The heart of the City of Phoenix, and what many would say might be at the very heart of the state, is called Phoenix Arizona Home Central Phoenix. Phoenix is surrounded by a ring of mountains, and therefore finds itself located in a valley. As this valley, blessed by almost year-round constant sunshine, is called The Valley of the Sun, so is Phoenix, the jewel that sits at the center of this valley, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun.
The exact location of Phoenix, in latitude and longitude, is 33 degrees 31’42” north and 112 degrees 4’35” west. This puts it at about the same latitude that would be on an east-west line going from west to east through Long Beach, CA, Shreveport, LA, and Savanna, GA. Phoenix sits in the center of Phoenix Valley, also frequently referred to as the “Valley of the Sun”.
It is easy to imagine the in-state location of Phoenix by just thinking of a place right in the middle of the state of Arizona. The elevation of Phoenix is 1,117 feet above sea level and it is in the heart of the beautiful Sonora Desert.
A major feature of Phoenix is the Salt River. The Salt River is important in the history and development of the city, and of the state. But the Salt River is also an important part of the landscape. The Salt River flows westward through the city of Phoenix; the riverbed is normally dry except when excess runoff forces the release of water from the dams upriver.
The city of Tempe has built two inflatable dams in the Salt River bed to create a year-round recreational lake. The Tempe Town Lake is surrounded by lavish living accommodations and a number of recreation and nightspots to meet the plan of creating a luxurious resort location.
But aside from this man-made lake, the city and surrounding places are mostly made up of land. The city officially has an area of 475.1 square miles. You can see how important water is to the area when you consider that of all this space only 0.05 percent of it is made up of water.
The majestic mountain ranges that enclose, ring and protect the city include Camelback Mountain to the east, Piestewa Peak (Formerly known as Squaw Peak and renamed to commemorate a brave Native American member of our military who fell in the line of duty with U.S. Armed Forces fighting for freedom in Iraq) in the northeast, and South Mountain, appropriately enough, in the south. Completing the enclosure and a bit further away, are the White Tank Mountains.
These mountains, rising spectacularly above the mostly level desert plains, form a breathtaking background for this jewel of a city amidst the desert.
But the Phoenix area itself is not simply a flat plain with no character to its terrain. Within the city are the Phoenix Mountains and South Mountains. These mountains not only add to the scenic beauty of the valley, they are also ideal locations to participate in local recreation.
Phoenix has a very dry and hot climate, with little change during the year. Clear blue skies are typical on most days, and Phoenix boasts nearly 300 sunny days per year on average. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100 degrees on about 89 days during the year.
The hottest times are the days from early June through early September. To get an idea of how hot it can get there record temperature was set on June 26, 1990, when it reached an all-time high of 122 degrees! (The lowest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix was 16 degrees on January 7, 1913.)
The dry Arizona air makes the hot temperatures easier to withstand early in the season. But the resident must be aware of the August monsoon season. At this time Phoenix can get nearly as humid as it gets in the Southeastern United States.
The normal annual rainfall is 8.29 inches and rain is particularly scarce from April through June. Although thunderstorms occur on occasion during every month of the year, they are most common during the monsoon season from July to mid-September.
Snow is extremely rare in the area. Most of the snowfall occurs north at the higher elevations around Flagstaff with snowfall in Phoenix noted. When it snows in Phoenix it goes in the record books!
Here in Phoenix you are surrounded by mountains that skirt the edges of Central Phoenix. Camelback Mountain sits in the east, Piestewa Peak (Squaw Peak) in the northeast, South Mountain in the south, and in the far distant west is the White Tank Mountains, and all of these amazing mountain ranges make the Central Phoenix’s desert oasis. Look around you. If you appear to be surrounded by this ring of mountains then you are considered to be in the heart of the Valley of the Sun. Situated in the middle of this remarkable range in Central Phoenix.
In every direction, there are wonderful cities and lovely towns full of happy people. Phoenix has it. They found it. Do you want it? They got it!
Central Phoenix Villages Phoenix has been recognized as “One of the Best Managed Cities” in the United States. The city has been broken down into 15 neighborhoods or villages. There are five villages (urban areas) that are included in the Central Phoenix area. These villages are: North Mountain Village, Alhambra Village, Encanto Village, Camelback East Village, and Central City Village. All of these villages are unique and have special characteristics. Phoenix is in Central Arizona.
The City of Scottsdale is to the east of downtown, the towns of Cave Creek and Carefree are north, and the City of Glendale, the gem of the valley, faces California with its back to the east. And you have to check out Arizona’s “Golden Corridor” encompassing several cities and towns. Golden sunlight, golden sand. Central Phoenix is in a unique spot. People who live here are a highly distinguishable lot. Residents are within minutes of most cities and towns in the Valley of Sun. It is easy to get around town when you live in Central Phoenix. And since Phoenix has it all, this means that you can get it all. Easily. So what are you waiting for?
There are numerous freeway choices. Both Interstate 17 and State Highway 51 (Piestewa Peak Freeway) run the entire length of the area, north, and south. Interstate 10 also cuts through east and west. Central Phoenix residents don’t have to travel far because they’re so lucky- they’re right in the middle of everything! They did it so you can have it – you’re in Phoenix.
Central Phoenix Entertainment is great! The area is host to many restaurants, lots of shopping, theaters, museums, professional sporting events, and much more.
