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Phoenix, Arizona is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and is currently the fifth largest city. Phoenix has endless summers, a good economy and covers a large area so does not look so crowded like other large cities. Phoenix is the state capital of Arizona.

The current population of the Phoenix area is over 3.3 million people and due to the growth there was a need for a new area code. The area code 602 was used for the entire Phoenix area and eventually ran out of telephone numbers. This was due to the growth and also the new technology where there is an increased demand for numbers for fax machines, pagers, cellular phones, second telephone lines and other services.

Phoenix has major attractions for residents and tourists. There's lots see and do in Phoenix. Some favorite attractions are the Heard Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Art Museum, Tempe Town Lake, and Phoenix Symphony.

An area code is a three-digit prefix used to indicate the destination area for long distance calls and occasionally local calls. It is also known as Numbering Plan Area (NPA). The telephone numbers are grouped geographically for anyone to reach a certain area who is outside the area and allows them to connect directly with the desired number.

On September 1, 1999 two new area codes went into effect in the Phoenix, AZ area. 480 and 623 area codes in the valley area were now required to make a call. The Numbering Plan Administrator, the body that maintains the integrity of all area code numbers stated the new area code being 623. The central Phoenix area used (602) area code and the east valley uses (480) area code. The NorthWest valley now has the area code of 623. To place a local call from the 602 area code to a number in the 623 area code, you would need to dial 623-XXX-XXXX. There is no need to dial a "1" before the ten-digit local number. You only need to dial a 1 if you are dialing a non local call. These calls that are local are free and not long distance.

Cities in the 623 Area Code

Facts and Trivia on Arizona

• Arizona is a right-to-work state. The law states no person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of non-membership in a labor organization.
• The saguaro cactus blossom is the official state flower. The white flower blooms on the tips of the saguaro cactus during May and June. The saguaro is the largest American cactus and it's age is determined by its height.
• Arizona leads the nation in copper production.
• Petrified wood is the official state fossil. Most petrified wood comes from the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.
• The bola tie is the official state neckwear.
• The Palo verde is the official state tree. Its name means green stick and it blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May.
• The cactus wren is the official state bird.
• Turquoise is the official state gemstone.
• Grand Canyon National Park is located outside of Flagstaff, AZ.
• The ringtail is the official state mammal. The ringtail is a small fox-like animal about 2-1/2 feet long and is nocturnal creature.
• The amount of copper on the roof of the Capitol building is equivalent to 4,800,000 pennies.
• Arizona observes Mountain Standard Time on a year round basis. The one exception is the Navajo Nation, located in the northeast corner of the state, which observes the daylight savings time change.
• The battleship USS Arizona was named in honor of the state. It was commissioned in 1913 and launched in 1915 from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
• In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Arizona with the eastern states.
• The most abundant mineral in Arizona is copper.
• The state's most popular natural wonders include the Grand Canyon, Havasu Canyon, Grand Canyon Caves, Lake Powell/Rainbow Bridge, Petrified Forest/Painted Desert, Monument Valley, Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Sedona Oak Creek Canyon, Salt River Canyon, Superstition Mountains, Picacho Peak State Park, Saguaro National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, and the Colorado River.
• The Arizona tree frog is the state official amphibian and is three-quarters to two inches long.
• Jerome was once a copper mining town, today has a population of 50 or less people after the mines closed in 1953.
• Lake Havasu City is the home of the original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone and reconstructed.
• The capital of the Navajo Reservation is Window Rock.
• Arizona's official state colors are blue and gold.
• The tallest fountain in the world is located in Fountain Hills.
• Arizona, among all the states, has the largest percentage of its land set aside and designated as Indian lands.
• Barry Goldwater, a famous senator, and presidential candidate was born in Phoenix.
• Architect Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, Taliesin West, was built near Phoenix in 1939.
• Oraibi is the oldest Indian settlement in the United States. The Hopis Indians founded it.
• Grand Canyon's Flaming Gorge got its name for its blazing red and orange colored, twelve-hundred-foot-high walls.
• Grand Canyon's Marble Canyon got its name from its thousand-foot-thick seam of marble and for its walls eroded to a polished glass finish.
• Arizona became the 48th state on February 14, 1912.
• The world's largest solar telescope is located at Kitts Peak National Observatory in the city of Sells.
• A person from Arizona is called an Arizonan.
• Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply Camp McDowell.
• Ceasar Estrada Chavez, the famous labor leader, was born in Yuma.

The Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park was one of America's first National Parks, and it's one of the country's most popular tourist destinations with visitors from across the world being inspired by its breathtaking beauty every day. The Canyon, which the Colorado River has cut through the gorge, is approximately 275 miles long and between a quarter of a mile to 15 miles wide (average is approximately 10 miles), depending on where you are standing. It's also about a mile deep which means that it's a challenge that many people enjoy to hike (or ride) down into the gorge.

There are two different sides of the Grand Canyon, the more tourist orientated South Rim which is open year around, and the more secluded North Rim which is closed during the winter season. On the South Rim, there are many opportunities for learning about the Canyon, and ways of experiencing it first hand - whether a bus tour around the rim stopping at observation points to for photo opportunities, hiking down the trails, rafting along the river, or even taking a flight through the gorge. On the North Rim however, you will find the Grand Canyon more fiercely guarded against the trapping of commercialism, with most of the thrills coming from the light patterns on the Canyon walls as day turns into night.

The South Rim has wheelchairs available for visitors, and many of the areas/facilities - although not the shuttle buses (anyone requiring a shuttle bus with wheelchair access should call the day before they visit the Grand Canyon to ensure one will be running the next day as these are operated on an "on demand" basis) - are wheelchair/mobility impaired accessible although assistance may be required.

Accommodation is limited in the Grand Canyon, especially on the North Rim so if you intend to stay overnight in the park to experience both a sunset and a sunrise be sure to make a reservation far in advance of your vacation period.

Whether you prefer the South Rim with its array of opportunities and challenges for experiencing the Canyon, or the more solitary and intimate "back to nature" atmosphere of the North Rim, the magnitude of the Grand Canyon is an forgettable experience.