Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak )
is a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
in the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
. It is the
6th largest and the
14th most populous of the 50 states. Its
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and
largest city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
is
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. Arizona is part of the
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
region with
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
to the north,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
to the northeast, and
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
to the east; its other neighboring states are
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
to the northwest,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
to the west and the
Mexican states
The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a separate ent ...
of
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
and
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
to the south and southwest.
Arizona is the 48th state and last of the
contiguous states
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of in
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
, it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase ( es, region=MX, la Venta de La Mesilla "The Sale of La Mesilla") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effe ...
.
Southern Arizona
Southern Arizona is a region of the United States comprising the southernmost portion of the State of Arizona. It sometimes goes by the name Gadsden or Baja Arizona, which means "Lower Arizona" in Spanish.
Geography
Although Southern Arizona ...
is known for its
desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
climate, with very hot summers and mild winters.
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially-defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Gila counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the sout ...
features forests of pine,
Douglas fir
The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...
, and
spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...
trees; the
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...
; mountain ranges (such as the
San Francisco Mountains
The San Francisco Peaks (Navajo: , es, Sierra de San Francisco, Hopi: ''Nuva'tukya'ovi'', Western Apache: ''Dził Tso'', Keres: ''Tsii Bina'', Southern Paiute: ''Nuvaxatuh'', Havasupai-Hualapai: ''Hvehasahpatch''/''Huassapatch''/''Wik'hanbaja' ...
); as well as large, deep
canyon
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
s, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are
ski resorts
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...
in the areas of
Flagstaff,
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
, and
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
. In addition to the internationally known
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...
, which is one of the
world's seven natural wonders, there are several
national forests
A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state, sovereign or federated state, or territory (country subdivision), territory.
Background
The precise application of the terms va ...
,
national parks
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
, and
national monuments
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
.
Since the 1950s, Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically because of migration into the state, and now the state is a major hub of the
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — des ...
. Cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have developed large, sprawling suburban areas. Many large companies, such as
PetSmart
PetSmart is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, ...
and
Circle K
Circle K Stores, Inc. is a Canadian chain of convenience stores headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by the multinational company Couche-Tard. Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1 ...
, have headquarters in the state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
and
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. Traditionally, the state is politically known for national conservative figures such as
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
and
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
, though it voted Democratic in the 1996 presidential race and in the 2020 presidential and senatorial elections.
Arizona is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of
Indian reservations
An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...
that serve as the home of
27 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
, the largest in the state and the United States, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of
Hispanics
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties former ...
in the state's population has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico. In terms of religion, a substantial portion of the population are followers of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church).
Etymology
The state's name appears to originate from an earlier Spanish name, , derived from the
O'odham
The O'odham peoples, including the Tohono O'odham, the Pima people, Pima or Akimel O'odham, and the Hia C-ed O'odham, are indigenous people of the Americas, indigenous Uto-Aztecan peoples of the Sonoran desert in southern and central Arizona and ...
name , meaning "small spring". Initially this term was applied by Spanish colonists only to an area near the
silver mining
Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...
camp of
Planchas de Plata, Sonora
Planchas de Plata (Spanish for ''slabs of silver''), sometimes called Bolas de Plata (''balls of silver'') is a historic silver-mining district near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and a few miles south of the border with the US state of Arizona. Native ...
. To the European settlers, the O'odham pronunciation sounded like ''Arissona''.
The area is still known as in the O'odham language.
Another possible origin is the
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
phrase ("the good oak"), as there were numerous Basque sheepherders in the area. A native Mexican of Basque ancestry established the (small rural settlement) of Arizona between 1734 and 1736 in the current Mexican state of
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
. It became notable after a significant discovery of silver there, .
The misconception that the state's name purportedly originated from the Spanish term ("Arid Zone") is considered a case of
folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
.
History
For thousands of years before the modern era, Arizona was home to many ancient
Native American civilizations.
Hohokam
Hohokam () was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about ...
,
Mogollon, and
Ancestral Puebloan
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, an ...
cultures were among those that flourished throughout the state. Many of their pueblos, cliffside dwellings, rock paintings and other prehistoric treasures have survived and attract thousands of tourists each year.
![La conquista del Colorado](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/La_conquista_del_Colorado.jpg)
In 1539,
Marcos de Niza
Marcos de Niza, OFM (or Marco da Nizza; 25 March 1558) was a Savoyard missionary and Franciscan friar from the County of Nice. He is credited with being the first European in what is now the State of Arizona in the United States. He is most kn ...
, a Spanish
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
, became the first European to contact Native Americans. He explored parts of the present state and made contact with
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
inhabitants, probably the
Sobaipuri
The Sobaipuri were one of many indigenous groups occupying Sonora and what is now Arizona at the time Europeans first entered the American Southwest. They were a Piman or O'odham group who occupied southern Arizona and northern Sonora (the Pimer ...
. The expedition of Spanish explorer
Coronado Coronado may refer to:
People
* Coronado (surname)
* Francisco Vázquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred to simply as "Coronado"
* Coronado Chávez (1807–1881), President of Honduras from 1845 to 1847
Places United ...
entered the area in 1540–1542 during its search for
Cíbola.
Few Spanish settlers migrated to Arizona. One of the first settlers in Arizona was
José Romo de Vivar
José Romo de Vivar was a Novo Hispanic rancher and miner, considered to be one of the early settlers in Arizona. In 1700, Vivar drove his cattle to the Huachuca Mountains because he was convinced he could carve out a future in that territory. Desp ...
.
[Martínez Laínez, Fernando and Canales Torres, Carlos. Banderas lejanas: La exploración, conquista y defensa por parte de España del Territorio de los actuales Estados Unidos (in Spanish: Far flags. The exploration, conquest and defense by Spain of the Territory of the present United States). pp. 145–146. Fourth edition: September 2009.]
Father Kino
Eusebio Francisco Kino ( it, Eusebio Francesco Chini, es, Eusebio Francisco Kino; 10 August 1645 – 15 March 1711), often referred to as Father Kino, was a Tyrolean Jesuit, missionary, geographer, explorer, cartographer and astronomer born i ...
was the next European in the region. A member of the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
("
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
"), he led the development of a chain of missions in the region. He converted many of the Indians to Christianity in the
Pimería Alta
The ''Pimería Alta'' (translated to 'Upper Pima Land'/'Land of the Upper Pima' in English) was an area of the 18th century Sonora y Sinaloa Province in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, that encompassed parts of what are today southern Arizona in th ...
(now southern Arizona and northern
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
) in the 1690s and early 18th century. Spain founded ''presidios'' ("fortified towns") at Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775.
When Mexico achieved its independence from the
Kingdom of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and its
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
in 1821, what is now Arizona became part of its Territory of ''Nueva California'', ("New California"), also known as ''
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
'' ("Upper California"). Descendants of ethnic Spanish and
mestizo
(; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
settlers from the colonial years still lived in the area at the time of the arrival of later European-American migrants from the United States.
![Mexico 1824 (equirectangular projection)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Mexico_1824_%28equirectangular_projection%29.png)
During the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
(1847–1848), the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
occupied the national capital of
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
and pursued its claim to much of northern Mexico, including what later became
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
in 1863 and later the State of Arizona in 1912. The
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...
(1848) specified that, in addition to language and cultural rights of the existing inhabitants of former Mexican citizens being considered as inviolable, the sum of $15million in compensation () be paid to the Republic of Mexico. In 1853, the U.S. acquired the land south below the
Gila River
The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
from Mexico in the
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase ( es, region=MX, la Venta de La Mesilla "The Sale of La Mesilla") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effe ...
along the southern border area as encompassing the best future southern route for a transcontinental railway.
What is now the state of Arizona was administered by the United States government as part of the
Territory of New Mexico
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becoming ...
from 1850 until the southern part of that region seceded from the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
to form the
Territory of Arizona
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
. This newly established territory was formally organized by the federal government of the
Confederate States
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
on Saturday, January 18, 1862, when
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
approved and signed ''An Act to Organize the Territory of Arizona'', marking the first official use of the name "Territory of Arizona". The Southern territory supplied the Confederate government with men, horses, and equipment. Formed in 1862,
Arizona scout companies served with the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Arizona has the westernmost military engagement on record during the Civil War with the
Battle of Picacho Pass
The Battle of Picacho Pass, also known as the Battle of Picacho Peak, was an engagement of the American Civil War on April 15, 1862. The action occurred around Picacho Peak, northwest of Tucson, Arizona. It was fought between a Union cavalry ...
(1862).
![Apache chieff Geronimo (right) and his warriors in 1886](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Apache_chieff_Geronimo_%28right%29_and_his_warriors_in_1886.jpg)
The Federal government declared a new U.S. Arizona Territory, consisting of the western half of earlier New Mexico Territory, in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, on February 24, 1863.
These new boundaries would later form the basis of the state. The first territorial capital, Prescott, was founded in 1864 following a gold rush to central Arizona. The capital was later
moved to Tucson, back to Prescott, and then to its final location in Phoenix in a series of controversial moves as different regions of the territory gained and lost political influence with the growth and development of the territory.
Although names including "Gadsonia", "Pimeria", "Montezuma" and "Arizuma" had been considered for the territory, when 16th President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
signed the final bill, it read "Arizona", and that name was adopted. (
Montezuma was not derived from the
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
emperor, but was the sacred name of a divine hero to the
Pima people
The Pima (or Akimel O'odham, also spelled Akimel Oʼotham, "River People," formerly known as ''Pima'') are a group of Native Americans living in an area consisting of what is now central and southern Arizona, as well as northwestern Mexico in ...
of the
Gila River Valley
The Gila River Valley is a multi-sectioned valley of the Gila River, located primarily in Arizona. The Gila River forms in western New Mexico and flows west across southeastern, south-central, and southwestern Arizona; it changes directions as i ...
. It was probably consideredand rejectedfor its sentimental value before Congress settled on the name "Arizona".)
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
, patriarchal leader of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, sent
Mormons
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
to Arizona in the mid- to late 19th century. They founded
Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...
,
Snowflake
A snowflake is a single ice crystal that has achieved a sufficient size, and may have amalgamated with others, which falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.Knight, C.; Knight, N. (1973). Snow crystals. Scientific American, vol. 228, no. ...
,
Heber,
Safford, and other towns. They also settled in the
Phoenix Valley
The Phoenix Metropolitan Area – also the Valley of the Sun, the Salt River Valley, or Metro Phoenix (known by most locals simply as “the Valley”) – is the largest metropolitan area in the Southwestern United States, centered on the cit ...
(or "Valley of the Sun"),
Tempe,
Prescott, and other areas. The Mormons settled what became
northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially-defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Gila counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the sout ...
and northern New Mexico. At the time these areas were in a part of the former
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
.
During the nineteenth century, a series of gold and silver rushes occurred in the territory, the best known being the 1870s stampede to the silver bonanzas of
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a historic city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1877 by prospector Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It became one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier. The town grew si ...
in southeast Arizona, also known for its legendary outlaws and lawmen. By the late 1880s, copper production eclipsed the precious metals with the rise of copper camps like
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson and north of the Mexican border. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town was 4,923, down from 5,575 i ...
and
Jerome, Arizona
Jerome is a town in the Black Hills of Yavapai County in the U.S. state of Arizona. Founded in the late 19th century on Cleopatra Hill overlooking the Verde Valley, Jerome is located more than above sea level. It is about north of Phoenix alon ...
. The boom and bust economy of mining also left hundreds of
ghost towns
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by Alle ...
across the territory, but copper mining continued to prosper with the territory producing more copper than any other state by 1907, which earned Arizona the nickname "the Copper State" at the time of statehood. During the first years of statehood the industry experienced growing pains and labor disputes with the
Bisbee Deportation
The Bisbee Deportation was the illegal kidnapping and deportation of about 1,300 striking mine workers, their supporters, and citizen bystanders by 2,000 members of a deputized posse, who arrested them beginning on July 12, 1917, in Bisbee, Ar ...
of 1917 the result of a copper miners' strike.
20th century to present
During the
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
from 1910 to 1920, several battles were fought in the Mexican towns just across the border from Arizona settlements. Throughout the revolution, many Arizonans enlisted in one of the several armies fighting in Mexico. Only two significant engagements took place on U.S. soil between U.S. and Mexican forces:
's 1916 Columbus Raid in New Mexico, and the
Battle of Ambos Nogales
The Battle of Ambos Nogales (The Battle of Both Nogales), or as it is known in Mexico ''La batalla del 27 de agosto'' (The Battle of 27 August), was an engagement fought on 27 August 1918 between Mexican military and civilian militia forces and ...
in 1918 in Arizona. The Mexicans won the first battle and the Americans won the latter.
After Mexican federal troops fired on U.S. soldiers, the American garrison launched an assault into
Nogales, Mexico. The Mexicans eventually surrendered after both sides sustained heavy casualties. A few months earlier, just west of Nogales, an Indian War battle had occurred, considered the last engagement in the
American Indian Wars
The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...
, which lasted from 1775 to 1918. U.S. soldiers stationed on the border confronted
Yaqui Indians
The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of the southwest, who speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and the area below the Gila River in Arizona, Southwestern United St ...
who were using Arizona as a base to raid the nearby Mexican settlements, as part of their wars against Mexico.
Arizona became a U.S. state on February 14, 1912. Arizona was the
48th state admitted to the U.S. and the last of the
contiguous states
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
to be admitted.
Cotton farming and copper mining, two of Arizona's most important statewide industries, suffered heavily during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. But during the 1920s and even the 1930s, tourism began to develop as the important Arizonan industry it is today. Dude ranches, such as the K L Bar and Remuda in Wickenburg, along with the Flying V and Tanque Verde in Tucson, gave tourists the chance to take part in the flavor and activities of the "Old West". Several upscale hotels and resorts opened during this period, some of which are still top tourist draws. They include the
Arizona Biltmore Hotel
The Arizona Biltmore Hotel is a resort located in Phoenix near 24th Street and Camelback Road. It is part of Hilton Hotels' Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts. It was featured on the Travel Channel show ''Great Hotels.'' The Arizona Biltmore h ...
in central Phoenix (opened 1929) and the Wigwam Resort on the west side of the Phoenix area (opened 1936).
Arizona was the site of German prisoner of war camps during World WarII and
Japanese American internment camps. Because of wartime fears of a Japanese invasion of the
U.S. West Coast
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S. ...
(which in fact materialized in the
Aleutian Islands Campaign in June 1942). From 1942 to 1945, they were forced to reside in internment camps built in the interior of the country. Many lost their homes and businesses. The camps were abolished after World WarII.
The Phoenix-area German P.O.W. site was purchased after the war by the
Maytag
The Maytag Corporation is an American home and commercial appliance company owned by Whirlpool Corporation since April 2006.
Company history
The Maytag Washing Machine Company was founded in 1893 by businessman Frederick Maytag. In 1925, ...
family (of major
home appliance
A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation.
Appliances are divided into three ty ...
fame). It was developed as the site of the
Phoenix Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest privately owned, non-profit zoo in the United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the zoo was founded by Robert Maytag, a member of the Maytag family, and operates on of land in the Papago Park ...
. A Japanese-American internment camp was on
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of , is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Mount Lemmon was named for botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon, who ...
, just outside the state's southeastern city of Tucson. Another
POW camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. P ...
was near the
Gila River
The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
in eastern
Yuma County.
Arizona was also home to the
Phoenix Indian School
The Phoenix Indian School, or Phoenix Indian High School in its later years, was a Bureau of Indian Affairs-operated school in Encanto Village, in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. It served lower grades also from 1891 to 1935, and then served as a ...
, one of several federal
Indian boarding schools
American Indian boarding schools, also known more recently as American Indian residential schools, were established in the United States from the mid 17th to the early 20th centuries with a primary objective of "civilizing" or assimilating Nat ...
designed to assimilate Native American children into mainstream European-American culture. Children were often enrolled in these schools against the wishes of their parents and families. Attempts to suppress native identities included forcing the children to cut their hair, to take and use English names, to speak only English, and to practice Christianity rather than their native religions.
Numerous Native Americans from Arizona fought for the United States during World WarII. Their experiences resulted in a rising activism in the postwar years to achieve better treatment and civil rights after their return to the state. After Maricopa County did not allow them to register to vote, in 1948 veteran Frank Harrison and Harry Austin, of the
Mojave-Apache Tribe at
Fort McDowell Indian Reservation
The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation (Yavapai: A'ba:ja), formerly the Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache Community of the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, is a federally recognized tribe and Indian reservation in Maricopa County, Arizona about northeast of ...
, brought a legal suit, ''
Harrison and Austin v. Laveen
''Harrison v. Laveen'', 67 Ariz. 337, 196 P.2d 456 (1948), also referred to ''Harrison et al. v. Laveen'' and ''Harrison and Austin v. Laveen'', was a court case decided before the Arizona Supreme Court, the highest state court of the U.S. state ...
'', to challenge this exclusion. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in their favor.
[''Harrison v. Laveen'', July 1948](_blank)
, Arizona Supreme Court
Arizona's population grew tremendously with residential and business development after World WarII, aided by the widespread use of
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, which made the intensely hot summers more comfortable. According to the ''Arizona Blue Book'' (published by the
Arizona Secretary of State
The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The secretary also serves as actin ...
's office each year), the state population in 1910 was 294,353. By 1970, it was 1,752,122. The percentage growth each decade averaged about 20% in the earlier decades, and about 60% each decade thereafter.
In the 1960s,
retirement communities
A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves; however, assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socializ ...
were developed. These age-restricted subdivisions catered exclusively to the needs of senior citizens and attracted many retirees who wanted to escape the harsh winters of the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and the
Northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
.
Sun City, established by developer
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene "Del" Webb (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974) was an American real estate developer, and a co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball club. He is known for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona, and fo ...
and opened in 1960, was one of the first such communities.
Green Valley, south of Tucson, was another such community, designed as a retirement subdivision for Arizona's teachers. Many senior citizens from across the U.S. and Canada come to Arizona each winter and stay only during the winter months; they are referred to as
snowbirds
The Snowbirds, officially known as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (french: 431e Escadron de démonstration aérienne, links=no), are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The team is based at 15 Wing ...
.
In March 2000, Arizona was the site of the first legally binding election ever held over the internet to nominate a candidate for public office. In the 2000 Arizona Democratic Primary, under worldwide attention,
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
defeated
Bill Bradley
William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. He served three terms as a Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey (1979–1997). He ran for the Democratic Party's nomination f ...
. Voter turnout in this state primary increased more than 500% over the 1996 primary.
In the 21st century, Arizona has frequently garnered national attention for its efforts to quell illegal immigration into the state. In 2004, voters passed
Proposition 200, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
struck this restriction down in 2013. In 2010, Arizona enacted
SB 1070
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest an ...
which required all immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, but the Supreme Court also invalidated parts of this law in ''
Arizona v. United States
''Arizona v. United States'', 567 U.S. 387 (2012), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case involving Arizona's Arizona SB 1070, SB 1070, a state law intended to increase the powers of local law enforcement that w ...
'' in 2012.
On January 8, 2011, a
gunman shot congresswoman
Gabby Giffords
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...
and 18 others at a gathering in Tucson. Giffords was critically wounded. The incident sparked national attention regarding incendiary political rhetoric.
Three ships named
USS ''Arizona'' have been christened in honor of the state, although only
USS ''Arizona'' (BB-39) was so named after statehood was achieved.
Geography
![USA 09847 Grand Canyon Luca Galuzzi 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/USA_09847_Grand_Canyon_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg)
Arizona is in the Southwestern United States as one of the
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...
states. Arizona is the sixth
largest state by area, ranked after
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
and before
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. Of the state's , approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land,
state trust land and Native American reservations. There are 24
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
maintained sites in Arizona, including the three national parks of
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...
,
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is an American national park in Pima County, southeastern Arizona. The park consists of two separate areas—the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) about west of the city of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) about ...
, and the
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is an American national park in Navajo County, Arizona, Navajo and Apache County, Arizona, Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about , encompassin ...
.
Arizona is well known for its
desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
Basin and Range
Basin and range topography is characterized by alternating parallel mountain ranges and valleys. It is a result of crustal extension due to mantle upwelling, gravitational collapse, crustal thickening, or relaxation of confining stresses. The e ...
region in the state's southern portions, which is rich in a
landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
of
xerophyte
A xerophyte (from Ancient Greek language, Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or pl ...
plants such as the
cactus
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...
. This region's topography was shaped by prehistoric
volcanism
Volcanism, vulcanism or volcanicity is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth or a solid-surface planet or moon, where lava, pyroclastics, and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called ...
, followed by the cooling-off and related
subsidence
Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...
. Its climate has exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. The state is less well known for its pine-covered north-central portion of the high country of the
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...
(see
Arizona Mountains forests
The Arizona Mountains forests are a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the southwest United States with a rich variety of woodland habitats and wildlife.
Setting
This is a landscape of steep mountains and high stony plateaus with rocky ou ...
).
Like other states of the
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
United States, Arizona is marked by high mountains, the Colorado plateau, and mesas. Despite the state's aridity, 27% of Arizona is forest, a percentage comparable to modern-day Romania or Greece. The world's largest stand of
ponderosa pine
''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...
trees is in Arizona.
The
Mogollon Rim
The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...
(), a
escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
, cuts across the state's central section and marks the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau. In 2002, this was an area of the
Rodeo–Chediski Fire
The Rodeo–Chediski Fire was a wildfire that burned in east-central Arizona beginning on June 18, 2002, and was not controlled until July 7.http://www.floa.org/rodeo_chediski/fire_photos12.htm Rodeo-Chediski fire, Forest lakes owners associatio ...
, the worst fire in state history until 2011.
Located in northern Arizona, the
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
is a colorful, deep, steep-sided gorge, carved by the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
. The canyon is one of the
Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the o ...
and is largely contained in the
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...
one of the first national parks in the United States. President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
was a major proponent of designating the Grand Canyon area as a National Park, often visiting to hunt
mountain lion
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...
and enjoy the scenery. The canyon was created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, and is about long, ranges in width from and attains a depth of more than . Nearly twobillion years of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
's history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateau uplifted.
Arizona is home to one of the most well-preserved
meteorite
A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...
impact sites in the world. Created around 50,000 years ago, the Barringer Meteorite Crater (better known simply as "
Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, is a meteorite impact crater about east of Flagstaff and west of Winslow in the desert of northern Arizona, United States. The site had several earlier names, and fragments of the meteorite are official ...
") is a gigantic hole in the middle of the high plains of the Colorado Plateau, about west of
Winslow Winslow may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish
* Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974
United States and Canada
* Rural Municipality of Winslo ...
. A rim of smashed and jumbled boulders, some of them the size of small houses, rises above the level of the surrounding plain. The crater itself is nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide and deep.
Arizona is one of two U.S. states, along with Hawaii, that does not observe Daylight Saving Time, though the large
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
in the state's northeastern region does.
Adjacent states
*
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
(north)
*
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
(northeast)
*
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
(northwest)
* Sonora, Sonora, Mexico (south)
* Baja California, Baja California, Mexico (southwest)
*
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
(east)
*
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
(west)
Climate
Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized climate conditions. In the lower elevations, the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and extremely hot summers. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of . November through February are the coldest months, with temperatures typically ranging from , with occasional frosts.
About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise, with warm days, and cool, breezy nights. The summer months of June through September bring a dry heat from , with occasional high temperatures exceeding having been observed in the desert area.
Arizona's all-time record high is recorded at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994, and July 5, 2007; the all-time record low of was recorded at Hawley Lake, Arizona, Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971.
Due to the primarily dry climate, large diurnal temperature variations occur in less-developed areas of the desert above . The swings can be as large as 83°F (46°C) in the summer months. In the state's urban centers, the effects of urban heat island, local warming result in much higher measured night-time lows than in the recent past.
Arizona has an average annual rainfall of , which comes during two rainy seasons, with cold fronts coming from the Pacific Ocean during the winter and a North American Monsoon, monsoon in the summer.
The monsoon season occurs toward the end of summer. In July or August, the dewpoint rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains large amounts of water vapor. Dewpoints as high as 81°F (27°C)
have been recorded during the
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
monsoon season. This hot moisture brings lightning, thunderstorms, wind, and torrential, if usually brief, downpours. These downpours often cause flash floods, which can turn deadly. In an attempt to deter drivers from crossing flooding streams, the Arizona Legislature enacted the Stupid Motorist Law. It is rare for tornadoes or List of Arizona hurricanes, hurricanes to occur in Arizona.
Arizona's northern third is a plateau at significantly higher altitudes than the lower desert, and has an appreciably cooler climate, with cold winters and mild summers, though the climate remains semiarid to arid. Extremely cold temperatures are not unknown; cold air systems from the northern states and Canada occasionally push into the state, bringing temperatures below to the state's northern parts.
Indicative of the variation in climate, Arizona is the state which has both the metropolitan area with the most days over (
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
), and the metropolitan area in the lower 48 states with the most days with a low temperature below freezing (
Flagstaff).
Cities and towns
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, is Arizona's capital and largest city. Other prominent cities in the Phoenix metro area include
Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...
(Arizona's third largest city), Chandler, Arizona, Chandler (Arizona's fourth largest city), Glendale, Arizona, Glendale, Peoria, Arizona, Peoria, Buckeye, Arizona, Buckeye,
Sun City, Sun City West, Arizona, Sun City West, Fountain Hills, Arizona, Fountain Hills, Surprise, Arizona, Surprise, Gilbert, Arizona, Gilbert, El Mirage, Arizona, El Mirage, Avondale, Arizona, Avondale,
Tempe, Tolleson, Arizona, Tolleson and Scottsdale, Arizona, Scottsdale, with a total metropolitan population of just over 4.7million. The average high temperature in July, , is one of the highest of any metropolitan area in the United States, offset by an average January high temperature of , the basis of its winter appeal.
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, with a metro population of just over onemillion, is the state's second-largest city. Located in Pima County, Arizona, Pima County, approximately southeast of Phoenix, it was incorporated in 1877, making it the oldest incorporated city in Arizona. It is home to the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
. Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley, Arizona, Oro Valley and Marana, Arizona, Marana northwest of the city, Sahuarita, Arizona, Sahuarita south of the city, and South Tucson, Arizona, South Tucson in an enclave south of downtown. It has an average July temperature of 100°F (38°C) and winter temperatures averaging 65°F (18°C).
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is an American national park in Pima County, southeastern Arizona. The park consists of two separate areas—the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) about west of the city of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) about ...
, just west of the city in the Tucson Mountains, is the site of the world's largest collection of Saguaro cacti.
The
Prescott metropolitan area includes the cities of Prescott, Cottonwood, Arizona, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Arizona, Camp Verde and many other towns in the of Yavapai County area. With 212,635 residents, this cluster of towns is the state's third largest metropolitan area. The city of Prescott (population 41,528) lies approximately northwest of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Situated in pine tree forests at an elevation of about , Prescott enjoys a much cooler climate than Phoenix, with average summer highs around and winter temperatures averaging .
Yuma, Arizona, Yuma is the center of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Arizona. Located in
Yuma County, it is near the borders of California and Mexico. It is one of the hottest cities in the United States, with an average July high of . (The same month's average in Death Valley is .) The city features sunny days about 90% of the year. The Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 160,000. Yuma attracts many winter visitors from all over the United States.
Flagstaff, in Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County, is the largest city in northern Arizona, and is at an elevation of nearly . With its large Ponderosa pine forests, snowy winter weather and picturesque mountains, it is a stark contrast to the desert regions typically associated with Arizona. It is sited at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona, which contains Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona at . Flagstaff has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to numerous tourist attractions including:
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...
, Sedona, Arizona, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon. Historic U.S. Route 66 is the main east–west street in the town. The Flagstaff metropolitan area is home to 134,421 residents and the main campus of Northern Arizona University.
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Lake Havasu City, in Mohave County, Arizona, Mohave County, known as "Arizona's playground", was developed on the Colorado River and is named after Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu City has a population of about 53,000 people. It is famous for huge spring break parties, sunsets and the London Bridge, relocated from London, England. Lake Havasu City was founded by real estate developer Robert P. McCulloch in 1963. It has two colleges, Mohave Community College and ASU Colleges in Lake Havasu City.
Demographics
![Arizona population map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Arizona_population_map.png)
The United States Census Bureau records Arizona's population as 7,151,502 in the 2020 census,
a 12% increase since the 2010 United States Census, 2010 United States census.
Arizona remained sparsely settled for most of the 19th century. The 1860 census reported the population of "Arizona County" to be 6,482, of whom 4,040 were listed as "Indians", 21 as "free colored", and 2,421 as "white". Arizona's continued population growth puts an enormous stress on the state's water supply. , 61% of Arizona's children under age one belonged to racial groups of color.
The population of metropolitan Phoenix increased by 45% from 1991 through 2001, helping to make Arizona the second fastest-growing state in the U.S. in the 1990s (the fastest was
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
). , the population of the Phoenix area is estimated to be over 4.9million.
According to the 2010 United States census, Arizona had a population of 6,392,017. In 2010, Illegal immigration, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 8% of the population. This was the second highest percentage of any state in the U.S.
Metropolitan Phoenix (4.7million) and Tucson (1.0million) are home to about five-sixths of Arizona's people (as of the 2010 census). Metro Phoenix alone accounts for two-thirds of the state's population.
Race and ethnicity
![Arizona counties by race](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Arizona_counties_by_race.svg)
Arizona's five largest ancestry groups, , were:
# English American, English (58%)
# German American, German (9%)
# Asian American, Asian (7%)
# African Americans, African (12%)
# Irish American, Irish (7%)
Languages
![Navajo Cowboy-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Navajo_Cowboy-1.jpg)
, 73% (4,215,749) of Arizona residents age five and older spoke only English at home, while 21% (1,202,638) spoke Spanish, 2% (85,602) Navajo language, Navajo, <1% (22,592) German, <1% (22,426) Chinese language, Chinese (which includes Standard Chinese, Mandarin), <1% (19,015) Tagalog language, Tagalog, <1% (17,603) Vietnamese, <1% (15,707) Indigenous languages of North America, Other North American Indigenous Languages (especially indigenous languages of Arizona), and French was spoken as a main language by <1% (15,062) of the population over the age of five. In total, 27% (1,567,548) of Arizona's population age five and older spoke a mother language other than English.
Arizona is home to the largest number of speakers of Indigenous languages of the Americas, Native American languages in the 48 contiguous states, as more than 85,000 individuals reported speaking Navajo language, Navajo,
[2005 American Community Survey. Retrieved fro]
the data of the MLA
, July 13, 2010 and 10,403 people reported Western Apache language, Apache, as a language spoken at home in 2005.
Arizona's Apache County, Arizona, Apache County has the highest concentration of speakers of Native American Indian languages in the United States.
Religion
![Exterior of the Mission Xavier del Bac](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Exterior_of_the_Mission_Xavier_del_Bac.jpg)
The 2010 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study by Association of Religion Data Archives, ARDA reported that the three largest denominational groups in Arizona were the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and non-denominational Evangelical Protestants. The Catholic Church had the highest number of adherents in Arizona (at 930,001), followed by
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
with 392,918 members reported and then non-denominational Evangelical Protestant churches, reporting 281,105 adherents. The religious body with the largest number of congregations is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (with 811 congregations) followed by the Southern Baptist Convention (with 323 congregations). This census accounted for about 2.4 million of Arizona's 6.4 million residents in 2010.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the fifteen largest denominations by number of adherents in 2010 and 2000 were:
Hinduism became the largest non-Christian religion (when combining all denominations) in 2010 with more than 32,000 adherents, followed by Judaism with more than 20,000 and Buddhism with more than 19,000.
By the publication of the Public Religion Research Institute's 2020 study, 68% of the population identified as Christian. At the Pew Research Center's 2014 study, 67% of Arizona was Christian. Among the irreligious population from 2014 to 2020 per both studies, they have decreased from 27% of the population to 24% of self-identified irreligious or agnostic Arizonans.
Economy
![Barringer Crater aerial photo by USGS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Barringer_Crater_aerial_photo_by_USGS.jpg)
The 2020 total gross state product was $373billion. The composition of the state's economy is moderately diverse; although health care, transportation and the government remain the largest sectors.
The state's per capita income is $40,828, ranking 39th in the U.S. The state had a median household income of $50,448, making it 22nd in the country and just below the U.S. national mean. Early in its history, Arizona's economy relied on the "five C's": copper (see ''Copper mining in Arizona''), cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate (tourism). Copper is still extensively mined from many expansive open-pit and underground mines, accounting for two-thirds of the nation's output.
Employment
* Total employment (2016): 2,379,409
* Total employer establishments (2016): 139,134
The state government is Arizona's largest employer, while Banner Health is the state's largest private employer, with more than 39,000 employees (2016). , the state's unemployment rate was 5.9%.
The largest employment sectors in Arizona are (August 2020, Nonfarm Employment):
Largest employers
According to ''The Arizona Republic'', the largest private employers in the state were:
Taxation
Tax is collected by the Arizona Department of Revenue.
Arizona collects personal income taxes in five brackets: 2.59%, 2.88%, 3.36%, 4.24% and 4.54%. The state transaction privilege tax is 5.6%; however, county and municipal sales taxes generally add an additional 2%.
In 2020, Arizona voters approved Proposition 208 to create an additional income tax bracket of 8% for incomes over $250,000 (single filers) and $500,000 (joint filers). The Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit challenging it, but it was rejected by Maricopa County Arizona Superior Court judge John Hannah Jr.
The state rate on transient lodging (hotel/motel) is 7.27%. The state of Arizona does not levy a state tax on food for home consumption or on drugs prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist. However, some cities in Arizona do levy a tax on food for home consumption.
All fifteen Arizona counties levy a tax. Incorporated municipalities also levy transaction privilege taxes which, with the exception of their hotel/motel tax, are generally in the range of 1-to-3%. These added assessments could push the combined sales tax rate to as high as 10.7%.
Agriculture
Romaine lettuce was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $291,001,000.
Head lettuce was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $236,994,000.
Leaf lettuce was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $123,066,000.
Spinach was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $113,620,000.
![Seed annual (16451509655)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Seed_annual_%2816451509655%29.jpg)
Cantaloupe was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $91,907,000.
The state is consistently the second largest grower of broccoli, consistently behind California broccoli, California's harvest, going from in 2012, 2017, and 2021.
In 2021 that yielded , for a total harvest of .
When sold for an average of , that brought $87,545,000.
Cauliflower was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $76,908,000.
Cabbage was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $56,088,000.
![2016-366-216 Wild Watermelon (28756292165)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/2016-366-216_Wild_Watermelon_%2828756292165%29.jpg)
Watermelon was harvested from , yielding an average of , for a total harvest of .
Selling for , that sold for $32,311,000
.
Federal crop insurance is available for (''Vitis vinifera'' and other ''Vitis'' spp.) here.
Together with California grape, California's crop it falls under special provisions of the relevant crop insurance statutes.
Insect pest of grape, Insect pests and Disease of grape, diseases are crop insurance coverage, covered, excluding Phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'') or failure to correctly control of insects, apply insect control or application of pesticide, apply disease control.
Arizona Extension has tested some varieties (and recommends some others which their experience tells them should produce well) for the Geography of Arizona, Low Desert area:
* Apricot variety, Apricot: Katy (apricot), Katy, Patterson (apricot), Patterson (Castlebrite (apricot), Castlebrite, Gold Kist (apricot), Gold Kist, Modesto (apricot), Modesto, Royal Rosa (apricot), Royal Rosa).
* Blackberry variety, Blackberry: Brazos (blackberry), Brazos, Rosborough (blackberry), Rosborough.
* Fig variety, Fig: Black Mission (fig), Black Mission, Brown Turkey (fig), Brown Turkey, White Conadria (fig), White Conadria, White Kadota (fig), White Kadota.
* Grape variety, Grape: Cardinal (grape), Cardinal, Exotic (grape), Exotic, Fantasy (grape), Fantasy, Flame seedless (grape), Flame seedless, Perlette (grape), Perlette, Ruby seedless (grape), Ruby seedless, Thompson seedless (grape), Thompson seedless.
* Kiwi variety, Kiwi: (Tomari Male (kiwi), Tomari Male, Vincent Female (kiwi), Vincent Female).
* Peach variety, Peach: Bonanza Miniature (peach), Bonanza Miniature, Babcock (peach), Babcock, Desert Gold (peach), Desert Gold, Desert Red (peach), Desert Red, Earligrande (peach), Earligrande, Flordaprince (peach), Flordaprince, Tropic Beauty (peach), Tropic Beauty, Tropic Snow (peach), Tropic Snow, Tropic Sweet (peach), Tropic Sweet (August Pride (peach), August Pride, Eva's Pride (peach), Eva's Pride, Flordaking (peach), Flordaking, Flordagrande (peach), Flordagrande, May Pride (peach), May Pride, Mid-Pride (peach), Mid-Pride, Vallegrande (peach), Vallegrande).
* Pear variety, Pear: (Flordahome (pear), Flordahome, Kieffer (pear), Kieffer).
* Asian pear variety, Asian pear: (Shinseiki (asian pear), Shinseiki, Yakumo (asian pear), Yakumo).
* Persimmon variety, Persimmon: (Fuyu (persimmon), Fuyu/Jiro, Giant Fuyu (persimmon), Giant Fuyu, Izu (persimmon), Izu).
* Plum variety, Plum: Gulf Gold (plum), Gulf Gold, Gulf Ruby (plum), Gulf Ruby, Santa Rosa (plum), Santa Rosa (Beauty (plum), Beauty, Methley (plum), Methley).
* Quince variety, Quince: (Orange Quince, Pineapple Quince).
* Strawberry variety, Strawberry: Camerosa (strawberry), Camerosa, Chandler (strawberry), Chandler, Sequoia (strawberry), Sequoia, Tioga (strawberry), Tioga.
The whitefly Bemisia tabaci B, ''Bemisia tabaci'' B was introduced through the poinsettia trade in the 1980s, displacing the previous Bemisia tabaci A, A biotype.
In 2004 the Bemisia tabaci Q, Q biotype (from the Mediterranean) was first found here, also on poinsettia.
[
]
The (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata'') is either native or an early introduced species, introduction here.
Unusually, the population here commonly feeds on (''Solanum elaeagnifolium''), which is usually a less attractive host for this beetle.
The CPB is an occasional pest of tomato.
[
]
Transportation
Highways
Interstate highways
, , , , , ,
U.S. routes
, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Main Interstate routes include I-17, and I-19 traveling north–south, I-8, I-10, and I-40, traveling east–west, and a short stretch of I-15 traveling northeast–southwest through the extreme northwestern corner of the state. In addition, the various urban areas are served by complex networks of List of Arizona State Routes, state routes and highways, such as the Arizona State Route 101, Loop 101, which is part of Phoenix's vast Metropolitan Phoenix Freeways, freeway system.
Public transportation, Amtrak, and intercity bus
The Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas are served by public bus transit systems. Yuma and Flagstaff also have public bus systems. Greyhound Lines serves Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, and several smaller communities statewide.
A light rail system, called Valley Metro Rail, was completed in December 2008; it connects Central Phoenix with the nearby cities of Mesa and Tempe.
In Tucson, the Sun Link streetcar system travels through the downtown area, connecting the main
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
campus with Mercado San Agustin on the western edge of downtown Tucson. Sun Link, loosely based on the Portland Streetcar, launched in July 2014.
Amtrak ''Southwest Chief'' route serves the northern part of the state, stopping at Winslow (Amtrak station), Winslow, Flagstaff (Amtrak station), Flagstaff, Williams Junction (Amtrak station), Williams and Kingman (Amtrak station), Kingman. The ''Texas Eagle'' and ''Sunset Limited'' routes serve South-Central Arizona, stopping at Tucson (Amtrak station), Tucson, Maricopa (Amtrak station), Maricopa, Yuma (Amtrak station), Yuma and Benson (Amtrak station), Benson. Phoenix lost Amtrak service in 1996 with the rerouting of the ''Sunset Limited'', and now an Amtrak bus runs between Phoenix and the station in Maricopa. As of 2021, Amtrak has proposed to restore rail service between Phoenix and Tucson.
Law and government
Capitol complex
![Azcap](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Azcap.jpg)
The capital of Arizona is
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. The original Arizona State Capitol, Capitol building, with its distinctive copper dome, was dedicated in 1901 (construction was completed for $136,000 in 1900) when the area was a territory. Phoenix became the official state capital with Arizona's admission to the union in 1912.
The Arizona House of Representatives, House of Representatives and Arizona Senate, Senate buildings were dedicated in 1960, and an Executive Office Building was dedicated in 1974 (the ninth floor of this building is where the Office of the Governor is located). The original Capitol building was converted into a museum.
The Capitol complex is fronted and highlighted by the richly landscaped Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, named after Wesley Bolin, a governor who died in office in the 1970s. The site also includes many monuments and memorials, including the anchor and signal mast from the USS Arizona (BB-39), USS ''Arizona'' (one of the U.S. Navy ships Attack on Pearl Harbor, sunk in Pearl Harbor) and a granite version of the Ten Commandments.
State legislative branch
The Arizona Legislature is bicameral and consists of a thirty-member Arizona Senate, Senate and a 60-member Arizona House of Representatives, House of Representatives. Each of the thirty legislative districts has one senator and two representatives. Legislators are elected for two-year terms.
Each Legislature covers a two-year period. The first session following the general election is known as the first regular session, and the session convening in the second year is known as the second regular session. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January and adjourns ''sine die'' (terminates for the year) no later than Saturday of the week in which the 100th day from the beginning of the regular session falls. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, by rule, may extend the session up to seven additional days. Thereafter, the session can be extended only by a majority vote of members present of each house.
The majority party is the United States Republican Party, Republican Party, which has held power in both houses since 1993. The United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party picked up several legislative seats in recent elections, bringing both chambers one seat away from being equally divided as of 2021.
Arizona state senators and representatives are elected for two-year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms in a chamber, though there is no limit on the total number of terms. When a lawmaker is term-limited from office, it is common for him or her to run for election in the other chamber.
The fiscal year 2006–07 general fund budget, approved by the Arizona Legislature in June 2006, was slightly less than $10billion. Besides the money spent on state agencies, it also included more than $500million in income and property tax cuts, pay raises for government employees, and additional funding for the K–12 education system.
State executive branch
Arizona's executive branch is headed by a Governor of Arizona, governor, who is elected to a four-year term. The governor may serve any number of terms, though no more than two in a row. Arizona is one of the few states that has no governor's mansion. During their term, the governors reside within their private residence, with executive offices housed in the executive tower at the state capitol. The governor of Arizona is Doug Ducey (R).
Governor Jan Brewer assumed office in 2009 after Janet Napolitano had her nomination by Barack Obama for United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Homeland Security confirmed by the Senate. Arizona has had four female governors, more than any other state.
Other elected executive officials include the Secretary of State (U.S. state government), Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Arizona Attorney General, State Attorney General, state education agency, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Arizona State Mine Inspector, State Mine Inspector, and a five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporation Commission. All elected officials hold a term of four years, and are limited to two consecutive terms (except the office of the State Mine Inspector, which is limited to four terms).
Arizona is one of five states that do not have a Lieutenant governor (United States)#Arizona, lieutenant governor. The elected secretary of state is first in line to succeed the governor in the event of death, disability, resignation, or removal from office. If appointed, the Secretary of State is not eligible and the next governor is selected from the next eligible official in the line of succession, including the attorney general, state treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction. Since 1977, four secretaries of state and one attorney general have succeeded to Arizona's governorship.
State judicial branch
The Arizona Supreme Court is the highest court in Arizona, consisting of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Justices are appointed by the governor from a list recommended by a bipartisan commission and must be sustained in office by election after the first two years following their appointment. Subsequent sustaining elections occur every six years. The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction in death penalty cases, but nearly all other appellate cases go through the Arizona Court of Appeals first. The court has original jurisdiction in a few other circumstances, as outlined in the state constitution. The court meets in the Arizona Supreme Court Building at the capitol complex (at the southern end of Wesley Bolin Plaza).
The Arizona Court of Appeals, subdivided into two divisions, is the intermediate court in the state. Division One is based in Phoenix, consists of sixteen judges, and has jurisdiction in the Western and Northern regions of the state, along with the greater Phoenix area. Division Two is based in Tucson, consists of six judges, and has jurisdiction over the Southern regions of the state, including the Tucson area. Judges are selected in a method similar to the one used for state supreme court justices.
Each county of Arizona has a Arizona Superior Court, superior court, the size and organization of which are varied and generally depend on the size of the particular county.
Counties
![Cochise County Courthouse Bisbee Arizona ArtDecoDoors](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Cochise_County_Courthouse_Bisbee_Arizona_ArtDecoDoors.jpg)
Arizona is divided into 15 County (United States), counties, ranging in size from to .
Federal representation
Arizona's two United States Senators are Kyrsten Sinema (I) and Mark Kelly (D).
Arizona's United States Representatives are Tom O'Halleran (D-1), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-2), Raul Grijalva (D-3), Paul Gosar (R-4), Andy Biggs (R-5), David Schweikert (R-6), Ruben Gallego (D-7), Debbie Lesko (R-8), and Greg Stanton (D-9). Arizona gained a ninth seat in the House of Representatives due to redistricting based on the 2010 United States census.
Political culture
![Arizona voter registration by party as of January 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Arizona_voter_registration_by_party_as_of_January_2021.png)
From statehood through the late 1940s, Arizona was primarily dominated by the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party. During this time, the Democratic candidate for the presidency carried the state each election, the only exceptions being the elections of 1920 United States presidential election, 1920, 1924 United States presidential election, 1924 and 1928 United States presidential election, 1928all three were national Republican Party (United States), Republican landslides.
In 1924, Congress had passed a law granting citizenship and suffrage to all Native Americans, some of whom had previously been excluded as members of tribes on reservations. Legal interpretations of Arizona's constitution prohibited Native Americans living on reservations from voting, classifying them as being under "guardianship".
This interpretation was overturned as being incorrect and unconstitutional in 1948 by the Arizona Supreme Court, following a suit by World WarII Indian veterans Frank Harrison (soldier), Frank Harrison and Harry Austin, both of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. The landmark case is ''
Harrison and Austin v. Laveen
''Harrison v. Laveen'', 67 Ariz. 337, 196 P.2d 456 (1948), also referred to ''Harrison et al. v. Laveen'' and ''Harrison and Austin v. Laveen'', was a court case decided before the Arizona Supreme Court, the highest state court of the U.S. state ...
''. After the men were refused the opportunity to register in Maricopa County, they filed suit against the registrar. The National Congress of American Indians, the United States Department of Justice, Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the American Civil Liberties Union all filed ''amicus curiae'' (friends of the court) briefs in the case. The State Supreme Court established the rights of Native Americans to vote in the state; at the time, they comprised about 11% of the population.
That year, a similar provision was overturned in New Mexico when challenged by another Indian veteran in court. These were the only two states that had continued to prohibit Native Americans from voting.
[Dr. Dean Chavers, "History of Indian voting rights and why it's important"](_blank)
, ''Indian Country Today'', October 29, 2012; accessed July 17, 2016. See ''Trujillo v. Garley'' (1948)
Arizona voted Republican in every presidential election from 1952 to 1992, with Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan winning the state by particularly large margins. During this forty-year span, it was the only state not to be carried by a Democrat at least once.
Democrat Lyndon Johnson, in 1964 United States presidential election, 1964, lost the state by fewer than 5,000 votes to Arizona Senator and native
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
. (This was the most closely contested state in what was otherwise a landslide victory for Johnson that year.) Democrat Bill Clinton ended this streak in 1996 United States presidential election, 1996, when he won Arizona by a little over two percentage points (Clinton had previously come within less than two percent of winning Arizona's electoral votes in 1992 United States presidential election, 1992). From 2000 until 2016, the majority of the state continued to support Republican presidential candidates by solid margins. In the 2020 United States presidential election, Joe Biden again broke the streak by becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Arizona since 1996.
Since the mid 20th century, the Republican Party has also dominated Arizona politics in general. The fast-growing Phoenix and Tucson suburbs became reliably Republican areas from the 1950s onward. During this time, many "Pinto Democrats", or conservative Democrats from rural areas, became increasingly willing to support Republicans at the state and national level. While the state normally supports Republicans at the federal level, Democrats are often competitive in statewide elections. Two of the last six governors have been Democrats.
On March 4, 2008, Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
effectively clinched the Republican nomination for 2008, becoming the first major party presidential nominee from the state since Barry Goldwater in 1964.
Arizona politics are dominated by a longstanding rivalry between its two largest counties, Maricopa County, Maricopa and Pima County, Pimahome to Phoenix and Tucson, respectively. The two counties have almost 75 percent of the state's population and cast almost 80 percent of the state's vote. They also elect a substantial majority of the state legislature.
Maricopa County is home to almost 60 percent of the state's population, and most of the state's elected officials live there. Before Joe Biden won Maricopa County in 2020, it had voted Republican in every presidential election since 1948. This includes the 1964 United States presidential election, 1964 run of native son Barry Goldwater; he would not have carried his home state without his 20,000-vote margin in Maricopa County. Similarly, while McCain won Arizona by eight percentage points in 2008, aided by his 130,000-vote margin in Maricopa County
In contrast, Pima County, home to Tucson, and most of southern Arizona have historically voted more Democratic. While Tucson's suburbs lean Republican, they hold to a somewhat more moderate brand of Republicanism than is common in the Phoenix area.
![-RedForEd (41008219574)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/-RedForEd_%2841008219574%29.jpg)
Arizona rejected a Arizona Proposition 107 (2006), same-sex marriage ban in a referendum as part of the 2006 elections. Arizona was the first state in the nation to do so. Recognition of same-sex unions in Arizona, Same-sex marriage was not recognized in Arizona, but this amendment would have denied any legal or financial benefits to unmarried homosexual or heterosexual couples. In 2008, Arizona voters passed Arizona Proposition 102 (2008), Proposition 102, an amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It passed by a more narrow majority than similar votes in a number of other states.
In 2010, Arizona adopted
SB 1070
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest an ...
, called the "toughest Immigration to the United States, immigration law" in the United States. A fierce debate erupted between supporters and detractors of SB 1070. The United States Supreme Court struck down portions of the Arizona law, which required all immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, in ''
Arizona v. United States
''Arizona v. United States'', 567 U.S. 387 (2012), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case involving Arizona's Arizona SB 1070, SB 1070, a state law intended to increase the powers of local law enforcement that w ...
''.
The 2018 West Virginia teachers' strike, West Virginia teachers' strike in 2018 inspired 2018–19 education workers' strikes in the United States, teachers in other states, including 2018 Arizona teachers' strike, Arizona, to take similar action.
In a 2020 study, Arizona was ranked as the 21st hardest state for citizens to vote in.
Same-sex marriage and civil unions
In 2006, Arizona became the first state in the United States to reject a proposition, Arizona Proposition 107 (2006), Prop 107, that would have banned same-sex marriage and civil unions. However, in 2008, Arizona voters approved of Prop 102, a constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage but not other unions. Prior to same-sex marriage being legal, the Bisbee, Arizona, City of Bisbee became the first jurisdiction in Arizona to approve of civil unions. The state's Attorney General at the time, Tom Horne, threatened to sue, but rescinded the threat once Bisbee amended the ordinance; Bisbee approved of civil unions in 2013. The municipalities of Clarkdale, Arizona, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Arizona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Arizona, Jerome, Sedona, Arizona, Sedona, and
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
also passed civil unions.
A November 2011 Public Policy Polling survey found 44% of Arizona voters supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 45% opposed it and 12% were not sure. A separate question on the same survey found 72% of respondents supported legal recognition of same-sex couples, with 40% supporting same-sex marriage, 32% supporting civil unions, 27% opposing all legal recognition and 1% not sure. Arizona Proposition 102, known by its supporters as the Marriage Protection Amendment, appeared as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Arizona, where it was approved: 56–43%. It amended the Arizona Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
On October 17, 2014, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced his office would no longer object to same-sex marriage, in response to a U.S. District Court Ruling on Arizona Proposition 102. On that day, each county's Clerk of the Superior Court began to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and Arizona became the 31st state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Public schools in Arizona are separated into about 220 local school districts which operate independently, but are governed in most cases by elected county school superintendents; these are in turn overseen by the Arizona State Board of Education and the Arizona Department of Education. A state Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent of Public Instruction (elected in partisan elections every even-numbered year when there is not a presidential election, for a four-year term). In 2005, a School District Redistricting Commission was established with the goal of combining and consolidating many of these districts.
Higher education
![Walkup Skydome](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Walkup_Skydome.jpg)
Arizona is served by three public universities: The
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
,
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, and Northern Arizona University. These schools are governed by the Arizona Board of Regents.
Private higher education in Arizona is dominated by a large number of for-profit and "chain" (multi-site) universities.
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott and Prescott College are Arizona's only non-profit four-year private colleges.
Arizona has a wide network of two-year vocational schools and community colleges. These colleges were governed historically by a separate statewide board of directors but, in 2002, the state legislature transferred almost all oversight authority to individual community college districts. The Maricopa County Community College District includes 11 community colleges throughout Maricopa County and is one of the largest in the nation.
Public universities in Arizona
*
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, (Arizona State Sun Devils, Sun Devils) Tempe/Phoenix/Mesa/Glendale/Lake Havasu
* Northern Arizona University, (NAU Lumberjacks, Lumberjacks) Flagstaff/Yuma/Prescott
*
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
, (Arizona Wildcats, Wildcats) Tucson/Sierra Vista, Doctor of Medicine, MD college in downtown Phoenix and UA Agricultural Center in Yuma/Maricopa
Private colleges and universities in Arizona
* American Indian College
* Carrington College (US), Carrington College
* Arizona Christian University
* The Art Center Design College, Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute of Tucson, Art Institute of Tucson
* The Art Institute of Phoenix, Art Institute of Phoenix
* A.T. Still University
* Brookline College
* Brown Mackie College
* Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
* Grand Canyon University
* International Baptist College
* Midwestern University
* Northcentral University
* Ottawa University
* Park University#Locations, Park University
* University of Phoenix
* Penn Foster College
* Prescott College
* Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
* Thunderbird School of Global Management
* University of Advancing Technology
* Western Governors University
* Western International University
* Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences
Community colleges
* Arizona Western College
* Central Arizona College
* Cochise College
* Coconino Community College
* Diné College
* Eastern Arizona College
* Chandler-Gilbert Community College
* Estrella Mountain Community College
* GateWay Community College
* Glendale Community College (AZ), Glendale Community College
* Maricopa County Community College District
* Mesa Community College
* Mohave Community College
* Northland Pioneer College
* Paradise Valley Community College
* Phoenix College
* Pima Community College
* Rio Salado Community College
* Scottsdale Community College
* South Mountain Community College
* Yavapai College
Art and culture
Visual arts and museums
Phoenix Art Museum, on the historic Central Avenue Corridor in Phoenix, is the Southwest's largest collection of visual art from across the world. The museum displays international exhibitions alongside the museum's collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. With a community education mandate since 1951, Phoenix Art Museum holds a year-round program of festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs. The museum also has PhxArtKids, an interactive space for children; photography exhibitions through the museum's partnership with the Center for Creative Photography; the landscaped Sculpture Garden and dining at Arcadia Farms.
Arizona is a recognized center of Native American art, with a number of galleries showcasing historical and contemporary works. The Heard Museum, also in Phoenix, is a major repository of Native American art. Some of the signature exhibits include a full Navajo hogan, the Mareen Allen Nichols Collection containing 260 pieces of contemporary jewelry, the
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
Collection of 437 historic Hopi kachina dolls, and an exhibit on the 19th-century boarding school experiences of Native Americans. The Heard Museum has about 250,000 visitors a year.
Sedona, Arizona, Sedona, Jerome, Arizona, Jerome, and Tubac, Arizona, Tubac are known as budding artist colonies, and small arts scenes exist in the larger cities and near the state universities.
Film
![Monument Valley 15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Monument_Valley_15.jpg)
Several major Hollywood films, such as ''Billy Jack'', ''U Turn (1997 film), U Turn'', ''Waiting to Exhale'', ''Just One of the Guys'', ''Can't Buy Me Love (film), Can't Buy Me Love'', ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', ''The Scorpion King'', ''The Banger Sisters'', ''Used Cars'', and ''Raising Arizona'' have been made there (as have many Western (genre), Westerns). The 1993 science fiction movie ''Fire in the Sky'', based on a reported alien abduction in the town of
Snowflake
A snowflake is a single ice crystal that has achieved a sufficient size, and may have amalgamated with others, which falls through the Earth's atmosphere as snow.Knight, C.; Knight, N. (1973). Snow crystals. Scientific American, vol. 228, no. ...
, was set in Snowflake. It was filmed in the Oregon towns of Oakland, Oregon, Oakland, Roseburg, Oregon, Roseburg, and Sutherlin, Oregon, Sutherlin.
The 1974 film ''Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', for which Ellen Burstyn won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and also starring Kris Kristofferson, was set in Tucson. The climax of the 1977 Clint Eastwood film ''The Gauntlet (film), The Gauntlet'' takes place in downtown Phoenix. The final segments of the 1984 film ''Starman (film), Starman'' take place at
Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater, or Barringer Crater, is a meteorite impact crater about east of Flagstaff and west of Winslow in the desert of northern Arizona, United States. The site had several earlier names, and fragments of the meteorite are official ...
outside
Winslow Winslow may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish
* Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974
United States and Canada
* Rural Municipality of Winslo ...
. The Jeff Foxworthy comedy documentary movie ''Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Blue Collar Comedy Tour'' was filmed almost entirely at the Dodge Theatre. Some of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film ''Psycho (1960 film), Psycho'' was shot in Phoenix, the ostensible home town of the main character.
Some of the television shows filmed or set in Arizona include ''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'', ''Medium (TV Series), Medium'', ''Alice (American TV series), Alice'', ''The First 48'', ''Insomniac with Dave Attell'', ''Cops (TV series), Cops'', and ''America's Most Wanted''. The TV sitcom ''Alice (American TV series), Alice'', which was based on the movie was set in Phoenix. ''Twilight (2008 film), Twilight'' had passages set in Phoenix at the beginning and the end of the film.
Music
Arizona is prominently featured in the lyrics of many Country and Western songs, such as Jamie O'Neal's hit ballad "There Is No Arizona". George Strait's "Oceanfront Property" uses "ocean front property in Arizona" as a metaphor for a sucker proposition. The line "see you down in Arizona Bay" is used in a Tool (band), Tool song in reference to the possibility (expressed as a ''hope'' by comedian Bill Hicks) that Southern California will one day fall into the ocean. Glen Campbell, a notable resident, popularized the song "By The Time I Get To Phoenix".
![TakeItEasy WinslowAZ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/TakeItEasy_WinslowAZ.jpg)
"Arizona" was the title of a popular song recorded by Mark Lindsay. Arizona is mentioned by the hit song "Take It Easy", written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey and performed by the Eagles (band), Eagles. Arizona is also mentioned in the Beatles' song "Get Back", credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney; McCartney sings: "JoJo left his home in Tucson, Arizona, for some California grass." "Carefree Highway (song), Carefree Highway", released in 1974 by Gordon Lightfoot, takes its name from Arizona State Route 74 north of Phoenix.
Arizona's budding music scene is helped by emerging bands, as well as some well-known artists. The Gin Blossoms, Chronic Future, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Jimmy Eat World, Caroline's Spine, and others began their careers in Arizona. Also, a number of punk rock, punk and rock bands got their start in Arizona, including JFA (band), JFA, The Feederz, Sun City Girls, The Meat Puppets, The Maine (band), The Maine, The Summer Set, and more recently Authority Zero and Digital Summer.
Arizona also has many singers and other musicians. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Michelle Branch is from Sedona, Arizona, Sedona. Chester Bennington, the former lead vocalist of Linkin Park, and Mashup (music), mash-up artist DJ Z-Trip are both from
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. One of Arizona's better known musicians is shock rocker Alice Cooper, who helped define the genre. Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of the bands Tool (band), Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer, calls the town of Cornville, Arizona, Cornville home.
Other notable singers include Country music, country singers Dierks Bentley and Marty Robbins, folk music, folk singer Katie Lee (singer), Katie Lee, Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, CeCe Peniston, Rex Allen, 2007 ''American Idol (season 6), American Idol'' winner Jordin Sparks, and Linda Ronstadt.
Arizona is also known for its heavy metal music, heavy metal scene, which is centered in and around Phoenix. In the early to mid-1990s, it included bands such as Job for a Cowboy, Knights of the Abyss, Greeley Estates, Eyes Set To Kill, blessthefall, The Word Alive, The Dead Rabbitts, and Abigail Williams (band), Abigail Williams. The band Soulfly calls Phoenix home and Megadeth lived in Phoenix for about a decade. Beginning in and around 2009, Phoenix began to host a burgeoning
desert rock and sludge metal underground, (ala' Kyuss in 1990s California) led by bands like Wolves of Winter, Asimov, and Dead Canyon.
American composer Elliott Carter composed his first String Quartet (1950–51) while on sabbatical (from New York) in Arizona. The quartet won a Pulitzer Prize and other awards and is now a staple of the string quartet repertoire.
Sports
![Fiesta Bowl 2019 Stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Fiesta_Bowl_2019_Stadium.jpg)
State Farm Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, and Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015. The stadium is also scheduled to host Super Bowl LVII tentatively scheduled for February 12, 2023.
Due to its numerous golf courses, Arizona is home to several stops on the PGA Tour, most notably the Phoenix Open, held at the TPC of Scottsdale, and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, Arizona, Marana.
Auto racing is another sport known in the state. Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, Avondale is home to NASCAR race weekends twice a year. Firebird International Raceway near Chandler, Arizona, Chandler is home to drag racing and other motorsport events.
College sports
College sports are also prevalent in Arizona. The Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats belong to the Pac-12 Conference while the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks compete in the Big Sky Conference and the Grand Canyon Antelopes compete in the Western Athletic Conference. The rivalry between Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats predates Arizona's statehood, and is the oldest rivalry in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. The Territorial Cup, first awarded in 1889 and certified as the oldest trophy in college football, is awarded to the winner of the annual football game between the two schools.
Arizona also hosts several college football bowl games. The Fiesta Bowl, originally held at Sun Devil Stadium, is now held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Glendale. The Fiesta Bowl is part of the new College Football Playoff (CFP). University of Phoenix Stadium was also home to the 2007 BCS National Championship Game, 2007 and 2011 BCS National Championship Game, 2011 BCS National Championship Games.
![SpringTrainingHoHoKamPark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/SpringTrainingHoHoKamPark.jpg)
State Farm Stadium hosted the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2017 and is scheduled to host it again in 2024.
Baseball
Arizona is a popular location for Major League Baseball spring training, as it is the site of the Cactus League. Spring training was first started in Arizona in 1947 when Brewers owner Veeck sold them in 1945 but went onto purchase the Cleveland Indians in 1946. He decided to train the Cleveland Indians in Tucson and convinced the New York Giants to give
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
a try. Thus the Cactus League was born.
On March 9, 1995, Arizona was awarded a franchise to begin to play for the 1998 season. A $130million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball and on January 16, 1997, the Diamondbacks were officially voted into the National League.
Since their debut, the Diamondbacks have won five National League West titles, one National League Championship pennant, and the 2001 World Series.
Notable people
See also
* Outline of Arizona
* Index of Arizona-related articles
Notes
References
Further reading
* Bayless, Betsy, 1998, ''Arizona Blue Book, 1997–1998''. Phoenix: Office of the Arizona Secretary of State.
* McIntyre, Allan J., 2008, ''The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta''. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ().
* Miller, Tom (editor), 1986, ''Arizona: The Land and the People''. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ().
* Officer, James E., 1987, ''Hispanic Arizona, 1536–1856''. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ().
* Plascencia, Luis F.B. and Gloria H. Cuádraz (eds.), 2018, ''Mexican Workers and the Making of Arizona.'' Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
* Thomas, David M. (editor), 2003, ''Arizona Legislative Manual''. I
''Arizona''Phoenix: Arizona Legislative Council. Google Print. Retrieved January 16, 2006.
* Trimble, Marshall, 1998, ''Arizona, A Cavalcade of History''. Tucson: Treasure Chest Publications. ().
* Woosley, Anne I., 2008
''Early Tucson''.Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ().
External links
*
*
Arizona USDA State Fact SheetArizona IndicatorsEnergy Data & Statistics for ArizonaArizona State DatabasesArizona State Library, Archives and Public Records*
*
*
Official Arizona Office of TourismArizona Game & Fish DepartmentNational Park Service Travel Itinerary
{{coord, 35, -112, dim:300000_region:US-AZ_type:adm1st, name=State of Arizona, display=title
Arizona,
1912 establishments in the United States
Former Spanish colonies
States and territories established in 1912
States of the United States
U.S. states with multiple time zones
Western United States
Contiguous United States