Arizona is in the Southwest, desert region of the United States. It is bordered by California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and the country of Mexico. But for those more unfamiliar with the United States, let’s dig a little deeper to give you a better idea of where Arizona is.
Where is Arizona on a US map?
Arizona is entirely landlocked. It shares an international border with Mexico, but all other borders are shared with other states. When looking at a map of the US, Arizona is in the bottom left, just to the right of California.
It is a desert region, as the mountains that run through California on the west prevent most of the rain coming in from the ocean to travel as far as Arizona.
The summers are very hot but winters are mild. If you are wanting to visit Arizona, it is best to go between the months of October and February. However, Northern Arizona has a more mild climate with mountain ranges and forests.
Interesting Facts about Arizona
Arizona is nicknamed the Grand Canyon state as the Grand Canyon is fully contained within the state of Arizona. Children growing up in Arizona learn about the five C’s: Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, and Climate. These five items originally served as important roles in the economy and now serve a cultural role as well.
Arizona is about 114,000 square miles and would fit inside the state of Texas almost 2.5 times. It is the 6th largest state and the 14th most populous.
Arizona achieved statehood on February 14, 1912 and thus shares a birthday with Valentine’s Day.
Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time. During the winter months, Arizona is part of Mountain Time, but during the summer, Arizona is part of Pacific Time. Arizona time is a separate selection on most devices. The exception to this, is that all Native American Reservations of the Navajo Nation do still observe Daylight Savings Time.
When leaving Arizona, you can travel to any of the neighboring states without stopping at a border, with the exception of California. California monitors who and what comes in, largely for agricultural reasons. When traveling internationally to Mexico, you will have to follow all international border laws.
Arizona Capital City
Arizona’s Capital City is Phoenix, located roughly in the middle of the state. It’s a little bit south and west of center, but it is the central large city. The Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, which includes Phoenix and surrounding cities like Peoria, Glendale, Chandler, Mesa, and Scottsdale, has a population of 4.85 million people, which is more than half the population of the state!
Prior to Phoenix, the capitol moved around a few times. When Arizona was declared a territory in 1863, the first capitol was Fort Whipple. Then it was moved to Prescott a year later. In 1867, the capitol was moved to Tucson, only to be moved back to Prescott ten years later. In 1889, Phoenix was declared the permanent capital.
Phoenix has something for everyone: people who want to see a large cityscape, people who want to go hiking on trails, people who want to visit water parks or a small amusement park, people who want to watch sports, and all other manner of things.
Phoenix has a plethora of water parks in the metropolitan area, including Sunsplash, Big Surf, and Hurricane Harbor. Castles ‘n’ Coasters is a small amusement park with both a large arcade in a castle, and a mini golf course off to one side.
Reasons to Visit Arizona
Arizona’s biggest tourist locations are the Grand Canyon in the north, and the Colorado River along the western border. Arizona is also one of the four states that all touch each other at the Four Corners. The other three states being Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
The Grand Canyon is a great place for hikers, or people who just want to see the giant canyon. There are helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon, some of which originate in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River is outside the town of Page in Arizona. It has great hiking spots with gorgeous views.
Flagstaff, Arizona, has a ski resort: Snowbowl. Open as soon as there is enough snow for all skiers and snowboarders. There is also a scenic chairlift open year round. Tucson hosts a gem and mineral show every February.
Reasons to Move to Arizona
Arizona’s climate makes it the perfect location for people who have asthma and arthritis. The warmer, drier climate is easier on both of those conditions. Arizona also has virtually no natural disasters, only getting large rain and dust storms in the summer.
If you like moving to a big city, move to Phoenix, or one of the suburbs. You will have all of the amenities you would ever need, with more always coming in. Phoenix has everything from large chain stores to tiny niche places to fit every desire.
Tucson to the south and Flagstaff to the north are smaller cities still with many amenities. Both are only a couple hours’ drive from Phoenix and each have their own unique feel. Tucson has a big astronomy community and has light laws preventing it from getting too light at night so the stars can still be seen. Flagstaff has many forests and mountains to hike through.
For people who want to be farther away from it all, Arizona has cities like Prescott, Parker, and Tombstone. Prescott has beautiful weather, mountains and forests. Parker borders California and is near Lake Havasu. Tombstone is a gateway to western culture and also historic sites.
Conclusion
Just within the state of Arizona, you can see many different climates and regions: deserts, mountains, forests, and more. Arizona has beautiful weather, though the southern regions can get particularly hot in the summer. Arizona sunsets are the best when the sun paints beautiful colors on the clouds and they contrast with the mountains.
So whether you intend to only be in Arizona for a visit, or you plan to stay for a while, Arizona has something for you.