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Phoenix is rapidly expanding upon its periphery. In 1997 the city’s area was 419.8 sq mi. The growth of Phoenix has radiated from the now highly developed original downtown. Several minutes north of downtown is a second site of tall buildings and commercial establishments, as well as Encanto Park. To the north and east lie affluent residential areas, along with high-technology and other light industries. Papago Park, containing the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, is in the east. The west side is generally a lower-income residential area with some light industry. The smaller south side includes predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhoods, as well as older industries and distribution warehouses. South Mountain Park, one of the largest city parks in the nation, covers about about 17,000 acres on the city’s south side.

Points of interest in Phoenix include Civic Plaza, which comprises Symphony Hall and a convention center; and America West Arena, the home of the Phoenix Suns professional basketball team and the Phoenix Coyotes professional hockey team. The Arizona Cardinals, a professional football team, plays its home games at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe. The Arizona Diamondbacks, a professional baseball team, began playing in the new Bank One Ballpark in 1998. Annual events in Phoenix include the National Livestock Show, the Agricultural Trade Fair, the Arizona State Fair, and the Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition.

Products manufactured in the Phoenix metropolitan area include semiconductors, aerospace and electronic equipment, processed food, metal products, cosmetics, sporting goods, paper items, and clothing. Government operations, tourism, research and development concerns, and construction are also important to the city’s economy, as is nearby Luke Air Force Base. Information processing, customer service, and warehouse and distribution activities were increasing in the 1990s. Agricultural products include cotton, alfalfa, durum wheat, vegetables, citrus and other fruits, and beef and dairy cattle. The health service industry is a large and growing part of the city’s economy.

In October 1870, several settlers founded the site of modern Phoenix. In recognition of the former Hohokam culture, settler Darrell Duppa likened the new community to the phoenix, a mythological bird that consumed itself by fire every 500 years and arose anew from the ashes. Thereafter, the group adopted Phoenix as the settlement’s name. Within a short time the area was producing hay, beef, flour, figs, beer, ice, eggs, and butter for the Arizona territory’s growing population, particularly the mining boomtowns. Canals in the Phoenix area totaled about 240 mi in 1886.

By 1875 the town had a courthouse, a school, saloons, and dance halls. An electricity generating plant run by steam, one of the first in the west, was built in 1886, and the railroad arrived in 1887. Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881, and in 1889 it became the capital of Arizona Territory. It remained the capital when Arizona became a state in 1912. The city’s population first exceeded that of Tucson in 1920, making it the state’s largest city.

After massive floods of the Salt River in 1891 wiped out many of the canals, a huge modern flood control and irrigation system was developed around Phoenix. The federal government in 1902 authorized the Salt River Project, and the completion of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt in 1911 assured the city of an adequate water supply and flood control, as well as a source of power for the development of industries. Since then three other dams have been built on the Salt. However, on several occasions in recent years the Salt River has flooded and caused damage to the area.

During World War II a number of military training bases and airfields were established near Phoenix. Following the war, thousands of army and air force veterans settled here. In addition, retirees and others streamed into the Phoenix metropolitan area, spurred by the development of affordable and reliable air-conditioning. Phoenix became the largest center of trade, transportation, finance, and government between Dallas, Texas, and the Pacific coast. Between 1940 and 1950 the city’s population increased 63 percent; from 1950 to 1960 the increase was 300 percent.

In 1985 the Central Arizona Project, which brings water from the Colorado River, was completed. This water has facilitated new housing developments and artificially created lakes. The tremendous growth of the city has brought with it problems, including urban sprawl, traffic congestion, air pollution, crime, unemployment, and homelessness. Many residents fear that the beauties of the desert are being destroyed by the rapid expansion of the city upon its natural periphery.

Real Estate: United States - Arizona

Vacation Rentals: Arizona - Phoenix / Scottsdale - Sedona