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103-574: Skyway Airlines, operating as the Midwest Express Connection , began flight operations on April 17, 1989. Skyway began operations as a division of Phoenix, Arizona -based Mesa Air Group . Mesa's Skyway Airlines division operated Beechcraft 1900C 19-passenger airliners, providing regional airline feed to Midwest Express Airlines in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois. In 1994, Midwest Express established Astral Aviation, Inc., as

206-511: A US Commission on Civil Rights of hearing that of 31,000 homes that had recently sprung up in this neighborhood, not a single one had been sold to an African-American. Phoenix's African-American and Mexican-American communities remained largely sequestered on the south side of town. The color lines were so rigid that no one north of Van Buren Street would rent to the African-American baseball star Willie Mays , in town for spring training in

309-563: A codeshare agreement named Great Lakes Jet Express where they would sell tickets: for Elite Airways to and from Denver and Houston to Branson Airport ; for Aerodynamics Inc. on a route from Chicago O'Hare to Youngstown, and later an EAS route from Denver to Pierre with onward continuing service to Watertown, South Dakota. This controversial practice allows the codesharing carriers to take advantage of Great Lakes' existing distribution and interline agreements with global distribution systems and other airlines. The Chicago to Youngstown route

412-625: A hot desert climate ( Köppen: BWh ), typical of the Sonoran Desert , and is the largest city in America in this climatic zone. Phoenix has long, extremely hot summers and short, mild winters. The city is within one of the world's sunniest regions, with its sunshine duration comparable to the Sahara region. With 3,872 hours of bright sunshine annually, Phoenix receives the most sunshine of any major city on Earth. Average high temperatures in summer are

515-452: A duel; Chenowth killed Favorite and was forced to withdraw from the race. The town grew during the 1870s, and President Ulysses S. Grant issued a land patent for the site of Phoenix on April 10, 1874. By 1875, the town had a telegraph office, 16 saloons, and four dance halls, but the townsite-commissioner form of government needed an overhaul. An election was held in 1875, and three village trustees and other officials were elected. By 1880,

618-488: A financially weakened condition following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the aforementioned takeover battle, suffered another severe financial blow as a result of the 2008 fuel price spike . Midwest's fleet of MD-80 airliners had been well suited to its markets and Midwest's high-service business model during the 1990s, but by 2008 it was no longer fuel efficient as compared with newer aircraft designs. Midwest terminated

721-549: A four percent annual population growth rate over a 40-year period from the mid-1960s to the mid-2000s, and was among the nation's ten most populous cities by 1980. Phoenix is also one of the largest plurality-Hispanic cities in the United States, with 42% of its population being Hispanic . The Hohokam people occupied the Phoenix area for 2,000 years. They created roughly 135 miles (217 kilometers) of irrigation canals, making

824-548: A fungal lung infection. Unlike most desert locations which have drastic fluctuations between day and nighttime temperatures, the urban heat island effect limits Phoenix's diurnal temperature variation . As the city has expanded, average summer low temperatures have been steadily rising. Pavement, sidewalks, and buildings store the Sun's heat and radiate it at night. The daily normal low remains at or above 80 °F (27 °C) for an average of 74 days per summer. On July 19, 2023, at

927-500: A grid layout pattern that has been the hallmark of Phoenix's urban development ever since. On February 12, 1871, the territorial legislature created Maricopa County by dividing Yavapai County; it was the sixth one formed in the Arizona Territory. The first election for county office was held in 1871 when Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff. He ran unopposed when the other two candidates (John A. Chenowth and Jim Favorite) fought

1030-570: A growth rate under 24% in a census decade. However, in 2016, Phoenix once again became the fastest growing city in the United States, adding approximately 88 people per day during the preceding year. The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler MSA ), is one of 10 MSAs in Arizona, and was the 11th largest in the United States, with a 2018 U.S. census population estimate of 4,857,962, up from

1133-417: A hub operation. Other United Express operations were also flown between Phoenix and Page, Arizona ; Detroit to Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan ; and a shuttle operation between Springfield, Illinois and Chicago's Meigs Field . All flights were operated with 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D and 30-seat Embraer 120 Brasilia aircraft. On June 1, 1998 the airline greatly expanded its Denver hub by adding

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1236-466: A joint congressional resolution granting statehood to Arizona, due to his disapproval of the state constitution's position on the recall of judges. In 1913, Phoenix's move from a mayor-council system to council-manager made it one of the first cities in the United States with this form of city government. After statehood, Phoenix's growth started to accelerate; eight years later, its population reached 29,053. In 1920, Phoenix would see its first skyscraper,

1339-402: A long drought, and the reservoir which was supposed to be behind the dam was virtually dry. The humorist Will Rogers , who was on hand as a guest speaker joked, "If that was my lake, I'd mow it." Phoenix's population had nearly doubled during the 1920s and by 1930 stood at 48,118. It was also during the 1930s that Phoenix and its surrounding area began to be called "The Valley of the Sun", which

1442-409: A myriad of residential tract developments on both farmland and desert." Retail outlets and office complexes spread out and did not concentrate in the small downtown area. There was low population density and a lack of widespread and significant high-rise development. As a consequence Phoenix became a textbook case of urban sprawl for geographers. Even though it is the fifth most populated city in

1545-686: A planning committee appointed directly by the city council. According to the city-issued village planning handbook, the purpose of the village planning committees is to "work with the city's planning commission to ensure a balance of housing and employment in each village, concentrate development at identified village cores, and to promote the unique character and identity of the villages." There are 15 urban villages: Ahwatukee Foothills , Alhambra , Camelback East , Central City , Deer Valley , Desert View, Encanto , Estrella , Laveen , Maryvale , North Gateway, North Mountain, Paradise Valley, Rio Vista , and South Mountain. The urban village of Paradise Valley

1648-426: A population of nearly 1.6 million, and millions more in nearby suburbs. After the war, many of the men who had undergone their training in Arizona returned with their new families. Learning of this large untapped labor pool enticed many large industries to move their operations to the area. In 1948, high-tech industry, which would become a staple of the state's economy, arrived in Phoenix when Motorola chose Phoenix as

1751-483: A ramp services and catering company for Midwest Airlines and for certain (SkyWest) Midwest Connect operations. Skyway's last day of flight operations was April 5, 2008. On the last day of flight operations, Skyway Airlines operated 12 328JETs and 4 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. The last 328JET flight operated from Indianapolis to Milwaukee. The last Beech flight operated a round-robin from Milwaukee to Muskegon and Manistee, Michigan, and back to Milwaukee. Midwest, already in

1854-469: A rather unusual theme where many of their Beech 1900D aircraft had their tails painted advertising cities that they flew to as well as National Parks in their territory. Some of the tails advertised the cities of Laramie, Wyoming ; Alamosa and Telluride, Colorado ; Scottsbluff, Nebraska ; Ponca City, Oklahoma ; Garden City, Kansas , Dodge City, Kansas and Liberal, Kansas ; Sierra Vista, Arizona ; Pierre, South Dakota ; Miles City, Montana , as well as

1957-589: A separate entity. No end date for Skyway operations had been announced. It remains unclear if Skyway had been fully integrated into Midwest prior to Republic Airways' acquisition of Midwest from TPG. At the end of flight operations, Skyway Airlines flew to 19 destinations in Canada and the United States . The airline's hub was at Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport . Most destinations were taken over by SkyWest on April 6, 2008. The remaining few (part of

2060-514: A small operation there was reinstated on March 17, 2012 when Essential Air Service (EAS) routes formerly flown by Northwest Airlink carriers were obtained. The Minneapolis hub closed again by 2016. The Denver hub then became the main focus for Great Lakes however routes from that hub were vanishing as well. Many cities the carrier once served as United Express no longer have any airline service. New flights from Albuquerque to Clovis and Silver City, NM were added on April 3, 2005 after obtaining

2163-501: A wholly owned subsidiary to take over the operation of Skyway Airlines. The Beech 1900 C aircraft were replaced with 15 brand-new Beech 1900D aircraft. The first flight took place from Milwaukee to Flint, Michigan, on February 15, 1994. Skyway grew to connect Milwaukee with communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 1999, Skyway became

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2266-471: Is 7.22 in (183 mm). The region's trademark dry and sunny weather is interrupted by sporadic Pacific storms in the winter and the arrival of the North American monsoon in the summer. Historically, the monsoon officially started when the average dew point was 55 °F (13 °C) for three days in a row—typically occurring in early July. To increase monsoon awareness and promote safety, however,

2369-616: Is also home to a plethora of native reptile species including the Western diamondback rattlesnake , Sonoran sidewinder , several other types of rattlesnakes, Sonoran coral snake , dozens of species of non-venomous snakes (including the Sonoran gopher snake and the California kingsnake ), the gila monster , desert spiny lizard , several types of whiptail lizards , the chuckwalla , desert horned lizard , western banded gecko , Sonora mud turtle , and

2472-418: Is distinct from the nearby Town of Paradise Valley . Although the urban village is part of Phoenix, the town is independent. In addition to the above urban villages, Phoenix has a variety of commonly referred-to regions and districts, such as Downtown , Midtown , Uptown, West Phoenix, North Phoenix , South Phoenix , Biltmore Area , Arcadia , and Sunnyslope . While some of the native flora and fauna of

2575-492: Is home to the only thriving feral population of rosy-faced lovebirds in the U.S. This bird is a popular birdcage pet, native to southwestern Africa. Feral birds were first observed living outdoors in 1987, probably escaped or released pets, and by 2010 the Greater Phoenix population had grown to about 950 birds. These lovebirds prefer older neighborhoods where they nest under untrimmed, dead palm tree fronds. The area

2678-558: Is in the mid-to-low 30s. It rarely drops to 32 °F (0 °C) or below. Snow is rare. In July 2023, it became the first major city in the US to have an average monthly temperature of over 100 °F (38 °C) with an average daily mean temperature for the month at 102.7 °F (39 °C), which is also the hottest month ever recorded in the city. That same month the city had an unprecedented streak of 31 days with 110 °F (43 °C)+ highs that lasted from June 30 to July 30. That year

2781-527: Is in the south-central portion of Arizona; about halfway between Tucson to the southeast and Flagstaff to the north, in the Southwestern United States . By car, the city is approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the US–Mexico border at Sonoyta and 180 mi (290 km) north of the border at Nogales . The metropolitan area is known as the "Valley of the Sun" due to its location in

2884-588: Is so common, nearly all homes in Phoenix have air conditioning , though poorer residents may not be able to afford to repair or operate them when needed. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, was ranked seventh for most ozone pollution in the United States according to the American Lung Association . Vehicle emissions are cited as precursors to ozone formation. Phoenix also has high levels of particulate pollution; although, cities in California lead

2987-400: Is the 10th-largest by population in the United States with approximately 4.95 million people as of 2020 , making it the most populous in the Southwestern United States . Phoenix, the seat of Maricopa County , is the largest city by population and area in Arizona, with an area of 517.9 square miles (1,341 km ), and is also the 11th-largest city by area in the United States. Phoenix

3090-583: Is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona , with 1,662,607 residents as of 2024. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital in the country. Phoenix is the most populous city of the Phoenix metropolitan area , also known as the Valley of the Sun, which in turn is part of the Salt River Valley and Arizona Sun Corridor . The metro area

3193-462: Is the presence of Africanized bees which can be extremely dangerous—even lethal—when provoked. The Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert (of which Phoenix is a part) has "the most structurally diverse flora in the United States." One of the most well-known types of succulents, the giant saguaro cactus , is found throughout the city and its neighboring environs. Other native species are

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3296-752: The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum opened at the Arizona State Fairgrounds , west of downtown. When Phoenix was awarded an NBA franchise in 1968, which would be called the Phoenix Suns , they played their home games at the Coliseum until 1992, after which they moved to America West Arena . In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson approved the Central Arizona Project , assuring future water supplies for Phoenix, Tucson, and

3399-511: The Carnegie Free Library opened seven years later, on February 18, 1908, dedicated by Benjamin Fowler. The National Reclamation Act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, which allowed dams to be built on waterways in the west for reclamation purposes. The first dam constructed under the act, Salt River Dam#1 , began in 1903. It supplied both water and electricity, becoming

3502-666: The Essential Air Service program) saw a termination of service. Historically, approximately 60 markets were served at one time by Skyway Airlines. Most destinations were served nonstop from Milwaukee; however, some point-to-point services were also operated. Many of these were served in the era when Mesa Airlines operated Skyway, choosing to focus resources outside of the Midwest Express hub in Milwaukee. Markets denoted with * were served by Skyway at or shortly before shutdown. Markets denoted with + were served exclusively in

3605-775: The First National Bank Plaza , the Valley Center (the tallest building in Arizona), and the Arizona Bank building . On September 25, 1981, Phoenix resident Sandra Day O'Connor broke the gender barrier on the U.S. Supreme Court , when she was sworn in as the first female justice. In 1985, the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station , the nation's largest nuclear power plant, began electrical production. Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa both visited

3708-638: The Heard Building ; it was the tallest building in the state until the completion of the Luhrs Building in 1924. In 1929, Sky Harbor was officially opened, at the time owned by Scenic Airways . The city purchased it in 1935 and continues to operate it today. On March 4, 1930, former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge dedicated a dam on the Gila River named in his honor. However, the state had just been through

3811-454: The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in 1895 connected Phoenix to Prescott, Flagstaff, and other communities in the northern part of the territory. The increased access to commerce expedited the city's economic rise. The Phoenix Union High School was established in 1895 with an enrollment of 90. On February 25, 1901, Governor Oakes Murphy dedicated the permanent Capitol building , and

3914-500: The Sonoran Desert can be found within Phoenix city limits, most are found in the suburbs and the undeveloped desert areas that surround the city. Native mammal species include coyote , javelina , bobcat , mountain lion , desert cottontail rabbit , jackrabbit , antelope ground squirrel , mule deer , ringtail , coati , and multiple species of bats, such as the Mexican free-tailed bat and western pipistrelle , that roost in and around

4017-566: The United Express banner. Northern Star/Midway Connection had previously obtained the assets of commuter airline Direct Air in mid-1993. In late 1995, Great Lakes acquired the assets of Arizona Airways obtaining routes from a hub at Tucson International Airport to Phoenix and Page, Arizona, as well as to Albuquerque, NM, and to several points in northern Mexico. Service was also added from Phoenix to Show Low, Arizona. This operation ended on May 16, 1997. Great Lakes' status as United Express

4120-573: The White Mountains of Arizona, the Teton Range and Devils Tower in Wyoming. On June 2, 2016, Great Lakes Airlines, Silver Airways and Frontier Airlines announced a partnership for recruiting pilots. On March 26, 2018, Great Lakes Airlines announced that operations would be suspended effective at midnight. Despite ceasing operations, the company didn't file for bankruptcy and certain segments of

4223-612: The White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and both South Mountain and the Sierra Estrella to the south/southwest. Camelback Mountain , North Mountain, Sunnyslope Mountain , and Piestewa Peak are within the heart of the valley. The city's outskirts have large fields of irrigated cropland and Native American reservation lands. The Salt River runs westward through Phoenix, but

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4326-543: The desert tortoise . Native amphibian species include the Couch's spadefoot toad , Chiricahua leopard frog , and the Sonoran desert toad . Phoenix and the surrounding areas are also home to a wide variety of native invertebrates including the Arizona bark scorpion , giant desert hairy scorpion , Arizona blond tarantula , Sonoran Desert centipede , tarantula hawk wasp , camel spider , and tailless whip scorpion . Of great concern

4429-669: The organpipe , barrel , fishhook , senita , prickly pear and cholla cacti; ocotillo ; Palo Verde trees and foothill and blue paloverde ; California fan palm ; agaves ; soaptree yucca , Spanish bayonet , desert spoon , and red yucca ; ironwood ; mesquite ; and the creosote bush . Many non-native plants also thrive in Phoenix including, but not limited to, the date palm , Mexican fan palm , pineapple palm , Afghan pine , Canary Island pine , Mexican fencepost cactus , cardon cactus , acacia , eucalyptus , aloe , bougainvillea , oleander , lantana , bottlebrush , olive , citrus , and red bird of paradise . Phoenix has

4532-481: The "Five C's" anchoring Phoenix's economy. These remained the driving forces of the city until after World War II , when high-tech companies began to move into the valley and air conditioning made Phoenix's hot summers more bearable. Phoenix is the cultural center of Arizona. It is in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert and is known for its hot desert climate . The region's gross domestic product reached over $ 362 billion by 2022. The city averaged

4635-500: The 1930s, became insolvent. Production of the 328JET stopped. This interrupted Skyway's plans to further expand its jet fleet and replace the Beechcraft 1900. AvCraft Aviation , a Virginia-based parts supplier for the 328 turboprop and the 328JET, purchased the production rights for the 328JET from Fairchild Dornier's receivers, and planned to re-establish production of the type. Then AvCraft went bankrupt. This made further growth of

4738-602: The 1960s, with tourism becoming the third largest industry by the end of the decade. In 1965, the Phoenix Corporate Center opened; at the time it was the tallest building in Arizona, topping off at 341 feet. The 1960s saw many other buildings constructed as the city expanded rapidly, including the Rosenzweig Center (1964), today called Phoenix City Square , the landmark Phoenix Financial Center (1964), as well as many of Phoenix's residential high-rises. In 1965

4841-432: The 1960s. In 1964, a reporter from The New Republic wrote of segregation in these terms: "Apartheid is complete. The two cities look at each other across a golf course." The continued rapid population growth led more businesses to the valley to take advantage of the labor pool, and manufacturing, particularly in the electronics sector, continued to grow. The convention and tourism industries saw rapid expansion during

4944-421: The 2000 census (a total of 124,000 people), while the entire Phoenix metropolitan area grew by 28.9% during the same period. This compares with an overall growth rate nationally during the same time frame of 9.7%. Not since 1940–50, when the city had a population of 107,000, had the city gained less than 124,000 in a decade. Phoenix's recent growth rate of 9.4% from the 2010 census is the first time it has recorded

5047-537: The 2010 census population of 4,192,887. Consisting of both Pinal and Maricopa counties, the MSA accounts for 65.5% of Arizona's population. Phoenix only contributed 13% to the total growth rate of the MSA, down significantly from its 33% share during the prior decade. Phoenix is also part of the Arizona Sun Corridor megaregion (MR), which is the tenth most populous of the 11 MRs, and the eighth largest by area. It had

5150-755: The 328JET fleet effectively impossible. The other regional jets built by Canadair and Embraer had substantial order backlogs, and the training, maintenance and inventory costs of running a small airline with three different aircraft types made another jet purchase financially impractical. Without having an available replacement aircraft, Skyway began to draw down its Beechcraft 1900 fleet, planning to eventually eliminate that fleet. In March, 2003, Midwest Express Airlines reincorporated and changed its name to Midwest Airlines . Astral Aviation, Inc., d/b/a Skyway Airlines also reincorporated and changed its name, to Skyway Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Midwest Connect. New logos were designed for both airlines' aircraft and uniforms, and

5253-447: The 428JET, and phasing out the Beechcraft 1900. While the September 11 attacks severely impacted all U.S. airlines, other events brought about the end of Skyway Airlines. Skyway's plans to continue modernizing its fleet with additional Dornier aircraft unwound when Dornier failed, and parent company Midwest Air Group's financial problems caused it to end Skyway's flight operations. In 2002, Dornier , an aviation pioneer dating back to

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5356-567: The EAS contracts for these cities formerly held by Mesa Airlines . These flights operated until November 30, 2012. EAS subsidized flights also operated from small hubs at Phoenix , Los Angeles , Milwaukee , Kansas City , St. Louis , and Billings during 2002 through 2018. A hub operation at Ontario International Airport was established on April 7, 2009, with routes to Merced and Visalia , California; and to Kingman and Prescott , Arizona; both continuing onto Farmington, New Mexico . The operation

5459-675: The Gila River Valley, from Florence in the east to the Estrellas in the west. Their crops included corn, beans, and squash for food as well as cotton and tobacco. They banded with the Maricopa for protection against incursions by the Yuma and Apache tribes. The Maricopa are part of the larger Yuma people; however, they migrated east from the lower Colorado and Gila Rivers in the early 1800s, when they began to be enemies with other Yuma tribes, settling among

5562-508: The Hohokam. Other nearby settlements later merged to become the city of Tempe . The history of Phoenix begins with Jack Swilling , a Confederate veteran of the Civil War who prospected in the nearby mining town of Wickenburg in the newly formed Arizona Territory . As he traveled through the Salt River Valley in 1867, he saw a potential for farming to supply Wickenburg with food. He also noted

5665-467: The Midwest Connect name and provide Midwest $ 20 million in financing. As a result, Midwest furloughed 269 of its 399 pilots and total employee cuts for the year were approximately 1,850. On February 2, 2009, Midwest Air Group CEO Tim Hoeksema announced in an internal corporate memorandum that all remaining Skyway functions will be assumed by Midwest Airlines, and that Skyway will cease to exist as

5768-487: The National Weather Service decreed that starting in 2008, June 15 would be the official "first day" of the monsoon, and it would end on September 30. When active, the monsoon raises humidity levels and can cause heavy localized precipitation, flash floods, hail, destructive winds, and dust storms —which can rise to the level of a haboob in some years. As of 2020, Phoenix was the fifth most populous city in

5871-536: The Northwest Airlines/TPG purchase, Midwest announced on January 16, 2008, that it would terminate all Skyway Airlines flight operations and transfer the remaining Midwest Connect flying to SkyWest. Midwest also discussed a potential contract with Great Lakes Airlines to provide code-share feed to the Essential Air Service cities they would serve from Milwaukee. The Skyway subsidiary would remain as

5974-575: The Phoenix Concept 2000 plan which split the city into urban villages, each with its own village core where greater height and density was permitted, further shaping the free-market development culture. The nine original villages have expanded to 15 over the years (see Cityscape below). This officially turned Phoenix into a city of many nodes, which would later be connected by freeways. The Phoenix Symphony Hall opened in 1972; other major structures which saw construction downtown during this decade were

6077-461: The Salt River Valley. It lies at a mean elevation of 1,086 feet (331 m), in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert . Other than the mountains in and around the city, Phoenix's topography is generally flat, which allows the city's main streets to run on a precise grid with wide, open-spaced roadways. Scattered, low mountain ranges surround the valley: McDowell Mountains to the northeast,

6180-466: The SkyWest and Skyway operations side by side. In 2006 and 2007, Midwest Air Group also fought off a hostile takeover attempt by rival airline AirTran Airways . Midwest Air Group's leadership persuaded Northwest Airlines and private equity firm TPG Capital to enter the bidding as a white knight . Northwest and TPG purchased Midwest Air Group, with 47% and 53% ownership stakes, respectively. Following

6283-406: The U.S. Great Lakes Airlines was a large United Express feeder carrier from 1992 to 2002 operating to over 100 cities. On March 26, 2018, the airline stopped scheduled passenger flights, but continued to support Aerodynamics Inc. flights through September 1, 2018. The airline was established by Doug Voss and Ivan Simpson and started operations on April 5, 1977 as Spirit Lake Airways . It

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6386-664: The United Express routes formerly operated by Mesa Airlines . Prior to the relocation of the headquarters to Cheyenne, Great Lakes was headquartered in Summit Township , Clay County , Iowa , by Spencer Municipal Airport and near the city of Spencer . By early 1995, Great Lakes acquired Northern Star Airlines dba Midway Connection on behalf of Midway Airlines (1993-2003) . Many routes from Chicago Midway International Airport were obtained that Great Lakes switched to operate from Chicago O'hare International Airport under

6489-469: The United States , with the census bureau placing its population at 1,608,139, edging out Philadelphia with a population of 1,567,872. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, Phoenix had a population of 1,445,632 according to the 2010 United States census , the sixth largest city and still the most populous state capital in the United States. Prior to the Great Recession, in 2006, Phoenix's population

6592-436: The United States, the large area gives it a low density rate of approximately 2,797 people per square mile. In comparison, Philadelphia , the sixth most populous city with nearly the same population as Phoenix, has a density of over 11,000 people per square mile. Like most of Arizona, Phoenix does not observe daylight saving time . In 1973, Governor Jack Williams argued to the U.S. Congress that energy use would increase in

6695-512: The Valley in 1987. There was an influx of refugees due to low-cost housing in the Sunnyslope area in the 1990s, resulting in 43 different languages being spoken in local schools by 2000. The new 20-story City Hall opened in 1992. Phoenix has maintained a growth streak in recent years, growing by 24.2% before 2007. This made it the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, surpassed only by Las Vegas . In 2008, Squaw Peak,

6798-516: The agricultural corridor between them. The following year, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Phoenix on December 2, by splitting the Archdiocese of Tucson, with Edward A. McCarthy as the first Bishop. In the 1970s the downtown area experienced a resurgence, with a level of construction activity not seen again until the urban real estate boom of the 2000s. By the end of the decade, Phoenix adopted

6901-571: The area. After the departure of the Hohokam, groups of Akimel O'odham (commonly known as Pima), Tohono O'odham , and Maricopa tribes began to use the area, as well as segments of the Yavapai and Apache. The O'odham were offshoots of the Sobaipuri tribe, who in turn were thought to be the descendants of the Hohokam. The Akimel O'odham were the major group in the area. They lived in small villages with well-defined irrigation systems that spread over

7004-599: The city also had a record 55 days of daily highs topping 110 °F (43 °C)+, which also made summer of 2023 the hottest on record there, until it was beaten by the summer of 2024 with the hottest ever June at 97.0 °F (36 °C), the third hottest august August at 98.7 °F (37 °C) and the 2nd hottest July record at 101.1 °F (38 °C) by average daily temperature respectively. That same year in 2024, it also recorded an unprecedented 113 day streak of daily highs topping 100 °F (38 °C)+ that lasted from May 27 to September 16. Because extreme heat

7107-416: The city's second tallest mountain, was renamed Piestewa Peak after Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa , an Arizonan and the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military, as well as being the first American female casualty of the 2003 Iraq War . 2008 also saw Phoenix as one of the cities hardest hit by the subprime mortgage crisis , and by early 2009 the median home price

7210-444: The city. There are many species of native birds, including Costa's hummingbird , Anna's hummingbird , Gambel's quail , Gila woodpecker , mourning dove , white-winged dove , the greater roadrunner , the cactus wren , and many species of raptors, including falcons , hawks , owls , vultures (such as the turkey vulture and black vulture ), and eagles , including the golden and the bald eagle . The greater Phoenix region

7313-416: The company continued to operate. Flights to Pierre, South Dakota and Watertown, South Dakota continued to operate through Great Lakes Jet Express . Great Lakes Airlines was the largest Essential Air Service provider in the United States for many years but served only two of its seven destinations through the Essential Air Service program prior to ceasing operations. In 2016, Great Lakes entered into

7416-464: The connection between Midwest Airlines and Midwest Connect was made more obvious for marketing purposes. In 2006, Midwest Airlines announced that it would obtain additional regional feed from SkyWest Airlines , an independently owned airline based in St. George, Utah which operated Canadair regional jets . The SkyWest aircraft would also bear the name "Midwest Connect." Midwest announced that it would operate

7519-559: The desert land arable, and paths of these canals were used for the Arizona Canal , Central Arizona Project Canal, and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct . They also carried out extensive trade with the nearby Ancient Puebloans , Mogollon , and Sinagua , as well as with the more distant Mesoamerican civilizations. It is believed periods of drought and severe floods between 1300 and 1450 led to the Hohokam civilization's abandonment of

7622-1163: The early 1990s by Mesa Airlines operating as Skyway. Bloomington (to Detroit+) Chicago Midway (to Milwaukee and Louisville+) Moline (to Milwaukee and Kansas City) Peoria (to Detroit+) Rockford (to Milwaukee, Detroit, and St Louis] Anderson (to Flint+) Fort Wayne Indianapolis * Kokomo (to Flint+) South Bend (to Milwaukee and Dayton) Cedar Rapids (to Milwaukee* and Omaha+) Des Moines * Louisville * (to Milwaukee* and Chicago Midway+) Baltimore (to Milwaukee and Columbus+) Detroit City Airport (to Milwaukee+ and Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport+) Detroit Metro Airport (to Bloomington+, Peoria+ and Rockford+) Escanaba * Flint * (to Milwaukee*, Rochester+, Kokomo+ and Anderson+) Grand Rapids * (to Milwaukee*, Toronto, Columbus, Dayton, New York LaGuardia, and Washington Reagan National) Ironwood * (to Milwaukee* via Rhinelander) Iron Mountain * Kalamazoo Lansing Manistee * Marquette * Muskegon * Saginaw Traverse City Duluth * Minneapolis * Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( / ˈ f iː n ɪ k s / FEE -niks )

7725-500: The eroded mounds of dirt that indicated previous canals dug by native peoples who had long since left the area. He formed the Swilling Irrigation and Canal Company that year, dug a large canal that drew in river water, and erected several crop fields in a location that is now within the eastern portion of central Phoenix near its airport. Other settlers soon began to arrive, appreciating the area's fertile soil and lack of frost, and

7828-476: The evening should Arizona observe DST. He went on to say energy use would also rise early in the day "because there would be more lights on in the early morning." Additionally, he said daylight saving time would cause children to go to school in the dark. Since 1979, the city of Phoenix has been divided into urban villages , many of which are based upon historically significant neighborhoods and communities that have since been annexed into Phoenix. Each village has

7931-630: The existing communities of the Akimel O'odham. The Tohono O'odham also lived in the region, but largely to the south and all the way to the Mexican border. The O'odham lived in small settlements as seasonal farmers who took advantage of the rains, rather than the large-scale irrigation of the Akimel. They grew crops such as sweet corn, tapery beans, squash, lentils, sugar cane, and melons, as well as taking advantage of native plants such as saguaro fruits, cholla buds, mesquite tree beans, and mesquite candy (sap from

8034-402: The extreme heat experienced in Phoenix and the surrounding areas during its long summers. There was more new construction in Phoenix in 1959 alone than from 1914 to 1946. Like many emerging American cities at the time, Phoenix's spectacular growth did not occur evenly. It largely took place on the city's north side, a region that was nearly all Caucasian. In 1962, one local activist testified at

8137-516: The farmhouse Swilling constructed became a frequently-visited location in the valley. Lord Darrell Duppa was one of the original settlers in Swilling's party, and he suggested the name "Phoenix", as it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. The Board of Supervisors in Yavapai County officially recognized the new town on May 4, 1868, and the first post office was established

8240-551: The first multi-purpose dam, and Roosevelt attended the official dedication on May 18, 1911. At the time, it was the largest masonry dam in the world, forming a lake in the mountains east of Phoenix. The dam would be renamed after Teddy Roosevelt in 1917, and the lake would follow suit in 1959. On February 14, 1912, Phoenix became a state capital, as Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state under President William Howard Taft . This occurred just six months after Taft had vetoed

8343-453: The following month with Swilling as the postmaster. In October 1870, valley residents met to select a new townsite for the valley's growing population. A new location three miles to the west of the original settlement, containing several allotments of farmland, was chosen, and lots began to officially be sold under the name of Phoenix in December of that year. This established the downtown core in

8446-424: The height of an unprecedent heatwave that caused daily highs to top 110 °F (43 °C) or higher that lasted for 31 days straight, Phoenix set its record for the warmest daily low temperature, at 97 °F (36 °C). The city averages approximately 300 days of sunshine, or over 85% of daylight hours, per year, and receives scant rainfall―the average annual total at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

8549-421: The hottest of any major city in the United States. On average, there are 111 days annually with a high of at least 100 °F (38 °C), including most days from the end of May through late September. Highs top 110 °F (43 °C) an average of 21 days during the year. On June 26, 1990, the temperature reached an all-time recorded high of 122 °F (50 °C). The annual minimum temperature in Phoenix

8652-563: The leases on those aircraft and returned them to their lessors. Shortly thereafter, as the result of a failed lease renegotiation with Boeing, Midwest also lost the leases on 16 of its 25 newer Boeing 717 aircraft, leaving the airline with only 9 of the 38 aircraft with which it had started the year. On September 3, 2008, Skyway's parent Midwest Airlines announced an agreement to transfer most of its mainline flight operations to another independent regional airline, Republic Airways . Republic agreed to operate 12 76-seat Embraer 170 jets under

8755-615: The main hub in Denver. A maintenance base was also established at Farmington. In 2013, a new government ruling requiring first officers to have a minimum of 1500 flight hours and restrictions on crew rest and duty times created a severe hardship for Great Lakes as well as many other commuter airlines. The airline was then forced to pull ten seats out of most of its 19-seat Beech 1900D aircraft. Many flights had to be cancelled as well as all service to several cities including Mason City Municipal Airport . On April 1, 2015, service to Sheridan, Wyoming

8858-519: The mesquite tree). They also hunted local game such as deer, rabbit, and javelina for meat. The Mexican–American War ended in 1848, Mexico ceded its northern zone to the United States, and the region's residents became U.S. citizens. The Phoenix area became part of the New Mexico Territory . In 1863, the mining town of Wickenburg was the first to be established in Maricopa County, to

8961-417: The nation in this hazard. PM2.5 particulate matter, which is a component of diesel engine exhaust, and larger PM10 particles, which can come from dust, can both reach concerning levels in Phoenix. In fact, people, pets, and other animals exposed to high concentrations of PM10 dust particles―primarily from dust storms or from disturbed agricultural or construction sites―are at risk of contracting Valley Fever ,

9064-573: The northwest of Phoenix. Maricopa County had not been incorporated; the land was within Yavapai County , which included the major town of Prescott to the north of Wickenburg. The Army created Fort McDowell on the Verde River in 1865 to forestall Indian uprisings. The fort established a camp on the south side of the Salt River by 1866, which was the first settlement in the valley after the decline of

9167-687: The riverbed is often dry or contains little water due to large irrigation diversions. South Mountain separates the community of Ahwatukee from the rest of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 517.9 sq mi (1,341 km ), of which 516.7 sq mi (1,338 km ) is land and 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km ), or 0.2%, is water. Maricopa County grew by 711% from 186,000 in 1940 to 1,509,000 by 1980, due in part to air conditioning, cheap housing, and an influx of retirees. The once "modest urban sprawl" now "grew by 'epic' proportions—not only

9270-662: The second largest growth by percentage of the MRs (behind only the Gulf Coast MR) between 2000 and 2010. Great Lakes Airlines Great Lakes Airlines was an American regional airline operating domestic scheduled and charter services. Corporate headquarters were in Cheyenne , Wyoming , with a hub at Denver International Airport . As of November 2013, Great Lakes Airlines received $ 58,299,575 in annual federal subsidies for Essential Air Services that they provided to rural airports in

9373-455: The site of its new research and development center for military electronics. Seeing the same advantages as Motorola, other high-tech companies, such as Intel and McDonnell Douglas , moved into the valley and opened manufacturing operations. By 1950, over 105,000 people resided in the city and thousands more in surrounding communities. The 1950s growth was spurred on by advances in air conditioning, which allowed homes and businesses to offset

9476-473: The town's population stood at 2,453. By 1881, Phoenix's continued growth made the board of trustees obsolete. The Territorial Legislature passed the Phoenix Charter Bill, incorporating Phoenix and providing a mayor-council government; Governor John C. Fremont signed the bill on February 25, 1881, officially incorporating Phoenix as a city with a population of around 2,500. The railroad's arrival in

9579-546: The valley in the 1880s was the first of several events that made Phoenix a trade center whose products reached eastern and western markets. In response, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was organized on November 4, 1888. The city offices moved into the new City Hall at Washington and Central in 1888. The territorial capital moved from Prescott to Phoenix in 1889, and the territorial offices were also in City Hall. The arrival of

9682-609: The world launch customer for the Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft, a 32-seat jet. It ultimately acquired 12 328JETs. The 328JETs allowed Skyway to provide new service to cities as far as Hartford , New York City , Washington, D.C. , and Raleigh-Durham , and to provide more comfortable passenger accommodations on routes previously served by the Beechcraft 1900. Skyway planned to transition to an all-jet fleet by obtaining additional 328JET aircraft, purchasing German manufacturer Fairchild Dornier 's planned 44-seat version, known as

9785-486: Was $ 150,000, down from its $ 262,000 peak in 2007. Crime rates in Phoenix have fallen in recent years, and once troubled, decaying neighborhoods such as South Mountain , Alhambra , and Maryvale have recovered and stabilized. On June 1, 2023, the State of Arizona announced the decision to halt new housing development in the Phoenix metropolitan area that relies solely on groundwater due to a predicted water shortfall. Phoenix

9888-459: Was 1,512,986, the fifth largest just ahead of Philadelphia. After leading the U.S. in population growth for over a decade, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, followed by the recession, led to a slowing in the growth of Phoenix. There were approximately 77,000 people added to the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2009, which was down significantly from its peak in 2006 of 162,000. Despite this slowing, Phoenix's population grew by 9.4% since

9991-668: Was an advertising slogan invented to boost tourism. During World War II, Phoenix's economy shifted to that of a distribution center, transforming into an "embryonic industrial city" with the mass production of military supplies. There were three air force fields in the area: Luke Field , Williams Field , and Falcon Field , as well as two large pilot training camps, Thunderbird Field No. 1 in Glendale and Thunderbird Field No. 2 in Scottsdale. A town that had just over 65,000 residents in 1940 became America's fifth largest city by 2020, with

10094-556: Was cancelled less than two months after it began because United Airlines refused to honor its interline agreement with Great Lakes in Chicago, stating that only connections in Denver were covered under the agreement. The service on Elite Airways from Denver and Houston to Branson, Missouri was also cancelled shortly after it began. During the 1980s Great Lakes operated Beechcraft C99 and Beechcraft 1900C commuter turboprop aircraft. The carrier operated two types of turboprop aircraft, being

10197-399: Was downgraded in early 2002 when it became an independent carrier but still maintained an indirect codeshare agreement with United Airlines as well as establishing a new code share with Frontier Airlines . Since then Great Lakes saw a steady decline in traffic and service to many cities was dropped including the entire hub operation at Chicago O'Hare. The Minneapolis hub was also closed however

10300-461: Was dropped leaving the remote city with no air service. Sheridan had been served since the early days of aviation by many airlines, some with jets including Boeing 737s by Western Airlines . Most routes Great Lakes has served are subsidized through Essential Air Service. Through its history the airline is known to have served at least 162 cities and 164 airports (three at Chicago) but was down to only seven cities as of March 22, 2018. Great Lakes had

10403-514: Was reorganised and began scheduled services on October 12, 1981, as Great Lakes Airlines with flights between Spencer and Des Moines, Iowa . In February 1988, Great Lakes acquired Alliance Airlines . In February 1992 Great Lakes signed a codeshare agreement with United Airlines becoming a United Express feeder carrier. From 1992 through 2002 Great Lakes operated extensive United Express operations with hubs at Chicago O'Hare and Denver and also at Minneapolis where United Airlines did not have

10506-517: 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. Its canal system led to a thriving farming community with the original settlers' crops, such as alfalfa , cotton , citrus , and hay , remaining important parts of the local economy for decades. Cotton, cattle , citrus, climate , and copper were known locally as

10609-517: Was switched from Ontario to Los Angeles, California on May 15, 2011. The airline added service to a new hub serving Las Vegas, Nevada , on April 7, 2010, with routes to Ely, Nevada ; Page, Arizona; Farmington, NM; and Merced and Visalia, California. The Las Vegas hub was closed in April 2013. During the years of the hub operations at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Ontario, Great Lakes would operate flights by way of Farmington to connect these hubs with

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