81 Arizona Facts and Weird Laws

Over 32 million people visited Arizona in 2020 and spent a whopping $15 billion in the state of Arizona. This fantastic feat begs the question, why do tourists prefer Arizona to the other American States?

Arizona is a unique state with scenic landmarks, a diverse climate, and welcoming people? But, this is not all there is to love about this beautiful state.

There are hundreds of other unique things about Arizona that keep visitors coming and today is your lucky chance to know them.

This article brings you the Arizona fun facts, including the top tourist destinations in this corner of beauty and more.

Arizona Facts – Politics And Government.

The Republican party is the most popular political party in Arizona, with over 34% of the registered voters as of 2021. The democratic party follows closely with 32%.
Members of the Democratic party hold the highest number of political offices in Arizona State.
Arizona has nine members in the House of Representatives. Five of them are Democrats.
Both Arizonian US Senators are Democrats.
The Governor of Arizona is the head of the executive branch of the State government.
The Republican, Doug Ducey, is the current governor of Arizona.
Arizona has had 23 governors since 1912.

Arizona Facts – History And Culture

Scholars have divided opinions on the origin of the state’s name. While some believe it came from the Indian word O’odham meaning a place of the young (or little) spring, others believe it originated from a Basque term for a place of oaks.
This state is famous as the copper state because of its large Copper producing power.
Arizona was originally part of Mexican and Spanish territories. The United States of America acquired much of Arizona during the Mexican American war of 1846 to 1848.
Arizona became a state in February 1912. It was the last to gain admission into the union.
Arizona is the sixth-largest state in the United States in terms of area.
Saguaro Cactus Blossom is the state flower in Arizona. Saguaro cactus bears this flower.
The Navajo Indians clan, famous for the Navajo code during world war II, came from Arizona.
Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving time except for the Northeast region occupied by the Navajo Nation.
Until the 1950s, Copper mining was Arizona’s primary industry. The discovery of Copper in 1854 promoted mining in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State.
Oraibi is the oldest inhabited settlement in the United States. The Hopi Indian village dates back to around 1150 AD.
Arizona is one of the centers for archeological research in the New World.
The bolo tie is the official state neckwear.
Arizona people are friendly and generous. The law stipulates that you give anyone a glass of water in the state.

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Arizona Facts – Geography

Arizona’s landlocked state is located in the southwestern part of the USA.
The Copper state borders Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and the Mexican state of Sonora.
This state shares the Colorado River border with California and Baja California, the Mexican state.
Water bodies cover only 0.32% of the state, making it the second-lowest water area. Only New Mexico has less-0.19%.
The most populous state capital is Phoenix. It is the largest city in Arizona.

Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona. Credit: Unsplash@Reuben Juarez

Coolidge Dam is the major dam on the Gila River.
The Colorado plateau in the four corners region ends with the Mogollon Rim.
The Colorado plateau’s brightly colored sedimentary rock gave it the name “Red Country.”
Arizona is home to the Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Antelope Canyon, and the Painted Desert.

Saguaro National Park is home to Saguaro Cactus. Credit: Unsplash@Dulcey Lima.

The Sonoran desert is the only place saguaro cactus grows on earth. Organ pipe, prickly pear, and fishhook are other varieties of cactus that grow in the Sonoran desert. The Arizona transition zone has the characteristics of both the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range province.
Mazatzal, Santa Maria, White, and Sierra Ancha are the mountain ranges of the transition zone.
The Basin and Range province in southern Arizona is rich in Copper, gold, barite, and silver.
Grand and Havasu falls are two of the highly-ranked waterfalls in the US.
The Mojave Desert, which is partly in Northwestern Arizona, has fewer trees than the Sonoran desert.
Lake Mead and Lake Roosevelt are home to many of the state’s islands.
This state is home to 194 named mountain ranges.
Humphrey Peak is the highest mountain peak in the Copper state, at 3851 meters above sea level. It is located in the Coconino National Forest.

Arizona Facts – Climate

Summer rains mainly occur in thunderstorms.
The thunderstorms in the summer may cause hail and strong winds.
Central and Southeastern regions of the state receive the heaviest precipitation in the Grand Canyon State.
While the Flagstaff region receives precipitation for 70 days, the Yuma area only gets it for 15 days.
The Southwestern region has average annual lake evaporation of 2000mm. The Northeast has 1300mm.
The Grand Canyon receives 60 inches of snow in its South Rim and 144 inches in the North Rim.
Lake Havasu City holds the highest temperature ever experienced in Arizona at 53 Degrees Celsius.
On January 7 1971, Hawley Lake recorded the lowest temperature of -40 Degrees Celcius.

Arizona Facts – Demographics

Arizona has a population of more than 7 520 103, making it the 14th largest state in the US.
Maricopa County contains over 60% of the state’s population. This number is the largest in the state.
The state’s population density is 63 people per square mile.
67% of Arizonians subscribe to Christianity.
The most dominant race in the state is whites, making up 77.22% of the total population.

Arizona Facts – Animals And Plants Life

This state boasts a large diversity of wildlife including over 11 000 insects, 475 birds, 90 reptiles, 80 amphibians, and 20 fish.
Arizona tree frog is the official state Amphibian.
Arizona is home to more than 4 000 varieties of plants.
The state has 50 endangered animals as well as plants.
The Grand Canyon State is the only state apart from New Mexico where the Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake lives in the United States.
Arizona’s Sonoran desert is the most biologically diverse in the world. It is home to jackrabbits, ground squirrels, Coyotes, Mice, Cotton rabbits, and Javelinas. Birds native to the desert include quills, eagles, vultures, hawks, cactus wrens, owls, thrashers, Arizona cardinals, hummingbirds, doves, and roadrunners.
Palo verde trees are among the vegetation growing in the desert.
Sycamore and ponderosa pines are some of the trees that grow in the forests.

Arizona Facts – Economy

Production industries formed the backbone of Arizona’s economy before World War II. Mineral extraction, lumbering, crop growing, and cattle rearing were the source of livelihood for most of the Arizona population.
The rise of manufacturing and service industries in Arizona shifted the economy towards the latter.
Arizona is one of the country’s foremost cotton producers thanks to good soil, availability of water for irrigation, and perfect crop growing season.
The state is rich in mineral resources such as zinc, Uranium, Copper, Petroleum, gold, silver, and coal.
The Coal mined at the Black Mesa region in Northeastern Arizona generates electricity that powers the southwestern United States.
Arizona’s irrigation projects draw support from the national geographical corridor. Via the corridor, Glen Canyon, Roosevelt, and Hoover dam generate electricity.
Hoover Dam is built with concrete that can run a road from Seattle to Miami.
This state was the largest copper producing state in the country in 2007.

Arizona Facts – Tourism

Facts about Arizona include its tourism sector, boasting scenic parks, plants, and animal life.

Chiricahua National Monument in the Southeast part of Arizona boasts breathtaking rocks and stone spires. The local Apaches call this place “The Land of Standing Rocks,” and that’s what it is.
Saguaro National Park, named after the Saguaro Cacti, is one of Arizona’s best parks to visit.
The Meteor Crater National Landmark, lying 60 km from Flagstaff, is famous as the “best-preserved meteorite crater on Earth.”

A visit to Arizona isn’t complete without stopping at the Phoenix zoo-one of the largest zoos in the US.
The Petrified Forest National Park houses petrified ancient trees. This park is found in eastern Arizona.
The Grand Canyon National Park is 1904 square miles in size. Now that’s bigger than Rhode Island, which measures 1212 square miles.
The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
The famed monument valley is in the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
Kitt Peak National Observatory housed the largest solar telescope in the world in the 20th century.
Lake Powell has about 2000 miles of shoreline when complete. That is almost the same as the US west coast.

Arizona Facts – Sports And Recreation Activities

Longboarding is a popular sport at Mount Lemmon in Tucson. Mt. Lemmon is the highest summit of the Santa Carolina Mountains.
Arizona Diamondbacks is an Arizona baseball team playing in Major League Baseball.
Arizona Cardinals play in the National Football League. Other professional sports teams from Arizona include Phoenix Suns for basketball.
Snowbowl Ski Resort is Arizona’s best resort. You can enjoy skiing at these beautiful resorts.
While in Arizona, enjoy the famous horse riding into the Grand Canyon.

Famous Locations in Arizona

Saguaro National Park.
Sedona.
Monument Valley in Navajo Tribal Park.
The Phoenix Zoo.
Havasu Falls.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Arizona Science Center.
Glen Canyon National Recreation area.
Petrified Forest National Park.

Famous People From Arizona

Lynda Carter-The Wonder Woman is from Phoenix, Arizona!
Diana Gabaldon -the sci-fi writer, is best known for the Outlander series. She is from Flagstaff.
Michael Phelps-the swimmer, is the most decorated Olympian with a total of 28 medals.
Stephanie Meyer.
Shawn Michaels.

Common Misconceptions About Arizona State

The following are fallacies you need to get out of your mind. They are not only wrong but also misleading.

Arizona has no culture.

Scottsdale, Chandler, Tucson, Temple, and Flagstaff house many beautiful places and host several events to celebrate Arizona’s art, food, and diversity.

The people of Arizona are all old.

The demographics have since changed. Take Phoenix, for instance; the population of the young has quadrupled. While many non-native Arizonians see Arizona as a place for retirees, the median age is 37.

There is no rain in Arizona.

Even the uplands of the desert areas have two rainy seasons -in December and January (winter) and July -September (summer). So it rains in Arizona.

Weird Laws in Arizona

Many of the laws below were passed a long time ago, but they still exist in many Arizona cities, but many of them go unenforced. It is easier to pass laws than to revoke them, so some very strange laws remain on the books. Read the Craziest Laws in the United States, if you want more.

Here are some of our favorites.

To buy spray paint, you must be 18 years old.
Manufacturing imitation cocaine is illegal.
After 8 p.m., children are not allowed to sing nursery rhymes.
Saguaro cactus digging is illegal in Arizona.
If you are over 18, it is illegal to have less than one visible missing tooth when you smile.
Fortune-telling, palm-reading, or palmistry is banned within the city of Avondale in Arizona.
It’s illegal to trip the donkeys
It’s illegal to feed litter to the swine
If you are in a public place and wearing a swimsuit, you may not sing.

If you are in a public place and wearing a swimsuit, you may not sing. Image: Pixabay

Final Thoughts

Arizona is a great state, and you can visit it to enjoy whatever they like, from fun activities to unparalleled travel experiences. You don’t have to worry about climate since Arizona is a diverse environment.

We exhausted every experience in this spectacular state to give you a detailed compilation of Arizona fun facts laced with a list of popular tourist sites.

Earlier on, you were asking why you should go to Arizona. I bet the question has changed to why not visit Arizona now.

Do whatever you do but watch out for the giant Saguaro Cactus. You can learn more about Arizona in this YouTube Video..

Arizona Facts And Stats

Capital	Phoenix.
Population	2021 (7,520,103)
Governor	Doug Ducey (Republican Party)
Date Of Admission	14 February 1912
US Senators	Mark Kelly (D)Kysten Sinema (D)
US House of Representatives	9 (of 435 Seats)
State Nickname	The Grand Canyon StateThe Copper State
State Motto	Ditat Deus (God enriches)
State Song	Arizona March Song by Rick Pickren
State Flower	Blossom of the Saguaro Cactus
State Fish	Apache trout
State Bird	Cactus Wren
State Tree	Blue Palo Verde
State Mammal	Ringtails
State Reptile	Ridge nosed rattlesnake
State Mineral	Wulfenite
State Gem	Turquoise
State Fossil	Petrified wood
Neighbor States	California Utah NevadaNew Mexico Mexican state of Sonora

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an unusual fact about Arizona?

You can visit the states of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona simultaneously at four corners monument. There exists only one such place in the whole of the USA.

What is Arizona known for?

The Grand Canyon. Famous National parks. Original London Bridge in Lake Havasu City.

What is unique about Arizona?

It’s a felony to cut a cactus in this state. The state reptile is the Arizona ridge nosed rattlesnake. Apache trout is Arizona’s state fish.

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