More Arizona Facts, Figures, and Trivia

About a year and a half ago, I wrote about some Arizona trivia and little-known facts that I had found while researching articles. Since then, I have been collecting information for a follow-up post. So without further ado, here are some more interesting facts, figures, and trivia about Arizona that most people (including people who live here) may not know:

· Arizona is the only state with the letter "Z" in its name.

· The founder of the Lions Club, Melvin Jones, came from the very small town of Fort Thomas, Arizona.

· Phoenix is the largest American city without passenger rail service (Amtrak discontinued service to Phoenix in 1995).

· Arizona's Oldest Radio Station, KOY, has been on the air for 89 years.

· There is a minor planet orbiting the Sun named after the State of Arizona. It was discovered by Percival Lowell in 1907.

· The fountain in Fountain Hills, Arizona was the world's largest fountain for over a decade.

· Roosevelt Lake Bridge is the longest two-lane, single-span, steel-arch bridge in North America. The bridge spans 1,080 feet across Roosevelt Lake providing two-way traffic.

· The Apache Trail is a real road (State Route 88), and was traveled by President Roosevelt when the Dam named after him was dedicated in the 1920s.

· Arizona is divided up into just 15 counties. The only states with fewer counties are: Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Delaware.

· Arizona is not only the 6th largest state, its size is 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km2). This means it has more land mass than each of the following countries: New Zealand, England, Romania, Greece, Iceland, South Korea, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland.

· If Arizona were its own country, it would be the 73rd largest country by size in the world.

· You could fit roughly 5.8 Arizonas into one Alaska.

· Arizona contains the longest original stretch of Route 66.

· Where can you find the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America? Look no further than the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, AZ.

· Phoenix Sky Harbor is currently 7th busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements, and 17th for passenger traffic.

· The airport's Air Traffic Control Tower is currently the world's fifth tallest control tower standing at 326 feet high (99 meters) after Atlanta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Munich.

· South Mountain Park in Phoenix is the nation's largest municipal park, at over 16,000 acres.

· Arizona is home to 21 different tribes of Native Americans.

· Arizona is one of 31 states that make up the Multi-State Lottery Association, which oversees the Powerball lottery.

· The Morenci Mine is the largest copper mine in the US and one of the largest open pit mines in the world.

· Arizona is home to Ben Avery Shooting Facility, the largest outdoor shooting range in the U.S.

· The dwarf planet Pluto was discovered at Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory in 1930.

· The Superstition Mountains of Arizona are the place of origin for one of history's greatest legends: the Legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine.

· Arizona is home to 13 different species of rattlesnake.

· Arizona is one of the Four Corners states, the only geographic point in the US where four state borders meet.

· Mt. Lemmon in Tucson is the southernmost ski area in the United States.