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Tonto National Forest

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The Tonto National Forest , encompassing 2,873,200 acres (1,162,700 ha; 11,627 km), is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the ninth largest national forest in the United States. The forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet (2,256 m) in the ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Rim (pronounced MOH-gee-on, or MUH-gee-own). The Tonto National Forest is also one of the most visited "urban" forests in the United States.

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115-863: The boundaries of the Tonto National Forest are the Phoenix metropolitan area to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian Reservation to the east. The Tonto ( Spanish for "foolish") is managed by the USDA Forest Service and its headquarters are in Phoenix. There are local ranger district offices in Globe , Mesa , Payson , Roosevelt , Scottsdale , and Young . On June 13, 2020,

230-519: A US Commission on Civil Rights of hearing that of 31,000 homes that had recently sprung up in this neighborhood, not a single one had been sold to an African-American. Phoenix's African-American and Mexican-American communities remained largely sequestered on the south side of town. The color lines were so rigid that no one north of Van Buren Street would rent to the African-American baseball star Willie Mays , in town for spring training in

345-641: A hot desert climate ( Köppen: BWh ), typical of the Sonoran Desert , and is the largest city in America in this climatic zone. Phoenix has long, extremely hot summers and short, mild winters. The city is within one of the world's sunniest regions, with its sunshine duration comparable to the Sahara region. With 3,872 hours of bright sunshine annually, Phoenix receives the most sunshine of any major city on Earth. Average high temperatures in summer are

460-595: A National Forest. On January 13, 1908 the Pinal Mountains National Forest was added along with other lands. On July 1, 1908 part of Black Mesa National Forest and other lands were added, and on July 1, 1953 part of Crook National Forest was added. A land swap proposed as a part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act would permit a subsidiary of the Rio Tinto mining conglomerate, Resolution Copper Co., to acquire 2,422 acres of

575-452: A duel; Chenowth killed Favorite and was forced to withdraw from the race. The town grew during the 1870s, and President Ulysses S. Grant issued a land patent for the site of Phoenix on April 10, 1874. By 1875, the town had a telegraph office, 16 saloons, and four dance halls, but the townsite-commissioner form of government needed an overhaul. An election was held in 1875, and three village trustees and other officials were elected. By 1880,

690-506: A four percent annual population growth rate over a 40-year period from the mid-1960s to the mid-2000s, and was among the nation's ten most populous cities by 1980. Phoenix is also one of the largest plurality-Hispanic cities in the United States, with 42% of its population being Hispanic . The Hohokam people occupied the Phoenix area for 2,000 years. They created roughly 135 miles (217 kilometers) of irrigation canals, making

805-551: A fungal lung infection. Unlike most desert locations which have drastic fluctuations between day and nighttime temperatures, the urban heat island effect limits Phoenix's diurnal temperature variation . As the city has expanded, average summer low temperatures have been steadily rising. Pavement, sidewalks, and buildings store the Sun's heat and radiate it at night. The daily normal low remains at or above 80 °F (27 °C) for an average of 74 days per summer. On July 19, 2023, at

920-508: A grid layout pattern that has been the hallmark of Phoenix's urban development ever since. On February 12, 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County by dividing Yavapai County; it was the sixth one formed in the Arizona Territory. The first election for county office was held in 1871 when Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff. He ran unopposed when the other two candidates (John A. Chenowth and Jim Favorite) fought

1035-586: A growth rate under 24% in a census decade. However, in 2016, Phoenix once again became the fastest growing city in the United States, adding approximately 88 people per day during the preceding year. The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler MSA ), is one of 10 MSAs in Arizona, and was the 11th largest in the United States, with a 2018 U.S. census population estimate of 4,857,962, up from

1150-466: A joint congressional resolution granting statehood to Arizona, due to his disapproval of the state constitution's position on the recall of judges. In 1913, Phoenix's move from a mayor-council system to council-manager made it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government. After statehood, Phoenix's growth started to accelerate; eight years later, its population reached 29,053. In 1920, Phoenix would see its first skyscraper,

1265-402: A long drought, and the reservoir which was supposed to be behind the dam was virtually dry. The humorist Will Rogers , who was on hand as a guest speaker joked, "If that was my lake, I'd mow it." Phoenix's population had nearly doubled during the 1920s and by 1930 stood at 48,118. It was also during the 1930s that Phoenix and its surrounding area began to be called "The Valley of the Sun", which

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1380-475: A month before it disbanded itself to join the advancing American army; its claimed territory later became part of the United States as a result of the Mexican Cession . The very short-lived California Republic was never recognized by the United States, Mexico or any other nation. The flag, featuring a silhouette of a California grizzly bear , a star, and the words "California Republic", became known as

1495-409: A myriad of residential tract developments on both farmland and desert." Retail outlets and office complexes spread out and did not concentrate in the small downtown area. There was low population density and a lack of widespread and significant high-rise development. As a consequence Phoenix became a textbook case of urban sprawl for geographers. Even though it is the fifth most populated city in

1610-715: A number of skirmishes with Confederate troops. By the spring of 1864 the Jones County rebels had taken effective control of the county from the Confederate government, raised an American flag over the courthouse in Ellisville, and sent a letter to Union General William T. Sherman declaring Jones County's independence from the Confederacy. Scholars have disputed whether the county truly seceded, with some concluding it did not fully secede. Lack of documentation makes

1725-686: A planning committee appointed directly by the city council. According to the city-issued village planning handbook, the purpose of the village planning committees is to "work with the city's planning commission to ensure a balance of housing and employment in each village, concentrate development at identified village cores, and to promote the unique character and identity of the villages." There are 15 urban villages: Ahwatukee Foothills , Alhambra , Camelback East , Central City , Deer Valley , Desert View, Encanto , Estrella , Laveen , Maryvale , North Gateway, North Mountain, Paradise Valley, Rio Vista , and South Mountain. The urban village of Paradise Valley

1840-426: A population of nearly 1.6 million, and millions more in nearby suburbs. After the war, many of the men who had undergone their training in Arizona returned with their new families. Learning of this large untapped labor pool enticed many large industries to move their operations to the area. In 1948, high-tech industry, which would become a staple of the state's economy, arrived in Phoenix when Motorola chose Phoenix as

1955-634: A wildfire ignited in the Tonto Basin area. The Bush Fire, as it was named, burned 193,455 acres (783 km), becoming Arizona's fifth largest fire on record. The fire was sufficiently contained by July 1, prompting the Incident Management Team to transition control to the Forest Service, which subsequently conducted a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment to begin rehabilitation efforts. Investigators determined

2070-478: Is 7.22 in (183 mm). The region's trademark dry and sunny weather is interrupted by sporadic Pacific storms in the winter and the arrival of the North American monsoon in the summer. Historically, the monsoon officially started when the average dew point was 55 °F (13 °C) for three days in a row—typically occurring in early July. To increase monsoon awareness and promote safety, however,

2185-632: Is also home to a plethora of native reptile species including the Western diamondback rattlesnake , Sonoran sidewinder , several other types of rattlesnakes, Sonoran coral snake , dozens of species of non-venomous snakes (including the Sonoran gopher snake and the California kingsnake ), the gila monster , desert spiny lizard , several types of whiptail lizards , the chuckwalla , desert horned lizard , western banded gecko , Sonora mud turtle , and

2300-418: Is distinct from the nearby Town of Paradise Valley . Although the urban village is part of Phoenix, the town is independent. In addition to the above urban villages, Phoenix has a variety of commonly referred-to regions and districts, such as Downtown , Midtown , Uptown, West Phoenix, North Phoenix , South Phoenix , Biltmore Area , Arcadia , and Sunnyslope . While some of the native flora and fauna of

2415-499: Is home to the only thriving feral population of rosy-faced lovebirds in the U.S. This bird is a popular birdcage pet, native to southwestern Africa. Feral birds were first observed living outdoors in 1987, probably escaped or released pets, and by 2010 the Greater Phoenix population had grown to about 950 birds. These lovebirds prefer older neighborhoods where they nest under untrimmed, dead palm tree fronds. The area

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2530-561: Is in the mid-to-low 30s. It rarely drops to 32 °F (0 °C) or below. Snow is rare. In July 2023, it became the first major city in the US to have an average monthly temperature of over 100 °F (38 °C) with an average daily mean temperature for the month at 102.7 °F (39 °C), which is also the hottest month ever recorded in the city. That same month the city had an unprecedented streak of 31 days with 110 °F (43 °C)+ highs that lasted from June 30 to July 30. That year

2645-538: Is in the south-central portion of Arizona; about halfway between Tucson to the southeast and Flagstaff to the north, in the Southwestern United States . By car, the city is approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the US–Mexico border at Sonoyta and 180 mi (290 km) north of the border at Nogales . The metropolitan area is known as the "Valley of the Sun" due to its location in

2760-605: Is so common, nearly all homes in Phoenix have air conditioning , though poorer residents may not be able to afford to repair or operate them when needed. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, was ranked seventh for most ozone pollution in the United States according to the American Lung Association . Vehicle emissions are cited as precursors to ozone formation. Phoenix also has high levels of particulate pollution; although, cities in California lead

2875-400: Is the 10th-largest by population in the United States with approximately 4.95 million people as of 2020 , making it the most populous in the Southwestern United States . Phoenix, the seat of Maricopa County , is the largest city by population and area in Arizona, with an area of 517.9 square miles (1,341 km ), and is also the 11th-largest city by area in the United States. Phoenix

2990-546: Is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona , with 1,662,607 residents as of 2024. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital in the country. Phoenix is the most populous city of the Phoenix metropolitan area , also known as the Valley of the Sun, which in turn is part of the Salt River Valley and Arizona Sun Corridor . The metro area

3105-469: Is the presence of Africanized bees which can be extremely dangerous—even lethal—when provoked. The Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert (of which Phoenix is a part) has "the most structurally diverse flora in the United States." One of the most well-known types of succulents, the giant saguaro cactus , is found throughout the city and its neighboring environs. Other native species are

3220-798: The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum opened at the Arizona State Fairgrounds , west of downtown. When Phoenix was awarded an NBA franchise in 1968, which would be called the Phoenix Suns , they played their home games at the Coliseum until 1992, after which they moved to America West Arena . In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson approved the Central Arizona Project , assuring future water supplies for Phoenix, Tucson, and

3335-753: The Articles of Confederation . The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787, and gave the Congress the power to exercise "exclusive legislation" over a district that "may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress , become the Seat of the Government of the United States." The 1st Congress met at Federal Hall in New York . In 1790, it passed the Residence Act , which established

3450-683: The Bear Flag and was later the basis for the official state flag of California. There was one de facto capital of the California Republic: The Confederate States of America (C.S.A.) had two capitals during its existence. The first capital was established February 4, 1861, in Montgomery , Alabama, and remained there until it was moved to Richmond , Virginia, on May 29, 1861, after Virginia seceded on May 23. The individual state capitals remained

3565-524: The Carnegie Free Library opened seven years later, on February 18, 1908, dedicated by Benjamin Fowler. The National Reclamation Act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, which allowed dams to be built on waterways in the west for reclamation purposes. The first dam constructed under the act, Salt River Dam#1 , began in 1903. It supplied both water and electricity, becoming

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3680-819: The First National Bank Plaza , the Valley Center (the tallest building in Arizona), and the Arizona Bank building . On September 25, 1981, Phoenix resident Sandra Day O'Connor broke the gender barrier on the U.S. Supreme Court , when she was sworn in as the first female justice. In 1985, the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station , the nation's largest nuclear power plant, began electrical production. Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa both visited

3795-663: The Heard Building ; it was the tallest building in the state until the completion of the Luhrs Building in 1924. In 1929, Sky Harbor was officially opened, at the time owned by Scenic Airways . The city purchased it in 1935 and continues to operate it today. On March 4, 1930, former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge dedicated a dam on the Gila River named in his honor. However, the state had just been through

3910-535: The Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Within two months of the settlers' rebellion and the declaration of an independent nation, President James Madison sent American forces to peaceably occupy the new republic. It was formally annexed by the United States in 1812 over the objections of Spain and the land was divided between the Territory of Orleans and Territory of Mississippi . During its brief existence,

4025-688: The Republic of Texas , Native American nations, and other unrecognized governments. The buildings in cities identified in the chart below served either as official capitals of the United States under the United States Constitution , or, prior to its ratification, sites where the Second Continental Congress or Congress of the Confederation met. The United States did not have a permanent capital under

4140-715: The Salt River chain of dams: There are eight federally designated wilderness areas within (or partially within) the Tonto National Forest: A portion of the Verde Wild and Scenic River also lies within the forest. The Tonto Forest Reserve was established on October 3, 1905 by the United States General Land Office . In 1906 the forest reserves were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service , and on March 4, 1907 Tonto became

4255-459: The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in 1895 connected Phoenix to Prescott, Flagstaff, and other communities in the northern part of the territory. The increased access to commerce expedited the city's economic rise. The Phoenix Union High School was established in 1895 with an enrollment of 90. On February 25, 1901, Governor Oakes Murphy dedicated the permanent Capitol building , and

4370-505: The Sonoran Desert can be found within Phoenix city limits, most are found in the suburbs and the undeveloped desert areas that surround the city. Native mammal species include coyote , javelina , bobcat , mountain lion , desert cottontail rabbit , jackrabbit , antelope ground squirrel , mule deer , ringtail , coati , and multiple species of bats, such as the Mexican free-tailed bat and western pipistrelle , that roost in and around

4485-667: The War of 1812 , during the American Civil War in many Confederate states , and during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680–1692 in New Mexico . Twenty-two state capitals have been a capital longer than their state has been a state, since they served as the capital of a predecessor territory, colony, or republic. Boston , Massachusetts , has been a capital city since 1630; it is the oldest continuously running capital in

4600-638: The White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and both South Mountain and the Sierra Estrella to the south/southwest. Camelback Mountain , North Mountain, Sunnyslope Mountain , and Piestewa Peak are within the heart of the valley. The city's outskirts have large fields of irrigated cropland and Native American reservation lands. The Salt River runs westward through Phoenix, but

4715-552: The desert tortoise . Native amphibian species include the Couch's spadefoot toad , Chiricahua leopard frog , and the Sonoran desert toad . Phoenix and the surrounding areas are also home to a wide variety of native invertebrates including the Arizona bark scorpion , giant desert hairy scorpion , Arizona blond tarantula , Sonoran Desert centipede , tarantula hawk wasp , camel spider , and tailless whip scorpion . Of great concern

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4830-444: The international community . During its history as a sovereign nation ( Kingdom of Hawaii , 1795–1893; Republic of Hawaii , 1894–1898), five sites served as the capital of Hawaii: Annexed by the United States in 1898, Honolulu remained the capital, first of the Territory of Hawaii ( 1900 –1959), and then of the state ( since 1959 ). During its history as a sovereign nation ( Republic of Texas , 1836–1845), seven sites served as

4945-669: The organpipe , barrel , fishhook , senita , prickly pear and cholla cacti; ocotillo ; Palo Verde trees and foothill and blue paloverde ; California fan palm ; agaves ; soaptree yucca , Spanish bayonet , desert spoon , and red yucca ; ironwood ; mesquite ; and the creosote bush . Many non-native plants also thrive in Phoenix including, but not limited to, the date palm , Mexican fan palm , pineapple palm , Afghan pine , Canary Island pine , Mexican fencepost cactus , cardon cactus , acacia , eucalyptus , aloe , bougainvillea , oleander , lantana , bottlebrush , olive , citrus , and red bird of paradise . Phoenix has

5060-481: 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. Phoenix is the cultural center of Arizona. It is in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert and is known for its hot desert climate . The region's gross domestic product reached over $ 362 billion by 2022. The city averaged

5175-620: The 1960s, with tourism becoming the third largest industry by the end of the decade. In 1965, the Phoenix Corporate Center opened; at the time it was the tallest building in Arizona, topping off at 341 feet. The 1960s saw many other buildings constructed as the city expanded rapidly, including the Rosenzweig Center (1964), today called Phoenix City Square , the landmark Phoenix Financial Center (1964), as well as many of Phoenix's residential high-rises. In 1965

5290-432: The 1960s. In 1964, a reporter from The New Republic wrote of segregation in these terms: "Apartheid is complete. The two cities look at each other across a golf course." The continued rapid population growth led more businesses to the valley to take advantage of the labor pool, and manufacturing, particularly in the electronics sector, continued to grow. The convention and tourism industries saw rapid expansion during

5405-421: The 2000 census (a total of 124,000 people), while the entire Phoenix metropolitan area grew by 28.9% during the same period. This compares with an overall growth rate nationally during the same time frame of 9.7%. Not since 1940–50, when the city had a population of 107,000, had the city gained less than 124,000 in a decade. Phoenix's recent growth rate of 9.4% from the 2010 census is the first time it has recorded

5520-572: The 200th anniversary of ratification of the Constitution; and at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York on September 6, 2002, to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks . Both meetings were ceremonial. Each state has a capital that serves as the seat of its government . Ten of the thirteen original states and 15 other states have changed their capital city at least once;

5635-549: The 2010 census population of 4,192,887. Consisting of both Pinal and Maricopa counties, the MSA accounts for 65.5% of Arizona's population. Phoenix only contributed 13% to the total growth rate of the MSA, down significantly from its 33% share during the prior decade. Phoenix is also part of the Arizona Sun Corridor megaregion (MR), which is the tenth most populous of the 11 MRs, and the eighth largest by area. It had

5750-796: The Creek national government met near Hot Springs which was then part of their new territory as prescribed in the Treaty of Cusseta. Because some Creeks fought with the Confederacy in the American Civil War , the Union forced the Creeks to cede over 3,000,000-acre (1,200,000 ha) - half of their land in what is now Arkansas. Served as the National capital after the American Civil War. It

5865-675: The Federal Army, sent for the "round up", fled to the remote settlements separated from the rest of the Cherokee Territory in Georgia and North Carolina, in order to remain in their homeland. In the 20th century, their descendants organized as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ; its capital is at Cherokee, North Carolina , in the tribally-controlled Qualla Boundary . After Removal from their Alabama-Georgia homeland,

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5980-429: The General Assembly, that the only true pronunciation of the name of the state, in the opinion of this body, is that received by the French from the Native Americans and committed to writing in the French word representing the sound. It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables. The pronunciation with

6095-412: The Georgia state line, in order to evade the Georgia state militia. The log cabins, limestone springs, and park-like woods of Red Clay served as the capital until the Cherokee Nation was removed to Indian Territory ( Oklahoma ) on the Trail of Tears . Tahlequah, in present-day Oklahoma, served as the capital of the original Cherokee Nation after Removal . After the Civil War, a turbulent period for

6210-465: The Gila River Valley, from Florence in the east to the Estrellas in the west. Their crops included corn, beans, and squash for food as well as cotton and tobacco. They banded with the Maricopa for protection against incursions by the Yuma and Apache tribes. The Maricopa are part of the larger Yuma people; however, they migrated east from the lower Colorado and Gila Rivers in the early 1800s, when they began to be enemies with other Yuma tribes, settling among

6325-406: The Hohokam. Other nearby settlements later merged to become the city of Tempe . The history of Phoenix begins with Jack Swilling , a Confederate veteran of the Civil War who prospected in the nearby mining town of Wickenburg in the newly formed Arizona Territory . As he traveled through the Salt River Valley in 1867, he saw a potential for farming to supply Wickenburg with food. He also noted

6440-406: The Longhouse", was an alliance between the Five and later Six-Nations of Iroquoian language and culture of upstate New York . These include the Seneca , Cayuga , Onondaga , Oneida , Mohawk , and, after 1722, the Tuscarora Nations. Since the Confederacy's formation around 1450, the Onondaga Nation has held privilege of hosting the Iroquois Grand Council and the status of Keepers of the Fire and

6555-412: The Nation which was involved in its own civil war resulting from pervasive anger and disagreements over removal from Georgia, the Cherokee Nation built a new National Capitol in Tahlequah out of brick. The building served as the capitol until 1907, when the Dawes Act finally dissolved the Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah became the county seat of Cherokee County, Oklahoma . The Cherokee National government

6670-420: The National Weather Service decreed that starting in 2008, June 15 would be the official "first day" of the monsoon, and it would end on September 30. When active, the monsoon raises humidity levels and can cause heavy localized precipitation, flash floods, hail, destructive winds, and dust storms —which can rise to the level of a haboob in some years. As of 2020, Phoenix was the fifth most populous city in

6785-517: The Phoenix Concept 2000 plan which split the city into urban villages, each with its own village core where greater height and density was permitted, further shaping the free-market development culture. The nine original villages have expanded to 15 over the years (see Cityscape below). This officially turned Phoenix into a city of many nodes, which would later be connected by freeways. The Phoenix Symphony Hall opened in 1972; other major structures which saw construction downtown during this decade were

6900-401: The Salt River Valley. It lies at a mean elevation of 1,086 feet (331 m), in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert . Other than the mountains in and around the city, Phoenix's topography is generally flat, which allows the city's main streets to run on a precise grid with wide, open-spaced roadways. Scattered, low mountain ranges surround the valley: McDowell Mountains to the northeast,

7015-472: The Tonto National Forest, considered sacred by the San Carlos Apache Tribe , for purposes of copper mining . This proposal, in Section 3003, titled "Southeast Arizona Land Exchange", is strongly opposed by many Native Americans , including the 57 member tribes of The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association. Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( / ˈ f iː n ɪ k s / FEE -niks )

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7130-406: The U.S. Federal Government, these capitals can be seen as officially recognized in some sense. New Echota, now near Calhoun , Georgia , was founded in 1825, realizing the dream and plans of Cherokee Chief Major Ridge . Major Ridge chose the site because of its centrality in the historic Cherokee Nation which spanned parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, and because it was near

7245-411: The United States , with the census bureau placing its population at 1,608,139, edging out Philadelphia with a population of 1,567,872. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, Phoenix had a population of 1,445,632 according to the 2010 United States census , the sixth largest city and still the most populous state capital in the United States. Prior to the Great Recession, in 2006, Phoenix's population

7360-434: The United States since 1800. Each U.S. state has its own capital city, as do many of its insular areas . Most states have not changed their capital city since becoming a state, but the capital cities of their respective preceding colonies, territories, kingdoms, and republics typically changed multiple times. There have also been other governments within the current borders of the United States with their own capitals, such as

7475-450: The United States which were never officially recognized as legally independent sovereign entities; however, these nations did have de facto control over their respective regions during their existence. Prior to the independence of the United States from Great Britain , declared July 4, 1776 in the Declaration of Independence and ultimately secured in the American Revolutionary War , several congresses were convened on behalf of some of

7590-436: The United States, the large area gives it a low density rate of approximately 2,797 people per square mile. In comparison, Philadelphia , the sixth most populous city with nearly the same population as Phoenix, has a density of over 11,000 people per square mile. Like most of Arizona, Phoenix does not observe daylight saving time . In 1973, Governor Jack Williams argued to the U.S. Congress that energy use would increase in

7705-414: The United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico , is the oldest capital city, having become capital in 1610 and interrupted only by the aforementioned Pueblo Revolt. An even older Spanish city, St. Augustine, Florida , served as a colonial capital from 1565 until about 1820, more than 250 years. The table below includes the following information: Whereas, confusion of practice has arisen in the pronunciation of

7820-460: The Valley in 1987. There was an influx of refugees due to low-cost housing in the Sunnyslope area in the 1990s, resulting in 43 different languages being spoken in local schools by 2000. The new 20-story City Hall opened in 1992. Phoenix has maintained a growth streak in recent years, growing by 24.2% before 2007. This made it the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, surpassed only by Las Vegas . In 2008, Squaw Peak,

7935-423: The Wampum —which they still do at the official Longhouse on the Onondaga Reservation. Now spread over reservations in New York and Ontario , the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee preserve this arrangement to this day in what they claim to be the "world's oldest representative democracy." The Seneca Nation republic was founded in 1848 and has two capitals that rotate responsibilities every two years. Jimerson Town

8050-413: The agricultural corridor between them. The following year, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Phoenix on December 2, by splitting the Archdiocese of Tucson, with Edward A. McCarthy as the first Bishop. In the 1970s the downtown area experienced a resurgence, with a level of construction activity not seen again until the urban real estate boom of the 2000s. By the end of the decade, Phoenix adopted

8165-471: The area. After the departure of the Hohokam, groups of Akimel O'odham (commonly known as Pima), Tohono O'odham , and Maricopa tribes began to use the area, as well as segments of the Yavapai and Apache. The O'odham were offshoots of the Sobaipuri tribe, who in turn were thought to be the descendants of the Hohokam. The Akimel O'odham were the major group in the area. They lived in small villages with well-defined irrigation systems that spread over

8280-679: The boundaries of the St. Michaels Chapter, adjacent to the Arizona and New Mexico state line. Window Rock hosts the Navajo Nation governmental campus which contains the Navajo Nation Council, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, the offices of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, and many Navajo government buildings. There have been a handful of self-declared or undeclared nations within the current borders of

8395-636: The capital of Texas: Annexed by the United States in 1845, Austin remains the capital of the state of Texas. Some Native American tribes, in particular the Five Civilized Tribes , organized their states with constitutions and capitals in Western style. Others, like the Iroquois, had long-standing, pre-Columbian traditions of a 'capitol' longhouse where wampum and council fires were maintained with special status. Since they did business with

8510-633: The capital of the Republic of West Florida was: The Republic of Indian Stream was an unrecognized independent nation within the present state of New Hampshire . Before being annexed by the United States in 1848 (following the Mexican–American War ), a small portion of north-central California declared itself the California Republic , in an act of independence from Mexico, in 1846 (see Bear Flag Revolt ). The republic only existed

8625-550: The capital until 1832 when the state of Georgia outlawed Native American assembly in an attempt to undermine the Nation. Thousands of Cherokee would gather in New Echota for the annual National Councils, camping along the nearby rivers and holding long stomp dances in the park-like woods that were typical of many Southeastern Native American settlements. The Cherokee National council grounds were moved to Red Clay, Tennessee, on

8740-599: The city also had a record 55 days of daily highs topping 110 °F (43 °C)+, which also made summer of 2023 the hottest on record there, until it was beaten by the summer of 2024 with the hottest ever June at 97.0 °F (36 °C), the third hottest august August at 98.7 °F (37 °C) and the 2nd hottest July record at 101.1 °F (38 °C) by average daily temperature respectively. That same year in 2024, it also recorded an unprecedented 113 day streak of daily highs topping 100 °F (38 °C)+ that lasted from May 27 to September 16. Because extreme heat

8855-549: The city is an anchor for the metro area. Fields colored light yellow denote that the population is a micropolitan statistical area. An insular area is a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nation's federal district. Those insular areas with territorial capitals are listed below. Two of the 50 U.S. states, Hawaii and Texas, were once de jure sovereign states with diplomatic recognition from

8970-416: The city's second tallest mountain, was renamed Piestewa Peak after Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa , an Arizonan and the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military, as well as being the first American female casualty of the 2003 Iraq War . 2008 also saw Phoenix as one of the cities hardest hit by the subprime mortgage crisis , and by early 2009 the median home price

9085-444: The city. There are many species of native birds, including Costa's hummingbird , Anna's hummingbird , Gambel's quail , Gila woodpecker , mourning dove , white-winged dove , the greater roadrunner , the cactus wren , and many species of raptors, including falcons , hawks , owls , vultures (such as the turkey vulture and black vulture ), and eagles , including the golden and the bald eagle . The greater Phoenix region

9200-404: The colonies of British America . However, these bodies did not address the question of independence from England, and therefore did not designate a national capital. The Second Continental Congress encompassed the period during which the United States declared independence, but had not yet established a permanent national capital. Before joining the United States as the fourteenth state, Vermont

9315-587: The confluence of the Conasauga and Coosawattee rivers. The town's layout was partly inspired by Ridge's many visits to Washington D.C. and to Baltimore, but also invoked traditional themes of the Southeastern ceremonial complex . Complete with the Council House, Supreme Court, Cherokee syllabary printing press, and the houses of several of the Nation's constitutional officers, New Echota served as

9430-631: The desert land arable, and paths of these canals were used for the Arizona Canal , Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct . They also carried out extensive trade with the nearby Ancient Puebloans , Mogollon , and Sinagua , as well as with the more distant Mesoamerican civilizations. It is believed periods of drought and severe floods between 1300 and 1450 led to the Hohokam civilization's abandonment of

9545-509: The eroded mounds of dirt that indicated previous canals dug by native peoples who had long since left the area. He formed the Swilling Irrigation and Canal Company that year, dug a large canal that drew in river water, and erected several crop fields in a location that is now within the eastern portion of central Phoenix near its airport. Other settlers soon began to arrive, appreciating the area's fertile soil and lack of frost, and

9660-476: The evening should Arizona observe DST. He went on to say energy use would also rise early in the day "because there would be more lights on in the early morning." Additionally, he said daylight saving time would cause children to go to school in the dark. Since 1979, the city of Phoenix has been divided into urban villages , many of which are based upon historically significant neighborhoods and communities that have since been annexed into Phoenix. Each village has

9775-639: The existing communities of the Akimel O'odham. The Tohono O'odham also lived in the region, but largely to the south and all the way to the Mexican border. The O'odham lived in small settlements as seasonal farmers who took advantage of the rains, rather than the large-scale irrigation of the Akimel. They grew crops such as sweet corn, tapery beans, squash, lentils, sugar cane, and melons, as well as taking advantage of native plants such as saguaro fruits, cholla buds, mesquite tree beans, and mesquite candy (sap from

9890-402: The extreme heat experienced in Phoenix and the surrounding areas during its long summers. There was more new construction in Phoenix in 1959 alone than from 1914 to 1946. Like many emerging American cities at the time, Phoenix's spectacular growth did not occur evenly. It largely took place on the city's north side, a region that was nearly all Caucasian. In 1962, one local activist testified at

10005-528: The farmhouse Swilling constructed became a frequently-visited location in the valley. Lord Darrell Duppa was one of the original settlers in Swilling's party, and he suggested the name "Phoenix", as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. The Board of Supervisors in Yavapai County officially recognized the new town on May 4, 1868, and the first post office was established

10120-595: The fire was human-caused. Many wildlife species inhabit the forest including Colorado desert raccoons , bald eagles , New Mexico black bears , Mearns coyotes , Arizona skunks , bobcats , greater roadrunners , prairie falcons , Coues ' white-tailed deer , long-eared owls , desert mule deer , Western red-tailed hawks , Great blue herons , North American cougars , American barn owls , ring-tailed cats , American kestrels , pronghorns , javelinas , and Rocky Mountain elk . The Tonto National Forest has six notable cold water reservoirs: The next four are created by

10235-503: The first multi-purpose dam, and Roosevelt attended the official dedication on May 18, 1911. At the time, it was the largest masonry dam in the world, forming a lake in the mountains east of Phoenix. The dam would be renamed after Teddy Roosevelt in 1917, and the lake would follow suit in 1959. On February 14, 1912, Phoenix became a state capital, as Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state under President William Howard Taft . This occurred just six months after Taft had vetoed

10350-458: The following month with Swilling as the postmaster. In October 1870, valley residents met to select a new townsite for the valley's growing population. A new location three miles to the west of the original settlement, containing several allotments of farmland, was chosen, and lots began to officially be sold under the name of Phoenix in December of that year. This established the downtown core in

10465-424: The height of an unprecedent heatwave that caused daily highs to top 110 °F (43 °C) or higher that lasted for 31 days straight, Phoenix set its record for the warmest daily low temperature, at 97 °F (36 °C). The city averages approximately 300 days of sunshine, or over 85% of daylight hours, per year, and receives scant rainfall―the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

10580-421: The hottest of any major city in the United States. On average, there are 111 days annually with a high of at least 100 °F (38 °C), including most days from the end of May through late September. Highs top 110 °F (43 °C) an average of 21 days during the year. On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time recorded high of 122 °F (50 °C). The annual minimum temperature in Phoenix

10695-408: The last state to move its capital city was Oklahoma in 1910. In the following table, the "Since" column shows the year that the city began serving as the state's capital (or the capital of the entities that preceded it). The MSA/μSA and CSA columns display the population of the metro area the city is a part of, and should not be construed to mean the population of the city's sphere of influence or that

10810-535: The mesquite tree). They also hunted local game such as deer, rabbit, and javelina for meat. The Mexican–American War ended in 1848, Mexico ceded its northern zone to the United States, and the region's residents became U.S. citizens. The Phoenix area became part of the New Mexico Territory . In 1863, the mining town of Wickenburg was the first to be established in Maricopa County, to

10925-633: The name of our state and it is deemed important that the true pronunciation should be determined for use in oral official proceedings. And, whereas, the matter has been thoroughly investigated by the State Historical Society and the Eclectic Society of Little Rock, which have agreed upon the correct pronunciation as derived from history, and the early usage of the American immigrants. Be it therefore resolved by both houses of

11040-417: The nation in this hazard. PM2.5 particulate matter, which is a component of diesel engine exhaust, and larger PM10 particles, which can come from dust, can both reach concerning levels in Phoenix. In fact, people, pets, and other animals exposed to high concentrations of PM10 dust particles―primarily from dust storms or from disturbed agricultural or construction sites―are at risk of contracting Valley Fever ,

11155-612: The national capital at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C. For the next ten years, Philadelphia served as the temporary capital. There, Congress met at Congress Hall . On November 17, 1800, the 6th United States Congress formally convened in Washington, D.C. Congress has met outside of Washington only twice since: on July 16, 1987, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, to commemorate

11270-592: The northwest of Phoenix. Maricopa County had not been incorporated; the land was within Yavapai County , which included the major town of Prescott to the north of Wickenburg. The Army created Fort McDowell on the Verde River in 1865 to forestall Indian uprisings. The fort established a camp on the south side of the Salt River by 1866, which was the first settlement in the valley after the decline of

11385-698: The riverbed is often dry or contains little water due to large irrigation diversions. South Mountain separates the community of Ahwatukee from the rest of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 517.9 sq mi (1,341 km ), of which 516.7 sq mi (1,338 km ) is land and 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km ), or 0.2%, is water. Maricopa County grew by 711% from 186,000 in 1940 to 1,509,000 by 1980, due in part to air conditioning, cheap housing, and an influx of retirees. The once "modest urban sprawl" now "grew by 'epic' proportions—not only

11500-496: The same in the Confederacy as they had been in the Union (U.S.A.), although as the advancing Union Army used those cities for military districts, some of the Confederate governments were relocated or moved out of state, traveling along with secessionist armies . In 1863 and 1864, Jones County, Mississippi revolted against Confederate rule and became practically independent under the name Free State of Jones . The Free State fought

11615-679: The second largest growth by percentage of the MRs (behind only the Gulf Coast MR) between 2000 and 2010. List of capitals in the United States Population This is a list of capital cities of the United States , including places that serve or have served as federal, state, insular area, territorial, colonial and Native American capitals. Washington, D.C. has been the federal capital of

11730-455: The site of its new research and development center for military electronics. Seeing the same advantages as Motorola, other high-tech companies, such as Intel and McDonnell Douglas , moved into the valley and opened manufacturing operations. By 1950, over 105,000 people resided in the city and thousands more in surrounding communities. The 1950s growth was spurred on by advances in air conditioning, which allowed homes and businesses to offset

11845-616: The situation difficult to assess. The rebellion in Jones County has been variously characterized as consisting of local skirmishes to being a full-fledged war of independence. Most of the original Thirteen Colonies had their capitals occupied or attacked by the British during the American Revolutionary War . State governments operated where and as they could. The City of New York was occupied by British troops from 1776 to 1783. A similar situation occurred during

11960-645: The state of Tennessee. Franklin was never officially admitted into the Union of the United States and existed for only four years. The State of Muskogee was a Native American state in Spanish Florida created by the Englishman William Augustus Bowles , who was its "Director General", author of its Constitution, and designer of its flag. It consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles . It existed from 1799 to 1803. It had one capital: The Republic of West Florida

12075-482: The town's population stood at 2,453. By 1881, Phoenix's continued growth made the board of trustees obsolete. The Territorial Legislature passed the Phoenix Charter Bill, incorporating Phoenix and providing a mayor-council government; Governor John C. Fremont signed the bill on February 25, 1881, officially incorporating Phoenix as a city with a population of around 2,500. The railroad's arrival in

12190-558: The valley in the 1880s was the first of several events that made Phoenix a trade center whose products reached eastern and western markets. In response, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was organized on November 4, 1888. The city offices moved into the new City Hall at Washington and Central in 1888. The territorial capital moved from Prescott to Phoenix in 1889, and the territorial offices were also in City Hall. The arrival of

12305-490: Was $ 150,000, down from its $ 262,000 peak in 2007. Crime rates in Phoenix have fallen in recent years, and once troubled, decaying neighborhoods such as South Mountain , Alhambra , and Maryvale have recovered and stabilized. On June 1, 2023, the State of Arizona announced the decision to halt new housing development in the Phoenix metropolitan area that relies solely on groundwater due to a predicted water shortfall. Phoenix

12420-459: Was 1,512,986, the fifth largest just ahead of Philadelphia. After leading the U.S. in population growth for over a decade, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, followed by the recession, led to a slowing in the growth of Phoenix. There were approximately 77,000 people added to the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2009, which was down significantly from its peak in 2006 of 162,000. Despite this slowing, Phoenix's population grew by 9.4% since

12535-587: Was a short-lived nation that broke away from the territory of Spanish West Florida in 1810. It comprised the Florida Parishes of the modern state of Louisiana and the Mobile District of the modern states of Mississippi and Alabama . (The Republic of West Florida did not include any part of the modern state of Florida .) Ownership of the area had been in dispute between Spain and the United States, which claimed that it had been included in

12650-679: Was an advertising slogan invented to boost tourism. During World War II, Phoenix's economy shifted to that of a distribution center, transforming into an "embryonic industrial city" with the mass production of military supplies. There were three air force fields in the area: Luke Field , Williams Field , and Falcon Field , as well as two large pilot training camps, Thunderbird Field No. 1 in Glendale and Thunderbird Field No. 2 in Scottsdale. A town that had just over 65,000 residents in 1940 became America's fifth largest city by 2020, with

12765-703: Was an independent republic known as the Vermont Republic (1777–1791). Three cities served as the capital of the Republic: The current capital of the State of Vermont is Montpelier . The State of Franklin was an autonomous, secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution from territory that later was ceded by North Carolina to the federal government. Franklin's territory later became part of

12880-698: Was founded in the 1960s following the formation of the Allegheny Reservoir . The Senecas also have an administrative longhouse in Steamburg but do not consider that location to be a capital. Window Rock ( Navajo : Tségháhoodzání ), Arizona, is a small city that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation (1936–present), the largest territory of a sovereign Native American nation in North America. It lies within

12995-590: Was probably named after Ocmulgee , on the Ocmulgee river in Macon , a principle Coosa and later Creek town built with mounds and functioning as part of the Southeastern ceremonial complex . However, there were other traditional Creek "mother-towns" before removal. The Ocmulgee mounds were ceded illegally in 1821 with the Treaty of Indian Springs . The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee , which means "People of

13110-656: Was re-established in 1938 and Tahlequah remains the capital of the modern Cherokee Nation ; it is also the capital of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians . Approximately four to eight hundred Cherokees escaped removal because they lived on a separated tract, purchased later with the help of Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas , along the Oconaluftee River deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Some Cherokees fleeing

13225-521: 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 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

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