Arizona Sun Corridor

The Arizona Sun Corridor, shortened Sun Corridor, is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Sun Corridor is comparable to Indiana in both size and population. It is one of the fastest growing conurbations in the country and is speculated to double its population by 2040.[2] The largest metropolitan areas are the Phoenix metropolitan area - Valley of the Sun - and the Tucson metropolitan area. The regions' populace is nestled in the valley of a desert environment.[2] Similar to Southern California, the urban area extends into Mexico, reaching the communities of Nogales and Agua Prieta.[2]

This article is about the Arizona megaregion. For the similarly named metropolitan area, see Valley of the Sun.

Arizona Sun Corridor
Megaregion of the U.S.
Counter Clock-wise from Top: Downtown Phoenix skyline, Downtown Tucson, Mesa City Hall Phoenix Tucson Sierra Vista Casa Grande Nogales Prescott Selected cities of the Arizona Sun Corridor
Coordinates: 33°N 112°W
Country	USA
State	Arizona
Population  (2010)
• Total	5,517,131
• Rank	10th
• 2025 Projection	7,764,211
• 2050 Projection	12,319,771
	[1]

Its population is composed of five metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Sierra Vista-Douglas[3] and Nogales. Out of these, two are metropolitan areas with over 1,000,000 residents: the Phoenix metropolitan area with 4,192,887 residents and the Tucson metropolitan area with 1,020,200 residents. The Arizona Sun Corridor is made up of all of Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, along with parts of Yavapai, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties.[4] It is home to over 86 percent of Arizona's population.

Most of the Arizona Sun Corridor is in the Sonoran Desert; to the south of the region is the border between the United States and Mexico, and to the east is the Arizona transition zone and the Mountains of Arizona. The Southern California Megaregion is to west and is the nearest other Megaregion to the Arizona Sun Corridor.

Extent

The Arizona Sun Corridor lies in the American Southwest.

Map of the Arizona Sun Corridor, showing each county in the Sun Corridor, as well as their cities, towns, and CPDs. The largest community in each county is highlighted in red.

The Arizona Sun Corridor lies in the American Southwest, about halfway between the Southern California and Front Range Megaregions. It is shown on the map in deep blue.

Below is a table listing all communities of the Arizona Sun Corridor with a population of at least 10,000 residents.

Name	Type[5]	County	Population (2010)[6]	Area (2010)[7]		Population density (2010)[7]
				sq mi	km^2	/sq mi	/km^2
Anthem	CPD	Maricopa	21,700
Apache Junction	City	Pinal	35,840	35.00	90.6	1,024.2	395.4
Arizona City	CPD	Pinal	10,475
Avondale	City	Maricopa	76,238	45.65	118.2	1,672.0	645.6
Buckeye	City	Maricopa	50,876	375.39	972.3	135.6	52.4
Camp Verde	Town	Yavapai	10,873	43.15	111.8	252.0	97.3
Casa Grande	City	Pinal	48,571	109.67	284.0	442.9	171.0
Casas Adobes	CPD	Pima	66,795
Catalina Foothills	CPD	Pima	50,796
Chandler	City	Maricopa	236,123	64.52	167.1	3,665.8	1,415.4
Chino Valley	Town	Yavapai	10,817	63.43	164.3	170.7	65.9
Coolidge	City	Pinal	11,825	56.58	146.5	209.3	80.8
Cottonwood	City	Yavapai	11,265	16.41	42.5	686.5	265.1
Douglas	City	Cochise	17,378	9.98	25.8	1,741.0	672.2
Drexel Heights	CPD	Pima	27,749
El Mirage	City	Maricopa	31,797	10.09	26.1	3,170.7	1,224.2
Eloy	City	Pinal	16,631	111.57	289.0	149.1	57.6
Florence	Town	Pinal	25,536	52.49	135.9	486.9	188.0
Flowing Wells	CPD	Pima	16,419
Fountain Hills	Town	Maricopa	22,489	20.42	52.9	1,106.2	427.1
Gilbert	Town	Maricopa	208,453	68.15	176.5	3,067.2	1,184.3
Glendale	City	Maricopa	226,721	60.13	155.7	3,780.2	1,459.5
Gold Canyon	CPD	Pinal	10,159
Goodyear	City	Maricopa	65,275	191.52	496.0	340.9	131.6
Green Valley	CPD	Pima	21,391
Marana	Town	Pima	34,961	122.20	316.5	287.8	111.1
Maricopa	City	Pinal	43,482	47.57	123.2	916.0	353.7
Mesa	City	Maricopa	439,041	137.06	355.0	3,217.5	1,242.3
New River	CPD	Maricopa	14,952
Nogales	City	Santa Cruz	20,837	20.84	54.0	1,001.0	386.5
Oro Valley	Town	Pima	41,011	35.64	92.3	1,154.3	445.7
Paradise Valley	Town	Maricopa	12,820	15.46	40.0	830.9	320.8
Peoria	City	Maricopa	154,065	177.97	460.9	883.4	341.1
Phoenix	City	Maricopa	1,445,632	517.95	1,341.5	2,797.8	1,080.2
Prescott	City	Yavapai	39,843	41.58	107.7	963.8	372.1
Prescott Valley	Town	Yavapai	38,822	38.65	100.1	1,004.4	387.8
Queen Creek	Town	Maricopa	26,361	28.07	72.7	940.1	363.0
Rio Rico	CPD	Santa Cruz	18,962
San Tan Valley	CPD	Pinal	81,321
Sahuarita	Town	Pima	25,259	31.04	80.4	813.8	314.2
Scottsdale	City	Maricopa	217,385	184.40	477.6	1,182.0	456.4
Sedona	City	Yavapai	10,031	19.18	49.7	524.1	202.4
Sierra Vista	City	Cochise	43,888	152.54	395.1	288.2	111.3
Sierra Vista Southeast	CPD	Cochise	14,797
Sun City	CPD	Maricopa	37,499
Sun City West	CPD	Maricopa	24,535
Sun Lakes	CPD	Maricopa	13,975
Surprise	City	Maricopa	117,517	105.87	274.2	1,111.3	429.1
Tanque Verde	CPD	Pima	16,901
Tempe	City	Maricopa	161,719	40.19	104.1	4,050.1	1,563.8
Tucson	City	Pima	520,116	227.03	588.0	2,294.2	885.8
Tucson Estates	CPD	Pima	12,192
Vail	CPD	Pima	10,208
Verde Village	CPD	Yavapai	11,605

Transportation

Road

Intercity in the region is provided by the I-8, I-10, I-17, and I-19 freeways, as well as US 60, SR 87, SR 90, and SR 77, among other surface highways.

Phoenix area arterials are set up in a grid pattern, which helps simplify transportation within the region. Tucson's streets have a similar system.

Rail

Amtrak's Sunset Limited operates three times a week, connecting Maricopa, Arizona and Tucson. There is no other intercity rail in the region; however a high-speed rail corridor is also being studied between Phoenix and Tucson.[8]

Intracity rail systems include the Valley Metro Rail, which operates within the Phoenix metropolitan area, connecting Uptown and Downtown Phoenix with Tempe and Mesa, and Tucson's Sun Link streetcar system, which links Downtown Tucson and the Mercado district to the University of Arizona.

Air

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Tucson International Airport provide air transportation to the region, from both within the country and from a few foreign countries, among other smaller airports, which focus on regional air traffic from nearby. Recently, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, previously being a military base, has also become an option for low-cost carriers to fly into the Phoenix area as well.

US Airways, now owned by Fort Worth company American Airlines, was once headquartered and based in Tempe, which is in the Phoenix Valley. However, American Airlines maintains a strong presence in the state due to the history with US Airways.

References

1. http://www.america2050.org/arizona_sun_corridor.html
2. "Arizona Sun Corridor". America 2050. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
3. Arizona Has a New Metropolitan Area: Sierra Vista-Douglas 1-14-14.
4. "Maps - America2050". America 2050. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
5. "About the League: Member Cities and Towns". Arizona League of Cities and Towns. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona". United States Census Bureau. 2009-07-07. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
7. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - State -- Place, 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
8. http://www.azdot.gov/planning/CurrentStudies/PassengerRail/overview