Phoenix, city, seat (1871) of Maricopa county and capital of , U.S. It lies along the in the south-central part of the state, about 120 miles (190 km) north of the border and midway between , , and , . The Salt River valley, popularly called the Valley of the Sun, includes not only Phoenix but also nearby cities such as , , and . Phoenix plays a prominent role in the economy of the Mountain West region of the country, serving as a financial, communications, and hub. Area 450 square miles (1,165 square km). Pop. (2010) 1,445,632; Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale Metro Area, 4,192,887; (2020) 1,608,139; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metro Area, 4,845,832. Character of the city Arizona State Capitol, Phoenix(more)With its broad, tree-lined avenues, Spanish-style architecture, and surrounding mountains, Phoenix bears much resemblance to Los Angeles. Like its California counterpart, Phoenix is a metropolis with not one but many centres, all at considerable distances from one another. From its historic heart to the west of Sky Harbor International Airport, the greater metropolitan area—of which Phoenix is only a small part—has grown to take in a vast expanse of land that stretches nearly from the far to the south to the tall plateaus and volcanic mountains of the north and east and out into the broad desert valley to the west. Growth is a constant in Phoenix life as thousands of new residents and millions of visitors find their way there each year. Landscape City site Physiographic regions of Arizona(more)Phoenix lies near the confluence of the Gila and and is situated at the extreme northern part of the , an arid ecological zone whose characteristic plant is the nationally protected . To the east of Phoenix are the rugged Superstition Mountains, a large complex of volcanic calderas that formed about 305 million years ago; the mountains reach to about 3,000 feet (900 metres) at their highest point. The Mazatzal Mountains rise to the northeast; the Verde River flows to the west of the mountains, entering the Salt River east of Phoenix. The broad valley in which the city lies extends west to the and south to the mountain chains north of , although the geographic borders of Phoenix end far short of those natural barriers. The Phoenix metropolitan area—the Valley of the Sun—stands at an elevation of 1,100 feet (335 metres) above . The northern and eastern ends of this valley rise into the surrounding volcanic peaks; the remainder is level terrain, dotted with small volcanic mountains of granite and schist. Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, and South Mountain are the most prominent of these urban peaks, reaching elevations of about 2,600 to 2,700 feet (790 to 820 metres). The desert soil is alkaline, and the water in the river and in local wells is saline and contains other minerals. Many irrigated areas in the Phoenix area are encrusted with dried mineral deposits, which accumulate and reduce the productivity of the soil. Water is strangely abundant, given the fact that the city lies in one of the most arid regions on the continent; the valley overlies a subterranean sedimentary bowl that can hold vast quantities of groundwater. However, these stores have been substantially depleted, and Phoenix increasingly has come to depend on water from the Colorado River via the (CAP), an artificial waterway 336 miles (541 km) long extending from Lake Havasu on the California border to Tucson. In addition, water from subterranean stores is piped into the valley from outlying areas. In the past, virtually all of the region’s water was used for agricultural purposes, although an increasing share is now apportioned for municipal use., Phoenix is in the south-central portion of Arizona; about halfway between Tucson to the southeast and Flagstaff to the north, in the Southwestern United States., Phoenix, city, seat (1871) of Maricopa county and capital of Arizona, U.S. It lies along the Salt River in the south-central part of the state, about 120 miles (190 km) north of the Mexico border and midway between El Paso, Texas, and Los Angeles, California..