Looking for Arizona facts? You have landed on the right page! Arizona is a welcome state for nature lovers with its diverse landscape for trekking and pristine skies for stargazing.
With unpredictable conditions throughout the day, not just year-round, people overcome them through a challenging and sportive spirit.
The awesome Arizona facts here create a sense of awe at the height, depth, width and length of the facts.
Awesome Arizona Facts: A Quick Glance | 1 – 5
001. Arizona means ‘small spring’ derived from the native Indian word ‘ali sonak.’
002. It is the sixth largest state with a total area of 113,998 square miles and positioned in the southwest US.
003. The major cities of Arizona include Phoenix (capital), Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert etc.
004. It is landlocked and bordered by California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Mexico.
005. Arizona has 15 counties and 90 cities / towns.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Timeline | 6 – 10
006. The Native American Tribes that were settled in Arizona include Hopi, Pueblo, Zuni, Apache, Mohave, and Navajo.
007. Oraibi, Navajo County, Arizona, inhabited by the Hopi tribe prior CE 1150, is the oldest continuous settlement in the US.
008. In 1539, Spanish priest Marcos de Niza arrived in Arizona. He was the first European to be there. Later more gold explorers and priests established Tubac (1752) and Tucson (1775).
009. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), Gadsden Purchase (1853) and Battle of Picacho Pass (1862) consolidated Arizonan territory in 1863.
010. Phoenix became the capital city in 1889, and Arizona became the 48th and last contiguous US state in 1912.
Awesome Arizona Facts: State Symbols | 11 – 15
011. The State flower of Arizona is Saguaro Cactus blossom while the State tree is Palo Verde.
012. While the official State food is Prickly-pear cactus, the favorite one however is the Chimichangas, also called deep-fried burritos.
013. The State bird is Cactus Wren, the State animal is Ringtail and the State fish is Apache Trout.
014. Blue and gold were adopted as the official colors of the State of Arizona and incorporated in national flag too.
015. The Motto of Arizona State is Ditat Deus (God Enriches) and the Slogan is: “The Grand Canyon State.” The slogan also appears on the license plates of vehicles.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Population | 16 – 20
016. The population of Arizona is 7,17,646 based on the latest US Census Bureau report on July 1, 2018.
017. Men and women are equal in numbers and the age of half the population is between 18 to 65 years.
018. About 80% of Arizonans live either in Maricopa County or Pima County but these counties occupy just 16% of Arizona’s total area.
019. Again 65% are in Maricopa County, ranking it fourth among US counties and more populated than 24 other US states.
020. The county seat of Maricopa and Pima Counties are Phoenix and Tucson respectively where the population is highly concentrated.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Geography | 21 – 25
021. The geography of Arizona is contrasting with high mountain ranges, deserts, deep canyons and several rock formations.
022. Only 0.32% of Arizona’s land area consists of water, having the lowest percentage of water area next to New Mexico at 0.19%
023. The water in lakes quickly evaporate due to high temperature and low humidity. Rivers Colorado and Gila contribute to the irrigation.
024. The climate is arid or semi-arid, cooler on the mountains with snowfall in winter and warmer in others being deserts.
025. It has a wide range of temperatures throughout the day and in different seasons from 14°F to 81°F.
Awesome Arizona Facts: The Grand Canyon | 26 -30
026. For millions of years, River Colorado carved a valley that continuously deepened and widened to form the Grand Canyon.
027. It is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and 6,093 feet deep, revealing 2 billion years of earth’s history.
028. Though the size is breathtaking and colorful rock layers are appealing, it is not the deepest.
029. Declaring the Grand Canyon a national monument (1908), Roosevelt termed it a great sight for all American generations to see.
030. By all means, adventure awaits, whether it is trekked, rafted along the river, skywalked or ridden on mule or helicopter.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Geology | 31 – 35
031. Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
032. 50,000-year-old Giant Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona was used by NASA astronauts for training before their moon expedition.
033. The rock formations in Petrified Forest National Park, Zion Park etc. are evidence of high volcanic activity throughout Arizonan history.
034. The Sonoran Desert with their characteristic landforms, fossils, sand dunes etc. present rich geologic scenes in Arizona.
035. The mineral wealth of Arizona is substantial with copper-gold porphyry, lead, zinc plus rare minerals.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Ghost Town Stories | 36 – 40
036. Arizona has a long list of ghost towns that once flourished and later abandoned or turned into historical sites.
037. Some were abandoned mining boomtowns, farmlands washed by flood, grazelands submerged in lakes etc.
038. Some historical sites include Alma, Brigham City, Castle Dome, Clemenceau, Crown King, Goldfield, Hardyville, Kentucky Camp, Klondyke, Oatman, Ruby etc.
039. They are maintained by bodies like the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Lost Dutchman Mining Association etc.
040. C.H. Cook Memorial Church (Sacaton), Durling Hotel (Oatman), Drug Company (Oatman), Hotel/Store (Morristown) are some listed under NRHP (National Register of Historic Places).
Awesome Arizona Facts: 5 Cs of Economy | 41 – 45
041. Arizona tops in the US for Copper Mining, as symbolized by the star in the official flag to produce wires and coins.
042. Cattle ranching was introduced by Spanish settlers as early as 1690 and continues to have great impact on the economy.
043. Arizona is also a leading producer of Cotton and it was started in the 1910s as ‘cash crop’ by the farmers.
044. In spite of the arid climate, growth of Citrus like grapes, oranges, limes and lemons were promoted through irrigation efforts.
045. Climate, the last C, impacts Arrizona’s economy through unpredictable hailstorms, dust storms, flash floods, apart from sunshine and low rainfall.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Tourism Industry | 46 – 50
046. Apart from the Cs, tourism is a thriving industry due to the extraordinary geographical conditions prevailing in Arizona.
047. Arizona, also called the Grand Canyon state, has five million visitors each year enthralled by the canyons.
048. Astro Tourism contributes to the Tucson economy as people all over throng for stargazing to the observatories and planetariums.
049. Hiking trails are famous in Arizona due to the diverse landscapes including waterfalls, lakes, canyons, mountains, deserts, volcanic areas etc.
050. Tourism generated $7.4 billion earnings out of $24.4 billion by direct visitor spending in 2018.
Awesome Arizona Facts: National Parks | 51 – 55
051. Arizona is home to three parks namely the Grand Canyon National Park, Petrified Forest National Park and Saguaro National Park.
052. The Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven natural wonders of the world celebrated birth centenary on February 26, 2019.
053. Also called Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest National Park has a 200 million years old colorful history with widespread petrified wood and fossils.
054. The remains belong to plants and animals of the Triassic Period that dates before the dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period.
You May Also Like: 185 Fabulous Florida Facts
055. Named after the native Saguaro Cactus, Saguaro National Park offers 165 miles of trekking trail for the nature lover.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Trivia | 56 – 60
056. Shootout between Cowboys and lawmen of 1881 called ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ still draws visitors to the spot.
057. In 1974, the original stones from the England London Bridge were shipped to reconstruct the bridge over Lake Havasu City,
058. Arizona has rattlesnakes (also called buzzworms) of thirteen species and Gila Monster – the only poisonous lizard in the US.
059. The protein from Gila monster saliva is used to produce drugs for Type 2 diabetes.
060. Every year around 150 people die from rattlesnake bites as the most common one camouflages with the pink rock.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Trivia | 61-65
061. To protect the cactus habitat, Arizona lawmen could impose up to 25 years confinement in the event of cutting down one.
062. Being a right-to-work state, workers don’t have to join unions even if one exists in their workplace.
063. The iconic neckwear Bolo or Bola, famous since the 1940s is the official tie symbolizing Arizona mens’ relaxedness and artistry.
Do you know, their brothers in New Mexico and Texas share the same spirit and have the same official neckwear?
064. The population of Arizona was two million until 1970 and rose to seven million only in the last forty years.
065. About 4.41% of the population is composed of native Americans.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Some Prominent Personalities | 66-70
066. Inspired by Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, the civil rights leader of Latinos followed non-violent methods.
067. David Henrie of kid’s TV show, Wizards of Waverly Place is an actor with interests in directing, producing and writing.
068. Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed by President Reagan is the first woman Justice of the US Supreme Court.
069. Danica Patrick is a successful female race car driver who won several titles in the male dominated sport.
070. Stevie Nicks, rock singer and songwriter has been actively performing since 1966 until now and is worth US $75 million.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Sports Teams | 71-75
071. Against all odds of rough climatic conditions, Arizona has a sportive spirit.
072. Arizona Cardinals, one among the 32 teams of the US National Football League (NFL) is the longest and continuous running franchise since 1898.
073. The Arizona Diamondbacks, among 15 teams of National League (NL), are part of 30 playing the Major League Baseball (MLB).
074. Phoenix Suns is part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) with 30 teams.
075. Phoenix Coyotes is the ice hockey team that competes in the National Ice Hockey League (NHL).
Awesome Arizona Facts: Toppers | 76-80
076. Arizona’s Parker Dam is the deepest in the world, and Phoenix is the hottest city in the US.
077. Copper was discovered in 1854 and commercial productions started in 1880. It has gold and silver as byproducts.
078. Arizona tops copper production in the US, and the Capitol Building has a roof worth 4.8 million pennies of copper.
079. Among the states, Arizona has set the highest percent of land as Indian land.
080. The Navajo Nation with an area of 17,544,500 acres has the largest native American reservation in Arizona.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Toppers | 81-85
081. Compared to other mountain states, it has the greatest number of peaks and summits, an overwhelming 3,928.
082. Lake Mead and Lake Powell in Arizona are the two largest man-made lakes of the US.
083. The Grand Falls and Havasu Falls are US top-rated waterfalls located in Arizona.
084. Arizona has 18 national monuments, the highest among the 50 states.
085. In the entire earth, the unique Saguaro Cactus is found only in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Interesting Titbits | 86-90
086. Since Arizona was admitted as US state on February 14th, 1912, it is called Valentine State.
087. Among the 15 counties, due to high population, Maricopa and Pima counties play the decisive role in state politics.
088. The four corners monument is a unique intersection in which Arizona meets three other states Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
089. Arizona recorded the highest temperature 128°F in Lake Havasu City (1994) and the lowest -40°F in Hawley Lake (1971).
090. Colorado River (70 ft, Yuma) is the lowest geographical point whereas Humphreys Peak (12,633 ft, Coconino) is the highest.
You May Also Like: 58 Interesting Alabama Facts
Awesome Arizona Facts: Interesting Titbits | 91-95
091. The music troops of the 90s like Meat Puppets, Jimmy Eats World and Gin Blossoms were from Arizona.
092. Only 17% of Arizona is privately owned while the others include forests, parks, state trust lands, and Native American reservations.
093. Arizona is home to the unique Apache Trout Fish not found elsewhere.
094. The world’s largest sundial measuring 90 ft across is located in Carefree, Arizona.
095. Along with Hawaii, Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time with the exception of Navajo Nation.
Awesome Arizona Facts: Interesting Titbits | 96-100
096. Arizona was once part of Mexico and so does Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and California.
097. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott houses the largest collection of miniature airplane models.
098. With clearest skies, Tucson, Arizona is called the ‘Astronomy Capital of the World’ fit for night exploration and fine stellar views.
099. The largest aperture solar telescope is located at the Kitts Peak National Observatory.
100. Half the state is 4000 feet above the sea level.
101. Still mails are delivered through mules to the village of Supai at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Sources:
General Facts:
Kids Konnect
Wikipedia
Visit Tucson
Cenus.gov
World Population Review
Visit Arizona
Movoto.com
A to Z Kids Stuff
Timeline Facts:
Duckster
Wikipedia
Geography Facts:
Wikipedia
Duckster
Grand Canyon:
Wikipedia
Symbols:
The Daily Meal
Ducksters
State Symbols USA
5 Cs:
Arrow Quip
Arizona State Library
Wikipedia
Nature of People:
Cowboys Indians
Trivia:
Wikipedia
Prominent Personalities:
Ducksters
Ducksters
Wikipedia
Ducksters
Wikipedia
Ghost Towns:
Wikipedia
Grand Canyon:
History.com
GC Flight
GC Flight
National Park Service
Wikipedia
Geology:
Wikipedia
Desert Museum
Sports:
MLB
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Tourism:
Planetware
Arizona Office of Tourism
Parks:
Wikipedia
National Park Service