10 Quirky Facts About Arizona That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate
By Katie Lawrence|Updated on April 07, 2024(Originally published February 10, 2023)
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
Did you know Arizona is home to the world’s largest collection of miniature airplanes? How about the fact that the sunniest city on earth can be found in our state? There are plenty of quirky fun facts about Arizona that sound made up. Here are 10 of the most unbelievable:
Along with Hawaii, Arizona is the only state that has left the agrarian custom behind. The only exception is the Navajo Nation, which does "spring forward" and "fall back."
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3. The world's first McDonald's drive-thru is located in Sierra Vista, AZ.
The restaurant was created so that soldiers from nearby Fort Huachuca could get food without exiting their vehicles, as they were not permitted to walk around in uniform.
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4. Kartchner Caverns State Park was kept secret for four years.
The vast cave system was discovered in 1974 by two men named Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts. They didn't approach the property owners about their findings until 1978 - they wanted to prevent word from spreading to protect the precious natural wonder. It didn't become a state park until 1988!
5. Arizona has more national monuments than any other state.
Chiricahua National Monument, 12856 East Rhyolite Creek Road, Willcox, AZ 85643, USA
National monuments can be created via presidential decree instead of by an act of Congress, and our state is home to a staggering 18 of them. Pictured above is the beautiful Chiricahua National Monument.
Okay, not quite - but kind of. The former mining boomtown of Oatman is unincorporated, so it doesn't have a mayor - but it does have plenty of wild burros (descendants of animals used by mine workers back in the day) roaming the streets!
7. The London Bridge is actually located here in Arizona.
Once spanning the River Thames, the famous bridge was built in the 1830s and sold to Lake Havasu City real estate developer Robert P. McCulloch in 1968.
8. Arizona boasts the world's largest collection of miniature airplanes.
Hazy Library & Learning Center, 3700 Willow Creek Rd, Prescott, AZ 86301, USA
You'll find the record-setting collection, which features nearly 6,000 models, in the Hazy Library & Learning Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.
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9. You can travel from Mexico to Canada without leaving Arizona... ecologically speaking.
Catalina Highway in Tucson is less than 30 miles long, yet features the ecological equivalent of driving from the U.S.-Mexico border all the way up to Canada. At the start of the drive, you'll be surrounded by Sonoran Desert terrain, but by the time you ascend 6,000 feet in elevation, you'll have traveled through evergreen woodlands into an alpine forest ecosystem just like that found up in Canada!
10. The Sonoran Desert, in which parts of Arizona are located, is the only place on earth where the Saguaro cactus grows wild.
These desert guardians are an iconic symbol of our state, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
How many of these quirky Arizona facts were you aware of? Do you know of any others that we missed? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article to learn more about why Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time.
Are you proud to live in Arizona? You should be! Wear your state pride on your sleeve when you check out this unique collection of apparel from Wear Your Roots.
Love exploring Arizona? Check out this stunning footage of Sedona:
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