User talk:Node ue/phx

Looking at development patterns, some things can be seen in the future of Arizona.

Apparently, anything with a population over 5,000 is considered an "urbanized area".

Maricopa County is the most populous county in the state. The growth of the Phoenix Metro Area has also led to growth in neighbouring Pinal (south) and Yavapai (north) counties. Pima County has the Tucson Metro Area.

Now, Mohave County is obviously an area to watch. Lake Havasu City (41,938), Bullhead City (33,769), and Kingman (20,069), already have over 10,000 inhabitants each, three out of only 10 cities outside of Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, and Yavapai counties with this distinction. This does not include the unincorporated areas of Mohave Valley (13,694), New Kingman-Butler (14,810). Bullhead City is right across the Nevada border from Laughlin. If proposed developments are built, the Lake Havasu-Bullhead-Kingman metro area (which would be part of the Las Vegas metro area) would be come the third-largest metro area in the state, after Phoenix and Tucson.

Yuma County is also an area to watch. Yuma (77,515) is the third fastest-growing metro area in the United States, also including the city of San Luis (15,322) and its Mexican twin city San Luis Río Colorado (145,006), as well as various smaller suburbs.

Cochise County is home to Sierra Vista (41,000), Douglas (14,312) and its Mexican twin city Agua Prieta (61,944), and the unincorporated community of Sierra Vista Southeast (14,348).

It's been predicted that the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas will grow together within 20 years. I would predict that the Sierra Vista/Agua Prieta metro area also grows into them, and perhaps Nogales as well.