Arizona is a southwestern US state renowned for its dramatic desert landscapes, ancient Native American cultures, and iconic natural wonders. Home to the Grand Canyon, one of the world's most visited natural sites, Arizona offers visitors a stunning contrast of red rock formations in Sedona, towering saguaro cacti in the Sonoran Desert, forested mountains around Flagstaff, and the otherworldly mesas of Monument Valley.
Arizona's human history stretches back at least 13,000 years, from the Paleo-Indians who hunted mammoths across the Ice Age landscape to the sophisticated civilizations of the Hohokam, Ancestral Puebloans, and Sinagua peoples who built elaborate canal systems, cliff dwellings, and ceremonial centers. Spanish explorers arrived in the 1530s seeking the mythical Seven Cities of Gold, establishing missions and settlements in what became part of New Spain and then Mexico. The Gadsden Purchase of 1853 brought southern Arizona into the United States, and the territory's copper, silver, and cattle drove explosive — and often violent — growth in the Wild West era. Arizona became the 48th and last contiguous state admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912, Valentine's Day, earning the nickname 'The Valentine State.'
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Arizona.
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1
Paleo-Indian hunters arrive
First humans reach what is now Arizona, hunting mammoths and giant ground sloths across a greener, wetter landscape.
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2
Hohokam civilization
The Hohokam people develop the most sophisticated prehistoric irrigation system in North America, with over 500 miles of canals under present-day Phoenix. They build platform mounds, ball courts, and trade across the Southwest.
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3
Ancestral Puebloan culture
The Ancestral Puebloans (formerly called Anasazi) construct remarkable stone communities including cliff dwellings at Canyon de Chelly and Betatakin. They eventually migrate south and become the ancestors of today's Pueblo peoples.
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4
Sinagua people
The Sinagua ('without water' in Spanish) build cliff dwellings including Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot, and Wupatki, demonstrating sophisticated dry farming techniques in the Verde Valley.
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5
Spanish exploration begins
Friar Marcos de Niza leads the first Spanish expedition into Arizona searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola (Gold). Francisco Vásquez de Coronado follows in 1540-1542 on a massive expedition reaching as far as Kansas.
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6
Father Kino establishes missions
Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino begins establishing a chain of missions in southern Arizona, including the predecessor to San Xavier del Bac near Tucson — still active today as a Tohono O'odham parish.
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7
Tucson presidio established
Spain establishes the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson as a military garrison to defend against Apache raids, making Tucson Arizona's oldest European settlement.
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8
Mexico gains independence
Arizona becomes part of the newly independent Republic of Mexico following Mexican independence from Spain.
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9
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Following the Mexican-American War, the northern part of Arizona (north of the Gila River) is ceded to the United States.
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10
Gadsden Purchase
The US purchases the southern strip of Arizona (including Tucson and the Sonoran Desert) from Mexico for $10 million, completing the current Arizona territory boundary.
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11
Arizona Territory established
President Lincoln signs legislation creating the Arizona Territory, separated from New Mexico Territory, with Prescott as the capital.
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12
Apache Wars
Prolonged conflict between the US Army and Apache tribes under leaders including Cochise and Geronimo resisting forced relocation. Fort Apache and Fort Bowie serve as military bases.
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13
Tombstone silver boom
Ed Schieffelin discovers silver near what becomes Tombstone, triggering a massive mining boom and population explosion in southeastern Arizona.
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14
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
The legendary 30-second confrontation between the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday against the Clanton-McLaury outlaw faction in Tombstone — the most famous gunfight in American frontier history.
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15
Geronimo surrenders
Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to General Nelson Miles at Skeleton Canyon, ending the last major Native American resistance in the continental United States.
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16
Roosevelt Dam construction begins
Construction of Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River begins, creating the infrastructure that will allow Phoenix to grow from a small frontier town into a major American city.
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17
Arizona statehood
Arizona becomes the 48th and last contiguous state admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912 (Valentine's Day). Phoenix is established as the state capital.
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18
World War II impacts
Arizona hosts Japanese American internment camps (Poston and Gila River), major military training bases, and becomes a center for aircraft manufacturing. The mild climate and open spaces make it ideal for training thousands of pilots.
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19
Interstate Highway Act
The Federal Highway Act and resulting interstate system connects Arizona to national markets, accelerating postwar growth in Phoenix and Tucson.
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20
Population explosion
Air conditioning, retirement communities (Sun City founded 1960), and the high-tech corridor (Intel, Motorola) drive Arizona's transformation from a frontier state to one of America's fastest-growing regions.
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21
Taliesin West designated UNESCO site
Frank Lloyd Wright's Scottsdale desert complex joins the UNESCO World Heritage list as part of the Frank Lloyd Wright American Architecture collection.
Historical eras
The chapters of Arizona's past.
Pre-Columbian
Spanish Colonial
Mexican Period
American Territorial
Early Statehood
Modern Arizona
Historical sites
Places where Arizona's past comes alive.
Tombstone Historic District
The entire O.K. Corral, Bird Cage Theatre, and Boot Hill Cemetery area is preserved as it appeared in the 1880s silver boom era.
Where: Tombstone, AZ
Mission San Xavier del Bac
The 'White Dove of the Desert' — a magnificent Spanish Colonial mission built 1783-1797 and still an active Tohono O'odham parish. Considered the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the US.
Where: Tucson, AZ
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Sinagua cliff dwellings from circa 1100 CE, among the best preserved in North America.
Where: Camp Verde, AZ
Canyon de Chelly
Continuously inhabited for 5,000 years; contains Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and current Navajo farming and herding operations.
Where: Chinle, AZ
Hubbell Trading Post
The oldest continuously operating trading post on the Navajo Nation (established 1876), now a National Historic Site where Navajo weavers still sell rugs.
Where: Ganado, AZ
Jerome Historic District
A remarkably preserved copper mining boomtown from the 1890s now serving as an arts community.
Where: Jerome, AZ
Museums
Curated collections that tell Arizona's story.
Heard Museum
Arizona State Museum
Arizona Historical Society Museum
Sharlot Hall Museum
Pioneer Living History Village
Arizona Military Museum
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.