31 Fun Facts About Phoenix That Will Make You Think Twice!

Phoenix is a metropolitan city and the capital of the State of Arizona.

Founded on February 25, 1881, the city was made capital in 1889. Phoenix is proudly called 'The Valley Of the Sun' (which is a part of Salt River valley) by its residents.

Phoenix is known for its urbanized culture and commercial stature. The city has a significant amount of Spanish-styled architecture and spectacular mountain ranges, giving it a precisely well-balanced quality. And these mountains that surround the city of Phoenix have a history of about 400 million years! Pheonix sits in an area of diverse natural beauty.

Although it sounds obvious, the origin of the name Phoenix (Phoenix is a bird, which takes rebirth from its ashes) has a little bit of back story.

One of the original settlers named PhilipDduppa, an Englishman who eventually became a proud early resident of the state, suggested this particular name describing it as a 'city born from the ruins of former civilization' (a symbol of rebirth).

So, let's dive into learning more interesting facts about Arizona's great capital city! Afterward, check out facts about Phoenix bird meaning and fun facts about Russia.

What is Phoenix known for?

With 1.6 million individuals living here as of 2020, Phoenix is Arizona's capital and most populous city.

It is also the United States' fifth-most populated city, the largest state capital in terms of population, and the only state capital with more than one million people. Many restaurants, retailers, and companies have opened or relocated to the central city of Phoenix as a result of the revived interest and expansion in downtown Phoenix and the central core.

The Cactus League, one of two Major League Baseball spring training leagues, is based in the Greater Phoenix area. Thanks to the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks' transfer to their new complex in the Salt River Indian Community, the league is now exclusively located in the Greater Phoenix area.

In 1968, the Phoenix Suns were granted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise, making them the city's first major sports club. Before moving to America West Arena in 1992, they had played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks joined Major League Baseball as an expansion franchise. All of the team's home games have been held in the same downtown park, currently known as Chase Field.

It is the second-highest stadium in the United States, and its swimming pool beyond the outfield fence is a popular attraction.

The Arizona Cardinals are the country's longest continually operating professional football organization. They were founded in 1898 in Chicago and relocated to Phoenix in 1988 from St. Louis, Missouri, to play in the Western Division of the National Football Conference.

The Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League, originally known as the Winnipeg Jets, relocated to the area in 1996. They used to play their home games at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix before moving to the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale in December 2003.

The "Five C's" that anchored Phoenix's economy were cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper. Until after World War II, when high-tech businesses began to pour into the valley and air conditioning made Phoenix's scorching summers more bearable, these remained the city's driving forces.

For about 2,000 years, the Hohokam people lived in the Phoenix area. They also traded extensively with the surrounding Ancient Puebloans, Mogollon, Sinagua peoples, and Mesoamerican civilizations further away.

The world's largest municipal park, South Mountain Park, is part of a city park system created to protect the desert landscape in places that might otherwise have succumbed to urbanization. The system's 182 parks make it the country's most extensive municipal park system.

As the city grew rapidly in the 1960s, many more structures were built, including the Rosenzweig Center, now known as Phoenix City Square, the iconic Phoenix Financial Center, and many of Phoenix's residential high-rises.

Japanese Friendship Garden, Historic Heritage Square, Phoenix Mountains Park, Pueblo Grande Museum, Tovrea Castle, Camelback Mountain, Hole in the Rock, Mystery Castle, St. Mary's Basilica, Taliesin West, and the Wrigley Mansion are among the city's other popular attractions.

The city has an average of 300 days of sunlight each year, or about 85 percent of daylight hours, and receives very little rain.

Sky Harbor, which Scenic Airways owned, first opened its doors in 1929. It was purchased by the city in 1935 and is still in use today.

The Cactus League, one of two Major League Baseball spring training leagues, is based in the Greater Phoenix area. Thanks to the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks' transfer to their new complex in the Salt River Indian Community, the league is now exclusively located in the Greater Phoenix area.

According to the Cincinnati Reds' relocation to Goodyear, the Cactus League currently includes half of MLB's 30 teams.

Cool Fun Facts About Phoenix!

The Phoenix Botanical Gardens, located next to the zoo, were founded in 1939 and are known globally for their art and flora exhibits and educational programs, including the most extensive collection of arid plants in the United States. South Mountain Park, the United States' largest municipal park, Phoenix mountains preserve is also the world's highest desert mountain preserve. 

Read on for some interesting facts about Phoenix:

• Did you know? Phoenix gets more than 22 million tourists every year!
• About 1.8 billion years ago, phoenix valley was a shallow floor of an ancient sea!
• The city of phoenix receives sun throughout the year (almost 320 days a year)!
• The Sonoran desert is the unique home for saguaro cactus (most giant cactus in the U.S.A.)
• Phoenix is one of the largest cities in Arizona, almost twice as big as Tucson!
• The locally known jargon called Five C's: cotton, cattle, climate, citrus, and copper were significant factors of the Phoenix's economy during the emergence of World War II!
• Phoenix is also known to be the cultural capital of Arizona state!
• One of the largest art museums in the southwestern United States is in Phoenix (Phoenix Art Museum)!
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport comes under the U.S.'s top 10 busiest airports, serving up to 45 million passengers annually!
• Although Phoenix is known to be one of the warmest cities, water is available abundantly throughout the year!

Inspirational Fun Facts About Phoenix!

The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited places here. The Amtrak Rail Service, Papago Park, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs are very famous here. Read on for some inspirational facts about Phoenix:

• Desert botanical garden in Phoenix contains the world's most extensive collection of desert plants!
• Phoenix Zoo, which was established in 1962, looks and cares about 3000 wild animals and is one of the largest zoos found in the country!
• Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America's greatest architects, designed many buildings in Arizona, and Taliesin West, one of Lloyd's winter homes located in Scottsdale, is one of them!
• Salt River (a river in Arizona that runs through four major cities, including Phoenix) derives its name in dutch, meaning 'Sout Rivier'!
• The Arizona state capitol building is one of the architectural marvels built by James Riley Gordon, and the building is truly a sight to behold!
• The 1960's thriller hit Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock was shot in one of the significant hotels of downtown Phoenix!

Powerful Fun Facts About Phoenix

Phoenix was founded as an agricultural town near the Salt and Gila Rivers junction in 1867, and it became a city in 1881. Arizona Biltmore hotel is a major metropolitan area.

Camelback Mountain, North Mountain, Sunnyslope Mountain, and Piestewa Peak are within the valley's center. Large irrigated farmland fields and Native American reservation areas can be seen on the city's outskirts. The world's first McDonald's franchise was opened in this city at Central Avenue. Read on for some powerful facts about Phoenix:

• One of the most well-known charity organizations, the Make-a-wish foundation, was actually founded in Phoenix!
• The timeless holiday melody, White Christmas, was written in Arizona Baltimore!
• Architect Frank Lloyd Wright also designed the Phoenix's first-ever Christian church and seminary!
• Phoenix receives more than 4000 hours of sunlight every year, more than any other city in the world!
• Saguaro cactus (the most giant cactus in the United States) can live to be almost 300 years old!
• Did you know? In late 1940, Phoenix's art museum and phoenix symphony orchestra created a program for visiting artists and touring exhibits!
• The Hohokam tribe, one of the earliest settlers in Phoenix, Arizona, has many museums dedicated to themselves!
• The Arizona Republic is the metropolitan city's prominent daily newspaper!
• On September 25, 1981, Sandra O Connor became the first-ever female supreme court justice, breaking the gender barriers, and yes, she was one of the residents of Phoenix, Arizona!
• The Herald building, constructed in 1920, was the first-ever skyscraper of Phoenix city, Arizona!

Worthful Fun Facts About Phoenix

Phoenix boasts a variety of outdoor attractions and recreational activities due to its natural environment and climate. The Phoenix Zoo is the country's largest privately owned, non-profit zoo.

It has gained an international reputation for its work in animal conservation, including breeding and restoring endangered species into the wild, since its inception in 1962. Read on for some worthful facts about Phoenix:

• Some of the other major cities near the Phoenix area are Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Tempe!
• Arizona's three-fourth of manufacturing jobs are located in Phoenix!
• Before the two World Wars, Phoenix's business activities were dominated mainly by farmers and ranchers. Still, the city has turned into a hub for technology, real estate, and, most significantly, tourism in recent times!
• Phoenix is also the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States after Las Vegas!
• The summers in Phoenix are so extreme that the city lands as the only place to receive sunlight this abundantly in the whole wide world!
• This extensive availability of sunlight also makes Phoenix one of the most susceptible cities for ozone formation!
• Phoenix witnessed its wettest month in august and driest in June!
• Phoenix Zoo, established in 1962, is known to be the biggest privately owned non-profit zoo in the United States!
• Musical instrument museum in Phoenix holds the connection of over 15000 instruments from 200 different countries and is truly one of its kind!
• For its unique and diverse character, Phoenix city is also known as 'Arizona's Urban Heart'!

Fantastic Fun Facts About Phoenix

Here are some genuinely fantastic facts about Phoenix, Arizona, which you will certainly enjoy:

• Phoenix, Arizona, has more land delegated for parks and preserves than any major city in the country of North America!
• The activities of cars and automobiles have led to some severe air pollution in Phoenix!
• Phoenix has hosted the Super bowl (annual championship football game) for continuously three years!
• Apart from being famous for travel and culture, the Phoenix is also the best destination for food in the United States of America!
• Did you know? Before 1889 the capital of Arizona territory was believed to be Navajo springs!
• The world's biggest municipal park is located in the heart of Phoenix!
• Phoenix original settlers came into the then (it was nothing but) forest-dwelling place about 300 years ago!
• Camelback mountain boasts itself of having the highest peak in Phoenix!
• Thanks to Phoenix's Hispanic residents, the city is also well known for its Mexican cuisine other than just steakhouses!
• Downtown Phoenix is famous for live music, art galleries, theaters, museums, and sports arenas!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for fun facts about Phoenix, then why not take a look at fun facts about Brazil or Fun Facts About Austin, Texas.