Major intersections are about a mile apart. Central Avenue runs north and south, through downtown and between the two mountain ranges. All roads running parallel to Central are designated with numbers. Treating Central as zero, all numbered roads to the east are streets and all numbered roads to the west are avenues.
Roads running east and west have names.
Check with your hotel s concierge about traffic delays related to the construction. Perhaps because most of Phoenix was built after the invention of the automobile, almost everywhere you ll want to go will require a car. Downtown Phoenix can be congested in the evenings, especially if there s a major event at the America West Arena. Tempe traffic sometimes comes to a standstill around the Arizona State University campus during major games or concerts. BY AIR Sky Harbor International Airport is in the heart of the Valley of the Sun and is only a 10-minute drive from downtown Phoenix.