Facts about The Phoenix
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Arizona State University, located in Tempe adjacent to Phoenix, enrolls over 70,000 students across four campuses, making it one of the largest universities by enrollment in the United States.
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Light rail service began in Phoenix on December 27, 2008, with the initial 20-mile Valley Metro line connecting downtown to Mesa.
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Between 1912 and 1968, Phoenix's total area expanded from 17 square miles to 248 square miles through aggressive annexation of surrounding neighborhoods and unincorporated land.
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Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix spans 140 acres and cultivates over 50,000 desert plants representing more than 3,500 species from arid regions worldwide.
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Camelback Mountain, a 2,704-foot desert peak within Phoenix's city limits, attracts approximately 10,000 hikers monthly seeking panoramic views of the sprawling metropolitan valley.
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Approximately 40% of Phoenix's population growth since 2010 has come from migration, making it one of the fastest-growing major U.S. cities driven by relocation rather than natural increase.
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Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix's primary hub, processed over 48 million passengers in 2019, ranking it among the top 10 busiest airports in North America.
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Phoenix's Salt River Project supplies water to approximately 2 million people across central Arizona by managing a system of 15 reservoirs and 131 dams.
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Over 300 days of sunshine annually make Phoenix one of the sunniest cities in North America, with an average of 85% of possible daylight hours being sunny.
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In 2023, Phoenix surpassed Philadelphia to become the fifth-largest city in the United States by population, with approximately 1.6 million residents.
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Phoenix's average high temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 143 days annually, making it one of the hottest major cities in the United States by duration.
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Founded in 1881, Phoenix became Arizona's capital in 1889 and grew from a population of 3,152 to over 1.6 million residents by 2020.