State 48 has only been a part of the US for 111 years, less than half of the country’s existence. Despite that, Arizona has been a major part of popular culture.
Major movies like “Raising Arizona” and “Tombstone” were filmed in parts of the state, and Arizona is where artists like Nate Ruess, Jimmy Eat World, and Linda Ronstadt got their start.
But what about things that take the state’s name despite not being from here? Here are eight things with Arizona in the name that aren’t from the state.
AriZona Green Tea
The famous big can of green tea that sells for around 99 cents isn’t actually from Arizona.
AriZona Beverages USA, the creator of the popular drink, was founded in 1993 in Brooklyn and is currently headquartered in Woodbury, New York.
Founder Don Vultaggio told CNN Business he almost went with our neighbor when founding the company.
“When I put Santa Fe on the package, it didn’t look right,” Vultaggio said.
USS Arizona
The USS Arizona was a US Navy battleship built in New York in 1913.
Naturally, the ship could never visit its namesake, but it did travel the world for years.
The ship accompanied President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 at the end of World War I and transferred to the Pacific Fleet in California in 1921.
Arizona and the rest of the Pacific Fleet moved from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a deterrent to Japan during World War II.
The USS Arizona was one of the ships that sank during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. It still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, beneath the USS Arizona Memorial.
‘Arizona Bay’ by Bill Hicks
Stand-up comedian Bill Hicks was from Georgia but traveled the world performing. His sets usually touched on religion and politics.
One of his albums, “Arizona Bay,” was based on his joke that Los Angeles will eventually fall into the Pacific Ocean, making Arizona a new coastal state. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas.
“When LA falls in the f*ckin ocean and is flushed away, all it will leave is Arizona Bay,” Hicks said.
‘Arizona’ (2018)
“Arizona” is a film directed by Jonathan Watson starring Danny McBride, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Luke Wilson.
The film takes place in the fictional Arizona town of Harding. It’s a dark comedy thriller about a woman who is kidnapped by a man during the late-2000s housing crisis.
“Arizona” was filmed in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
‘Arizona’ by Kings of Leon
The song “Arizona” is featured on Kings of Leon’s third studio album, “Because of the Times.” It was recorded in Nashville and Hollywood.
Every member of the rock band is from Nashville.
Arizona Dreaming Seasoning
“Arizona Dreaming is simply a delicious all-purpose coming together of spices,” Penzeys Spices notes on its website about the dry rub named after the Grand Canyon State.
Penzeys Spices is a private business founded in 1986 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Though it wasn’t founded in Arizona, Penzeys has two locations in the state—one in Phoenix at 10805 Tatum Boulevard, and another in Tucson at 4128 N. Oracle Road.
‘Arizona’ by Mark Lindsay
The song from the album of the same name was released in November 1969. It was performed by Mark Lindsay, a native of Eugene, Oregon, and written by Kenny Young, born in Jerusalem.
Lindsay and Young’s song isn’t about the state, but about a woman named Arizona.
Places Named Arizona
Arizona isn’t just a state! Texas, Nebraska, and Louisiana have spots named after Arizona.
Arizona, Louisiana, is an unincorporated community that was founded in the 1860s. It was named after the Arizona Territory and is located in Claiborne Parish.
Unincorporated communities are are regions that have a common social identity, but aren’t governed by a local government.
Arizona, Nebraska, was also named after the Arizona Territory and is an unincorporated community in Burt County.
Arizona, Texas, is just north of Houston and northeast of Huntsville and is also an unincorporated community.
Robert Gundran Robert Gundran grew up in the Southwest, spending equal time in the Valley and Southern California throughout his life. He graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 2018 and wrote for The Arizona Republic and The Orange County Register.
