Portal:Arizona

Arizona
Arizona
State
	State of Arizona
	Flag Seal
	Location of Arizona in the United States
Website	az.gov

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Arizona is a landlocked state in the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners region with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix, which is the most populous state capital and fifth-most populous city in the United States. Arizona is divided into 15 counties.

Arizona is the sixth-largest state by area and the 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. It is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California and Nuevo México in New Spain (Spanish Empire), it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848, where the area became part of the New Mexico Territory. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase.

Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce trees; the Colorado Plateau; mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains); as well as large, deep canyons, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Sunrise, and Tucson. In addition to the internationally known Grand Canyon National Park, which is one of the world's seven natural wonders, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments.

Arizona is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, the largest in the state and the country, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of Hispanics has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico and Central America. A substantial portion of the population are followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically since the 1950s because of inward migration, and the state is now a major hub of the Sun Belt. Many large companies, such as PetSmart and Circle K, have headquarters in the state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University. (Full article...)

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Downtown Phoenix

Phoenix (/ˈfiːnɪks/ ^ⓘ FEE-niks) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest. Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County in the Salt River Valley and Arizona Sun Corridor and, with an area of 517.9 square miles (1,341 square kilometers), is the largest city by area in Arizona and 11th-largest city by area in the United States.

Phoenix was settled in 1867 as an agricultural community near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers and was incorporated as a city in 1881. It became the capital of the Arizona Territory in 1889. Its canal system led to a thriving farming community with the original settlers' crops, such as alfalfa, cotton, citrus, and hay, remaining important parts of the local economy for decades. Cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper were known locally as the "Five C's" anchoring Phoenix's economy. These remained the driving forces of the city until after World War II, when high-tech companies began to move into the valley and air conditioning made Phoenix's hot summers more bearable. (Full article...)

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... that Arizona voters rejected a 2010 ballot measure by just 194 votes out of more than 1.5 million cast?
... that the first art exhibition in the Trade Fair Palace after it was rebuilt from a fire was named Like a Phoenix?
... that the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals set multiple NFL playoff records during their 2009 NFC Wild Card playoff game?
... that an Arizona TV station running a marathon of Star Trek caused a buying frenzy of blank videotapes in the local area?
... that Abraham Hamadeh lost one of the closest elections in Arizona history by 280 votes, and has filed multiple lawsuits challenging the results?
... that the musical duo Braxe + Falcon formed a supergroup with the band Phoenix to make music about UFOs?
... that Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini got his start as a student assistant, with duties including washing baseball uniforms?
... that the Boundary Fire burned 17,788 acres (7,199 ha) of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in Arizona?

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Credit: Daniel Schwen

Petrified wood, such as this sample found in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States, is a fossil wood where all the organic materials have been replaced with minerals, while retaining the original structure of the wood.

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...that only 6% of Pacific hurricanes make landfall on the United States, and that the state of Arizona is affected by a tropical cyclone only about once every five years?

...that the Navajo Times was the first daily newspaper published by an American Indian Nation?

...that Ryan Newman won the 2010 Subway Fresh Fit 600 after making a pass with only two laps to go?

...that the cast stone façade of Tucson, Arizona's Cathedral of Saint Augustine (pictured) uses indigenous desert plants as a design motif?

...that U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech on January 12, 2011, honoring the victims of the 2011 Tucson shooting?

... that Prescott, Arizona, Mayor Sam Steiger was criminally prosecuted for painting a crosswalk between the local courthouse and the saloons on Whiskey Row?

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WikiProjects

You are invited to participate in WikiProject Arizona, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Arizona.

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WikiProject United States

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WikiProject Arizona

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Nash in 2014

Stephen John Nash OC OBC (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian former professional basketball player and coach. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was an eight-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA selection, and a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He ranks as one of the top players in NBA history in career three-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists, and assists per game. In 2018, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Nash grew up playing several sports, and after a successful high school basketball career in British Columbia, earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University in California. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team appeared in three NCAA tournaments, and he was twice named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year. Nash graduated from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Arizona-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Signing of Arizona statehood bill in 1912 (from History of Arizona)
Image 2Big Lake (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 31903 editorial cartoon by Bob Satterfield, depicting Arizona and New Mexico as crazed gunfighters intent on gaining access to the "E pluribus unum tavern". (from History of Arizona)
Image 4Inspiration Copper Company smelter at Miami, Arizona, c. 1915 (from History of Arizona)
Image 5Sinagua cliff dwelling (Montezuma Castle), Arizona, built in around 1100 CE (from History of Arizona)
Image 6Hourly re-enactment for tourists of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (from History of Arizona)
Image 7Keet Seel cliff dwellings (from History of Arizona)
Image 8The location of Arizona in the United States (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 9Petrified Forest National Park (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 10Hohokam pottery from Casa Grande (from History of Arizona)
Image 111898 map of the Arizona Territory (from History of Arizona)
Image 12A map showing the extent of the Ancestral Puebloan, Hohokam, and Mogollon cultures within the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, all three of which were based in what is now Arizona and/or New Mexico in around 1350 CE (from History of Arizona)
Image 13The Great House at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (from History of Arizona)
Image 14Major airfields in Arizona during World War II. (from History of Arizona)
Image 15Arizona's average rainfall (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 16Arizona municipalities (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 17Köppen climate types of Arizona, using 1991–2020 climate normals. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 18Verde River (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 19White Mountains (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 20Humphreys Peak seen on its western side from U.S. Route 180, with Agassiz Peak in the background (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 21Mormon Lake (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 22Water delivered by the Central Arizona Project's canal. (from History of Arizona)
Image 23Pinyon-juniper woodland near Heber-Overgaard, Arizona. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 24Grand Canyon South Rim at Sunset. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 25Connor Hotel in Jerome (from History of Arizona)
Image 26Riparian forest along upper Oak Creek Canyon (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 27Horseshoe Bend (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 28The Gadsden Purchase (shown with present-day state boundaries and cities) (from History of Arizona)
Image 29San Rafael Valley (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 30San Francisco Peaks (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 31The luxury Harvey House hotel opened in 1905 overlooking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; it remains in operation as the El Tovar Hotel. (from History of Arizona)
Image 32Fort Defiance, painted 1873 by Seth Eastman (from History of Arizona)
Image 33This ornate grain basket by Akimel O'odham dates from the early 20th century, showing the Native American dimension to the state's culture (from History of Arizona)
Image 34The Sonoran Desert 35 miles (56 km) west of Maricopa, Arizona (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 35Arizona Territory in 1866 (from History of Arizona)
Image 36Chiricahua National Monument (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 37Panorama of Kinishba Ruins, an ancient Mogollon great house. The Kinishba Ruins are one building that has over 600 rooms. (from History of Arizona)
Image 38Upper Salt River (Arizona) with the Sierra Ancha in the background. (from Geography of Arizona)

Arizona news

August 31, 2026 – 2026 Grand Canyon flood: The death toll from the flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States, last Saturday rises to two, while the number of people missing falls from more than 20 to one after park rangers locate most of those previously unaccounted for. (AFP via France 24)
August 30, 2026 – 2026 Grand Canyon flood: The body of one man is found near the Colorado River while 15 other people remain missing after a flash flood at Bright Angel Creek in the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. (Euronews)
August 29, 2026 – 2026 Grand Canyon flood: A flash flood in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, United States, leaves about 15 people missing and prompts the evacuation of at least 62 others. (AFP via France 24)

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State facts

Nickname: The Grand Canyon State
Capital and largest city: Phoenix
Governor: Katie Hobbs (D)
Total area: 295,254 km² (113,998 sq mi)
Population (2020): 7,151,502
Date admitted to the Union: February 14, 1912
Senators: Kyrsten Sinema (I), Mark Kelly (D)
Representatives: Tom O'Halleran (D), Ann Kirkpatrick (D), Raúl Grijalva (D), Paul Gosar (R), Andy Biggs (R), David Schweikert (R), Ruben Gallego (D), Debbie Lesko (R), Greg Stanton (D)

State symbols:

Animal: Ring-tailed Cat
Bird: Cactus wren
Butterfly: Two-tailed Swallowtail
Colors: Federal Blue and old gold
Firearm: The Colt Single-Action Army Revolver
Fish: Apache trout
Flower: Saguaro blossom
Fossil: Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Gem: Turquoise
Neckwear: Bolo tie
Reptile: Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake
Songs: "Arizona March Song", "Arizona"
Tree: Blue Palo Verde

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Recognized content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged or categorized (e.g. Category:WikiProject Arizona articles) correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.