Portal:Arizona

Arizona
Arizona
State
	State of Arizona
	Flag Seal
	Location of Arizona in the United States
Website	az.gov

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Arizona is a landlocked state in the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners region with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix, which is the most populous state capital and fifth-most populous city in the United States. Arizona is divided into 15 counties.

Arizona is the sixth-largest state by area and the 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. It is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California and Nuevo México in New Spain (Spanish Empire), it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848, where the area became part of the New Mexico Territory. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase.

Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce trees; the Colorado Plateau; mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains); as well as large, deep canyons, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Sunrise, and Tucson. In addition to the internationally known Grand Canyon National Park, which is one of the world's seven natural wonders, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments.

Arizona is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, the largest in the state and the country, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of Hispanics has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico and Central America. A substantial portion of the population are followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically since the 1950s because of inward migration, and the state is now a major hub of the Sun Belt. Many large companies, such as PetSmart and Circle K, have headquarters in the state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University. (Full article...)

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The history of Arizona encompasses the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Post-Archaic, Spanish, Mexican, and American periods. About 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians settled in what is now Arizona. A few thousand years ago, the Ancestral Puebloan, the Hohokam, the Mogollon and the Sinagua cultures inhabited the state. However, all of these civilizations mysteriously disappeared from the region in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today, countless ancient ruins can be found in Arizona. Arizona was part of the state of Sonora, Mexico from 1822, but the settled population was small. In 1848, under the terms of the Mexican Cession the United States took possession of Arizona north of the Gila River. It became part of the Territory of New Mexico. In 1854 the United States purchased the part of the Arizona south of the Gila River, which later allowed a rail connection from Yuma to El Paso.

In 1863, Arizona was split off from the Territory of New Mexico to form the Arizona Territory. The remoteness of the region ended with the arrival of railroads in 1880. Arizona became a state in 1912. It was primarily rural with an economy based on cattle, cotton, citrus, and copper. Dramatic growth came after 1945, as retirees and young families who appreciated the warm weather and low costs emigrated from the Northeast and Midwest. By the 1990s many new arrivals came, increasing the population dramatically, particularly in the metropolitan Phoenix area. (Full article...)

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... that some viewers of an Arizona TV station saw hardcore pornography instead of the Super Bowl?
... that Abraham Hamadeh lost one of the closest elections in Arizona history by 280 votes, and has filed multiple lawsuits challenging the results?
... that the Boundary Fire burned 17,788 acres (7,199 ha) of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in Arizona?
... that Arizona voters rejected a 2010 ballot measure by just 194 votes out of more than 1.5 million cast?
... that Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini got his start as a student assistant, with duties including washing baseball uniforms?
... that the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals set multiple NFL playoff records during their 2009 NFC Wild Card playoff game?
... that an Arizona TV station put a satellite dish in a vacant swimming pool?
... that after Joe Matesic was revealed to have played at Arizona State under his brother's name, the football coach resigned and the school was nearly expelled from the Border Conference?

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Credit: Moondigger

Havasu Falls, one of the four waterfalls of the Havasupai Indian Reservation, is located near the village of Supai, Arizona. It is the second of four falls on Havasu Creek, which empties into the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. The water of Havasu Creek has a bluish green tint due to the heavy lime content of the water. The fall is forked and looks like two falls when the river is flowing heavily.

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...that, in Arizona v. New Mexico, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Arizona's attempt to invoke original jurisdiction, but Arizona prevailed when the case returned to the court on appeal?

...that the Navajo Times was the first daily newspaper published by an American Indian Nation?

...that the location of the Silver King Mine was first discovered by a soldier building a road during the Apache Wars, who found black rocks that flattened when struck?

...that the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in the southwestern United States was established in 1939 to protect Desert Bighorn Sheep and the name Kofa is a contraction of King of Arizona?

... that Arizona Territorial Governor Joseph Henry Kibbey preferred to be addressed by the title "judge"?

... that Prescott, Arizona, Mayor Sam Steiger was criminally prosecuted for painting a crosswalk between the local courthouse and the saloons on Whiskey Row?

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WikiProjects

You are invited to participate in WikiProject Arizona, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Arizona.

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WikiProject United States

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WikiProject Arizona

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Rose Mofford (née Perica; June 10, 1922 – September 15, 2016) was an American civil servant and politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 18th governor of Arizona from 1988 to 1991. Her career in state government spanned 51 years, beginning as a secretary and working her way up the ranks to become the state's first female secretary of state, serving from 1977 to 1988, and the state's first female governor. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Arizona-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Hohokam pottery from Casa Grande (from History of Arizona)
Image 2Keet Seel cliff dwellings (from History of Arizona)
Image 3Upper Salt River (Arizona) with the Sierra Ancha in the background. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 4Connor Hotel in Jerome (from History of Arizona)
Image 51898 map of the Arizona Territory (from History of Arizona)
Image 6The luxury Harvey House hotel opened in 1905 overlooking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon; it remains in operation as the El Tovar Hotel. (from History of Arizona)
Image 7Sinagua cliff dwelling (Montezuma Castle), Arizona, built in around 1100 CE (from History of Arizona)
Image 8Petrified Forest National Park (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 9Arizona's average rainfall (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 10Signing of Arizona statehood bill in 1912 (from History of Arizona)
Image 11San Francisco Peaks (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 12Pinyon-juniper woodland near Heber-Overgaard, Arizona. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 13Arizona municipalities (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 14Big Lake (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 15White Mountains (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 16Chiricahua National Monument (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 17Hourly re-enactment for tourists of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (from History of Arizona)
Image 18Köppen climate types of Arizona, using 1991–2020 climate normals. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 19Panorama of Kinishba Ruins, an ancient Mogollon great house. The Kinishba Ruins are one building that has over 600 rooms. (from History of Arizona)
Image 20Fort Defiance, painted 1873 by Seth Eastman (from History of Arizona)
Image 21The Great House at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (from History of Arizona)
Image 22The location of Arizona in the United States (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 23The Gadsden Purchase (shown with present-day state boundaries and cities) (from History of Arizona)
Image 24Arizona Territory in 1866 (from History of Arizona)
Image 25Water delivered by the Central Arizona Project's canal. (from History of Arizona)
Image 26A map showing the extent of the Ancestral Puebloan, Hohokam, and Mogollon cultures within the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, all three of which were based in what is now Arizona and/or New Mexico in around 1350 CE (from History of Arizona)
Image 27Major airfields in Arizona during World War II. (from History of Arizona)
Image 28San Rafael Valley (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 29Riparian forest along upper Oak Creek Canyon (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 30The Sonoran Desert 35 miles (56 km) west of Maricopa, Arizona (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 31Horseshoe Bend (Arizona) (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 32Mormon Lake (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 33Verde River (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 34Grand Canyon South Rim at Sunset. (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 35Inspiration Copper Company smelter at Miami, Arizona, c. 1915 (from History of Arizona)
Image 361903 editorial cartoon by Bob Satterfield, depicting Arizona and New Mexico as crazed gunfighters intent on gaining access to the "E pluribus unum tavern". (from History of Arizona)
Image 37Humphreys Peak seen on its western side from U.S. Route 180, with Agassiz Peak in the background (from Geography of Arizona)
Image 38This ornate grain basket by Akimel O'odham dates from the early 20th century, showing the Native American dimension to the state's culture (from History of Arizona)

Arizona news

June 4, 2026 – Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election: The office of Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes says that it will seek new indictments against fake electors involved in attempting to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election in the state following a denial of an appeal by Mayes that would require prosecutors to send the case back to the grand jury. (AP via The Guardian) (The Hill)
June 3, 2026 –: The U.S. state of Arizona reports its first death of the Sin Nombre strain of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. (Forbes)

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State facts

Nickname: The Grand Canyon State
Capital and largest city: Phoenix
Governor: Katie Hobbs (D)
Total area: 295,254 km² (113,998 sq mi)
Population (2020): 7,151,502
Date admitted to the Union: February 14, 1912
Senators: Kyrsten Sinema (I), Mark Kelly (D)
Representatives: Tom O'Halleran (D), Ann Kirkpatrick (D), Raúl Grijalva (D), Paul Gosar (R), Andy Biggs (R), David Schweikert (R), Ruben Gallego (D), Debbie Lesko (R), Greg Stanton (D)

State symbols:

Animal: Ring-tailed Cat
Bird: Cactus wren
Butterfly: Two-tailed Swallowtail
Colors: Federal Blue and old gold
Firearm: The Colt Single-Action Army Revolver
Fish: Apache trout
Flower: Saguaro blossom
Fossil: Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Gem: Turquoise
Neckwear: Bolo tie
Reptile: Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake
Songs: "Arizona March Song", "Arizona"
Tree: Blue Palo Verde

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This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged or categorized (e.g. Category:WikiProject Arizona articles) correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.