: KDVT), located in the Deer Valley district of north Phoenix, as well as municipal airports including Glendale Municipal Airport, Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, and Phoenix Goodyear Airport.

Rail and bus

Amtrak served Phoenix Union Station until 1996 when the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) threatened to abandon the route between Yuma, Arizona and Phoenix. Amtrak rerouted trains to Maricopa, 30 miles south of downtown Phoenix, where passengers can board the Texas Eagle (Los Angeles-San Antonio-Chicago) and Sunset Limited (Los Angeles-New Orleans). Though UP ultimately retained the trackage, Amtrak did not return, leaving Phoenix as the largest incorporated city in the U.S. without passenger Amtrak service.

Amtrak Thruway buses connect Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Flagstaff, Arizona for connection with the Los Angeles-ChicagoSouthwest Chief.

Phoenix is served by Greyhound bus service, which stops at 24th Street near the airport.

Public transportation

Main article: Phoenix Public Transportation

Further information: METRO Light Rail (Phoenix)

Opening day of the light rail, December 27, 2008.

Valley Metro provides public transportation throughout the metropolitan area, with its trains, buses, and a ride-share program. 3.38% of workers commute by public transit. During the summer it is very difficult to wait for a bus in the heat as many of the stops have no canopies. Valley Metro's 20-mile (32 km) light rail project, called METRO, through north-central Phoenix, downtown, and eastward through Tempe and Mesa, opened December 27, 2008. Future rail segments of more than 30 miles (48 km) are planned to open by 2030.

Bicycle transportation

In 2000, bicycle transportation was a mode that 0.89% of Phoenix commuters utilized, down from 1.12% a decade earlier.

The Maricopa Association of Governments has a bicycle advisory committee working to improve conditions for bicycling on city streets and off-road paths.

Bicycling Magazine ranked Phoenix the 15th most bicycle friendly city of fifty cities in the United States with a population greater than 100,000.

Roads and freeways

Main article: Roads and freeways in metropolitan Phoenix

The street system in Phoenix (also adhered to by some of its suburbs, such as Glendale and Scottsdale) is laid out in a traditional grid system, with most roads oriented either north-south or east-west. The zero point is the intersection of Central Avenue and Washington Street. Numbered Avenues run north–south west of Central; numbered Streets run north–south east of Central. Major arterial streets are spaced one mile (1.6 km) apart.

The one-mile (1.6 km) blocks are divided into approximately 1000 to 1600 house numbers north and south, and 800 house numbers east and west, although this varies. Scottsdale Road, being 7200 East, is approximately 7200 / 800 = 9 miles (14 km) east of Central. The Valley Metro bus numbers are also based on this numbering system, with the Central Avenue bus being Route Zero, and Scottsdale Road being Route 72.

Phoenix is served by a growing network of freeways, many of which were initiated by a ½ cent general sales tax measure approved by voters in 1985. Before this network, Interstate 10 and Interstate 17 handled almost all freeway traffic in Phoenix, placing a large burden on surface arterial streets, leading to increased traffic congestion as the area grew in size.

The current freeway system comprises two interstate routes (I-10 and I-17), the nearly transcontinental US 60, and several state highways as well – including SR 51, SR 85, Loop 101, SR 143, and Loop 202.

Eventually, several other state highways (Loop 303, SR 24, and SR 30) will make their way into the system as they are needed.

Interstate 10 Interstate 17 State Route 51 State Route 101

State Route 143 State Route 202 State Route 303 (planned) U.S. 60

Sister cities

Sign showing Phoenix's sister cities

Phoenix, Arizona, has ten sister cities, as designated by the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission:

– Taipei (Taiwan) (1979) – Calgary (Alberta, Canada) (1997) – Catania (Sicily, Italy) (2001) – Chengdu (Sichuan, People's Republic of China) (1986) – Ennis, Co. Clare, (Ireland) (1988) – Grenoble (Rhône-Alpes, France) (1990)

– Hermosillo (Sonora, Mexico) (1975) – Himeji (Hyōgo, Japan) (1976) – Prague (Czech Republic) (1991) but inactive – Ramat Gan (Israel) (2005) – Suceava (Romania) – Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Partner city

See also

• Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona
• Largest cities in the Americas
• List of tallest buildings in Phoenix
• List of historic properties in Phoenix, Arizona

Further reading

• Larson, Kelli L.; Gustafson, Annie; Hirt, Paul (April 2009). "Insatiable Thirst and a Finite Supply: An Assessment of Municipal Water-Conservation Policy in Greater Phoenix, Arizona, 1980–2007". Journal of Policy History. 21 (2): 107–137. doi:10.1017/S0898030609090058.
• Johnson, G. Wesley, Jr. (1993). Phoenix in the Twentieth Century: Essays in Community History. Diane Pub Co. ISBN 0-7881-6249-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Johnson, G. Wesley, Jr. (1982). Phoenix, Valley of the Sun. Continental Heritage Press. ISBN 0-932986-33-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Luckingham, Bradford (1995). Phoenix: The History of a Southwestern Metropolis. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-1116-0.
• VanderMeer, Philip (2010). Desert Visions and the Making of Phoenix, 1860–2009. Univ of New Mexico Press. ISBN 978-0-8263-4891-3.; scholarly history online review
• VanderMeer, Philip (2002). Phoenix Rising: The Making of a Desert Metropolis. Heritage Media Corp. ISBN 1-886483-69-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); well illustrated popular history

External links

• Official Government Website
• Phoenix Art Museum
• Phoenix.org
• Phoenix City Data
• Arizona State University
• Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association
• Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Phoenix Public Library
• Ottawa University - Phoenix, Arizona