Local Economic Information
The Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix Metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area that includes the City of Phoenix, most of the rest of Maricopa County, a large section of Pinal County, and small parts of Yavapai County. The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, includes Maricopa and Pinal counties.
The population of the Phoenix metropolitan area increased by 45% from 1990 through 2000, compared to the average United States rate of 15%, helping to make Arizona the second fastest growing state in the nation in the 1990s (the fastest was Nevada).[1] The 2000 Census reported the population of the metro area to be 3,251,876. As of July 1, 2006 the MSA is estimated to be at 4,039,182.
For more information about the Phoenix Metro Area visit these websites:
Arizona Central - site for the Phoenix newspaper
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Arizona Travel Guide
Arzona State University
The Light Rail Corridor
The initial Phoenix Metro Starter Line is a 20-mile line of tracks that was completed in 2008. The light rail corridor is a mile area along the tracks that contains real estate, rentals, jobs and things to do.
The 20-mile Starter Line is currently being extended with the development of a 3-mile addition on the north end from Christown mall to Dunlap Ave; and, current public meetings and discussions are targeting the south end for and additinal 3 miles to Mesa Avenue in downtown Mesa. This total combined area is more than 50 square miles, making it larger than the City of San Francisco which is approximately 47 square miles.
