Living in Arizona

• Over 300 days of sunshine, more than Florida or Hawaii
• More boats per capita than any U.S. state
• Average temperature: 86 degrees
• Population: 6.9 million (Phoenix metro area 1.6 million, the sixth largest in the U.S.)
• Became the 48th state on February 14th, 1912
• Motto: Ditat Deus - "God Enriches"
• Geographically the 6th largest state in the union
• Houses 18 national monuments
• The amount of copper on the roof of the Capitol building is equivalent to 4,800,000 pennies
• There are 300 ostrich ranches with approximately 10,000 birds
• South Mountain Park covers more than 16,000 acres, making it the largest city park in the world
• The highest point is at  Humphrey's Peak which is 12,633 ft.
• The lowest point is the Colorado River at 70 ft.
• Hottest temperature recorded in Phoenix ... 122 degrees (remember, it’s a dry heat)
• Flagstaff averages 18" of precipitation/year (including snow)

• There are six outlet malls within a one hour drive
• Old Town Scottsdale
• Mill Avenue in Tempe
• Scottsdale Fashion Square: the largest shopping destination in the Southwest
• Kierland Commons

• The Phoenix Symphony
• The Herberger Theatre Center (home of the AZ Theatre Company)
• Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright )
• Phoenix Theatre Cookie Company (stuff for the whole family)
• Arizona Opera
• Ballet Arizona
• Scottsdale Center for the Arts
• The Heard Museum (attracts 250,000 visitors a year)
• Desert Museum (down in Tucson)
• More galleries and museums than malls! 

• Ak-Chin Pavilion (outdoor concerts with seating for 18,000+ in Glendale)
• New state of the art Comerica Theater (Downtown Phoenix)
• Mesa Amphitheatre
• Marquee Theater
• Country Thunder Festival
• The McDowell Mountain Music Festival
• The University of Phoenix Stadium

• University of Arizona (Medical Schools located in downtown Phoenix and Tucson)
• Arizona State University (the nation’s second largest university with more than 83,301 students)
• Northern Arizona University (skiing in the winter and cooler in the summer)
• Grand Canyon University
• Thunderbird School of Management (known worldwide for international business degrees)
• University of Phoenix
• Maricopa Community Colleges (one of the largest in the United States)

Phoenix to ...

• Grand Canyon: 234 mi.
• Flagstaff: 146 mi.
• Las Vegas: 289 mi.
• Los Angeles: 372 mi.
• Mexico City: 1541 mi.
• Prescott: 102 mi.
• Puerto Peñasco: 212 mi
• Sedona: 119 mi.
• San Diego: 369 mi.
• Snowbowl: 158 mi

• College Sports
  • University of Arizona
  • Arizona State University
• Professional Football
  • Arizona Cardinals (2009 NFC Division Champions)
• Professional Basketball
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Phoenix Mercury
    • 2007, 2009 & 2014 WNBA World Champions
• Arizona Diamondbacks
  • 2001 World Champions
  • Baseball fan? When the rest of the country is cold, there are nine major league teams in Phoenix for Spring Training!
• How about the Insight and Fiesta Bowls?
• And if you’re a race fan, then the Phoenix International Raceway is your ticket
• Golf anyone? Three professional tours are held here, including the PGA’s Waste Management Open with the infamous 16th hole.
  • Golf, golf, and more golf! Over 200 golf courses in Phoenix and over 300 in the state!

• Arizona has two national parks, six national forests, two national recreational areas, six national wildlife refuges, four nature conservancies, 25 State Parks and 303 lakes. One quarter of the state is forested (and with 300+ days of sunshine your days off won’t be wasted)
• The Grand Canyon
• Like to ski? There is Snowbowl in Flagstaff and Sunrise in Pine-top
• More than 20 casinos, most within a 45 minute drive from Phoenix
• The Kartchner Caverns State Park
• Havasupai Falls
• Tombstone (the OK Corral)
• Biosphere 2
• The Phoenix Zoo
• The Desert Botanical Garden houses the largest collection of desert plants in the nation