Facts

1. It is believed the name Arizona originates from it’s earlier Spanish name of Arizonac which means small spring. In the O’odham language which is the 10th most popular indigenous language in the united States and Mexico, the area is still known as alî sonak. Another suggested origin for the state’s name is from the Basque phrase for good oak which is haritz ona.
2. Arizona is a landlocked state which is located in the southwest of the United States. Arizona is bordered to the north by the state of Utah, on it’s east it is bordered by New Mexico, on the west it is bordered by Nevada and it’s south shares a border with Mexico. The state of Arizona shares a water border with California. Also Arizona is one of the Four Corners states where it meets Colorado.
3. Arizona is the sixth largest state in the country. It has an area of 113,998 square miles. Only a third of a percent of Arizona’s total area consists of water which makes is the state with the second lowest water to land ratio behind the state of New Mexico. At it’s widest point Arizona is 335 miles and at it’s longest Arizona is 390 miles.
4. Arizona is split into 15 counties. Apache County, Cochise County, Coconino County, Gila County, Graham County, Greenlee County, La Paz County, Maricopa County, Mohave County, Navajo County, Pima County, Pinal County, Santa Cruz County, Yavapai County and Yuma County. Around 65% of the population of the state of Arizona resides in Maricopa County which by population is the fourth largest county in the United States and even has a higher population than 24 of the states.
5. With it being such a large state Arizona experiences a large variety of localised climate conditions. In general Arizona receives very little rainfall and has an arid climate. The mountainous areas in the north of the state tend to have Arizona’s cooler temperatures whilst the south in general is warm all through the year. Despite its warm climate and large desert areas snow isn’t wholly uncommon in Arizona with snow happening as far south as Nogales.
6. Arizona’s has two main rivers. The first is the Colorado River which is 1450 miles long and travels through parts of seven U.S. and two Mexican states. At the lower end of the Grand Canyon the Colorado River widens into Lake Mead which is the largest reservoir in the United States. Lake Mead formed by the Hoover Dam on the border of Arizona and Nevada. The other main river of Arizona is the Gila River which is a 649 mile long tributary of the Colorado River which flows through New Mexico and Arizona.
7. The southwest area of Arizona is covered by the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert covers parts of California and northwest Mexico as well as Arizona. With an area of 120,000 square miles it is one of the largest deserts in the United States. The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix with a population of over 4 million people. With parts of the Sonoran Desert containing the U.S.-Mexicon border it is a popular route for people attempting to gain illegal entry into the United States but with it’s dangerous conditions and a journey that can take days many attempts end in death.
8. The northwest of Arizona contains the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert occupies parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. The boundaries of the Mojave desert are loosely defined by the presence of Joshua Trees. The Mojave Desert receives less than 13 inches of rain annually and is home to a few Arizona cities including Bullhead City, Kingman and Lake Havasu City.
9. Despite being a landlocked site Arizona does contain islands. Most of these Islands are located in Lake Mead although Lake Roosevelt which is a reservoir formed by the Theodore Roosevelt Dam is also home to some. Roosevelt Lake is named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt who himself dedicated the dam in 1911. Some of the islands of Arizona are Antelope island, Plane Crash Island, Heron Point, Rabbit Island, Hog Island and Panick Rock.
10. The highest point in the state of Arizona is Humphreys Peak which has an elevation of 12,637 feet. Humphreys Peak is located within the Kachina peaks Wilderness in the Coconino National Forest. Humphreys Peak is named for General Andrew A. Humphreys who was a Union general during the American Civil War. The summit of Humphreys Peak is most easily reached via the 4.8 mile long Humphreys Trail that begins at the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort.
11. The United States took possession of the majority of Arizona following the Mexican American War in the 1840’s with the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. the Tucson area was secured by the American diplomat James Gadsden in 1853 with it being fully ratified in 1854. The Gadsden purchase was the last major acquisition of territory in the contiguous United States.
12. In the mid 19th century Arizona’s population boomed with the California gold rush leading as many as 50,000 miners to travel across the state. During the Civil War citizens were hopeful of takeover by the Confederacy but in March 1962 Union troops captured the Confederate Territory of Arizona and returned it to the New Mexico Territory. In 1863 the united States split up New Mexico creating the Arizona Territory.
13. Following the Civil War large scale ranching came to Arizona. Brought by Texans who introduced their proven ranching methods to the region. Along with ranching however came Texas rustlers which brought a lawlessness to the region. The Territory experienced a cattle boom in the late 19th century but the drought of 1891-1893 killed over half of the cattle of the region.
14. Arizona earned it’s reputation as part of the “wild west”. The mining town of Tombstone in Cochise County was a notable mining town that flourished long after other mining towns started to experience a downturn. Arizona was the venue of the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and also the madam Jennie Bauters in the town of Jerome who was major owner of brothels with a keen eye for real estate.
15. The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurred on October 26, 1881. In Tombstone, Arizona between the outlaws Billy Claiborne, Ike and Billy Clanton and Tom and Frank McLaury and the opposing town Marshal Virgil Earp, his temporary lawman brother Wyatt Earp, Assistant Town Marshal Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday who had been named a temporary Marshal by Virgil. Of the lawmen only Wyatt Earp emerged from the gunfight unarmed. Despite it’s world-wide fame and the many movies and TV shows that have dramatised it the fight is believed to have only lasted around 30 seconds.
16. Following World War II the population of Arizona grew very quickly. The population grew from around 700,00 in 1950 to over 5 million in the year 2000. The Phoenix area saw most of this growth followed by Tucson a long way behind. This growth in population decimated the citrus groves of Arizona which were torn down to make way for housing developments. The rising cost of water meant the growth of cotton gradually became less and less profitable and the employment of the state moved towards manufacturing and by 1985 half of the workers of Arizona were working for high technology firms.
17. The state capital and largest city of the state of Arizona is the city of Phoenix. Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the United States by population with it being home to around 1.5 million people. Residents of Phoenix are known as Phoenicians. After its founding in 1861 Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881. Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County and serves as the anchor of the Phoenix metropolitan area which is also known as the Valley of the Sun.
18. The second largest city in the state of Arizona is Tucson. Tucson is the county seat of Pima County and location of the University of Arizona. With a population of just over half a million people Tucson is second only to Phoenix in regard to Arizona population. Tucson is around 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico Border. With around 150 optics companies which have spawned from research done at the University of Arizona Tucson has earned the nickname Optics valley.
19. In northern Arizona is the city of Flagstaff. Flagstaff is the county seat of Coconino County. The city is named after a Ponderosa Pine flagpole made by a scouting party from Boston to celebrate the United States Centennial on July 4th 1876. Flagstaff is just south of the the San Francisco peaks which is the highest mountain range in all of Arizona. Flagstaff is home to lowell Observatory, The U.S. Naval Obsevatory, the United States Geological Survey Flagstaff Station and Northern Arizona University. Flagstaff attracts a lot of tourism due to it’s proximity to the Grand Canyon.
20. The Arizona Snowbowl is a ski resort which is located on the San Francisco peaks. The Arizona Snowbowl is 7 miles from Flagstaff. The base elevation of the resort is 9,200 feet and the Snowbowl experiences an average yearly snowfall of 260 inches. With a 2,300 foot drop it is home to the largest in Arizona. At the ski area of the resort are two lodges. The Hart prairie Lodge and the Agassiz Lodge.
21. Meteor Crater is an impact crater from a meteor located near Flagstaff in Arizona. With a diameter of 0.737 miles it is the largest impact crater in the United States. Meteor Crater receives it’s name from it’s nearest post office which is named Meteor. Meteor Crater was formerly known by the name the Canyon Diablo Crater and the meteor fragments found there are named the Canyon Diablo Meteorite. The rim of the crater is around 148 feet higher than the surrounding plains and was believed to be created around 50,000 years ago.
22. The total gross state product of Arizona in 2011 was $259 billion. This means the state alone has a larger economy than the countries of Finland and New Zealand. The largest sectors of the Arizona economy come from health care, transportation and the government. The Phoenix metropolitan area is responsible for around 74% of Arizona’s domestic product. The $40,828 per capita income places Arizona at 39th in the United States.
23. In it’s early days Arizona’s economy relied on the “five C’s” which were copper, cotton, cattle, citrus and climate with Arizona for a while being the largest cotton producing state in the United States. Even today Arizona is responsible for around two thirds of the countries copper output. Nowadays the largest private employers in Arizona in decreasing order are Wal-Mart, Banner Health, Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America and McDonald’s Group.
24. The Arizona Cardinals are an NFL team that plays in the Western Division of the National Football Conference. Founded in 1898 the Cardinals are the oldest professional American football club in the country. Originally formed in Chicago the Cardinals were a charter member of the NFL. The franchise moved to Arizona just before the 1988 season. The Cardinals play their home games at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
25. The Phoenix Suns are an NBA team that plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Suns are the only team in their division not based in California. The Phoenix Suns play their home games at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix. The arena is sometimes called the Purple Palace due to it’s coloured seating. The Suns are the most winning franchise to have never won an NBA Championship.
26. The Arizona Diamondbacks are an MLB team that plays in the West Division of Major League baseball’s National League. The diamondbacks have played at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix since their formation in 1998. the Arizona Diamondbacks, also known as the D-Backs won a World Series title in 2001 becoming the fastest expansion team in the majors to do so in only their fourth season in existence.
27. The Phoenix Coyotes are an NHL team that plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League. The Coyotes play their home games at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale having previously played their home games in the America West Arena in downtown Phoenix. Originally founded as the Winnipeg Jets the franchise moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes at the start of the 1996 season and won their only Division Championship in the 201½012 season.
28. Arizona has a plethora of golf courses and is the venue of several PGA Tour Events. The most notable of these are the Phoenix Open which is held at the TPC of Scottsdale which was established in 1986 and the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship which is held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana which was designed by Jack Niklaus.
29. With its three state universities and several community colleges Arizona has a strong following of college sports. The oldest rivalry in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is that of Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. When the annual game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats happens which is often referred to as “The Duel in the Desert” the winner is awarded the Territorial Cup.
30. The Central Avenue corridor in Phoenix is the location of the Phoenix Art Museum which is the largest collection in the southwest of visual art form around the world. The museum displays international exhibitions alongside its own collection of over 18,000 works of art. Phoenix Art Museum holds an all year round program of festival, shows and live performances.
31. Many films have been shot at least in part in the state of Arizona. The George Clooney movie Three Kings was partly shot in the deserts of Casa Grande whilst the road movie Easy Rider starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda shows the characters riding on Route 66 in Flagstaff. The Coen Brother’s movie Raising Arizona starring Nicolas Cage was shot all over Arizona using locations such as Carefree, Florence, Phoenix, Scottsdale and even the SunDevil Stadium.
32. The state bird of Arizona is the Cactus Wren and the Arizona state colors are Federal Blue and Gold. The motto of the state is Ditat Deus which translates as God enriches. Other state symbols include the state tree which is a Palo Verde, the state gemstone which is Turquoise, the state reptile which is the Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake and the state fish which is an Arizona Trout.
33. Stephenie Meyer, writer of the hugely popular Twilight series of books grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Chaparral High School in Scottsdale. The Twilight series has gone one to become movies which have been extremely successful . The Twilight series of books themselves have spent more than 143 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List.
34. Linda Carter, full name Linda Jean Córdova Carter who played the eponymous role of Wonder Woman in the 1970’s TV series of the same name was born in Phoenix, Arizona on July 24th, 1951. In 1972 Lynda Carter won the 1972 Miss World pageant representing the U.S. Carter was due to appear in the movie Apocalypse Now but due to a storm which delayed filming she had to drop out with her scenes being re-shot with Colleen Camp.
35. Singer Jordin Sparks was born in Phoenix, Arizona on December 22nd, 1989. Sparks came to fame after winning the sixth season of American Idol and at the age of 17 was the youngest winner in the series’ history. Her debut album released later that year sold over 2 million copies and Sparks it the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
36. Major winning golfer Phil Mickelson attended Arizona State university on a golf scholarship. During his time at ASU he was hugely successful winning three NCAA individual championships and three Haskins Awards. He also led the Sun Devils to the NCAA National Championship in 1990. As a pro Mickelson has won the Masters three times and won 7 other majors, the most recent being The open Championship in 2013.
37. The state of Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 14th, 1912. Arizona is the 48th state added to the Union. Arizona’s admission resulted in the end of the territorial colonization of continental North America and Arizona was the last contiguous state admitted.
38. The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix was the last home for the Arizona government until Arizona became a state in 1912. Visitors can enter the Historic House Chamber and sit at the desks where the AZ Constitution was written. The Governor’s office has a wax figure of the Arizona’s First State Governor, George P. Hunt. One display shows the silver and copper punchbowl service from the USS Arizona which survived the sinking of the Arizona as it had been removed for cleaning prior to the events of Pearl Harbor.
39. One of the most famous landmarks in Arizona is the Grand Canyon which is considered on of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide at it’s widest point. The canyon has a depth of over a mile. The Grand Canyon National park attracts over 5 million visitors a year with 17% of those coming from overseas.
40. Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River that straddles the border between Utah and Arizona. It is a hugely popular tourist destination attracting over 2 million visitors a year. Behind Lake Mead it is the second largest man made reservoir by water capacity in the United States. Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam. Movies including the Mel Gibson film Maverick and the recent blockbuster John Carter of Mars filmed parts here as well as scenes for the long running British TV series Doctor Who.
41. Monument Valley is a cluster of sandstone buttes which make up one of the world’s most recognisable skylines. The valley is located within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. highway 163. Monument Valley has been featured in many forms of media including the movies Easy Rider, Once Upon a Time in the West, Forrest Gump and Thelma and Louise. The rock band the Eagles used Monument Valley for the cover of their 1985 UK Best of album.
42. Sunset Crater is a volcanic cinder cone that is north of Flagstaff, Arizona. the crater resides within the self named Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. It is the youngest in the string of volcanoes that make up the San Francisco volcanic field. Recent geological evidence suggests the eruptions that formed the cone happened around 1085.
43. Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge that is located along the Mogollon Rim between Flagstaff and Sedone in northern Arizona. Often described as the Grand Canyon’s smaller cousin. Oak Creek Canyon is around 12 miles long and varies in width from 0.8 miles to 2.5 miles and the west rim of the canyon is 700 feet higher than the east rim. Behind the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon is the second most popular tourist destination in Arizona.
44. The Superstition Mountains, commonly referred to as “The Superstitions” are a range of mountains to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. In addition to it’s signature mountain, Superstition Mountain the range is also home to Weaver’s Needle which is a popular rock climbing location. The Superstition Mountains is believed to be the location of the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine which is one of the most famous lost mine’s in American history.
45. Picacho Peak State Park is located between Casa Grande and Tucson in the state of Arizona. The centrepiece of the park, Picacho Peak is visible from downtown Tucson and the summit rises to 3,374 feet above sea level. Picacho means big peak in Spanish. Picacho Peak is used as a major location in the novel The Host by Stephenie Meyer who spent time growing up in Arizona.
46. The Hoover Dam sits on the border of Arizona and Nevada. Previously known as Boulder Dam it was constructed during the Great Depression and dedicated in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Hoover Dam is a Concrete gravity-arch dam with a height of 726.4 feet and a length of 1,244 feet. The Hoover Dam cost $49 million to build which adjusted for inflation would be $811 million by todays standards.
47. Lowell Observatory is one of the oldest observatories in the United States. Established in 1894 in Flagstaff, Arizona it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The original 24 inch Alvan Clark Telescope is still in use today and Lowell Observatory hosts around 85,000 visitors annually. Lowell Observatory was named one of the World’s 100 Most Important places in 2011 by TIME. Lowell Observatory is responsible for many notable discoveries including Pluto, the three largest known stars and the co-discovery of the rings of Uranus.
48. The Titan Missile Museum located in Sahuarita, Arizona is a former ICBM missile site. It sits around 15 miles south of Tucson and is now a museum which includes an inert Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile. Titan Missile Museum was declared National Historic Landmark status in 1994. The missile in the silo has neither warhead and has never been fuelled and the silo doors are blocked from opening more than halfway. the silo was operational from 1963 to 1982 when it was deactivated as part of a policy of president Ronald Reagan.
49. The Navajo National Monument located in northern Arizona preserves three of the most intact cliff dwellings of the ancestral pueblo an people. The Navajo people that still reside there refer to these ancestors as the Anasazi which means ancient ones. The Monument sits high atop the Shonto plateau. The monument that is located west of Kayenta has a visitor centre with a museum, trails, campgrounds and a picnic area.
50. The Petrified Forest National Park is a United States National Park located in northeastern Arizona. the park is named for it vast deposits of petrified wood. Covering an area of around 146 square miles the Petrified Forest National Park is a popular tourist destination attracting 600,00 people annually. The northern part of the site reaches into the Painted Desert. The headquarters of the park is 26 miles east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 which parallels the famous U.S. Route 66.