PHOENIX — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has set a new record after more than 200,000 visitors came to the airport on the day after Arizona hosted Super Bowl LVII.
Monday turned out to be the busiest day in the airport's history as thousands of visitors left the Valley following the Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium. On an average day, Sky Harbor records having about 120,000 visitors.
Over 1,600 flights landed and departed from Sky Harbor on Feb. 13, which is about 400 more than the average day.
More than 9,100 rental cars were returned to the airport on Monday and over 23,000 ride-share vehicles transported passengers to Sky Harbor.
“Super Bowl LVII set records across the City of Phoenix, and that could not be more evident than at our airport,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a statement. "These numbers speak to the appeal of Phoenix and Arizona as a destination for high caliber events."
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
