Arizona · United States
Phoenix travel guide
Phoenix is a city in Arizona, United States, home to about 1,608,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- PHX7 km · Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Phoenix
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Phoenix
Phoenix ( FEE-niks) 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.
Why would anybody want to start a city in the middle of a desert? The answer is, surprisingly, agriculture. The Salt and Verde Rivers of central Arizona were exploited for large-scale agriculture by Native Americans as early as the 11th century. The area that now encompasses Phoenix was a center of the Hohokam culture, which built large canal systems and a network of towns and villages, whose remains may be viewed in the city to this day. White settlers discovered the remnants of the Hohokam culture in the 19th century.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Phoenix
See
- Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
- Desert Botanical Garden
- Ro Ho En Japanese Friendship Garden
- Phoenix Zoo
- Arizona Science Center
- Heard Museum
- Phoenix Art Museum
- Arizona State Capitol Museum
- The Gallery at City Hall
- Musical Instrument Museum
- Phoenix Police Museum
- Children's Museum of Phoenix
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.
- Castles N' Coasters
- Enchanted Island Amusement Park
- Cityscape
- Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market
- The Nash
- Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Rides
- Arizona Grand Spa
- Camelback Mountain
- Piestewa Peak
- North Mountain
- South Mountain Park
- Ben Avery Shooting Facility
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Phoenix
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Phoenix are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; August is the wettest, with about 31 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Phoenix: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about 6.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA, 42 km) and Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field (PRC, 138 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Like many metro areas in the Southwest, Phoenix and its surroundings are pretty car centric. If you plan to stay or visit any of the cities on the periphery of the metro area, a car will likely be required.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
PHX · Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
AZA · Mesa Gateway Airport
PRC · Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Phoenix
Drink
Phoenix as a metropolitan area offers a considerable amount of nightlife, though with the fact that the city is so spread out it can be difficult and dangerous to attempt traversing the city on a big night out. Generally, the nightlife is centered around the sub-cities of the metro area. Within Phoenix, bars tend to cluster within the Midtown or Downtown areas, while in the surrounding areas, Scottsdale offers a lively bar and club scene, Tempe is popular with students given the proximity to the University, and the city centers for Chandler and Glendale both offer some good options if you're in the suburbs.
Stay safe
Despite being a nice vacation destination, Phoenix is a major American city and as such does contain a fair amount of violent crime. Some parts of the city (and even a few parts of some of the suburbs) should be avoided at night. Downtown Phoenix is safe during the day, but does have a problem with the homeless/transients, some of whom approach well-dressed office workers and tourists asking for spare change. South Phoenix can be unsafe in some areas. Maryvale, a commercial/residential district on the west side of the city of Phoenix (extending north into Glendale as well), should be avoided at almost all times unless there is a specific reason to go there.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Phoenix: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Phoenix?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Phoenix are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 42 °C; August is the wettest, with about 31 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Phoenix?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about 6.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA, 42 km) and Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field (PRC, 138 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Phoenix?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Phoenix
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.