Log In

Arizona’s Infrastructure Landscape

Overview of Arizona’s infrastructure landscape, including contextual factors, shared public priorities, and data that show where the state stands today.

Each topic page offers an overview of an issue Arizonans identify as a statewide priority, drawing on both public opinion and outcome data from sources such as the Gallup Arizona Survey, the Arizona Voters’ Agenda, and the Arizona Progress Meters. Additional data and trend details are available in the Searchable Data Library for deeper exploration.

Arizona’s Current Infrastructure Landscape

Arizona’s rapid growth continues to increase demand for the systems that make daily life work and long-term prosperity possible. Arizonans value infrastructure beyond roads and bridges — to include broadband and digital access, housing and community development, and the education and childcare systems that help residents live, learn, and participate in the workforce and civil society.

As population patterns shift and the cost of living rises, the state faces ongoing questions about how to maintain and expand interconnected infrastructure systems in ways that support mobility, safety, connectivity, and opportunity across both urban and rural communities. Long-term planning and investment remain essential to keeping pace with growth and sustaining quality of life statewide.    

The average commute time in Arizona is 25.7 minutes.

7.4% of Arizona’s roadway lane miles were in poor condition in 2023.

1.1% of Arizona’s bridges were in poor condition in 2023.

51.8% of rural Arizonans have no broadband internet access.

5.7% of urban Arizonans have no broadband internet access.

Phoenix ranks 38th in the U.S. for Public Transportation among cities with populations over 250,000.

Factors Unique to Arizona

Arizona’s infrastructure needs are influenced by rapid growth, long-standing development patterns, and uneven access to key systems across communities. These dynamics affect transportation, digital connectivity, education and training pathways, housing availability, and public safety. These needs are felt in both urban and rural areas as the state continues to grow.

Keeping Up with Growth

Keeping Up with Growth

Arizona remains one of the nation’s fastest-growing states. Growth increases demand for transportation networks, utilities, broadband, schools, and housing across the state. 

What Arizonans Prioritize

Arizonans’ shared priorities illuminate infrastructure as the backbone of daily life and long-term prosperity — not only transportation, but also natural resources, broadband access, housing affordability, and the education and childcare systems that help people participate in the workforce and economy. Across political and demographic lines, Arizonans emphasize long-term planning and investment to keep these systems reliable, accessible, and aligned with growth.

Long-Term Infrastructure Investment for Growth and Quality of Life

Arizonans broadly agree that Arizona must plan and invest ahead of growth to maintain quality of life and support opportunity statewide.  

  • 89% of likely voters support investments in freeways, streets, and transit. 
  • 87% agree higher levels of planning are needed to ensure the state has the resources and infrastructure to support growth and maintain quality of life.

See All the Most Recent Public Opinion Research:

Indicators to Drive Action

Measuring infrastructure outcomes over time helps reveal how well Arizona’s systems are keeping pace with population growth, economic activity, and changing community needs. Tracking key aspects of daily life offers insight into how infrastructure supports mobility, safety, connectivity, economic opportunity, and overall quality of life across the state.

When measured consistently, these data can help communities, policymakers, and stakeholders understand emerging trends, identify areas where investment may be needed, and monitor progress toward shared priorities.

Average Commute Time

Measures the average time, in minutes, it takes a worker to get door-to-door from their home to their place of employment using their preferred method of transportation. 

  • Why it matters: Quality of life is impacted when it’s difficult to get from one place to another, affecting Arizona’s preparedness for future population growth. High commute times also impact Arizona’s ability to attract business, industry, and high-quality workers. Average commute times are useful for indicating if infrastructure is keeping pace with population growth and urban development. 

Find More Tools to Strengthen Your Story

Independent Experts

Connect with Arizona-based experts from across the state ready to share their own perspectives and insights — on the record or off.

Search our Experts Directory

Informational Sessions

Join online, in-person, and hybrid events — available exclusively to verified members of the media — that provide early access to new data and opportunities to hear from experts who can explain and explore Arizona’s most complex and evolving issues.

Explore the Sessions
Infrastructure