Phoenix
United States · Country profile
Phoenix is the sprawling desert capital of Arizona, the vast sun-baked metropolis of the American Southwest that spreads its enormous grid of the streets, the canals and the subdivisions across the broad valley of the Salt River, ringed by the cactus-studded mountains of the Sonoran Desert. The sixth most populous city of the United States, grown in a century from a small farming town into the enormous modern capital of the sunbelt, it is a city of the relentless sunshine, the irrigation canals, the desert parks and the red-mountain horizons, with the golf, the resorts and the retiree and the winter-visitor culture of the metro. The heritage square and the museums of the downtown, the botanical garden of the desert, the mountain reserves and the canyons of the surrounding region anchor the essential visits, while the enormous malls, the Spring and the autumn cultural seasons and the neighbouring cities of the valley run the daily sunbelt life. Hot, vast and majestically isolated, Phoenix is the shimmering capital of the American desert.
About Phoenix
Phoenix is a city in United States. The city's documented population is around 1,610,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the US Dollar (USD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +1. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The Gardens of the Desert and the Cacti of the Valley
Phoenix is a huge, low, sun-steeped metropolis where the essential circuit moves between the downtown, the desert gardens and the mountain parks, with the resort corridor and the malls of the great avenues running the shopping and the recreation of the valley. The botanical garden of the desert, with its extraordinary cactus and its living collections, the museums of the city and the historic heritage square anchor the cultural days, and the mountain reserves of the city, with their hiking trails and their red-rock views, bring the wilderness right to the street grid. The canyon and the mining towns of the surrounding desert, and the cooler pines of the outside mountains, fill the classic day trips of the enormous metro.
The Heritage Square and the Capitol of the State
The climate of the city is the extreme desert, with the searing, dry summers of the hundred-degree months, the mild, brilliant winters of the snowbirds and the golden spring of the flowers, while the monsoon storms of the late summer bring their brief dramatic clouds and their lightning. The dollar is the currency and the English the language of the city. The downtown, the gardens and the mountains make the core circuit, and the region, with its canyons and its pines, lies within the easy reach of the car. Light clothing, generous sun and water protection and a hat for the desert sun complete the essentials of the blazing capital of the southwest.
The Mountains of the Hiking and the Canyons of the Region
The desert botanical garden of the city, the celebrated living museum that spreads its extraordinary collections of the cactus and the desert flora across the hundred and forty acres of the park, is the essential natural experience of the capital, with its enormous saguaro cacti, its flowering agaves and its desert pavilions of the Arizona art. The heritage square of the downtown, with its restored 1900s buildings, its museums and the little church of the pioneer era, preserves the sunbaked Urn history of the founding of the town, and the state capitol of the city, with its copper dome and its museum, anchors the politics of the state. The mountains of the city, from the hiking park of the camel with its rock climbers and its views to the vast wilderness of the south with its trails and its wildlife, and the grand canyon of the region that lies a full day to the north, complete the essential panorama of the desert capital of the American southwest.
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- Country
- United States
- Population
- 1,610,000
- Coordinates
- 33.4373, -112.0078
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1
- Country code
- US
Entry requirements for United States
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting United States for tourism.
Getting to Phoenix
Airports we list for Phoenix:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in United States
Other cities we cover in United States:
Frequently asked questions
Is Phoenix the capital of United States?
No — the capital of United States is Washington, D.C..
What currency do I need in Phoenix?
The local currency is the US Dollar (USD). Languages spoken in United States include English.
What is the dialling code for United States?
The international dialling code for United States is +1.
Which airport should I fly into for Phoenix?
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is the airport we list for Phoenix.
How far is Phoenix from the nearest airport?
Phoenix is about 411 km from Harry Reid International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit United States?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Argentina (visa required), Japan (e-visa), Morocco (visa required), Singapore (e-visa) and South Korea (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Phoenix? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.