Overview

Phoenix was a small agricultural community until the 1930s, after which, due to the warm climate and healthy environment of the city, tourism began to flourish. Also, the population grew speedily, making Phoenix the 7th biggest city in the U.S.

Named after a famous Egyptian symbol of rebirth, the name Phoenix was chosen for the city because it was constructed on the ruins of the Hohokam civilization and it now covers over 2,000 square miles of area.

Also known as the "Valley of the Sun" by the tourists, it is referred to as the Salt River Valley by the locals, which is also the region's official name. While the greater Phoenix is located in the Sonoran Desert, downtown Phoenix is bordered by the classy city of Scottsdale to the east and north. Also, the southern periphery of the Valley is surrounded by South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in the world. In the east is the college town of Tempe, which is a home to the Arizona State University.

Time Zone
Phoenix falls under the time zone of Mountain Standard Time and Arizona doesn't change to summer daylight-saving time.

Climate
The Valley usually gets 300 days of sunshine in a year, and the daytime temperatures from November to April range between upper 40s to 80s. Sporadic rain in the winter months is not unusual and the temperatures can also dip below freezing at night, although snow is not seen in Phoenix at all.
Summers, between May and October can get very, very hot and due to monsoon conditions, the air turns uncomfortably humid in mid-July by sudden dust storms and occasional downpours.

Getting here

By air
The main gateway to Phoenix by air is the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the main gateways into the Valley by air. With nonstop international flights from British Airways, Aero Mexico and Air Canada, Phoenix is serviced by 20 airlines.

By car
Interstate 10 is the most common route while driving by car into Phoenix, either from east or west.  And if you are planning to drive in summers, it's always advisable to carry along some extra water.

Area Codes
Area code of 602 is used for Central Phoenix, 480 is used for east Phoenix and 623 for the west Phoenix.

Public transportation

City Transit System
The city bus service runs through the entire Phoenix metropolitan area.

Downtown
DASH or Downtown Area Shuttle is free shuttle service and runs from Monday to Friday.

Train service
The railway terminals are in Tucson and Flagstaff, and bus service from Phoenix to both these terminals is provided by Amtrak.

Business Hours
All the Stores have to follow the general timings of 10am to 6pm. Malls follow the timings of 10am to 9pm.
Banks are open from 9am to 5pm, from Monday through Friday.
Most bars are open 11am - 1am