Phoenix Homes for Sale, Phoenix Real Estate, Phoenix Condos, Arizona, AZ

Phoenix Real Estate Overview

The City of Phoenix, Arizona, is the business and cultural hub of the Southwestern United States. As America's sixth largest city, Phoenix is Arizona's state capital, and the heart of a booming metropolis that is consistently one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

With one of the lowest costs of living compared to other major cities, and all the amenities one would expect of a modern metropolitan area, Phoenix is an excellent location for business and citizens to call home.

Phoenix was incorporated on February 5, 1881. It is the county seat of Maricopa County and the principal city of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Phoenix is called Hoodzo (lit. 'the place is hot') in Navajo (a language spoken in Arizona & New Mexico) and Fiinigis in Western Apache (a language spoken in Arizona).

Geography

Phoenix is surrounded by twenty two towns and cities that have grown so closely together that it is almost impossible to distinguish one from another in this satellite image. The large cluster of light brown pixels gridded by horizontal and vertical lines (roads and highways) demarcates the Greater Phoenix urban area.Phoenix is located at 33°31'42" North, 112°4'35" West (33.528370°, -112.076300°)1 in the Phoenix Valley or "Valley of the Sun" in central Arizona. It lies at a mean elevation of 1,117 feet (340 m) in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

The Greater Phoenix area has a population of 3.2 million and includes Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria and many smaller communities such as Goodyear, Fountain Hills, Litchfield Park, and Anthem. Major retirement communities include Sun Lakes, Sun City, and Sun City West. The community of Ahwatukee is a part of the City of Phoenix itself, but is almost entirely separated from it by South Mountain.

The Salt River runs westward through the city of Phoenix; it is typical to see the riverbed entirely dry except when unexpected runoff forces the release of water from any of the several dams upriver. The city of Tempe has built two inflatable dams in the Salt River to create a year-round recreational lake, called Tempe Town Lake. The dams are deflated to allow the river to flow unimpeded during releases. During periods of increased precipitation such as late 2004/early 2005 its current can become quite strong and regular.

The Phoenix metropolitan area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and the Sierra Estrella to the southwest. Within the city are the Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains. Current development (as of 2005) is pushing rapidly beyond the geographic boundaries to the north and west, south through Pinal County towards Tucson, and beginning to surround the large Salt River and Gila River reservations.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,230.5 km˛ (475.1 mi˛). 1,229.9 km˛ (474.9 mi˛) of it is land and 0.6 km˛ (0.2 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 0.05% water.

Transportation

Served extensively by ground, air and rail transportation, Phoenix offers a well-developed arterial street system complemented by Interstate 10, Interstate 17, the Loop 101 freeway ringing the city, and Loop 202. The Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railroad runs through the city along U.S. Highway 60.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the fifth busiest airport in the world with over 553,310 takeoffs and landings, is located in the heart of the city. The airport offers modern passenger and cargo facilities, and serves over 22 passenger airlines.

Education

The Phoenix area is known for its highly educated workforce. In addition to its 24 school districts, Phoenix is also home to Phoenix Community College, Ottawa University of Phoenix, DeVry Institute of Technology, Grand Canyon University, Apollo College, Western International University, Embry-Riddle University, Arizona State University West, and High-Tech Institute.

Economy

Formerly an agricultural economy dependent mostly on cotton and citrus farming, Phoenix in the last two decades has diversified as rapidly as the population has grown. Many of the area's residents are employed by the state government since Phoenix is the capital of Arizona. Numerous high-tech and telecommunications companies have located in the Valley of the Sun. Arizona State University has enhanced the area's population through education and its growing research capabilities. Due to the warm climate in winter, Phoenix benefits greatly from seasonal tourism and recreation, and has a particularly vibrant golf industry.

Key Areas of Interest

Heritage Square, Arizona Science Center, The Heard Museum, Pueblo Grande, Hall of Flame Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Tovrea Castle, America West Arena, Arizona State Capitol Museum, Bank One Ballpark, The Phoenix Zoo, Papago Park, Phoenix Symphony, Margaret T. Hance Deck Park, Phoenix Art Museum.

Phoenix Neighborhoods

Ahwatukee, Ak-Chin, Anthem, Avondale, Biltmore Estates, Buckeye, Carefree, Cave Creek, Central Phoenix, Circle City, Deer Valley, Desert Hills, Downtown Phoenix, East Phoenix, East Side, El Mirage, Estrella Park, Fountain Hills, Gila River, Glendale, Goodyear, Guadalupe, Laveen, Litchfield Park, Maryvale, Morristown, New River, North Central, North Phoenix, Northwest, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Rainbow Valley, South Mountain, South Phoenix, Southwest, Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, Sunnyslope, Surprise, West Phoenix, Wickenburg, Wittman, Youngstown.

The Phoenix real estate links at the top of the page will help you find Phoenix homes for sale, Phoenix real estate agents and Phoenix home values. Get access to Phoenix real estate listings and Phoenix home listings, including the Phoenix MLS, Phoenix REALTORS, Phoenix new homes, Phoenix condos, Phoenix condominiums, Phoenix property, Phoenix land, Phoenix acreage and Phoenix foreclosures. These free real estate services feature all Phoenix cities, Phoenix towns, Phoenix suburbs and Phoenix neighborhoods. The websites linked above also contain information on Phoenix home selling, Phoenix home buying, Phoenix mortgages, Phoenix insurance, Phoenix movers and other Phoenix realty services for anyone looking to sell a home or buy a home in Phoenix, Arizona, AZ.