Directory:Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital and largest city of the state of Arizona, United States. As of the 2000 census, Phoenix had a population of 1,321,045. It is the county seat of Maricopa County.

Phoenix was incorporated on February 5, 1881.

Geography

Phoenix lies at an elevation around 1,117 feet in the heart of the Sonoran Desert and is located in the center of Arizona in the Phoenix Valley or "Valley of the Sun" at 33°31'42" North, 112°4'35" West (33.528370, -112.076300). The Greater Phoenix area has a population of 2.8 million and includes Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and many smaller cities. Retirement communities include Sun City, Sun City West and Fountain Hills. The Salt River runs from the north east of Maricopa County through the south of Phoenix although it is not unusual to see the river completely dried up. The Phoenix metro is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the north, South Mountain Park[?] to the south and the Superstition Mountains far to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,230.5 km² (475.1 mi²). 1,229.9 km² (474.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.05% water.

Weather

Clear blue skies are the typical order of the day with an average of 300 sunny days a year. One-third of the year from mid-May to mid-September reaches highs near 100° or hotter. The arid Arizona air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable ("it's a dry heat"), but it can still be very tiresome after four months of such hot weather outdoors. (*Nota Bene: The humidity drops dramatically in most other warm climes in the country if temperatures begin to reach towards 100°. So the "dry heat" counter-point is bogus: 100° in Phoenix isn't much different than 100° in Dallas, Kansas City or Atlanta.) Winter lows can reach in the low 30s, but temperatures rarely stay there long. The average annual rainfall in the area is 7.66 inches. The rain is not only scarce, but sporadic and occurs primarily in the monsoon season from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California to the hot air in the heart of the state.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 1,321,045 people, 465,834 households, and 307,450 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,074.1/km² (2,781.9/mi²). There are 495,832 housing units at an average density of 403.2/km² (1,044.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 71.07% White, 5.10% African American, 2.02% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 16.40% from other races, and 3.28% from two or more races. 34.06% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any country origin.

There are 465,834 households out of which 35.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 12.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% are non-families. 25.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.79 and the average family size is 3.39.

In the city the population is spread out with 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.7 males.

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

Sports Teams, Venues and Tournaments

   Arizona Diamondbacks, Major League Baseball

       Seven Major League Baseball teams of the Cactus League also conduct spring training in Greater Phoenix. 

   Arizona Cardinals, National Football League 
   Phoenix Suns, National Basketball Association 
   Phoenix Mercury, WNBA 
   Phoenix Coyotes, National Hockey League 
   Arizona Rattlers, arena football 
   Arizona Thunder, indoor soccer 

   Phoenix International Raceway, Indy car and NASCAR 
   Manzanita Speedway, drag racing 
   Firebird International Raceway, boat racing

   Phoenix Open, PGA 
   Standard Register Torqouise Classic, LPGA 
   Tradition, Senior PGA 

   Fiesta Bowl at Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium 

Museums, Attractions and other Places of Interest

   Heard Museum
   Taliesin West
   Phoenix Art Museum
   Fleischer Museum
   Arizona Science Center
   Hall of Flame
   Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park
   Phoenix Museum of History

   America West Arena 
   Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix Zoo and Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park 
   Tovrea Castle
   Wrigley Mansion
   St. Mary's Basilica
   Symphony Hall for the Phoenix Symphony at the Phoenix Civic Plaza 
   South Mountain Park is the largest municipal park in the world 
   Mystery Castle
   Camelback Mountain 
   Squaw Peak Recreation Area 
   Encanto Park 
   Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fairgrounds 

Transportation

   Sky Harbor International Airport 
   Light rail project under development 

Military

   Luke Air Force Base 
   Williams Air Force Base closed in 1993 and is now Williams Gateway Airport.