Phoenix
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S.
state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest. Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County in the Salt River Valley and Arizona Sun Corridor and, with an area of 517.9 square miles, is the largest city by area in Arizona and 11th-largest city by area in the United States.
Getting to Phoenix
- 01Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
It is a hub for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
- 02Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
- 03Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
- 04Scottsdale Airport
Worth seeing
The cultural, governmental, and business center of the city is Copper Square, which is striving to become one of the southwest's most distinctive urban centers. Copper Square was built around the original Phoenix historic town site. Its boundaries extend from Fillmore to south of Jackson Street, 7th Street to 3rd Avenue.
- 01Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
3711 W Deer Valley Rd (From I-17 North: Take Deer Valley Road exit.
- 02Desert Botanical Garden
1201 N Galvin Pkwy (in Papago Park, near the Phoenix Zoo),.
- 03Ro Ho En Japanese Friendship Garden
Japanese-style garden with koi pond and tea house.
- 04Phoenix Zoo
June–August 7AM-1PM; September–October 9AM-5PM.
- 05Arizona Science Center
This center features 350 permanent hands-on exhibits and regularly hosts nationally acclaimed traveling exhibits.
- 06Heard Museum
2301 N Central Ave (Car: Between E Monte Vista Rd & E Hoover Ave; Valley Metro Light Rail: Encanto/Central; Valley Metro Bus: 0),.
Things to do
Winter visitors to the area will generally be looking for outdoor events. The area has many resorts with the relevant amenities, such as golf courses and the requisite pools and other activities on site. In the summer, due to the extreme heat, virtually everyone tries to avoid being outside more than necessary.
Where to eat
For cheap eats, look out for many 24-hour Mexican food places such as Filiberto's and other restaurants offer a burrito the size of your forearm for less than $4. Chicago Hamburger Company, 3749 E Indian School Rd,. Mon-Sat 10:30AM-8PM. "Home of the Original Windy City Slider" is the restaurant's slogan, and the small burgers (along with larger fare) are found here.
- 01Fry Bread House
Since 1992 this Tohono O'odham-owned and -operated restaurant has served authentic Native American cuisine, based on family recipes that the restaurant owner learned as a child.
- 02Green Restaurant
PETA named the secret BBQ Chicken sandwich as the best faux chicken sandwich in the USA.
- 03Matt's Big Breakfast
Very popular breakfast restaurant in downtown Phoenix.
- 04Cherryblossom Noodle Cafe
An interesting fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine.
- 05Garcia's Las Avenidas
2212 N 35th Ave (near intersection of 35th Ave & Encanto Blvd),.
Getting around Phoenix the local way
- Get inMain building at 15000 N Airport Dr | lat -111.9161 | content = It's one of the busiest single-runway airports in the United States, and Signature Flight Support and Ross Aviation operate the two private terminals for chartered VIP flights.
- Get inAir charter companies including Valley Jet and Phoenix Jet Charter offer access to private planes based at any of the airports in the Phoenix-area, with planes ranging from luxury jets to cost-effective single & twin-engine planes.
- Go nextA good option for a day trip, or longer, out of Phoenix is a drive north to Sedona.
From Wikivoyage: Phoenix, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.