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3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Phoenix Arizona? Wrong! If the Phoenix Arizona is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Phoenix Arizona then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

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6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Phoenix Arizona wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Phoenix Arizona then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Phoenix Arizona site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Phoenix Arizona, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Phoenix Arizona, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Settlement|official_name = City of Phoenix, Arizona|settlement_type = City and the state of [Arizona|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in Arizona|subdivision_name = United States|subdivision_name2 = [Maricopa County, Arizona|established_title = Municipal corporation|established_date = February 25, 1881|leader_title = [List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona|leader_name = Phil Gordon (politician) (US Democratic Party)|area_magnitude = 1 E8|area_total_sq_mi = 515.1|area_total_km2 = 1230.5|area_land_sq_mi = 515.126|area_land_km2 = 1229.9|area_water_sq_mi = 0.2|area_water_km2 = 0.6|population_as_of = 2006|population_footnotes = " Phoenix, Arizona -- Population Finder." United States Census Bureau. 2005. Retrieved on June 27, 2007.]|population_blank1 = Phoenician, Phoenixer|timezone = Mountain Standard Time Zone|utc_offset = -7|timezone_DST = no Daylight savings time|utc_offset_DST =|postal_code_type =|postal_code =|area_code = Area code 602, Area code 480, Area code 623|latd = 33 |latm = 26 |lats = 54 |latNS = N|longd = 112 |longm = 04 |longs = 26 |longEW = W|elevation_m = 340|elevation_ft = 1117|blank_name = Federal Information Processing Standard|blank_info = 04-55000|blank1_name = Geographic Names Information System feature ID|blank1_info = 0044784|footnotes =-->Phoenix (English language: Phoenix, Navajo language: Hoozdo, lit. "the place is hot", Western Apache: Fiinigis) is the capital and the most populous city of the Arizona and the county seat of Maricopa County, Arizona. It is the most populous capital city in the United States. Its physical location is along the banks of the normally dry Salt River (Arizona). It was incorporated as a city on February 25 1881. Residents of Phoenix are known as Phoenicians.

Phoenix's estimated population as of 2006 was 1,512,986, making it the List of United States cities by population. At 515 square miles, it covers an area larger than New York City, Philadelphia, and Miami, Florida combined, making it the biggest state capital and the 10th largest List of United States cities by area for a city in the United States; however, because of its huge area, the city had a relatively low population density of only 2,938 people per square mile. As of 2006, the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (MSA) was the List of United States metropolitan statistical areas by population, with an estimated population of 4,039,182. Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-01), United States Census Bureau, 2007-04-05. Accessed 2007-09-11.

History American Indian inhabitants As early as 700 AD, the Hohokam civilization occupied the land that would become Phoenix. The Hohokam created roughly 135 miles (217 km) of irrigation canals, making the land Arable land. Paths of these canals would later become used for the modern Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct.

It is believed that between AD 1300 and AD 1450 periods of drought and severe floods led to the Hohokam's disappearance." Out of the Ashes, Early Life along the Salt River." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

Although Spain and Mexico explorers knew of the area, only southern Arizona fell under their influence. The Salt River Valley remained mostly abandoned. Local Akimel O'odham settlements, thought to be the descendents of the formerly urbanized Hohokam, concentrated on the Gila River alongside those of the Tohono O'odham and Maricopa peoples.

Pre-incorporation history Passing through the area in 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg, Arizona, stopped to rest at the foot of the White Tank Mountains and observed land that had great potential for farming. The terrain and climate were optimal, except for a lack of precipitation and suitable irrigation. Swilling remedied the situation by having a series of canals built, which followed the paths of the preexisting Hohokam canals. A small community formed about 4 miles (6 km) east of the present city and a few miles northwest of another community at Hayden's Ferry, which would become Tempe, Arizona.

The farming community was named Swilling's Mill in his honor, though later renamed to Helling Mill, Mill City, and finally, East Phoenix. Swilling, a former Confederate States Army soldier, wanted to name the city "Stonewall," after Stonewall Jackson. Others suggested the name of "Salina." However, neither name was suitable to the community. Finally, Phillip Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix," as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization." Out of the Ashes, Phoenix is Born." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26, 2006.

The Yavapai County, Arizona Board of Supervisors, which at the time, encompassed Phoenix, officially recognized the town of Phoenix 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 population growing, a townsite needed to be selected. On October 20 1870, the residents held a meeting to decide where to locate it. A 320 acre (1.3 square kilometre) plot of land was purchased in what is now the downtown business section." Out of the Ashes, Selecting a Townsite." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006. On February 12 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County, Arizona, the sixth in the state, by dividing Yavapai County. The first county election in Maricopa County 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." Out of the Ashes, The Great Sale." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

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 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. A short time later, a telegraphy office, 16 bar (establishment), four dance halls and two banks were open." Out of the Ashes, Whole Town Worth $550." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.



Incorporation By 1881, Phoenix had outgrown its original townsite-commissioner form of government. 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. Phoenix was incorporated with a population of approximately 2,500, and 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." Out of the Ashes, Incorporation in 1881." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006. In early 1888, the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, built where the downtown bus terminal now stands. This building also provided temporary offices for the territorial government when it moved to Phoenix from Prescott, Arizona in 1889." Out of the Ashes, Transportation: Horses and Rails." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

The coming of the railroad in the 1880s was the first of several important events that revolutionized the economy of Phoenix. 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.

Phoenix also inaugurated an Phoenix Street Railway, built off earlier stagecoach lines, in 1893.

20th century In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Newlands 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 today as part of the Salt River Project." SRP: Historical timeline." Salt River Project. Retrieved on November 30 2006. On February 14 1912, under President William Howard Taft, Phoenix became the capital of the newly formed United States state of Arizona." Out of the Ashes, Roosevelt and Reclamation." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

In 1913, Phoenix adopted a new form of government from Mayor-Council government to Council-Manager government, making it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government." Out of the Ashes, Establishing a Council-Manager Government." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

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 Air Force Base, Williams Air Force Base, and Falcon Field (Arizona), coupled with the giant ground-training center at Hyder, Arizona, west of Phoenix, brought thousands of men into Phoenix." Out of the Ashes, Growing into a Metropolis." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26, 2006.

A fire in October 1947 destroyed most of the streetcar fleet, giving the city a difficult choice between implementing a new street railway system or using buses. The latter was chosen and the metropolitan area's development has been oriented toward cars ever since. This is expected to change, however, with the December 2008 implementation of the METRO Light Rail (Phoenix).

By 1950, over 100,000 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.

Phoenix's population in the north and west, as well as that of surrounding cities, is Urban sprawl, as it has been since the 1960s.

Geography Phoenix is located at 33°26'54" North, 112°4'26" West (33.448457°, -112.073844°) 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.

The Salt River (Arizona) course runs westward through the city of Phoenix; the riverbed is normally dry except when excess runoff forces the release of water from the six dams upriver. 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.

The Phoenix area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park 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 (Arizona). 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 475.1 square miles (1,230.5 square kilometre) — 474.9 square miles (1,229.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.05% water.

The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona-Scottsdale, Arizona MSA), is the List of United States metropolitan areas in the United States, with a total population of 4,039,182 as of the June 2006 update of the 2000 U.S. Census. It includes the Arizona counties of Maricopa County, Arizona and Pinal County, Arizona. Other cities in the MSA include Mesa, Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, Glendale, Arizona, Tempe, Arizona, Chandler, Arizona, Gilbert, Arizona, and Peoria, Arizona. Several smaller communities are also included, such as Cave Creek, Arizona, Queen Creek, Arizona, Buckeye, Arizona, Goodyear, Arizona, Fountain Hills, Arizona, Litchfield Park, Arizona, Anthem, Arizona, Sun Lakes, Arizona, Sun City, Arizona, Sun City West, Arizona, Avondale, Arizona, Surprise, Arizona, El Mirage, Arizona, Paradise Valley, Arizona, and Tolleson, Arizona. The communities of Ahwatukee, Arcadia, Deer Valley, Maryvale and others are part of the city of Phoenix, Ahwatukee being separated from the rest of the city by South Mountain.

As with most of Arizona, Phoenix does not observe daylight savings time. In 1973, Gov. Jack Williams argued to United States 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." Arizona does not need daylight saving time." Arizona Daily Star. Published on May 19, 2005. Retrieved on December 15, 2006. 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 an arid climate, and its average annual maximum temperature is the highest of any major US city.In fact, out of the world's large urban areas, only some cities around the Persian Gulf, such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, Iraq, and some cities in North India such as Amritsar and Jaipur have comparable summer temperatures. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100°Fahrenheit (38°Celsius) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September. On June 26 1990, the temperature reached an all-time high of 122°F (50°C)." Phoenix 100 Degree Temperature Facts." National Weather Service - Phoenix. Retrieved on December 15 2006. Overnight lows greater than 80°F occur frequently each summer, with the average July low being 81°F and the average August low being 80°F. The all-time highest low temperature was 96°F (36°C), which occurred on July 15 2003.

The dry desert air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable early in the season, but the influx of monsoonal moisture, which generally begins in early July and lasts until mid-September, raises humidity levels and discomfort due to mugginess. For the most part, the winter months are mild.

Phoenix averages 85% of possible sunshinehttp://geography.asu.edu/cerveny/wxpart4.htm#sun2 and receives scant rainfall, the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport being 8.3 inches (210 mm). March is the wettest month of the year (1.07 inches or 27 mm) with June being the driest (0.09 inches or 2 mm). Although thunderstorms are possible at any time of the year, they are most common during the monsoon from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California. These can bring strong winds, large hail, or rarely, tornadoes. Winter storms moving inland from the Pacific Ocean occasionally produce significant rains but occur infrequently. Fog is observed from time to time during the winter months.

On average, Phoenix has only 5 days per year where the temperature drops to or below freezing. Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 Degrees F or Less. National Climatic Data Center. June 23, 2004. Last Retrieved February 16, 2006. The long-term mean date of the first frost is December 15 and the last is February 1; however, these dates do not represent the city as a whole because the frequency of freezes increases the further one moves outward from the urban heat island. Frequently, outlying areas of Phoenix see frost, but the airport does not.The earliest frost on record occurred on November 3 1946, and the latest occurred on April 4 1945. The all-time lowest temperature in Phoenix was recorded at 16°F (-8.8°C) on January 7 1913.

Snow is extremely rare in the area. Snowfall was first officially recorded in 1896, and since then, accumulations of 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) or greater have occurred only seven times. The heaviest snowstorm on record dates to January 20-January 21, 1937, when 1 to 4 inches fell (2 to 10 cm) in parts of the city and did not melt entirely for four days. Prior to that, 1 inch (2.5 cm) had fallen on January 20, 1933. On February 2 1939, 0.5 inches (1 cm) fell. Most recently, 0.4 inches (1 cm) fell on December 21-December 22, 1990. Snow also fell on March 12 1917, November 28, 1919, and December 11 1985. On January 21 2007, snowfall occurred throughout much of the city and covered the ground completely in the East Valley cities of Mesa and Tempe. This followed a very rare cold spell which caused temperatures to tumble into the 20s." Phoenix Snowfall History." National Weather Service - Phoenix. Retrieved on December 15 2006.

Source: U.S. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C.; a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;width:100%;border:0px;text-align:center;line-height:120%;"! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" height="17" |Month! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Rec. high °F (°C)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 88 (31.1)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 92 (33.3)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 100 (37.7)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 105 (40.6)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 113 (45)| style="background: #800000; color:#FFFFFF;" | 122 (50)| style="background: #800000; color:#FFFFFF;" | 121 (49.4)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 116 (46.7)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 118 (47.8)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 107 (41.7)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 95 (35)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 88 (31.1)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Avg high °F (°C)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 65 (18.3)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 69 (20.5)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color:#000000;" | 74 (23.3)| style="background: #D99594; color:#000000;" | 83 (28.3)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 92 (33.3)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 102 (38.8)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 104 (40)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 102 (38.8)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 97 (36.1)| style="background: #D99594; color:#000000;" | 86 (30)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color:#000000;" | 73 (22.7)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 65 (18.3)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Avg low temperature °F (°C)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 43 (6.1)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 47 (8.3)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 51 (10.5)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 58 (14.4)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color: black;" | 66 (18.8)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color: black;" | 75 (23.8)| style="background: #D99594; color: black;" | 81 (27.2)| style="background: #D99594; color: black;" | 80 (26.6)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color: black;" | 75 (23.8)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color: black;" | 63 (17.2)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 50 (10)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 44 (6.7)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Rec. low °F (°C)| style="background: #4682b4; color:#000000;" | 17 (-8.3)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 25 (-3.9)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 25 (-3.9)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 37 (2.7)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color:#000000;" | 40 (4.4)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 51 (10.6)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 66 (18.9)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 61 (16.1)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color:#000000;" | 47 (8.3)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color:#000000;" | 34 (1.1)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 27 (-2.8)| style="background: #4682b4; color:#000000;" | 22 (-5.6)|}

Cityscape

The city of Phoenix is divided up into 15 Urban Villages." Village Planning Committees." Phoenix City Government. January 9, 2007. Retrieved on February 22, 2007. Inside some of the Villages are well known neighborhoods, or districts, which are listed as subpoints. These urban villages are: Ahwatukee, Alhambra, Phoenix, Arizona, Camelback East, Phoenix, Arizona, Central City, Phoenix, Arizona, Deer Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, Desert View, Phoenix, Arizona, Encanto, Phoenix, Arizona, Estrella, Phoenix, Arizona, Laveen, Phoenix, Arizona, Maryvale, Phoenix, Arizona, North Gateway, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunnyslope, Phoenix, Arizona, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Arizona (not to be confused with the town of Paradise Valley, Arizona), South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, as well as a fifteenth which is as of yet unnamed (created in 2004 and currently called, "New Village, Phoenix, Arizona."). The fifteenth is sparsely populated (if at all) and new development is not expected in the near future.

Commonly referred-to Phoenix regions/ districts:Downtown Phoenix, Midtown Phoenix, West Phoenix, North/Northwest Phoenix, South Phoenix, Biltmore area, Arcadia, Sunnyslope, Ahwatukee

Economy

The early economy of Phoenix was primarily agricultural, dependent mainly on cotton and citrus farming. In the last two decades, the economy has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. As the state capital of Arizona, 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, and has a particularly vibrant golf industry.

Phoenix is currently home to three major Fortune 1000 companies: electronics corporation Avnet, Apollo Group (which operates the University of Phoenix), and mining company Freeport McMoRan. Honeywell hosts many factories for the building of military grade engines, as well as their company network gateway in Phoenix. Intel has one of their largest sites in Arizona, employing about 11,000 employees and 3 chip manufacturing fabs, including the $3 billion dollar state of the art 300mm, 45nm Fab 32. American Express hosts their financial transactions, customer information, and their entire website in Phoenix. The area is also home to US Airways Group, a Fortune 500 company located in Tempe, Arizona. Nearby Scottsdale, Arizona is also home to Allied Waste Industries (also listed on the Fortune 500), the second largest non-hazardous solid waste management company in the United States. Phoenix is also home to the headquarters of U-HAUL International, a rental company and moving supply store.

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 3 military bases: Luke Field (still in use), Falcon Field (Arizona), and Williams Air Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport), with numerous auxiliary air fields located throughout the region.

See also: List of major corporations in Phoenix, List of foreign consulates in Phoenix.

Arts and culture

Sports {| class="wikitable"|-!Club!Sport!League!Venue|-|Arizona Cardinals|[National Football League; National Football Conference|University of Phoenix Stadium|[Baseball; [National League|Chase Field|[Basketball; [Western Conference (NBA)|US Airways Center|[Ice Hockey; [Western Conference (NHL)|Jobing.com Arena|[Basketball|[US Airways Center|[Arena Football|[US Airways Center|[Hockey|[US Airways Center|[Lacrosse|[Jobing.com Arena|[Basketball|[Arizona Veterans Memorial ColiseumPhoenix is home to several professional sports franchises, including representatives of all four major professional sports league The first major franchise was the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which started play in 1968. 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 US Airways Center. The Phoenix Flame of the International Basketball League (2005-) will begin play in the spring of 2007.

The Arizona Cardinals moved to Phoenix from St. Louis, Missouri in 1988 and currently play in the National Football League National Football Conference - NFC West. 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, Arizona until 2006, and now play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. University of Phoenix Stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLII in 2008.

Phoenix also 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, and play at Jobing.com Arena, adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The city also boasts a minor league hockey team, the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL, who play at the US Airways Center. This makes Phoenix one of the few cities where minor and major league teams in the same sport coexist.

The Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (National League) 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, but also the youngest expansion franchise in U.S. professional sports to ever do so.

Additionally, due to the favorable climate, nine Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the metro area, as well as nearby Tucson, Arizona. These teams are collectively known as the Cactus League.

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 the Firebird International Raceway. Sprint car racing is held at Manzanita Speedway.

Phoenix has also hosted the Insight Bowl at Chase Field until 2005, after which it moved to nearby Tempe, Arizona, 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). Instead, Phoenix will host the 2009 All-Star Game.

Phoenix's Ahwatukee American Little League reached the 2006 Little League Little League World Series as the representative from the U.S. West region. Phoenix is one of the three cities that hosts the annual PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in January.

As of 2007 Phoenix is the largest North American city not to contain a team in any of the four tiers of professional soccer. There is a plan to try and bring Major League Soccer to the city in the shape of the proposed team Phoenix Rising. Phoenix is currently one of thirteen cities across the United States and Canada that are aiming to claim one of two places scheduled to be made available through expansion before 2010. The plan currently includes a suggested $150 million 25,000 soccer specific stadium with retractable roof. See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports.

Parks and recreation , a natural geological formation in Papago Park.

Media See also: List of radio stations in Arizona, 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). In addition, the city is also served by numerous free neighborhood papers and weeklies such as the Phoenix New Times, Arizona State University 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 13th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 1,725,000 homes (1.55% of the total U.S.).Holmes, Gary. " Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season." Nielsen Media Research. August 23, 2006. Retrieved on March 13, 2007. The major network television affiliates are KPNX 12 (National Broadcasting Company), KNXV 15 (American Broadcasting Company), KPHO 5 (Columbia Broadcasting Service), KSAZ 10 (Fox Broadcasting Company), KUTP 45 (MNTV), KASW 61 (The CW Television Network) and KAET 8 (PBS, operated by Arizona State University). Other network television affiliates operating in the area include KPAZ 21 (Trinity Broadcasting Network), KTVW 33 (Univision), KTAZ 39 (Telemundo), KDTP-CA 48 (Daystar Television Network), and KPPX 51 (i Network, formerly PAX). KTVK 3 (3TV) and KAZT 27 are independent television stations operating in the metro area.

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

Several major feature films have been filmed in the city, including Waiting to Exhale, Song of the South, The Gauntlet, Psycho (1960 film), Raising Arizona, Jerry Maguire, The Prophecy, Used Cars, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (used as a stand-in for San Dimas, California), U Turn, Eight Legged Freaks, Private Lessons (1981 film), Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Never Been Thawed, Just One of the Guys, Terminal Velocity, Taxi (2004 movie), and The Banger Sisters." Titles with locations including Phoenix, Arizona, USA." IMDb. Retrieved on May 3 2007.

Demographics {| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:3px; text-size:80%; text-align:right"|align=center colspan=2| City of Phoenix
Population by yearGibson, Campbell. " Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." United States Census Bureau. June, 1998. Retrieved on October 7 2006.], there were 1,321,045 people, 465,834 households, and 307,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,782 people per square mile (1,074/km²). There were 495,832 housing units at an average density of 1,044 per square mile (403/km²).

There were 465,834 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were Marriage living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-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 race makeup of the Phoenix was 71.1% White (U.S. Census), 5.1% African American (U.S. Census), 2.0% Native American (U.S. Census), 2.0% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.13% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 16.4% from Race (U.S. Census), and 3.3% from two or more races. 34.1% of the population were Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race. Phoenix (city) MapStats from FedStats Since the 2000 census, the White American population in Phoenix dropped below 50%, according to William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution. Changing Face of Western Cities

In 2000, the Phoenix metro area's religion composition was reported as 45% Catholic, 13% Mormon (concentrated heavily in the suburb of Mesa, Arizona) and 5% Jewish. The remaining 37% are largely members of Protestant denominations or are unaffiliated.Religion demographic data from The Association of Religion Data Archives. Other minority religious communities and places of worship are represented in Phoenix including Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.

Government , which used to house the state legislature, is now a museumBeing the capital of Arizona, Phoenix houses the Arizona Legislature. In 1913, the commission form of government was adopted. The city of Phoenix is served by a city council consisting of a List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and eight city council members. The mayor is elected At Large, 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 Phil Gordon (politician), who was elected to a four-year term in 2003 and re-elected to an additional four-year term in 2007. 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.

See also: List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona, List of Foreign Consulates in Phoenix

Education Public education in the Phoenix area is provided by over 30 school districts." Schools in Phoenix." {{Infobox Settlement|official_name = City of Phoenix, Arizona|settlement_type = City and the state of [Arizona|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in Arizona|subdivision_name = United States|subdivision_name2 = [Maricopa County, Arizona|established_title = Municipal corporation|established_date = February 25, 1881|leader_title = [List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona|leader_name = Phil Gordon (politician) (US Democratic Party)|area_magnitude = 1 E8|area_total_sq_mi = 515.1|area_total_km2 = 1230.5|area_land_sq_mi = 515.126|area_land_km2 = 1229.9|area_water_sq_mi = 0.2|area_water_km2 = 0.6|population_as_of = 2006|population_footnotes = " Phoenix, Arizona -- Population Finder." United States Census Bureau. 2005. Retrieved on June 27, 2007.]|population_blank1 = Phoenician, Phoenixer|timezone = Mountain Standard Time Zone|utc_offset = -7|timezone_DST = no Daylight savings time|utc_offset_DST =|postal_code_type =|postal_code =|area_code = Area code 602, Area code 480, Area code 623|latd = 33 |latm = 26 |lats = 54 |latNS = N|longd = 112 |longm = 04 |longs = 26 |longEW = W|elevation_m = 340|elevation_ft = 1117|blank_name = Federal Information Processing Standard|blank_info = 04-55000|blank1_name = Geographic Names Information System feature ID|blank1_info = 0044784|footnotes =-->Phoenix (English language: Phoenix, Navajo language: Hoozdo, lit. "the place is hot", Western Apache: Fiinigis) is the capital and the most populous city of the Arizona and the county seat of Maricopa County, Arizona. It is the most populous capital city in the United States. Its physical location is along the banks of the normally dry Salt River (Arizona). It was incorporated as a city on February 25 1881. Residents of Phoenix are known as Phoenicians.

Phoenix's estimated population as of 2006 was 1,512,986, making it the List of United States cities by population. At 515 square miles, it covers an area larger than New York City, Philadelphia, and Miami, Florida combined, making it the biggest state capital and the 10th largest List of United States cities by area for a city in the United States; however, because of its huge area, the city had a relatively low population density of only 2,938 people per square mile. As of 2006, the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (MSA) was the List of United States metropolitan statistical areas by population, with an estimated population of 4,039,182. Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-01), United States Census Bureau, 2007-04-05. Accessed 2007-09-11.

History American Indian inhabitants As early as 700 AD, the Hohokam civilization occupied the land that would become Phoenix. The Hohokam created roughly 135 miles (217 km) of irrigation canals, making the land Arable land. Paths of these canals would later become used for the modern Arizona Canal, Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct.

It is believed that between AD 1300 and AD 1450 periods of drought and severe floods led to the Hohokam's disappearance." Out of the Ashes, Early Life along the Salt River." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

Although Spain and Mexico explorers knew of the area, only southern Arizona fell under their influence. The Salt River Valley remained mostly abandoned. Local Akimel O'odham settlements, thought to be the descendents of the formerly urbanized Hohokam, concentrated on the Gila River alongside those of the Tohono O'odham and Maricopa peoples.

Pre-incorporation history Passing through the area in 1867, Jack Swilling of Wickenburg, Arizona, stopped to rest at the foot of the White Tank Mountains and observed land that had great potential for farming. The terrain and climate were optimal, except for a lack of precipitation and suitable irrigation. Swilling remedied the situation by having a series of canals built, which followed the paths of the preexisting Hohokam canals. A small community formed about 4 miles (6 km) east of the present city and a few miles northwest of another community at Hayden's Ferry, which would become Tempe, Arizona.

The farming community was named Swilling's Mill in his honor, though later renamed to Helling Mill, Mill City, and finally, East Phoenix. Swilling, a former Confederate States Army soldier, wanted to name the city "Stonewall," after Stonewall Jackson. Others suggested the name of "Salina." However, neither name was suitable to the community. Finally, Phillip Darrell Duppa suggested the name "Phoenix," as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization." Out of the Ashes, Phoenix is Born." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26, 2006.

The Yavapai County, Arizona Board of Supervisors, which at the time, encompassed Phoenix, officially recognized the town of Phoenix 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 population growing, a townsite needed to be selected. On October 20 1870, the residents held a meeting to decide where to locate it. A 320 acre (1.3 square kilometre) plot of land was purchased in what is now the downtown business section." Out of the Ashes, Selecting a Townsite." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006. On February 12 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County, Arizona, the sixth in the state, by dividing Yavapai County. The first county election in Maricopa County 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." Out of the Ashes, The Great Sale." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

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 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. A short time later, a telegraphy office, 16 bar (establishment), four dance halls and two banks were open." Out of the Ashes, Whole Town Worth $550." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.



Incorporation By 1881, Phoenix had outgrown its original townsite-commissioner form of government. 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. Phoenix was incorporated with a population of approximately 2,500, and 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." Out of the Ashes, Incorporation in 1881." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006. In early 1888, the city offices were moved into the new City Hall, built where the downtown bus terminal now stands. This building also provided temporary offices for the territorial government when it moved to Phoenix from Prescott, Arizona in 1889." Out of the Ashes, Transportation: Horses and Rails." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

The coming of the railroad in the 1880s was the first of several important events that revolutionized the economy of Phoenix. 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.

Phoenix also inaugurated an Phoenix Street Railway, built off earlier stagecoach lines, in 1893.

20th century In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Newlands 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 today as part of the Salt River Project." SRP: Historical timeline." Salt River Project. Retrieved on November 30 2006. On February 14 1912, under President William Howard Taft, Phoenix became the capital of the newly formed United States state of Arizona." Out of the Ashes, Roosevelt and Reclamation." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

In 1913, Phoenix adopted a new form of government from Mayor-Council government to Council-Manager government, making it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government." Out of the Ashes, Establishing a Council-Manager Government." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26 2006.

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 Air Force Base, Williams Air Force Base, and Falcon Field (Arizona), coupled with the giant ground-training center at Hyder, Arizona, west of Phoenix, brought thousands of men into Phoenix." Out of the Ashes, Growing into a Metropolis." City of Phoenix. Retrieved on November 26, 2006.

A fire in October 1947 destroyed most of the streetcar fleet, giving the city a difficult choice between implementing a new street railway system or using buses. The latter was chosen and the metropolitan area's development has been oriented toward cars ever since. This is expected to change, however, with the December 2008 implementation of the METRO Light Rail (Phoenix).

By 1950, over 100,000 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.

Phoenix's population in the north and west, as well as that of surrounding cities, is Urban sprawl, as it has been since the 1960s.

Geography Phoenix is located at 33°26'54" North, 112°4'26" West (33.448457°, -112.073844°) 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.

The Salt River (Arizona) course runs westward through the city of Phoenix; the riverbed is normally dry except when excess runoff forces the release of water from the six dams upriver. 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.

The Phoenix area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park 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 (Arizona). 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 475.1 square miles (1,230.5 square kilometre) — 474.9 square miles (1,229.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.05% water.

The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona-Scottsdale, Arizona MSA), is the List of United States metropolitan areas in the United States, with a total population of 4,039,182 as of the June 2006 update of the 2000 U.S. Census. It includes the Arizona counties of Maricopa County, Arizona and Pinal County, Arizona. Other cities in the MSA include Mesa, Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, Glendale, Arizona, Tempe, Arizona, Chandler, Arizona, Gilbert, Arizona, and Peoria, Arizona. Several smaller communities are also included, such as Cave Creek, Arizona, Queen Creek, Arizona, Buckeye, Arizona, Goodyear, Arizona, Fountain Hills, Arizona, Litchfield Park, Arizona, Anthem, Arizona, Sun Lakes, Arizona, Sun City, Arizona, Sun City West, Arizona, Avondale, Arizona, Surprise, Arizona, El Mirage, Arizona, Paradise Valley, Arizona, and Tolleson, Arizona. The communities of Ahwatukee, Arcadia, Deer Valley, Maryvale and others are part of the city of Phoenix, Ahwatukee being separated from the rest of the city by South Mountain.

As with most of Arizona, Phoenix does not observe daylight savings time. In 1973, Gov. Jack Williams argued to United States 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." Arizona does not need daylight saving time." Arizona Daily Star. Published on May 19, 2005. Retrieved on December 15, 2006. 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 an arid climate, and its average annual maximum temperature is the highest of any major US city.In fact, out of the world's large urban areas, only some cities around the Persian Gulf, such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, Iraq, and some cities in North India such as Amritsar and Jaipur have comparable summer temperatures. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100°Fahrenheit (38°Celsius) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September. On June 26 1990, the temperature reached an all-time high of 122°F (50°C)." Phoenix 100 Degree Temperature Facts." National Weather Service - Phoenix. Retrieved on December 15 2006. Overnight lows greater than 80°F occur frequently each summer, with the average July low being 81°F and the average August low being 80°F. The all-time highest low temperature was 96°F (36°C), which occurred on July 15 2003.

The dry desert air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable early in the season, but the influx of monsoonal moisture, which generally begins in early July and lasts until mid-September, raises humidity levels and discomfort due to mugginess. For the most part, the winter months are mild.

Phoenix averages 85% of possible sunshinehttp://geography.asu.edu/cerveny/wxpart4.htm#sun2 and receives scant rainfall, the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport being 8.3 inches (210 mm). March is the wettest month of the year (1.07 inches or 27 mm) with June being the driest (0.09 inches or 2 mm). Although thunderstorms are possible at any time of the year, they are most common during the monsoon from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California. These can bring strong winds, large hail, or rarely, tornadoes. Winter storms moving inland from the Pacific Ocean occasionally produce significant rains but occur infrequently. Fog is observed from time to time during the winter months.

On average, Phoenix has only 5 days per year where the temperature drops to or below freezing. Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 Degrees F or Less. National Climatic Data Center. June 23, 2004. Last Retrieved February 16, 2006. The long-term mean date of the first frost is December 15 and the last is February 1; however, these dates do not represent the city as a whole because the frequency of freezes increases the further one moves outward from the urban heat island. Frequently, outlying areas of Phoenix see frost, but the airport does not.The earliest frost on record occurred on November 3 1946, and the latest occurred on April 4 1945. The all-time lowest temperature in Phoenix was recorded at 16°F (-8.8°C) on January 7 1913.

Snow is extremely rare in the area. Snowfall was first officially recorded in 1896, and since then, accumulations of 0.1 inches (0.25 cm) or greater have occurred only seven times. The heaviest snowstorm on record dates to January 20-January 21, 1937, when 1 to 4 inches fell (2 to 10 cm) in parts of the city and did not melt entirely for four days. Prior to that, 1 inch (2.5 cm) had fallen on January 20, 1933. On February 2 1939, 0.5 inches (1 cm) fell. Most recently, 0.4 inches (1 cm) fell on December 21-December 22, 1990. Snow also fell on March 12 1917, November 28, 1919, and December 11 1985. On January 21 2007, snowfall occurred throughout much of the city and covered the ground completely in the East Valley cities of Mesa and Tempe. This followed a very rare cold spell which caused temperatures to tumble into the 20s." Phoenix Snowfall History." National Weather Service - Phoenix. Retrieved on December 15 2006.

Source: U.S. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C.; a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;width:100%;border:0px;text-align:center;line-height:120%;"! style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000" height="17" |Month! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Rec. high °F (°C)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 88 (31.1)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 92 (33.3)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 100 (37.7)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 105 (40.6)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 113 (45)| style="background: #800000; color:#FFFFFF;" | 122 (50)| style="background: #800000; color:#FFFFFF;" | 121 (49.4)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 116 (46.7)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 118 (47.8)| style="background: #92000a; color:#FFFFFF;" | 107 (41.7)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 95 (35)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 88 (31.1)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Avg high °F (°C)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 65 (18.3)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 69 (20.5)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color:#000000;" | 74 (23.3)| style="background: #D99594; color:#000000;" | 83 (28.3)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 92 (33.3)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 102 (38.8)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 104 (40)| style="background: #943634; color:#FFFFFF;" | 102 (38.8)| style="background: #C0504D; color:#000000;" | 97 (36.1)| style="background: #D99594; color:#000000;" | 86 (30)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color:#000000;" | 73 (22.7)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 65 (18.3)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Avg low temperature °F (°C)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 43 (6.1)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 47 (8.3)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 51 (10.5)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 58 (14.4)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color: black;" | 66 (18.8)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color: black;" | 75 (23.8)| style="background: #D99594; color: black;" | 81 (27.2)| style="background: #D99594; color: black;" | 80 (26.6)| style="background: #E5B8B7; color: black;" | 75 (23.8)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color: black;" | 63 (17.2)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color: black;" | 50 (10)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color: black;" | 44 (6.7)|-! style="background: #FFFFFF; color:#000000;" | Rec. low °F (°C)| style="background: #4682b4; color:#000000;" | 17 (-8.3)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 25 (-3.9)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 25 (-3.9)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 37 (2.7)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color:#000000;" | 40 (4.4)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 51 (10.6)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 66 (18.9)| style="background: #F2DBDB; color:#000000;" | 61 (16.1)| style="background: #DBE5F1; color:#000000;" | 47 (8.3)| style="background: #B8CCE4; color:#000000;" | 34 (1.1)| style="background: #6495ED; color:#000000;" | 27 (-2.8)| style="background: #4682b4; color:#000000;" | 22 (-5.6)|}

Cityscape

The city of Phoenix is divided up into 15 Urban Villages." Village Planning Committees." Phoenix City Government. January 9, 2007. Retrieved on February 22, 2007. Inside some of the Villages are well known neighborhoods, or districts, which are listed as subpoints. These urban villages are: Ahwatukee, Alhambra, Phoenix, Arizona, Camelback East, Phoenix, Arizona, Central City, Phoenix, Arizona, Deer Valley, Phoenix, Arizona, Desert View, Phoenix, Arizona, Encanto, Phoenix, Arizona, Estrella, Phoenix, Arizona, Laveen, Phoenix, Arizona, Maryvale, Phoenix, Arizona, North Gateway, Phoenix, Arizona, Sunnyslope, Phoenix, Arizona, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Arizona (not to be confused with the town of Paradise Valley, Arizona), South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, as well as a fifteenth which is as of yet unnamed (created in 2004 and currently called, "New Village, Phoenix, Arizona."). The fifteenth is sparsely populated (if at all) and new development is not expected in the near future.

Commonly referred-to Phoenix regions/ districts:Downtown Phoenix, Midtown Phoenix, West Phoenix, North/Northwest Phoenix, South Phoenix, Biltmore area, Arcadia, Sunnyslope, Ahwatukee

Economy

The early economy of Phoenix was primarily agricultural, dependent mainly on cotton and citrus farming. In the last two decades, the economy has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. As the state capital of Arizona, 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, and has a particularly vibrant golf industry.

Phoenix is currently home to three major Fortune 1000 companies: electronics corporation Avnet, Apollo Group (which operates the University of Phoenix), and mining company Freeport McMoRan. Honeywell hosts many factories for the building of military grade engines, as well as their company network gateway in Phoenix. Intel has one of their largest sites in Arizona, employing about 11,000 employees and 3 chip manufacturing fabs, including the $3 billion dollar state of the art 300mm, 45nm Fab 32. American Express hosts their financial transactions, customer information, and their entire website in Phoenix. The area is also home to US Airways Group, a Fortune 500 company located in Tempe, Arizona. Nearby Scottsdale, Arizona is also home to Allied Waste Industries (also listed on the Fortune 500), the second largest non-hazardous solid waste management company in the United States. Phoenix is also home to the headquarters of U-HAUL International, a rental company and moving supply store.

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 3 military bases: Luke Field (still in use), Falcon Field (Arizona), and Williams Air Force Base (now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport), with numerous auxiliary air fields located throughout the region.

See also: List of major corporations in Phoenix, List of foreign consulates in Phoenix.

Arts and culture

Sports {| class="wikitable"|-!Club!Sport!League!Venue|-|Arizona Cardinals|[National Football League; National Football Conference|University of Phoenix Stadium|[Baseball; [National League|Chase Field|[Basketball; [Western Conference (NBA)|US Airways Center|[Ice Hockey; [Western Conference (NHL)|Jobing.com Arena|[Basketball|[US Airways Center|[Arena Football|[US Airways Center|[Hockey|[US Airways Center|[Lacrosse|[Jobing.com Arena|[Basketball|[Arizona Veterans Memorial ColiseumPhoenix is home to several professional sports franchises, including representatives of all four major professional sports league The first major franchise was the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which started play in 1968. 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 US Airways Center. The Phoenix Flame of the International Basketball League (2005-) will begin play in the spring of 2007.

The Arizona Cardinals moved to Phoenix from St. Louis, Missouri in 1988 and currently play in the National Football League National Football Conference - NFC West. 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, Arizona until 2006, and now play at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. University of Phoenix Stadium is scheduled to host Super Bowl XLII in 2008.

Phoenix also 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, and play at Jobing.com Arena, adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The city also boasts a minor league hockey team, the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL, who play at the US Airways Center. This makes Phoenix one of the few cities where minor and major league teams in the same sport coexist.

The Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (National League) 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, but also the youngest expansion franchise in U.S. professional sports to ever do so.

Additionally, due to the favorable climate, nine Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the metro area, as well as nearby Tucson, Arizona. These teams are collectively known as the Cactus League.

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 the Firebird International Raceway. Sprint car racing is held at Manzanita Speedway.

Phoenix has also hosted the Insight Bowl at Chase Field until 2005, after which it moved to nearby Tempe, Arizona, 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). Instead, Phoenix will host the 2009 All-Star Game.

Phoenix's Ahwatukee American Little League reached the 2006 Little League Little League World Series as the representative from the U.S. West region. Phoenix is one of the three cities that hosts the annual PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in January.

As of 2007 Phoenix is the largest North American city not to contain a team in any of the four tiers of professional soccer. There is a plan to try and bring Major League Soccer to the city in the shape of the proposed team Phoenix Rising. Phoenix is currently one of thirteen cities across the United States and Canada that are aiming to claim one of two places scheduled to be made available through expansion before 2010. The plan currently includes a suggested $150 million 25,000 soccer specific stadium with retractable roof. See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports.

Parks and recreation , a natural geological formation in Papago Park.

Media See also: List of radio stations in Arizona, 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). In addition, the city is also served by numerous free neighborhood papers and weeklies such as the Phoenix New Times, Arizona State University 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 13th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 1,725,000 homes (1.55% of the total U.S.).Holmes, Gary. " Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season." Nielsen Media Research. August 23, 2006. Retrieved on March 13, 2007. The major network television affiliates are KPNX 12 (National Broadcasting Company), KNXV 15 (American Broadcasting Company), KPHO 5 (Columbia Broadcasting Service), KSAZ 10 (Fox Broadcasting Company), KUTP 45 (MNTV), KASW 61 (The CW Television Network) and KAET 8 (PBS, operated by Arizona State University). Other network television affiliates operating in the area include KPAZ 21 (Trinity Broadcasting Network), KTVW 33 (Univision), KTAZ 39 (Telemundo), KDTP-CA 48 (Daystar Television Network), and KPPX 51 (i Network, formerly PAX). KTVK 3 (3TV) and KAZT 27 are independent television stations operating in the metro area.

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

Several major feature films have been filmed in the city, including Waiting to Exhale, Song of the South, The Gauntlet, Psycho (1960 film), Raising Arizona, Jerry Maguire, The Prophecy, Used Cars, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (used as a stand-in for San Dimas, California), U Turn, Eight Legged Freaks, Private Lessons (1981 film), Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Never Been Thawed, Just One of the Guys, Terminal Velocity, Taxi (2004 movie), and The Banger Sisters." Titles with locations including Phoenix, Arizona, USA." IMDb. Retrieved on May 3 2007.

Demographics {| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:3px; text-size:80%; text-align:right"|align=center colspan=2| City of Phoenix
Population by yearGibson, Campbell. " Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." United States Census Bureau. June, 1998. Retrieved on October 7 2006.], there were 1,321,045 people, 465,834 households, and 307,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,782 people per square mile (1,074/km²). There were 495,832 housing units at an average density of 1,044 per square mile (403/km²).

There were 465,834 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were Marriage living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-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 race makeup of the Phoenix was 71.1% White (U.S. Census), 5.1% African American (U.S. Census), 2.0% Native American (U.S. Census), 2.0% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.13% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 16.4% from Race (U.S. Census), and 3.3% from two or more races. 34.1% of the population were Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race. Phoenix (city) MapStats from FedStats Since the 2000 census, the White American population in Phoenix dropped below 50%, according to William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution. Changing Face of Western Cities

In 2000, the Phoenix metro area's religion composition was reported as 45% Catholic, 13% Mormon (concentrated heavily in the suburb of Mesa, Arizona) and 5% Jewish. The remaining 37% are largely members of Protestant denominations or are unaffiliated.Religion demographic data from The Association of Religion Data Archives. Other minority religious communities and places of worship are represented in Phoenix including Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.

Government , which used to house the state legislature, is now a museumBeing the capital of Arizona, Phoenix houses the Arizona Legislature. In 1913, the commission form of government was adopted. The city of Phoenix is served by a city council consisting of a List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and eight city council members. The mayor is elected At Large, 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 Phil Gordon (politician), who was elected to a four-year term in 2003 and re-elected to an additional four-year term in 2007. 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.

See also: List of mayors of Phoenix, Arizona, List of Foreign Consulates in Phoenix

Education Public education in the Phoenix area is provided by over 30 school districts." Schools in Phoenix."

Phoenix Mars Mission - Home
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this false color image on Sol 72 (August 7, 2008 ...

Phoenix Mars Mission - Home
Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/University of Neuchatel/Imperial College London The image on the upper left is from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Optical ...

City of Phoenix, Arizona, Official Municipal Web site
Welcome to the city of Phoenix Web site, named one of the Center for Digital Government’s best governmental sites in America. This Web site is also available in Spanish. ...

Phoenix Arizona
Water Bottles for the Homeless. Phoenix Area Hydration Stations. Chandler, AZ — With temperatures over 100 degrees everyday it’s natural for us to carry water bottles.

City of Phoenix, Arizona, Official Municipal Web site
Official municipal site includes information about city services, departments, meetings, and events in the community.

Phoenix, Arizona - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phoenix (pronounced /ˈfiːˌnɪks/, O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Mojave Hachpa 'Anya Nyava [3]) is the capital and the most populous ...

Phoenix Arizona CVB Official Travel Resource ~ Hotels ~ Restaurants ...
Official Travel Resource Greater Phoenix CVB - Vacation Information on Hotels, Restaurants, Golf, Travel, Conventions, Maps, Things to Do.

Phoenix, Arizona Guide to Hotels, Lodging, Restaurants, Real Estate ...
Phoenix, Arizona travel and relocation information for all your needs. ... Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport North, starting at $67; Crowne Plaza Hotel PHOENIX-AIRPORT, starting at ...

Phoenix, Arizona - BAE Systems
Address. 7822 S. 46th Street Phoenix Arizona 85044 USA Telephone: +1 602-643-7603 +1 866-390-1944   Fax: +1 602 643 7699; Email: individual@armorholdings.com

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