Phoenix was incorporated as a city on February 5, 1881. It is the capital, largest city and largest metropolitan area in the state of Arizona in the southwestern United States, 150 miles (241 km) northwest of Tucson. It is also the county seat of Maricopa County and the principal city of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

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Phoenix has an arid, semitropical climate, with little seasonal change during the year. Clear blue skies are typical on most days, with an average of 300 sunny days per year. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100 °F (38 °C) on an average of 89 days during the year, including most days from early June through early September. On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time high of 122 °F (50 °C). The dry Arizona air makes the hot temperatures more tolerable early in the season; however, the influx of monsoonal moisture has been known to make August in Phoenix almost as humid as summers in the Southeastern United States.