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Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital and largest city of the state of Arizona, United States. As of the 2000 census, Phoenix had a population of 1,321,045. It is the county seat of Maricopa County.

Phoenix was incorporated on February 5, 1881.

Table of contents

1 Geography

2 Weather

3 Demographics

4 Sports Teams, Venues and Tournaments

5 Museums, Attractions and other Places of Interest

6 Transportation

7 Military

Geography Phoenix lies at an elevation around 1,117 feet in the heart of the Sonoran Desert[?] and is located in the center of Arizona in the Phoenix Valley or "Valley of the Sun" at 33°31'42" North, 112°4'35" West (33.528370, -112.076300)¹. The Greater Phoenix area has a population of 2.8 million and includes Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and many smaller cities. Retirement communities include Sun City, Sun City West and Fountain Hills. The Salt River[?] runs from the north east of Maricopa County through the south of Phoenix although it is not unusual to see the river completely dried up. The Phoenix metro is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains[?] to the north, South Mountain Park[?] to the south and the Superstition Mountains[?] far to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,230.5 km² (475.1 mi²). 1,229.9 km² (474.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.05% water.

Weather Clear blue skies are the typical order of the day with an average of 300 sunny days a year. One-third of the year from mid-May to mid-September reaches highs near 100° or hotter. The arid Arizona air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable ("it's a dry heat"), but it can still be very tiresome after four months of such hot weather outdoors. (*Nota Bene: The humidity drops dramatically in most other warm climes in the country if temperatures begin to reach towards 100°. So the "dry heat" counter-point is bogus: 100° in Phoenix isn't much different than 100° in Dallas, Kansas City or Atlanta.) Winter lows can reach in the low 30s, but temperatures rarely stay there long. The average annual rainfall in the area is 7.66 inches. The rain is not only scarce, but sporadic and occurs primarily in the monsoon season from July to mid-September as humid air surges in from the Gulf of California to the hot air in the heart of the state.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 1,321,045 people, 465,834 households, and 307,450 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,074.1/km² (2,781.9/mi²). There are 495,832 housing units at an average density of 403.2/km² (1,044.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 71.07% White, 5.10% African American, 2.02% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 16.40% from other races, and 3.28% from two or more races. 34.06% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any country origin.

There are 465,834 households out of which 35.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 12.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% are non-families. 25.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.79 and the average family size is 3.39.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $41,207, and the median income for a family is $46,467. Males have a median income of $32,820 versus $27,466 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,833. 15.8% of the population and 11.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 21.0% are under the age of 18 and 10.3% are 65 or older.

Sports Teams, Venues and Tournaments

Arizona Diamondbacks, Major League Baseball

Seven Major League Baseball teams of the Cactus League[?] also conduct spring training[?] in Greater Phoenix.

Arizona Cardinals, National Football League

Phoenix Suns, National Basketball Association

Phoenix Mercury, WNBA

Phoenix Coyotes, National Hockey League

Arizona Rattlers[?], arena football

Arizona Thunder[?], indoor soccer[?]

Phoenix International Raceway[?], Indy car[?] and NASCAR

Manzanita Speedway[?], drag racing

Firebird International Raceway[?], boat racing[?]