claim: Salt River Valley is in central Arizona, surrounding Phoenix.
evidence: The Phoenix Metropolitan Area -- often referred to as the Valley of the Sun , the Salt River Valley or Metro Phoenix -- is a metropolitan area , centered on the city of Phoenix , that includes much of the central part of the U.S. State of Arizona .. Arizona. Arizona. Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. metropolitan area. United States metropolitan area. U.S. State. U.S. State. The United States Census Bureau designates the area as the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area -LRB- MSA -RRB- , defining it as Maricopa and Pinal counties .. Metropolitan Statistical Area. Metropolitan Statistical Area. Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. Mesa. Mesa, Arizona. Chandler. Chandler, Arizona. Maricopa. Maricopa County, Arizona. United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Pinal. Pinal County, Arizona. As of the Census Bureau 's 2015 population estimates , the Valley had 4,574,351 residents , making it the 12th largest Metropolitan Area in the nation by population .. 12th. Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas. 12th largest. List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas#United States. The gross domestic product of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area was $ 215 billion in 2014 , 15th largest amongst metro areas in the United States .. Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. gross domestic product. gross domestic product. 15th. List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP. It is also one of the fastest growing major metropolitan areas , gaining nearly 400,000 residents from 2010 to 2015 , and more than 1.3 million since 2000 .. The population of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area increased by 45.3 % from 1990 through 2000 , compared to the average United States rate of 13.2 % , helping to make Arizona the second fastest growing state in the nation in the 1990s -LRB- the fastest was Nevada -RRB- .. Arizona. Arizona. Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. Nevada. Nevada. The 2000 Census reported the population of the metropolitan area to be 3,251,876 .. metropolitan area. United States metropolitan area. As for the 2010 Census , the two-county metropolitan area was reported to have a population of 4,192,887 .. metropolitan area. United States metropolitan area. Metro Phoenix grew by 941,011 people from April 2000 to April 2010 , making it one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country .. Phoenix. Phoenix, Arizona. This also contributed to the entire state 's exceptional growth , as the area is home to just over two-thirds of Arizona 's population .. Arizona. Arizona