Phoenix Vacations & Travel Tips
Getting Around
Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is by far the largest airport in the Southwest, served by many national and international flights. International travelers from Canada, Mexico and the UK have good air access to Phoenix.
Sky Harbor International Airport, 5km (3mi) southeast of downtown, is connected with downtown by two Valley Metro bus lines, shuttle services and taxis.
Region:
Phoenix & Scottsdale
Featured Phoenix Hotel
Fast Facts
The capital of Arizona, Phoenix, is also its most populated city, boasting more than 1.6 million citizens. There are also 22 Native American tribes, communities and nations located in Phoenix and across Arizona. Cambridge-educated pioneer Darrell Duppa noticed the ruins and prehistoric canals of the Hohokam tribe and believed another civilization would rise from those ashes.
The town’s name mirrors its mythological namesake, the Phoenix bird, who also rises from the ashes. Neither Phoenix, nor Arizona, observes daylight savings time. Maybe they have so much sunlight, they don’t need to change the clocks to compensate during spring and fall. Phoenix is actually 1,117 feet sea level. People from Phoenix are called Phonecians.
In 1939, on a mission to “Save the Desert”, locals created the Desert Botanical Garden, now home to 140 acres with 21,000 plants, one-third of which only grow here.