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Incorporated	1881
Form of government	Council-Manager
Population (fifth largest city in United States)	1,512,986
Area (in square miles)	517.4395 (larger than Los Angeles)
Median Household Income	$59,809
Average annual temperature (Fahrenheit)	72.6
Average precipitation in inches	7.66
Average number of days of sunshine per year	325
Moody's General Obligation Bond Rating	Aa1
Standard and Poor's General Obligation Bond Rating	AAA
Did you know... Phoenix covers more than 517 square miles and has a population of over 1.5 million, ranking it the fifth largest city in the country and the largest capital city in terms of population. Phoenix is a premier destination, with more than 300 sun-filled days a year and average temperature of 72.6 degrees. More than 50 percent of the population is between 18 and 54 years of age, which is younger than the national average. In January 2000, after a yearlong, in-depth study of management efficiency by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Phoenix was the only city among the nation’s 35 largest urban centers to earn an overall grade of “A.” Phoenix also was named the “Best Run City in the World” in 1993 by the Carl Bertelsmann Foundation and has earned numerous other awards for efficient government operations. The greater Phoenix area is a $50 billion marketplace driven by technology. World-leading companies such as Intel, Avnet, Motorola, AlliedSignal, Honeywell and Boeing Company have chosen Phoenix for their corporate and regional headquarters. Industry giants such as American Express, Phelps Dodge, Sumitomo Sitix, Prudential, Charles Schwab and Mayo Clinic have major operations in Phoenix.
Bonds and Taxes
Standard & Poor's General Obligation Bond Rating	AAA
Moody's Bond Rating	Aa1
City retail sales tax rate	2.0%
City property tax rate      (Per $100 of assessed valuation)	$1.82
Aviation
Number of airports	3
Passengers enplaned and deplaned	More than 42 million
Takeoffs and landings in 2007 (includes general aviation)	1.1 million
Did you know... Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the eighth busiest in the U.S. and the world for passenger traffic for takeoffs and landings, handling more than 42 million passengers in 2007. The airport serves more than 100 cities with non-stop flights, and British Airways, Air Canada and Aeromexico are among carriers providing international flights to destinations such as London, Toronto, and several cities in Mexico.
Fire and Police
Sworn Firefighters	Nearly 2,000
Fire stations	66
Fire Department Budget	$220 Million
Sworn Police officers	3,114
Police briefing stations	8
Housing/Human Services
Federally assisted housing units	7,793
Senior centers	17
Reserve-a-Ride transportation      (elderly and disabled clients served)	147,444
Family service centers	5
Head Start classroom sites	74
Head Start classrooms	163
Senior Companions	94
Phoenix Workforce Connection employment   and training placements (2005-06 figures)	1,345
Libraries
Libraries	15
Library books and audio visual materials	1,963,228
Library card holders	1,004,922
Annual circulation	12,991,600
Annual visitors	4,352,667
Parks and Recreation
Total acreage (includes Mountains Preserve)	40,689
Parks cleaned and maintained	209
Mountain parks and Preserve Recreation Areas	9
Municipal golf courses (five 18-hole/ three 9-hole)	8
Miles of bicycle pathways *	278
Municipal swimming pools	29
Municipal tennis courts	140
* This number includes city and privately-maintained public trails
Public Transit
Bus fleet	492
Average daily ridership	152,502
Miles of ServiceAnnually	17,869,556
Dial-a-Ride vehicles	120
Dial-a-Ride service hours annually	345,262
Neighborhood Circulator fleet	8
Solid Waste Management
Residences served	368,000
Residential solid waste collected annually (tons)	812,000
Residential solid waste disposed at city landfills (tons)	1,190,000
Material collected through recycling program (tons)      (100,000 participating households)	129,000
Street Transportation
Miles of street	4,945
Signalized intersections	1,009
Left-turn arrows	1,286
Speed humps	2,288
Water Services
Number of water connections	394,155
Water production (billion gallons annually)	111.4
Water treatment plants	5
Wastewater treatment (billion gallons annually)      (Total treated for Phoenix and surrounding areas)	69.52
Wastewater treatment plants	2
Water reclamation plants	1
Phoenix Convention Center - existing: 302,000 square feet of combined exhibit and meeting space; expanded: 872,000 square feet of combined exhibit and meeting space      Theater-style seating in South Ballroom - 3,800      Theater-style seating in West Ballroom - 4,560      Symphony Hall - 2,387 seating capacity      Orpheum Theatre - 2,400 seating capacity	1
Did you know... The Phoenix Convention Center is currently undergoing a $600 million expansion that will triple the size of the current facility to nearly 900,000 square feet of rentable space. The project is a cooperative effort between the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona and is being built in two phases: Phase One was completed with the opening of the new West Building in July 2006, and Phase Two will open in January 2009. During the expansion, the existing South Building has been established as a separate, self-contained building with interior upgrades. The new Phoenix Convention Center will be one of the top 20 convention centers in the United States in terms of size and will be able to host more than 80 percent of current convention business. Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix’s Copper Square, the Phoenix Convention Center hosts a myriad of international, national and regional conventions, trade shows, corporate meetings and consumer events, welcoming more than 135,000 guests annually. The convention center is within walking distance to a variety of downtown's exciting restaurants, top hotels, retail shops, museums, the US Airways Center and Chase Field Ballpark and is less than seven miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The city's light rail system, which opens in the fall of 2008, will offer a fast and convenient transportation link from the airport to downtown Phoenix, with stops at the convention center and several downtown hotels. The Phoenix Convention Center owns and operates two of the city's world-class performing arts facilities - Symphony Hall and Orpheum Theater - both of which are located in the heart of downtown Phoenix. In addition to hosting a robust schedule of traveling Broadway productions, world-renowned speakers, musical groups and corporate functions, these venues are home to several resident companies including Ballet Arizona, Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Opera. These venues create a positive economic impact for the city, support community efforts, and maximize activity for patrons and visitors in downtown Phoenix.
Other
Cricket Pavilion    (year-round open-air amphitheater capacity)	1 18,000
Phoenix Zoo      more than 300 species      more than 1,300 animals      more than 150 endangered animals	1
Full service resorts (with more than 30 rooms)   Hotels (with more than 30 rooms)   Total of resort/hotel rooms in Phoenix	30 400 55,000