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5 Best Cities in Arizona

Sitting at the heart of the American Southwest, Arizona is known for its beautiful desert landscape scattered with breathtaking rock formations. From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the red hillsides of Sedona where the iconic saguaro cactus grows.

Discover Native American cliff dwellings and remnants of ancient cultures, along with historic ghost towns from the mining days, as Arizona encompasses a large portion of the Navajo Nation and is home to the Apache Reservation.

Arizona鈥檚 landscape is perfect for outdoor adventures with its enchanting deserts, lakes, mountains, slot canyons, saguaro cactus, buttes, waterfalls, and even a volcano with downhill skiing, all of which offer a world of possibilities for travelers. Here are the 5 best cities in Arizona;

1. Phoenix

Phoenix – Flickr

Phoenix is the capital and most populous city in the American state of Arizona. 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.

The city of Phoenix was settled in 1867 as an agricultural community near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers, and was incorporated as a city in 1881. It became the capital of Arizona Territory in 1889. Phillip Duppa, an Englishman who was among the city pioneers, suggested the name Phoenix to symbolize a rebirth.  The legend of the Phoenix focuses on its new life from the ashes.

Phoenix’s warm, dry climate attracts sun-lovers and those looking to escape the snow and cold during the winter months. The city offers top-notch museums and unique architecture, historic neighborhoods, as well as shopping, dining, and a flourishing restaurant scene and resort life in the Sonoran Desert. It is also home to one of the largest municipal parks in North America.鈥疭outh Mountain Park and Preserve鈥痗overs more than 16,000 acres and has more than 50 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails.

Phoenix is at the top of the list because despite falling on hard times the city was able to reconstruct and become the beautiful city that we all love. The city serves as a source of inspiration for many.

2. Tucson

Tuscon – Unsplash

Tucson lies along the Santa Cruz River on a hilly plain of the Sonoran Desert that is rimmed by the Santa Catalina and other mountains. It is the second-largest city in Arizona. The city was founded as a military fort by the Spanish when Hugo O’Conor authorized the construction of Presidio San Agust铆n del Tucs贸n in 1775. It served as the capital of the Arizona Territory from 1867 to 1877. It is the oldest incorporated city in Arizona (and has been since incorporating in 1877).

The Spanish name of the city, Tucs贸n, is derived from the O’odham Cuk 峁�on (Desert People), meaning “(at the) base of the black [hill]”, a reference to a basalt-covered hill now known as Sentinel whose base is darker than its summit. Tucson was the first American city to be designated a “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO in 2015.

The city is home to open-air museums, historical sites, natural beautiful national parks and pine forests, great shopping, and dining. The surrounding mountains and desert provide a playground for people looking for things to do outdoors, with beautiful parks, wonderful hiking trails, biking trails, campgrounds, and some incredible scenic drives.

Tucson was included on the list because of its diverse culture and incredible dining from all over the world.

3. Scottsdale

Scottsdale – Unsplash

Scottsdale is a city in the Salt River Valley, or the “Valley of the Sun,” in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Originally known as Orangedale because of the area鈥檚 reputation as excellent for growing citrus. In 1894 the city was renamed to Scottsdale when a newspaper article misidentified Orangedale as 鈥淪cottsdale.鈥� The city was incorporated in 1951.

The city is known as “The World’s Finest Golf Destination,” with its roster of luxury resorts, 330 days of warm, dry climate and high-caliber courses like TPC Scottsdale, Troon North and Grayhawk. The city is also nicknamed 鈥淭he West鈥檚 Most Western Town,鈥� because of its numerous ranch operations and cattle ranches. In addition, the city also hosts the Parada del Sol, a huge rodeo event that features horse-drawn parades, bull riding, and calf roping.

Scottsdale auto shows are hundred-million-dollar collector auctions, equestrian events feature the world鈥檚 finest Arabian stallions and polo ponies, and the shopping centers offer up exclusive goods from top designers. The surrounding mountains and desert provide a playground for people looking for things to do outdoors, with beautiful parks, wonderful hiking trails, biking trails, campgrounds, and some incredible scenic drives.

We included Scottsdale on the list because of its world-renowned spa resorts and golf course.

4. Sedona

Sedona – Flickr

Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. The city was named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, the wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the city’s first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness.

Sedona’s main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The rock walls consist of nine different layers of stone and were formed over millions of years, even long before the dinosaurs walked the land.

The red rocks form a popular backdrop for many activities, ranging from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking, mountain biking trails and all-natural rock waterslide. Art is everywhere, from the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village to street vendors and art galleries dispersed among the city.

No trip is complete in Arizona without visiting the majestic red rock scenery and evergreen vegetation of Sedona.

5. Flagstaff

Flagstaff – Flickr

Flagstaff is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. The city lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau and within the San Francisco volcanic field, along the western side of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest. Flagstaff derived its name from a flag-raising ceremony held on the Fourth of July in 1876. Boston travelers chose a tall pine, trimmed its branches from the bottom up, and attached a flag to the top in observance of the nation鈥檚 centennial.

It was first settled as the present-day city in 1876. Local businessmen lobbied for Route 66 to pass through the city, which it did, turning the local industry from lumber to tourism and developing downtown Flagstaff. In 1930, Pluto was discovered from Flagstaff. The city developed further through to the end of the 1960s, with various observatories also used to choose Moon landing sites for the Apollo missions.

The city is home to the ancient limestone houses still standing today after being built in the cliffs some 900 years ago. Flagstaff has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, Oak Creek Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl, Meteor Crater, and Historic Route 66.

Flagstaff was included on the list because of its unique New Year鈥檚 tradition where people gather around the Weatherford Hotel as a 70-pound metallic pine cone is dropped from the roof at midnight.