With its sunny days, low humidity, and an average yearly temperature of 72 degrees, it's easy to see why Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

The name "Phoenix" conjures up images of sun-drenched skies, world-class accommodations, breathtaking desert scenery surrounded by a constellation of mountain ranges. This is a city rich in Southwest history and on the rise.

Phoenix is the hub of the Southwest - a high-tech and manufacturing center, a gem of a city surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, and a city that gives its residents resort-style living at reasonable costs.

Centrally located in Arizona and the heart of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix is the perfect gateway to towering pine forests, majestic saguaro cacti, the red-rock country of Sedona, and nature's greatest wonder - the Grand Canyon.

The city's roots can be traced to A.D. 300 when Hohokam Indians inhabited the area. Modern-day Phoenix was founded on the Salt River in 1860 by a settler who believed that a great city would rise from the Hohokam ruins, much as the legendary Phoenix bird rose from its ashes.

Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with an expanding job market to match. Located in the middle of the state of Arizona and in the heart of the beautiful Sonoran Desert, Phoenix is the gateway to cool pine forests, the red rock towers of Sedona, and nature's greatest wonder, the Grand Canyon. Home to more than a million people, Phoenix offers sun-filled days and nightlife that ranges from top comedy and music clubs to such cultural icons as the Phoenix Art Museum, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra Hall, and many Arizona theater companies. And don't forget the professional sports teams. The Diamondbacks, Suns, Cardinals, and Coyotes all make their home in Phoenix.