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Queen Creek, Arizona

Queen Creek is a town in Maricopa and Pinal counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 59,519 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Phoenix, located in the far southeast area of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. A large battery factory is currently being constructed by LG.

History
From the Post Office form on file at the National Archives, Queen Creek was originally known as "Rittenhouse", the community growing up out of a railroad stop. In 1919 the Queen Creek Farms Company was formed by C. H. Rittenhouse, constructing that railroad stop to ship the goods from the farm. Its eponymous creek (now a usually dry arroyo), Queen Creek, flowed through Queen Canyon and was named for the Silver Queen Mine, but it was originally called "Picket Post Creek".

Geography
The town of Queen Creek is primarily within Maricopa County, but the town limits extend into Pinal County on the eastern and southern borders. The town is bordered to the south and east in Pinal County by the unincorporated community of San Tan Valley (population 99,894).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Queen Creek has a total area of 42.130 sqmi, of which 0.028 sqmi, or 0.07%, are water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 59,519 people, 17,965 households, and 15,549 families residing in the town. The population density was 1476.3 PD/sqmi. There were 19,628 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 77.2% White, 3.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.2% from some other races and 11.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.2% of the population. 30.8% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.3% were under 5 years of age, and 12.6% were 65 and older.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 26,361 people, 7,720 households, 6,557 families residing in the town. The population density was 940.1 PD/sqmi. There were 8,557 housing units at an average density of 49.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 83.6% White, 3.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from some other races and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.3% of the population.

There were 7,720 households, out of which 50.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.8% were non-families. 8.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.54 and the average family size was 3.77.

In the town, the population age spread was: 35.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,702, and the median income for a family was $65,679. Males had a median income of $45,000 versus $31,447 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,592. About 6.0% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Queen Creek is served by six public school districts, as well as public charter schools and a private school. Queen Creek Unified School District serves the greatest number of Queen Creek students. Other districts include: Higley Unified School District, Chandler Unified School District, Florence Unified School District, J. O. Combs Unified School District, and the Apache Junction Unified School District.

Elementary

 * Auxier Elementary
 * Cortina Elementary
 * Desert Mountain Elementary
 * Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary
 * Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary
 * Jack Barnes Elementary
 * Katherine Mecham Barney Elementary
 * Queen Creek Elementary
 * Schnepf Elementary

Junior/Senior High

 * Casteel High School
 * Crismon High School
 * Newell Barney Junior High School
 * Payne Junior High School
 * Queen Creek High School
 * Queen Creek Junior High School
 * San Tan Foothills High School

Public Charter Schools

 * American Leadership Academy
 * Benjamin Franklin Charter School
 * Eduprize School
 * Heritage Academy-Gateway
 * Legacy Traditional School-Queen Creek

Higher Education

 * Communiversity at Queen Creek (Rio Salado College).

Rittenhouse Elementary School/San Tan Historical Society Museum

Notable people

 * Brock Purdy, American football player
 * Brock Goates, Arizona Politician
 * Tony Huffman, racing driver

Historic properties
There are various properties in the town of Queen Creek which are considered historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places or listed as such by the San Tan Historical Society. The following are images of some of these properties with a short description of the same.

title: Queen Creek, Arizona


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Rio Verde, Arizona

Rio Verde is a master-planned community just east of Scottsdale, in Arizona. It is also a census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located in the far, far northeast area of the whole Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The population was 2,210 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,811 at the 2010 census.

History
The area surrounding the Rio Verde community, northeast of Downtown Scottsdale, was settled by small farmers in the 1880s, who grew hay and alfalfa to provide for the nearby Fort McDowell US Army camp (1865–1890) (now the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation ). In the late 1890s, Frank Asher and William W. Moore acquired several of the small farm plots on the Verde River, combining them into what became the Box Bar Ranch; Moore later bought out Asher's interest. After his death in 1929, Moore's sons, Glen and Lin Moore, operated the Box Bar as a partnership, under the name "Moore Bros Cattle Co.", with grazing leases both east and west of the Verde River. Lin Moore also ran the X2 Ranch, known as "Moore's Well", 12 mi to the west, where he and his wife, Ada Lucille, had homesteaded in the 1920s. William Moore's father, Ransom B. Moore, had emigrated to Arizona from California in 1883 and ranched for many years on the Reno Ranch, just west of the community of Punkin Center in Gila County. Ransom Moore, founder of what is now Banning, California, also served as Gila County's delegate to the 16th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly in 1891.

The "Asher Hills", overlooking the community to the west, were named for Frank Asher, who had been Glen Moore's brother-in-law and William Moore's partner for a time. The granddaughter of Asher's wife Ella, Jacque Mercer, was selected as Miss Arizona and then Miss America in 1949.

In 1954 the Moore brothers retired from the active cattle business and sold the ranch and their holdings to the Page Land & Cattle Co. (Lin Moore retained the X2 Ranch; after his death in 1960, his widow continued to operate the X2 until selling it in 1970.) The Moores' descendants, including historian Wyatt James, still reside in Maricopa County. A portion of Lin & Lucille Moore's homestead property on the foothills to the south, known as "The Ochoa Place", has recently been incorporated into the expanding McDowell Mountains McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

In 1970, Page Land & Cattle sold ranch land to Rio Verde Development, Inc., which in 1973 began to develop the tract as the master-planned community of Rio Verde. An 18-hole golf course was completed in 1973, and a second in 1981. Both were extensively renovated in 2007.

The unincorporated community's water is provided through 3 designated aquifers. EPCOR operates the private utility infrastructure they purchased from Rio Verde Utilities in 2018. Rio Verde has nothing to do with Rio Verde Foothills which was provided with water by the City of Scottsdale at cost until January 1, 2023, when the municipal supply was cut due to drought conditions. A planned water district for Rio Verde Foothills was rejected by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in August 2022; several residents filed a lawsuit against the City of Scottsdale to resume service.

Community characteristics
Rio Verde is an established, member-owned and -governed active adult golfing and lifestyle community and should not be confused with adjacent Rio Verde Foothills. It is located near the Verde River and adjacent to the Tonto National Forest, the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. As of the 2020 census there were 1,676 housing units in the community, of which 1,215 were occupied by residents. The total developed area of the planned community, as of 2021, was 2.2 sqmi, or 1408 acre, compared to 4.3 sqmi for the entire CDP.

Rio Verde Community Church provides both interdenominational and Catholic services.

Rio Verde is an age-restricted community or "adult community", which means one member of each household must be at least 55 years of age and no person under 19 can be a permanent resident of the community.

The community is governed by a homeowners' association under Arizona's planned community statutes.

Geography
Rio Verde is located in northeastern Maricopa County at 33.72222°N, -111.67667°W (33.722236, −111.676673). By road it is 28 mi northeast of the historic center of Scottsdale and 37 mi northeast of downtown Phoenix.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.3 sqmi, all land. The Verde River, a south-flowing tributary of the Salt River, forms the eastern edge of the CDP and is about 0.7 mi east of the developed community.

Demographics
Rio Verde is a census-designated place (CDP). As of the census of 2000, there were 1,419 people, 761 households, and 634 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 261.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,168 housing units at an average density of 215.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.7% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.1% from two or more races. 0.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 761 households, out of which 0.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.8% were married couples living together, 0.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.02.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 0.1% under the age of 18, 0.1% from 18 to 24, 1.3% from 25 to 44, 36.1% from 45 to 64, and 62.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 69 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $86,248, and the median income for a family was $96,909. Males had a median income of $93,859 versus $60,357 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $58,783. None of the families and 1.7% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteen and 2.1% of those over 64.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Rio Verde, Arizona


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Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, the city was incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000. At the 2020 census, the population was 241,361, which had grown from 217,385 in 2010. Its slogan is "The West's Most Western Town". Over the past two decades, it has been one of the fastest growing cities and housing markets in the United States.

Scottsdale is 31 mi from its northern to southernmost edge, and covers 184.5 sqmi. The city is bordered by the city of Phoenix to the west, Tonto National Forest to the north, the McDowell Mountains to the east, and the Salt River to the south.

Early history
Scottsdale was originally a Pima village known as Vaṣai S-vaṣonĭ, meaning rotting hay. Some Pima people remain there today. Until the late 1960s, there was a still-occupied traditional dwelling on the southeast corner of Indian Bend Road and Hayden Road. The Pima who live in Scottsdale today reside in modern houses, not traditional dwellings. Many Pima and Maricopa people live in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which borders Scottsdale to the south and east.

Early history and establishment
In the early to mid-1880s, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott visited the Salt River Valley and was impressed with it and its potential for agriculture. Returning in 1888 with his wife, Helen, he purchased 640 acre where historic Old Town is now, for $3.50 an acre ($0 as of 2015). Another landowner in the Southern part of town, Albert G. Utley, filed plans with Maricopa County for a city named "Orangedale," using Scott's Field as a border. When the newspaper, then called the Arizona Republican, published an article about the plan, they erroneously called the town "Scottsdale." The article drew some publicity for the town, and ultimately this convinced Utley to change his filing and officially name the town "Scottsdale."

In 1896, the Scottsdale Public School system was established, and opened the first schoolhouse, which was followed by the opening of the first general store by J. L. Davis, which also housed the first post office for Scottsdale in 1897. In the early 1900s the community supported an artists and writers culture, culminating in the opening of the region's first resort in 1909, the Ingleside Inn, just south of the Arizona Canal and west of the Crosscut Canal (Indian School Road at about 64th Street) in what is today Scottsdale. Also in 1909, Cavalliere's Blacksmith Shop opened in downtown Scottsdale, and the original schoolhouse was replaced by the much more expansive Little Red Schoolhouse, which stands to this day. While not in its original building, Cavalliere's has been in continuous operation since that time.

In 1912, both the Phoenix Street Railway Company and a competitor, the Salt River Valley Electric Railway Company, proposed building streetcar lines to Scottsdale, but due to an economic downturn, neither was built.

Between 1908 and 1933, due to the construction of the Granite Reef and Roosevelt dams (in 1908 and 1911, respectively), Scottsdale's population experienced a boom, growing steadily during those years. It became a small market town providing services for families involved in the agricultural industry.

During the First World War, Scottsdale and its environs supported a large cotton farming industry, due to the creation of Long Staple Egyptian Cotton, developed by the US Department of Agriculture. Cotton is still grown in southern Arizona, but Scottsdale's cotton boom ended with the loss of government contracts at the end of the war.

In 1920, a second resort was opened on 12 acre of property owned by the artist Jessie Benton Evans. Called the Jokake Inn, meaning "mud house", the structure still stands on the grounds of the Phoenician Resort.

The Depression years saw an influx of artists and architects to Scottsdale, which included, in 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright and his wife purchased 600 acre acres of desert at the foot of the McDowell Mountains and established Taliesin West, his winter home and his architectural firm's southwestern headquarters. Scottsdale and the rest of Phoenix have seen an everlasting influence from Wright. Many buildings throughout the region were designed by him. His influence on the regional architecture is commemorated by a major street bearing his name and a 125 ft spire memorial designed by Wright in North Scottsdale.

World War II
Among the more significant events during the years of World War II was the opening of Thunderbird II Airfield in 1942 (it later became Scottsdale Airport), where 5,500 pilot cadets received their primary flight training before the war's end. Scottsdale was the site of a German POW camp at the intersection of Scottsdale and Thomas Roads in what today is Papago Park.

Development of Indian Bend Wash, 1950s–1970s
In 1950, the town continued to grow as Motorola became the first of many technology companies to build a plant in Scottsdale. It built a second plant in 1956. With a population of approximately 2,000, the city was incorporated on June 25, 1951. It appointed its first mayor, Malcolm White, and adopted the motto "The West's Most Western Town". The seal, depicting a mounted cowboy surrounded by a 64-pointed starburst, was designed by Mrs. Gene Brown Pennington. The city also became a tourist destination with the opening of the city's first modern resorts, the Hotel Valley Ho and the Safari Hotel, in 1956.

The town began a period of rapid population growth after its incorporation in 1951, growing from 2,000 to 10,000 residents during the 1950s. This growth necessitated development into the floodplain known as the Indian Bend Wash. Floodplains throughout history have been enticing locations for development due to their flatness, ease of building and inexpensiveness. This is even more tempting in a desert, where flooding so rarely happens. As Scottsdale expanded, the north-south Indian Bend Wash virtually bisected the city. In the late 1950s, the problem became more and more pronounced, until in 1959 the Arizona State Legislature formed the Maricopa County Flood Control District (MCFCD). The MCFCD became the lead player in developing a comprehensive flood plan for the entire county.

At the same time, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began to look into flooding in Maricopa County. Over the next several years, it presented several plans, which all revolved around constructing concrete canals and levees to channel and divert the floodwaters, as well as building bridges over the canal, similar to the storm drains of Los Angeles. But during MCFCD meetings between 1961 and 1963, a different course of action was developed. This plan became known as the multi-use, or Greenbelt, concept. The two concepts were at odds with one another until the canal plan was defeated in a bond referendum in 1965. In 1966, a study was commissioned that validated the Greenbelt concept as a way to prevent flood damage. After a major flood in 1972, work on the Greenbelt project began in earnest. It was completed in 1984, although minor projects continue. Today, the 12 mi Scottsdale Greenbelt connects four city parks—Vista del Camino Park, Eldorado Park, Indian School Park and Chaparral Park—through a 25 mi bike path.

Further expansion and development, 1970s–1980s
The city continued to grow in the 1960s and 1970s, the population reaching almost 68,000 by 1970. Most of the unused property within the city limits was to the north, so that was the direction in which the city expanded. The city, which in 1959 had spanned 5 sqmi, expanded its borders to encompass 62 sqmi. Large ranch tracts covered huge areas in the northern part of the city. One of the largest of these was the McCormick ranch, a 4236 acre ranch serving much of the eastern boundary of Scottsdale owned by Fowler and Anne McCormick. Fowler's paternal grandfather was Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the grain reaper, and his maternal grandfather was John D. Rockefeller. When Anne died in 1970, the property was sold to Kaiser-Aetna for $12.1 million. This started a series of large-scale, master-planned communities within Scottsdale's borders, including Scottsdale Ranch (1978), Gainey Ranch (1980), McDowell Mountain Ranch (1992), Desert Mountain (1986), and DC Ranch (1990s).

In 1975, the city annexed the "east Shea" section, bordering Fountain Hills, expanding its area from 62.2 to 88.6 sqmi. This was followed by a four-year period from 1981 to 1984 during which the city annexed an additional (almost) 80 sqmi.

Faced with this rapid expansion and growth, many residents became concerned about losing their southwestern scenery. The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy was born in 1991. Teaming with developers, a plan was developed to set aside the McDowell Mountains and adjoining areas in a huge preserve. In 1995, Scottsdale's citizens voted to implement a sales tax to purchase acreage for this purpose. When completed, the 36,000 acre planned for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve will be nearly one-third of Scottsdale's land area, equal in size to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Modern
From its official incorporation in 1951 with a population of 2,000, Scottsdale has grown to a 2020 census count of 241,361. It is now the state's seventh-largest city. Scottsdale is commonly defined by its high quality of life, and in 1993 was one of several cities to receive a "Most Livable City" award from the United States Conference of Mayors. The Scottsdale Airpark, surrounding the city's airport, became a hotspot for a variety of large and small businesses, ranging from light industry to luxury auto sales. The Airpark in the 2000s emerged as one of the top employment centers in the Phoenix metro area. The airport supported 3,462 jobs, which boosted the Scottsdale economy.

Geography
The city is in the Salt River Valley, or the "Valley of the Sun", in the northern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. Scottsdale, 31 mile long and 11.4 mile wide at its widest point, shares boundaries with many other municipalities and entities. On the west, Scottsdale is bordered by Phoenix, Paradise Valley, and unincorporated Maricopa County land. Carefree is along the eastern boundary, as well as sharing Scottsdale's northern boundary with the Tonto National Forest. To the south Scottsdale is bordered by Tempe. The southern boundary is also occupied by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which extends along the eastern boundary, which also borders Fountain Hills, the McDowell Mountain Regional Park and more unincorporated Maricopa County land. The highest point is Butte Peak at an elevation of 4,890 ft.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 184.4 sqmi, of which 0.4 sqmi, or 0.24%, are water.

Environmental issues
From the 1950s to the 1970s, several large manufacturing companies in the Scottsdale and Tempe areas used the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) in their manufacturing and operating processes. In 1981, TCE began to show up in two Scottsdale drinking wells, and in 1983, the Indian Bend Wash superfund site was listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. Physical construction of environmental remediation systems was completed by 2006, with soil cleanup expected to be completed in five years and groundwater cleanup in 30 years.

The city developed one of the first automated garbage trucks in 1969, replacing crews who dumped cans into a train of open trailers pulled by a truck, with a single operator sitting in an air conditioned cab.

Cityscape
The city is loosely divided into four areas: South Scottsdale (McKellips Road north to Thomas Road), Old Town (Downtown) Scottsdale, Central Scottsdale (also known as the "Shea Corridor," extending from Camelback Road north to Shea Boulevard), and North Scottsdale.

South Scottsdale has for many years been the working-class neighborhood. The median resale home price is US$291,500, compared to $667,450 in North Scottsdale. Part of McDowell Road in South Scottsdale used to be known as "Motor Mile," having at one time 31 dealerships on the street. The strip at one time generated over $10 million in sales tax revenue each year and was one of the most profitable auto-miles in the United States. In recent years, many of these dealerships have left the city, including 6 in 2008 alone. South Scottsdale is the home to a new research center for Arizona State University known as SkySong, a collaboration between the university, local business, and global companies. The development has attracted the research and development arms of a number of international corporations.

Old Town Scottsdale is an area with many streets, old-fashioned stores, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and art galleries. It contains the major nightlife for the area and is a major art center of metro Phoenix. Scottsdale's main cultural district is also in this area, which includes the high-end Scottsdale Fashion Square, one of the country's 20 largest malls. The district has seen a revival, with new condominiums and hotels under construction.

The Shea Corridor is so named because it is in close proximity to the east-west Shea Boulevard. The houses in this region were generally built during the 1970s. Real estate in the Shea Corridor (Central Scottsdale) has increased during the 1990s, and overall, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale real estate market saw the largest gain in house prices in the nation during the mid-2000s with a 38.4% increase in value. A number of communities in this central region of Scottsdale remain among the most highly desired residential areas in the metropolitan area, including Gainey Ranch and McCormick Ranch. A large portion of Scottsdale Road in the Shea Corridor has been dubbed the Resort Corridor for the high number of resorts on the street. The second Ritz Carlton in the Phoenix metropolitan area will be along this corridor.

North Scottsdale is the most actively developed area of Scottsdale, as it was historically the least built up. This part of the city also claims many of the most expensive houses in Arizona, with many exceeding $5 million in value. The city's borders are rapidly expanding to the east and west in this area, containing the McDowell Mountain range. Much of the residential boom in North Scottsdale is driven by available land to build coupled with the fast growth of Scottsdale Airpark, the second largest employment center in the Phoenix metropolitan, as of 2008. The Scottsdale Airpark, home to over 55,000 employees, 2,600 businesses and 23000000 sqft of office space is expected to continue growing by over 3,000 employees per year. Many important companies are headquartered or have regional headquarters in the park, including Acronis, AXA, GE Capital, DHL, Discount Tire Company, Fidelity Investments, Blue Yonder, The Vanguard Group and Quicken Loans.

Climate
Scottsdale's climate is arid. Winters are mild to warm and summers are extremely hot. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city is 16.0 °F, on January 7, 1913, and the highest was 122 °F, on June 26, 1990.

2020 Census
At the 2020 census, there were 241,361 people. The racial make-up of the city was 78.5% Non-Hispanic White, 2.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander and 9.8% Hispanic or Latino.

2010 Census
At the 2010 census, the population was 217,385, of whom 69,967 lived in owner-occupied housing and 32,306 in renter occupied, a total of 101,273 households in the city. The population density was 1,181.4 /sqmi. There were 124,001 housing units at an average density of 673.9 /sqmi. The racial make-up of the city was 89.3% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races and 2.3% from two or more races. 8.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 101,290 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them. According to the 2010 census, 51.7% of Scottsdale's population was female, while 48.3% was male. 17.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 20 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 49, 22.8% from 50 to 64 and 19.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median household income was $90,533 and the median family income for a family was $122,289. The per capita income was $59,158. About 3.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
Scottsdale is home to a large number of churches, chapels, temples, synagogues, mosques and other places of religious worship. Though the majority of Scottsdale residents consider themselves of, or practicing of, the Christian faith(s) – including Protestant and Roman Catholic – the city's high population growth over the years has resulted in a more diverse population. Most notably, greater numbers of Eastern Orthodox and Jews have been added to the population. Though smaller in number, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities also exist within the city of Scottsdale. There is also a small population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as is common throughout Phoenix, Arizona, and the Western United States.

The first church founded in Scottsdale was the First Baptist Church of Scottsdale, which was built by Scott and his family. The church has named a small non-profit coffee shop on the corner of their campus after Scott, called Winfield's. Congregation Beth Israel, the oldest Reform Judaism congregation in the Phoenix metropolitan area is in Scottsdale, and is the largest congregation in Arizona. In North Scottsdale, there is the Jewish Community Center of Phoenix and the New Shul. The community center was originally in central Phoenix, it had eventually outgrown the location and was looking to relocate and build a more expansive campus.

In 2009, a new Armenian Apostolic church was built in the city, representing the larger numbers of Armenians in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

Economy
The tourism industry is Scottsdale's primary employer, accounting for 39% of the city's workforce. In 2005, Scottsdale attracted over 7.5 million visitors to the city, providing an economic impact of over $3.1 billion.

The city of Scottsdale is tied with Atlanta for fourth, after New York City, Las Vegas, and Chicago respectively, as having the most AAA Five-Diamond hotels and resorts in the United States. In 2015, AAA bestowed four such properties in Scottsdale with the highest honor: The Phoenician and The Canyon Suites, part of The Luxury Collection, Four Seasons Hotels Scottsdale at Troon North, and the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Princess Resort and Spa.

In 2016, Scottsdale had the highest number of destination spas per capita of any city in the United States.

The region's year-round warm weather and abundant sunshine is a major factor in Scottsdale's tourism appeal. In particular, during the winter, thousands of tourists and retirees from the midwest, the northeast, and as far away as Canada (known locally as "snowbirds") flood the area with visits from brief to long term. Those who practice the same migration routine annually often end up purchasing winter homes in the area.

The Mayo Clinic has one of its three major campuses in Scottsdale. This and its resulting effects have made Scottsdale an attractive destination for medical care.

The aviation industry has also grown in Scottsdale, with the construction of Scottsdale Airport in North Scottsdale, in the 1960s. Today, it is one of the busiest single-runway airports in the United States in terms of aircraft operations. Though there is little to no commercial air service, nearly all operations are corporate or general aviation.

The immediate area surrounding the Scottsdale Airport, known locally as the Airpark, has developed rapidly as a regional center of commerce. By 2004, the Airpark had grown to become the second-largest employment center in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, with over 50,000 people being employed within a few-mile radius of the airport itself – notably in financial, retail, service, technological, design and manufacturing fields.

Among the companies headquartered in Scottsdale are APL, Cold Stone Creamery, Carlisle Companies, Discount Tire, Discovery Land Company, Fender, Go Daddy, Blue Yonder, Kahala, Kona Grill, Liveops, Magellan Health, Meritage Homes, Nextiva, Advisor Group, Paradise Bakery & Café, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Rural Metro, Axon, and United Blood Services.

Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Retail
The city has several corporate retail outlets as well as independent boutiques.

There are many shopping areas within the city of Scottsdale, ranging from small districts to large centers. The most notable regional centers include the Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter in North Scottsdale, and Scottsdale Fashion Square in Downtown Scottsdale, a major destination for high-end shoppers. These shopping centers (and others), in Scottsdale claim dozens of marquee brands that are unique to both Phoenix and the Southwestern region.

As of 2016, Scottsdale Fashion Square was ranked in the top 25 most visited malls in the country by Travel + Leisure magazine. It has consistently been one of the most profitable malls in the United States, being ranked in 2016 as the second highest sales per square foot mall in the country, The center is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Dillard's.

One Scottsdale, a multi-use development by DMB Associates, aims to be the next luxury retail center serving the North Scottsdale area. In a 3 mile radius, the center sees an average household income of $110,292, and its 10 mi zone has more households earning over $100,000 than several famous retail destinations, including Bal Harbour, Naples, Aspen, and The Hamptons.

Palmeraie, a 300000 sqft, outdoor mixed-use project planned for the SWC of Indian Bend and Scottsdale Rds, has already received commitments from Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, and John Varvatos.

Arts and culture

The city has an annual Scottsdale Arts Festival.

The highest concentrations of galleries, studios and museums that are open to the public are in Downtown Scottsdale. Its Scottsdale Arts District can be segmented into three distinct districts. The largest is the Scottsdale Main Street Arts District, home to the largest and most diverse collection of styles and genres, the more contemporary Marshall Way Arts District, and the more touristy and western-themed Old Town district, which has the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. The popular Scottsdale Artwalk is held weekly, every Thursday evening.

Scottsdale's affluent culture has been depicted by shows such as MTV's My Super Sweet 16, which filmed an episode in the area in 2006, and by the short-lived CBS reality show Tuesday Night Book Club.

Annual cultural events and fairs
"The West's most western town" prides itself in its rich Western history, preserving while heavily promoting its plethora of "western" activities and events. The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has taken place since 1955. Today, the show attracts thousands of visitors and tourists, to see nearly 2000 purebred Arabian and Half-Arabian horses competing for various prizes and recognition. The show also features over 300 vendors and exhibitions, and over 25 demonstrations and shows.

The Scottsdale Jaycees Parada del Sol, an annual month-long event that has been held in Scottsdale since 1954. Originally named The Sunshine Festival, the PRCA Rodeo was added in 1956. Cowboys and cowgirls from across the nation converge in Scottsdale to participate in this cultural and historical event. The event begins each year with the Parada del Sol Parade, the world's largest horse-drawn parade with over 150 entries in any given year.

Since 1971, Scottsdale has been home to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Show. Due to the success of this week-long event held every January, the organizers behind it have more recently inaugurated similar but smaller shows in Palm Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. Now held at the expansive West World exhibition complex in North Scottsdale, the event is an auto enthusiast's and collector's spectacle. The show is known for featuring both exotic, luxury automobiles and historic vehicles which have been expertly restored to mint condition.

Since 2007, Scottsdale has been hosting low and high fashion shows in the annual Scottsdale Fashion Week, including popular department store line fashion designers and some higher end ones during the month of November.

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival is held annually during April. Though many of its individual events are held citywide, they concentrate in the downtown area. Entirely, it is estimated the week-long festival draws over 40,000 people. The most heavily attended such event is the festival's Great Arizona Picnic, an outdoor fair-like showcase of both well-known local and national chefs and restaurants. It is held on the lawn of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall.

The annual Scottsdale International Film Festival concentrates on the use of film to foster of the world's cultures, lifestyles, religions, and ethnicities.

Museums and art galleries
Scottsdale is home to more than 125 professional art galleries and studios, one of the highest per-capita anywhere in the nation. The city has quickly become a center for art in the United States. According to the Scottsdale Convention & Visitor's Bureau and American Style Magazine, the city has become one of the country's largest art markets, usually only sharing ranks with New York City, New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico in terms of commerce generated as a direct result of art sales and purchasing.

Its galleries and studios are noted for their western and Native American themed art, with a growing interest in contemporary arts over the past couple of decades – an element most visible by the large number of modern art galleries which have opened along the Marshall Way Arts District, and the opening of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (also referred to as SMoCA) in 1999. Both are in Downtown Scottsdale. Located in the Old Town district of Downtown Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall is home to the two-theater Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, the Scottsdale Historical Museum, as well as the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. SMoCA is the only permanent museum dedicated solely to the contemporary arts in the state of Arizona. Also in Old Town, Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West opened in January 2015, featuring historical and cultural exhibits from 19 states of the American West, including Arizona.

Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school from 1937 until 1959, is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arizona. The complex is in the northeast fringe of the city, at the base of the McDowell Mountains.

Nightlife

Scottsdale is home to a variety of nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, lounges and bars most notably in the Old-Town district. This is evident by the growing number of style-conscious hotels that have opened up throughout Downtown Scottsdale which equally cater to the nightlife crowds.

The majority of nightlife is concentrated in Downtown Scottsdale, between Camelback and Osborn roads. This is the most active and popular nightlife destination in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Similar to well-known nightclub districts in other major cities, much like Atlanta's Buckhead district and Miami's South Beach, most of Downtown Scottsdale's major bars and clubs are generally within walking distance. Crowds of over 40,000-strong are known to congregate to this area. Old Town Scottsdale consists of active night clubs, dive bars, entertainment restaurants and shopping around every corner. Scottsdale Fashion Square introduces the Old Town Scottsdale lifestyle with approximately 2 million square feet of luxury retail space.

Attractions
There are several attractions within the city of Scottsdale. There is the newly built Great Wolf Lodge water park and hotel right off of the 101 freeway. The Talking Stick Resort is an attraction and a part of the Scottsdale night life with their 98,000 square feet casino. Within the same vicinity are the Butterfly Wonderland, OdySea Aquarium that holds over 6,000 animals in 2,000,000 gallons of water, iFly Zone and many shopping centers including Fashion Square, just north of Old Town Scottsdale. Scottsdale Fashion Square introduces Old Town Scottsdale being in the top 30 largest malls in the country and providing upscale shopping and luxury.

Indian gaming
Southeast Scottsdale borders the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. For several years, the Scottsdale Pavilions, a major outdoor shopping center, marked the only commercial property operating on tribal lands. In 1998, the tribe opened the first permanent casino in the Scottsdale area, Casino Arizona, at Loop 101 and McKellips Road. The success of Casino Arizona led to the construction of a second location, Casino Arizona at Indian Bend, in a temporary facility less than 8 mi north.

The passage of Proposition 202 in November 2002 redefined casino gaming in Arizona, permitting "Vegas-style" blackjack and poker, expanded number of slot machines and wider food and beverage service options. Both casinos underwent significant expansions following the passage of Proposition 202, with Casino Arizona at Indian Bend more than doubling in size.

In 2010, the temporary tent facilities hosting the 120000 sqft Casino Arizona at Indian Bend were deconstructed following the opening of Casino Arizona at Talking Stick Resort. The 240000 sqft casino is adjoined to the newly constructed 15-story Talking Stick Resort & Spa, which features the Talking Stick golf course, a 36-hole golf course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. Today, the two casinos collectively have over 2,000 slot machines and 100 table games.

Historic properties in Scottsdale
There are numerous properties in the city of Scottsdale which are considered to be historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places or the Scottsdale Historic Register. The gallery contains images of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places with a short description of each.

Sports and recreation
The city is the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants, who practice at Scottsdale Stadium in Downtown Scottsdale. Scottsdale Stadium also hosts the Scottsdale Scorpions, a minor league baseball team in the Arizona Fall League. In February 2011 the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks began sharing a new spring training facility, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, located on the city's eastern border with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Though none play specifically in the city of Scottsdale, all of the "Big Four" North American major league sports organizations have franchises and play within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area – NBA's Phoenix Suns, NFL's Arizona Cardinals, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes, as well as a WNBA franchise, the Phoenix Mercury.

Phoenix Rising FC, a member of the United Soccer League, played their home matches at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex, a temporary stadium near Loop 101 and Loop 202.

Since 2010, the historic WM Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament – formerly the FBR Open and Phoenix Open, which originally began in 1932 – is now held annually each January at the Tournament Players Club (or "TPC") in North Scottsdale. The TPC is adjacent to the large Fairmont Scottsdale Resort. It is the largest-attended stop of the annual PGA Tour, attracting well over 500,000 people to the four-day event alone.

Hiking, rock climbing and other similar outdoor activities are enormously popular throughout the Phoenix area, in large part to the immediate accessibility of mountain areas within or very near the city limits. Citizens flock ritually to local favorite Camelback Mountain, in the eastern section of Phoenix, just adjacent to Scottsdale, as well as the McDowell Mountains in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, at the city's northeastern fringes.

On January 19, 2013, the Talking Stick Resort hosted King of the Cage's televised mixed martial arts event, Regulators. The show, now owned by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, featured future UFC talent like Cody East, Jordan Johnson and flyweight championship contender Ray Borg.

Golf
Scottsdale is a noted golf and resort destination, with a sizable portion of tax revenue being derived from tourism. It is also home to the Phoenix Open Golf Tournament held at the Tournament Players Club every year and the Barrett-Jackson car show held at WestWorld.

In all, the city is home to more than 200 area courses offering layouts that range from the rolling green fairways of traditional courses, to desert golf designs. In 2006, the Robb Report cited Scottsdale as "America's Best Place to Live for Golf." The Boulders Resort & Golden Spa and Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North were selected in 2005 as the second and fourth best golf resorts in the nation by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine. Other golf courses in the area include FireRock, Troon North, The Phoenician, Desert Highlands, Silverleaf, and Desert Mountain.

Scottsdale National Golf Club is a private golf club in the McDowell Mountain Range, the course itself is a par 72 on 290 acre. In the past, it has received awards from Golf Digest and Golfweek. It hosts an 18-hole course as well as a nine-hole course called "The Bad Little Nine." The club also hosts the "Wild West Invitational," a tournament including a final round where competitors must contend with loud distractions. It has also been mentioned as a possible location for future PGA Championships.

Additional

 * Scottsdale Gun Club (2004)

Government

Scottsdale is governed by a mayor and city council, all of whom are elected "at large" to represent the entire city rather than districts within the city. A city manager is responsible for the executive leadership of the city staff, as well as implementing council policies, developing programs and budgets to respond to council goals, and ensuring citizens receive effective and efficient city services. The city manager also serves as the city treasurer.

, the current mayor is David Ortega.

Scottsdale is part of Arizona's 1st congressional district.

The distinctive Scottsdale City Hall was designed by architect Bennie Gonzales in 1968, and was designed with an interior kiva for community meetings.

Education
Public education in Scottsdale is provided for by both the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), which serves most of Scottsdale, most of the town of Paradise Valley, as well as parts of Tempe and east Phoenix, and the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), which serves northeast Phoenix and North Scottsdale. SUSD serves 25,668 students in 33 schools and employs 3,862, including 1,551 teachers. SUSD's 33 schools include five high schools: Arcadia High School, Coronado High School, Chaparral High School, Desert Mountain High School, and Saguaro High School. PVUSD is the 7th largest school district in the state, with approximately 30,000 students and 3,800 employees. It contains 47 schools, including 7 high schools. The high schools which serve portions of Scottsdale are Horizon High School and Pinnacle High School.

The primary institution of higher education in the city is Scottsdale Community College, which opened in 1970 on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. In 1999, the school opened a second campus in the Scottsdale Airpark allowing it to serve the business community and north Scottsdale. Other institutions of higher education with locations in Scottsdale include the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, University of Phoenix, Gateway Seminary, and the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. Many students at nearby Arizona State University in Tempe live in Scottsdale and commute.

Scottsdale has a main branch and four branches within the Scottsdale Public Library System.

Freeways
State Route 101 – locally known as Loop 101 – provides convenient Metropolitan Phoenix Freeways access.

Air
The city is home to Scottsdale Municipal Airport, a single-runway airport in North Scottsdale. While the airport serves some tour and commuter flights, the plurality of aircraft operations are corporate and transient general aviation traffic.

Commercial air travel is served by Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix and Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport  in Mesa.

Public transit
Public bus service for Scottsdale and the Phoenix Metropolitan Area is provided by Valley Metro.

The city of Scottsdale runs a network of local neighborhood circulators, labeled the "Scottsdale Trolley." Using trolley-replica buses, the public service is free to riders. , there are two circulating "routes," known individually as the Downtown Trolley and the Neighborhood Trolley. These connect at the Loloma Station transit center in downtown Scottsdale.

The Downtown Trolley circulates through downtown Scottsdale, and the Neighborhood Trolley circulates from downtown Scottsdale to neighborhoods throughout South Scottsdale, connecting with the city of Tempe's own free public circulator, the Tempe Orbit at Roosevelt and Scottsdale Road. From there, riders can transfer onto the Tempe Orbit, and travel to Tempe, including Arizona State University's main campus, and the downtown Tempe, or Mill Avenue, area.

Between December 2007 and 2009, Scottsdale was a member of the board of Valley Metro Rail line which connects the neighboring cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. There was a study in 2001, and some discussion since, of extending the light rail line into Scottsdale. The city's Transportation Master Plan identifies Scottsdale Road as the city's high-capacity corridor, which could be light rail, modern streetcar service, or bus rapid-transit (BRT).

A street railway interurban line was proposed to connect Scottsdale with Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa as early as 1913 but was never built; Scottsdale is the largest American city that has never had a rail line.

Sister cities

 * 🇲🇽 Álamos, Sonora, Mexico
 * 🇦🇺 Cairns, Queensland, Australia
 * 🇨🇭 Interlaken, Switzerland
 * Haikou, Hainan, China
 * 🇨🇦 Kingston, Ontario, Canada
 * 🇲🇦 Marrakech, Morocco
 * 🇰🇪 Uasin Gishu, Kenya
 * 🇮🇪 Killarney, Ireland

title: Scottsdale, Arizona


text:
Sun City, Arizona

Sun City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, that is located within the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The population was 39,931 as of the 2020 census. Its adjoining sister city is Sun City West. Both Sun Cities are retirement communities popular with snowbirds.

History
In June 1959, James G. Boswell II, then owner of the J.G. Boswell Company, sold the company’s Marinette and Santa Fe ranches to Del E. Webb Development Co for more than $20 million. This land, totaling 20,000 acres, would become the company’s first retirement community, Sun City.

Sun City was opened January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, ten times more than expected, and resulted in a Time magazine cover story. The future retirement community was built on the site of the former ghost town of Marinette. At first it was called the Marinette Retirement Community, but after a nationwide naming contest in which the winner would win a house, developer Del Webb selected the name Sun City.

Developer Del E. Webb expanded Sun City over the years, and his company went on to build other retirement communities in the Sun Belt. Sun City West was built in the late 1970s, Sun City Grand in the late 1990s, Sun City Anthem in 1999, and Sun City Festival in July 2006.

The community is well known to law students, as it is featured in the case Spur Industries, Inc. v. Del E. Webb Development Co., 494 P.2d 700 (Ariz. 1972), commonly used in first-year property law courses to illustrate nuisance law.

The community's street network design consists largely of concentric circles in four main pinwheels.

Geography
Sun City is located 16 mi northwest of downtown Phoenix at 33.59194°N, -112.27194°W (33.597439, −112.272052). It is bordered to the north, east, and south by the city of Peoria, to the southwest by Youngtown, to the west by El Mirage, and to the northwest by Surprise.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Sun City CDP has a total area of 14.6 sqmi, of which 14.4 sqmi are land and 0.2 sqmi, or 1.19%, are water.

Demographics
According to the census of 2000, there were 38,309 people, 23,490 households, and 12,520 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,639.5 PD/sqmi. There were 27,731 housing units at an average density of 1,910.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.4% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. One percent (1.0%) of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,490 households, out of which 0.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were nonfamilies. Individuals comprised 44.1% of all households, and 39.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60 and the average family size was 2.07.

In the CDP, 0.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 0.3% from 18 to 24, 2.0% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 79.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 75 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,508, and the median income for a family was $40,464. Males had a median income of $35,459 versus $26,453 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,935. About 2.5% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sports and recreation
Sun City has eight golf courses and seven recreational centers, and is home to the Sun Bowl Amphitheatre. Sun City's four lawn bowling locations were among the sites for the 2019 US Lawn Bowling Open’s South Central Division. A ballpark, Sun City Stadium, opened in 1971 and served as the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1973 to 1985. Other teams to play their home games at the ballpark include the Sun City Rays of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1990, and the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League during 1992–1993. The ballpark was razed in 1995.

Transportation
Sun City is served by Valley Metro Bus routes 106 and 138.

title: Sun City, Arizona


text:
Sun City West, Arizona

Sun City West is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 25,806 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Sun City West is located 23 mi northwest of downtown Phoenix at 33.66194°N, -112.35861°W (33.661829, −112.358740). It is bordered to the south, west, and north by the city of Surprise. U.S. Route 60 runs along the southwest border of the community, and the Arizona State Route 303 freeway bounds the community to the north and northwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.0 sqmi, of which 0.04 sqmi, or 0.33%, are water.

Demographics
At the 2010 census there were 24,535 people, 14,873 households, and 8,550 families in the CDP. The population density was 2,245.2 PD/sqmi. There were 18,218 housing units at an average density of 1,666.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.8% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 14,873 households, 14 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 39.3% of households were one person and 35.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.64 and the average family size was 2.05.

The age distribution was 0.1% under the age of 14, 0.1% from 15 to 19, 0.1% from 15 to 24, 0.2% from 25 to 29, 0.2% from 30 to 34, 0.2% 35 to 39, 0.4% 45 to 49, 1.5% from 50 to 54, 3.6% 55 to 59, 9.2% from 60 to 64, 13.8% from 65 to 69, 17.2% from 70 to 74, 19.5% from 75 to 79, 18.3% from 80 to 84, and 14.8% who were 85 years of age or older. The median age was 75.6 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.6 males.

The median household income was $44,614 and the median family income was $58,345. Males had a median income of $48,333 versus $33,125 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $35,502. About 2.5% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

History
Sun City West was constructed on an 11000 acre site to the west of Sun City, including part of the former Lizard Acres cattle ranch. Sun City West was completely built out in 1998, and a sister city, Sun City Grand, to the west of Grand Avenue was started.

Due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic the city announced on March 11, 2020, the closures of all recreation centers to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. This later led to the closures of all seven golf courses on April 13, 2020.

Government
As an unincorporated area, Sun City West does not have a city government. Instead, Sun City West is "governed" by Property Owners and Residents Association (PORA), a community association that advocates for the Sun City West community.

Municipal services are provided by a variety of public and private organizations. Police services are provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Street maintenance services are paid for by the taxpayers of the entire county. Fire service is provided by Arizona Fire and Medical Authority. Parks and recreation services are controlled by Recreation Centers of Sun City West, another community organization.

Infrastructure
Electric service is provided by Arizona Public Service. Natural gas is provided by Southwest Gas. Water and sewer utilities are provided by a private utility, Epcor Water. Sanitation service is by a private hauler.

title: Sun City West, Arizona


text:
Sun Lakes, Arizona

Sun Lakes is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 14,868 at the 2020 census. Sun Lakes is an active adult community comprising five country club communities in three homeowner associations. These include the gated communities of Oakwood and IronWood (IronOaks), the gated and non-gated communities of Palo Verde and Cottonwood (Cottonwood Palo Verde), and the non-gated community of Sun Lakes 1. Sun Lakes is a master-planned community developed by Robson Communities.

Geography
Sun Lakes is located along the southeastern border of Maricopa County at 33.21472°N, -111.87°W (33.214686, -111.869966). It is bordered to the north and east by the city of Chandler and to the south by unincorporated Goodyear Village in Pinal County. Sun Lakes is 2.5 mi east of Interstate 10 and 25 mi southwest of downtown Phoenix.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.4 sqmi, of which 0.02 sqmi, or 0.41%, are water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 11,936 people, 6,683 households, and 4,798 families in the CDP. The population density was 2,278.7 PD/sqmi. There were 7,746 housing units at an average density of 1,478.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.4% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 0.3% from two or more races. 0.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 6,683 households 0.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 1.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.8% of households were one person and 20.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.79 and the average family size was 2.06.

The age distribution was 0.2% under the age of 18, 0.3% from 18 to 24, 2.1% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 66.2% 65 or older. The median age was 69 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median household income was $43,634 and the median family income was $50,333. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $35,350 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $33,394. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Sun Lakes, Arizona


text:
Surprise, Arizona

Surprise is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. The population was 143,148 at the 2020 census, up from 117,517 in 2010 and just 30,848 in 2000.

Surprise is the spring training location of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams.

History
The city was founded in 1938 by Flora Mae Statler. Statler was the daughter of another Arizona pioneer, Charles Gillett who helped found Glendale, specifically as a temperance community. Gillett owned much land in Glendale as well as the Verde Valley. Surprise officials previously thought the city was founded by Statler's husband, real estate developer and state legislator Homer C. Ludden, but in 2010 property records were discovered which listed Statler owning the land before she met Ludden. Modern records often state that Statler named her land Surprise as she "would be surprised if the town ever amounted to much,” with her daughter backing this claim. Although this fact is contested since it was common for pioneers to name their settlements after their hometowns and Ludden hailed from Surprise, Nebraska, possibility influencing the name of the town.

When Surprise was subdivided to build inexpensive houses for agricultural workers, there were only a few houses and a gas station on the one-square-mile (1.6 km) parcel of land. Since then, the town has experienced tremendous growth. It incorporated as a city in 1960. The original townsite is bounded by Greenway Road on the south, El Mirage Road on the east, Bell Road on the north, and Dysart Road on the west.

Surprise's City Hall is located on the site of Luke Air Force Base's former auxiliary airfield No. 3. The outline of the former runways can still be seen from aerial photos today.

Thousands of retirees moved to the city in the 1990s and early 2000s to live in Sun City Grand, an age-restricted resort-like community with homes built by the property development firm Del Webb. Surprise is about 5 mi northwest of Del Webb's original Sun City development and adjacent to Sun City West.

Geography
Surprise is between 20 and 30 mi northwest of Phoenix. It is bordered to the northeast by Peoria, to the east by unincorporated Sun City West and Sun City, to the southeast by El Mirage, to the south by Glendale, and to the west by Buckeye and unincorporated Wittmann.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 110.5 sqmi, of which 0.2 sqmi, or 0.20%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,848 people, 12,484 households, and 9,725 families residing in the city. The population density was 443.9 PD/sqmi. There were 16,260 housing units at an average density of 234.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.0% White, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.9% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. 23.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In recent years, the racial makeup has varied due to the rapid expansion of the city.

There were 12,484 households, out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.75 people.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,156, and the median income for a family was $47,899. Males had a median income of $33,079 versus $26,347 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,451. About 5.6% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

In 2010, Surprise had a population of 117,517. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 71.2% non-Hispanic white, 5.1% black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.8% two or more races, and 18.5% Hispanic or Latino.

Largest employers
According to the state of Arizona's 2023 COG employer database, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture
Surprise Regional Library, a $5.5 million, 20000 sqft library, is located in Surprise’s Recreation Campus. Surprise has two other city library branches, one in the original townsite (Hollyhock branch) and one in north Surprise (Asante branch). On July 1, 2023, the city of Surprise created the Surprise Public Library systems, taking ownership of the three Maricopa County libraries within its borders.

Surprise has a variety of public art installations across the city. Many public installations have been in collaboration with WHAM community art center which is also in Surprise.

The city has several holiday events throughout the year, such as their Easter Eggstavaganza and Sparkling Surprise Christmas event, which are both hosted at the city's recreation campus. They also host several smaller community engagement events throughout the year such as Sundays in the Park and Lunchtime Theater.

Sports
The city is the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams. These Major League Baseball teams use Surprise Stadium for their activities. The city also hosted a Golden Baseball League team in 2005, the Surprise Fightin' Falcons and the Recreation Campus ballpark and is the home city for a team in the Arizona Fall League, the Surprise Saguaros. It also hosted ESPN SportsCenter's 50 States in 50 Days segment on August 11, 2005.

As part of the city's Recreation Campus, Surprise is also home to the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex. The complex hosts various professional events throughout the year, including the Outback Champion Series tour, a USTA Pro Circuit event, and many USTA regional and sectional events. In 2009 the complex was chosen as the site for the Fed Cup Quarter Final between the U.S. and Argentina, and also that year it was chosen as the location for the first United States National Pickleball championships.

Parks and recreation
The city has a 10562 sqft Aquatics Center as well as the smaller Hollyhock community pool.

The city of Surprise has 15 city-owned parks across the city. Most notably Surprise Community Park on the recreation campus at city center. The 25 acre park hosts a playground, pickleball courts, basketball courts, a fishing lake, and dog parks.

Government
Surprise is governed on the local level by a mayor and a six-member city council. The mayor is elected at large, while the council members are elected from the six districts which they represent. All city council elections are officially nonpartisan. All representatives serve staggered four-year terms as of 1981. The current mayor is Skip Hall.

Education
The Dysart Unified School District serves the majority the city, with Nadaburg Unified School District servicing a small section of northern Surprise. Charter schools such as Arizona Charter Academy, Paradise Education Center, and Legacy Traditional School are also located in the area.

Rio Salado College, a part of the Maricopa County Community College District, has a satellite building in Surprise.

Ottawa University–Arizona is a private, non-profit, Christian four-year university with a campus in Surprise's Civic Center Campus. Opened in Fall 2017, the University has grown from 300 students to nearly 900 students as of Fall 2019 and boasts over 20 varsity-level athletic teams. In 2019, OUAZ opened a 76,000 sqft dormitory with 308 beds as well as a 26,000 sqft student union with a fully equipped kitchen and dining facility, student lounge, team shop, conference areas and board room as well as the 35,000 sqft, three-story O'Dell Center for Athletics.

Roads

Surprise is served by Loop 303 and U.S. Route 60. U.S. Route 60 leads southeast to Phoenix and northwest to Wickenburg and Las Vegas (via U.S. Route 93). Surprise is also served by many major arterial roads.

Police
The Surprise Police Department consists of a field operations division, administrative services division, criminal investigations division, and technical services division.

Mission Home Cemetery
The Mission Home Cemetery, also known as the Sleeping Bride Cemetery, is a historic cemetery located in Surprise.

title: Surprise, Arizona


text:
Tempe, Arizona

Tempe (Oidbaḍ in O'odham) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler on the south, and Mesa on the east. Tempe is the location of the main campus of Arizona State University.

History

The Hohokam lived in this area and built canals to support their agriculture. They abandoned their settlements during the 15th century, with a few individuals and families remaining nearby.

Fort McDowell was established approximately 25 mi northeast of present downtown Tempe on the upper Salt River in 1865 allowing for new towns to be built farther down the Salt River. US military service members and Hispanic workers were hired to grow food and animal feed to supply the fort, and less than a year later, had set up small camps near the river that were the first permanent communities in the Valley after the fall of the Hohokam. (Phoenix was settled shortly afterward, by 1867–68.) The two settlements were 'Hayden's Ferry', named after a ferry service operated by Charles T. Hayden, and 'San Pablo', and were located west and east of Hayden Butte respectively. The ferry became the key river crossing in the area. The Tempe Irrigating Canal Company was soon established by William Kirkland and James McKinney to provide water for alfalfa, wheat, barley, oats, and cotton.

Pioneer Darrell Duppa is credited with suggesting Tempe's name, adopted in 1879, after comparing the Salt River valley near a 300 ft-tall butte, to the Vale of Tempe near Mount Olympus in Greece.

Until the early 1960s, Tempe was a sundown town where African Americans were permitted to work but forced to live elsewhere. In 1965, Warren and Carol Livingston were the first African Americans to buy property in Tempe.

In 1885, the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature chose Tempe for the site of the Territorial Normal School, which became Arizona Normal School, Arizona State Teachers College, Arizona State College and finally Arizona State University.

The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, built in 1887, crossed the Salt River at Tempe, linking the town to the nation's growing transportation system. The Tempe Land and Improvement Company was formed to sell lots in the booming town. Tempe became an economic hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors incorporated the town of Tempe in 1894.

The completion of Roosevelt Dam in 1911 guaranteed enough water to meet the growing needs of Valley farmers. On his way to dedicate the dam, former President Theodore Roosevelt applauded the accomplishments of the people of central Arizona and predicted that their towns would be prosperous cities in the future. Less than a year later, Arizona was admitted as the 48th state, and the Salt River Valley continued to develop.

On August 30, 1971, Tempe was hit by a rare F2 tornado that injured 41 people, the most injuries recorded from a tornado in Arizona, and caused damage in upwards of $3 million. One indirect fatality occurred when a man died from a heart attack during the storm.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, Tempe has expanded as a suburb of Phoenix, and as a center of education and commerce.

Geography
Tempe is an inner suburb, located between the core city of Phoenix and the rest of the East Valley. Due to this as well as being the home of the main campus of Arizona State University, Tempe has a fairly dense, urbanized development pattern in the northern part of the city especially in relation to the Valley Metro Line. Going south, development becomes less dense, consisting of single-family homes, strip malls and lower-density office parks.

The Salt River runs west through the northern part of Tempe; part of the river is dammed in two places to create Tempe Town Lake.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the landlocked city has a total area of 40.2 sqmi, of which 40.1 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi  is water. The total area is 0.32% water, including Tempe Town Lake. The city of Tempe is bordered by Mesa to the east, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community to the north, Phoenix and Guadalupe to the west, and Chandler to the south.

Tempe is generally flat, except for Tempe Butte or Hayden Butte (generally known as A-Mountain for Arizona State University's "A" logo located on its south face), located next to Sun Devil Stadium, Twin Buttes and Bell Butte on the western edge of Tempe, and the buttes within Papago Park at northwest corner of Tempe. Elevation ranges from 1140 ft at Tempe Town Lake to 1495 ft atop Hayden Butte.

Climate
Tempe experiences a desert climate with a higher degree of diurnal temperature variation than neighboring Phoenix.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 161,719 people, 63,602 households, and 33,645 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,959.4 PD/sqmi. There were 67,068 housing units at an average density of 1,674.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 77.5% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 2.9% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 8.5% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 21.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 63,602 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, 19.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 21.3% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,361, and the median income for a family was $55,237. Males had a median income of $36,406 versus $28,605 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,406. About 7.5% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

There is a Mexican-American community in Tempe.

Economy
Tempe is the headquarters and executive office of one Fortune 500 company: DriveTime. Carvana, GoDaddy, NortonLifeLock, First Solar, the Salt River Project, Circle K, and Fulton Homes are also headquartered in Tempe. Cold Stone Creamery was originally headquartered in Tempe and location #0001 is still in operation today at 3330 S McClintock Drive in Tempe. Tempe prides itself in assisting burgeoning businesses and has a variety of resources and programs available, such as FABRiC (Fashion and Business Resource Innovation Center) and BRiC (Business Resource and Innovation Center). Tempe is also home to the first and largest campus of Arizona State University. It was the longtime host of the Fiesta Bowl, where it hosted multiple national championship college football games. The BCS game moved to University of Phoenix Stadium, located in Glendale, in 2007. It then began hosting the Insight Bowl which is now known as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. As of 2018, there is no bowl game in Tempe because of renovations to Sun Devil Stadium. Edward Jones Investments and State Farm Insurance have regional headquarters in Tempe.

Tempe houses several performance venues including Gammage Auditorium and the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Tempe Town Lake is home to many national and international events, such as Ironman Arizona and Rock n Roll Marathon. Gammage Auditorium was also the site of one of the three Presidential debates in 2004, and Super Bowl XXX was played at Sun Devil Stadium. Additionally, Tempe is the spring training host city of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

One of Arizona's largest shopping malls, Arizona Mills, sits near the border with the town of Guadalupe. The city is the location of the first IKEA branch in Arizona, also near the southern boundary. Tempe Marketplace, a large open air mall featuring live music and water and laser shows, is located just southeast of Tempe Town Lake. Tempe can boast an array of wholesalers and manufacturers. Mill Avenue, located just west of Hayden Butte, is a shopping and entertainment area in the city popular with pedestrians and students. With the completion of Tempe Town Lake, commercial and high-rise development along the reservoir quickly transformed the cityscape of Mill Avenue and the skyline of downtown Tempe.

Top employers
According to Tempe's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the financial year ending June 2020, the top employers in the city are:

Tempe Center for the Arts

Opened in September 2007, Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) is a community crown jewel for performing and visual arts. The $65 million venue houses a state-of-the-art 600-seat theater, a 200-seat studio theater, a picturesque 200-seat multi-purpose space, a 3,500 square-foot art gallery.

Tempe History Museum
The Tempe History Museum explores local history through collections, research services, exhibits, and programs.

Public art
The Tempe Public Art Program coordinates artists with building designers to install permanent and temporary public art projects. Since 1988, more than 50 projects have been commissioned by the Tempe's Community Services Division. The Art in Private Development ordinance of 1991 has helped add more than 60 privately owned pieces of art to the city, accessible by the public.

Live music scene
Tempe enjoyed a thriving alternative music scene throughout the 1980s and '90s, producing acts including as the Gin Blossoms, Meat Puppets, Dead Hot Workshop, The Refreshments, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Hans Olson, The Maine, and Injury Reserve. Historic dive-bar Yucca Tap Room, one of the last remaining 'small stage' venues that defined this era, continues to host nightly local live music.

Tempe Music Walk
The Tempe Music Walk honors select bands, musicians and musical venues with plaques embedded in the sidewalk on Mill Avenue. Honorees are Walt Richardson, The Gin Blossoms, Hans Olson, and Long Wong's.

Public libraries
Tempe Public Library is the local library. It is located adjacent to the Tempe History Museum.

Tourism
Many of the reasons people visit Tempe are places and events, such as P. F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, Tempe Marketplace, Arizona Mills, Mill Avenue, and Tempe Town Lake.

The Tempe Tourism Office, located on Mill Avenue's downtown district, provides maps and additional information about hotels and upcoming city events.

Historic properties
There are numerous properties in the city of Tempe which are considered to be historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places.

Sports
From 1988 to 2005, Sun Devil Stadium hosted the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals (they were known as the Phoenix Cardinals from 1988 to 1993). The Cardinals have since moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale for games, but maintain their headquarters and training facility in Tempe. Many residents follow the teams in nearby Phoenix and Glendale. (For more information, read the sports section on the Phoenix page)

The Arizona State University Sun Devils compete in football, basketball, baseball, as well as a number of other sports in the Pac-12 Conference of the NCAA. The Sun Devils football team plays their games at Sun Devil Stadium. Currently as a Division I Independent program, the men's ice hockey team plays at Mullett Arena. The Sun Devils' nearest rival is the University of Arizona Wildcats, in Tucson. The two teams compete in the "Duel in the Desert" for control of the Territorial Cup. Sun Devil Stadium had hosted the annual Fiesta Bowl until the 2007 game moved to State Farm Stadium.

The Los Angeles Angels have their spring training at Tempe Diablo Stadium, a 9,785-seat ballpark built in 1968. The Angels moved to Tempe in 1993 from Palm Springs, California.

The Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football played their one season in Tempe in early 2019. The league folded before the season was completed.

Rugby union is a developing sport in Tempe as well as in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The multiple clubs, ranging from men's and women's clubs to collegiate and Under 19, are part of the Arizona Rugby Union. Notable clubs are Arizona State University Rugby Football Club and the Tempe "Old Devils" Rugby Club.

Parks and recreation
Tempe is home to many outdoor activities. Tempe Town Lake is a publicly accessible lake that is run by City of Tempe. The lake provides recreation activities to residents and tourists, but also helps protect the surrounding area from flooding. The City of Tempe estimated that 2.7 million people visited the lake in 2013.

Papago Park and Tempe Butte Desert Preserves offer hiking, mountain and road biking, rock climbing, disc golf, and equestrian activities. Tempe is also home to the annual Ironman Triathlon, which takes place in late November.

Tempe has more than 50 neighborhood and community parks, including Kiwanis Park, Tempe Beach Park and Tempe Sports Complex. Kiwanis Park contains Kiwanis Lake, the only indoor wave pool in the Phoenix area, a gymnasium, a batting range, tennis courts, a fitness center, and classroom programs.

Government

 * Mayor: Corey Woods
 * Vice Mayor: Doreen Garlid
 * City Manager: Rosa Inchausti
 * Chief of Police: Kenneth McCoy
 * Fire Chief: Darrel Duty

 * City Attorney: Eric Anderson
 * City Council Members: Vice Mayor Doreen Garlid, Councilmembers Jennifer Adams, Nikki Amberg, Arlene Chin, Berdetta Hodge and Randy Keating.

The city has had 33 mayors since 1894.

 * 1894–1896: Fenn J. Hart
 * 1896–1897: E.A. Murphy
 * 1897–1902: John Knight
 * 1902–1903: Samuel Brown
 * 1903–1912: J.A. Dins
 * 1912–1914: Joseph T. Birchett
 * 1914–1916: George M. Frizzell
 * 1916–1920: J.A. Dins
 * 1920–1922: C.M. Woodward
 * 1922–1924: Curt W. Miller
 * 1924–1926: Garfield A. Goodwin

 * 1926–1928: J.L. Felton
 * 1928–1930: Hugh E. Laird
 * 1930–1932: Thanks Anderson
 * 1932–1934: F.E. Ostrander
 * 1934–1937: Thanks Anderson
 * 1937–1948: W.W. Cole
 * 1948–1960: Hugh E. Laird
 * 1960–1961: Clyde Gililland
 * 1961–1962: Ross R. Rice
 * 1962–1963: Bernard R. Caine
 * 1963–1964: Harold Andrews

 * 1964–1966: John C. Moeur
 * 1966–1968: Rudy E. Campbell
 * 1968–1970: Elmer Bradley
 * 1970–1974: Dale R. Shumway
 * 1974–1978: William J. LoPiano
 * 1978–1994: Harry Mitchell
 * 1994–2004: Neil Giuliano
 * 2004–2012: Hugh Hallman
 * 2012–2020: Mark Mitchell
 * 2020–present: Corey Woods

Tempe is in Arizona's 9th Congressional District, served by Representative Greg Stanton (D).

Education
Tempe is served by multiple school districts. Most of Tempe is within the Tempe Elementary School District and the Tempe Union High School District; however, other portions are served by the Kyrene School District (K–8), Scottsdale Unified School District (K–12), and Mesa Public Schools (K–12). James Madison Preparatory School and Tempe Preparatory Academy are also located in the area.

Emmanuel Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K–8 grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Tempe.

Tempe also contains one of the state's three major universities, Arizona State University, the Maricopa County Community College District administrative offices and the headquarters of Rio Salado Community College. Arizona State University is known for its numerous studies and innovations, particularly in the field of science which include furthering the knowledge of certain cancers, business management research, and population science. Tempe is also the home of several other schools, including the University of Phoenix, Brookline College, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Bryan University and Lamson Junior College.

Media
Tempe Independent covers Tempe
 * Tempe 11, a local access channel, found on Cox Cable Channel 11.
 * KJZZ, an NPR station, is located in Tempe at Rio Salado College.
 * KBAQ, a 24/7 member-supported classical radio station, is the only such service in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Sun Sounds, a radio station for the blind, is also located there.
 * Tempe Tribune and Times Media Group have offices in Tempe.

Transportation
Tempe is one of the most densely populated cities in the state and serves as a crossroads for the area's largest communities.

Freeways make up the major transportation system for the Valley. Included in the system surrounding Tempe are Interstate 10 near the western edge as it traverses the Broadway Curve, Loop 202 crossing the northern side, Loop 101 following the eastern border, and U.S. Route 60 running east–west through the center of the city.

Valley Metro operates bus routes and the Valley Metro Rail system that serves Downtown Tempe and Arizona State University, providing service to Phoenix and Mesa. The City of Tempe operates a free neighborhood circulator service called Orbit involving five free shuttle routes near Arizona State University that operate on a regular basis seven days a week. Three other FLASH (Free Local Area Shuttle) circulate in northern Tempe around the university. Tempe residents and commuters make extensive use of public transit and service is offered on a more frequent basis than elsewhere in the greater Phoenix valley, or in the entire state. Most Tempe buses offer 15 minute service during rush hour and 30 minute service throughout the rest of the day.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, located 2 mi northwest of Tempe, provides extensive air service to points throughout North America and to London, England, and various cities in Hawaii.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is located in Mesa, and offers air service to many additional destinations.

Tempe is one of the few cities in the United States to permit self-driving taxis. Waymo currently offers service within most parts of the city as well as certain other portions of the Valley. In 2018, Tempe was the location of the first reported killing of a pedestrian by a self-driving car, when Elaine Herzberg was struck and killed by a car owned by Uber that was operating in autonomous mode. The incident caused Uber to suspend its self-driving car program nationwide, and its permit to operate in Arizona was revoked.

Tempe is home to the nation's first zero-driving community called Culdesac Tempe which opened in 2023. The $170 million development project will contain 761 apartments, housing 1,000 residents and 16,000 square feet of retail, serving as a form of infill development in the city as it is being built on a vacant 17-acre lot. In this community, residents are contractually forbidden from parking a vehicle within a quarter mile radius of the area. Prices to live in Culdesac Tempe are projected to be similar to rent prices in the rest of the area and discounted public transport services are included in the monthly rent to allow for residents to travel to other places.

Notable people

 * Albert Alan – financial literacy advocate and author, born in Tempe
 * Steven Anderson – pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church
 * Jules Asner – television personality, model, author
 * Roger Clyne – musician
 * Norman Dubie – poet
 * Gabe Freeman – professional basketball player
 * Grady Gammage – educator, president of NAU and, after, ASU
 * Gin Blossoms – rock band
 * Margaret Gisolo – baseball pioneer, dance educator
 * Carl T. Hayden – United States Senator for Arizona, and its first Representative in the House, was born in Tempe on October 2, 1877
 * Katie Hobbs – 24th and current governor of Arizona since 2023
 * Joe Jackson – professional football player
 * Frank Kush – college football coach
 * Ryan Maifield - Professional R/C Car Driver
 * Aaron McCreary – college baseball, basketball and football coach
 * The Meat Puppets – rock band
 * Harry E. Mitchell – former U.S. Representative who represented Arizona's 5th Congressional District from 2007 until 2011.
 * Paul "P.H." Naffah – musician
 * Mike Pollak – professional football player
 * Psychostick – comedy rock band
 * John H. Pyle – Governor of Arizona from 1951 to 1955.
 * The Refreshments – alternative rock band
 * Alberto Ríos – poet
 * Charli Turner Thorne – college basketball coach

Twin towns and sister cities

 * 🇫🇷 Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
 * 🇮🇪 Carlow, Carlow, Ireland
 * 🇳🇿 Lower Hutt, New Zealand
 * 🇩🇪 Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany
 * Skopje, North Macedonia
 * Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
 * 🇲🇱 Timbuktu, Mali
 * 🇪🇨 Cuenca, Ecuador
 * 🇵🇪 Cuzco, Peru
 * 🇸🇪 Trollhättan, Sweden
 * 🇮🇳 Agra City, India

The newest sister city is Agra City, India, since 2016.

title: Tempe, Arizona


text:
Tolleson, Arizona

Tolleson is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the city was 7,216 as of the 2020 census, up from 6,545 in 2010.

History
The city was incorporated in 1929 and named after founders Walter G. Tolleson and his wife Alethea H. Tolleson. The Tollesons moved to the area in 1910, buying a 160-acre ranch at the intersection of 91st Avenue and Van Buren Street. Walter Tolleson reopened the Ten Mile Store which was the first stagecoach stop and general merchandise store in route to Yuma from Phoenix. The store was located on what is now the intersection of 91st Drive and Monroe Street.

In 1912, the Tollesons subdivided their ranch, allowing more people to buy their land. In an effort to market his new community as a good opportunity for farmers, Mr. Tolleson chartered a train and provided free lunches for anyone to make the journey. He also gave away five dollars worth of gold to better entice people. Eighty lots were sold at a price of $50.00 per lot.

Leon Tolleson, Walter’s brother, became the first postmaster of the development in 1913. The with rural mail route operated out of Walter's general merchandise store for a time before a stand alone post office was built at what is now 91st Avenue and Van Buren Street, where it is still located today.

Beginning in the 1940s, agriculture in the surrounding area began to take off, providing an great economic boost to the city. By the 1950s, Tolleson had become known as the "Vegetable Center of the World." The early 1960s saw a rapid decline of agri-business as more machinery became available to farmers in the area, leading to decreased need for labor.

The 1970s city planners developed a master plan, began street beautification projects, encouraged new housing development and built a multi-million dollar sewage treatment plant essential for industrial and residential growth. The city hoped that this would help entice new businesses and homebuyers to move in driving up population and revenue once again, seen as an investment in the city’s future. Tolleson also expanded its land during the Phoenix metropolitan area’s “range war” in the late 1970s. Cities such as Avondale, Goodyear, and Phoenix, began annexing large chunks of land around where the I-10 was set to go through. Tolleson went from one square mile to six square miles during this time. The cities around Tolleson often had much more buying power so the small town could not grow as much as others. In one instance, Phoenix bought two strips of land measuring thirty and fifty feet wide between Tolleson and Avondale solely so that Tolleson would be confined to its existing space.

The 1980s marked the entry of Fry's Food and Drug and Albertson's Distribution Centers that generated spinoff industrial development to Tolleson. These distributors showed other businesses the strategic placement of Tolleson in moving supplies and products due to its close proximity to Phoenix as well as California, allowing for easy shipment of imports coming from the west coast. Tolleson also sits along Interstate 10, Union Pacific Railroad and State Route 85, as well as the newly constructed Loop 202 only 3 miles to the east creating an efficient transporting environment.

Today, Tolleson is an essential employment center for the West Valley, hosting over twenty Fortune 500 companies. The city employs more than 20,000 people, while having a population just over 7,000 residents. Tolleson has one of the most impressive jobs-to-residents ratios in the nation.

Geography
Tolleson is located on the western side of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The community lies just south of I-10. The city of Avondale lies approximately 6 mi to the southwest, and Fowler, a former unincorporated community now within the Phoenix city limits, is 3 mi to the east. The Agua Fria River is about 4 mi to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Tolleson has a total area of 5.7 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census Tolleson had a population of 6,545. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was 80.1% Hispanic (72.7% of the total population identifying as of Mexican descent, 1.0% identifying as being of Puerto Rican descent), 11.0% non-Hispanic white, 5.8% non-Hispanic blacks, 1.0% non-Hispanic Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.2% non-Hispanic reporting some other race and 4.2% reporting two or more races (only 1.1% of the population was non-Hispanics reporting two or more races, however Hispanicness itself is not treated as something one can be partly).

At the 2000 census, there were 4,974 people, 1,432 households, and 1,151 families living in the city. The population density was 894.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,485 housing units at an average density of 266.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 52.2% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 40.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. 78.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,432 households 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 15.9% of households were one person and 7.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.47 and the average family size was 3.83.

The age distribution was 32.4% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median household income was $38,773 and the median family income was $43,894. Males had a median income of $26,934 versus $23,511 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,747. About 9.9% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
SK Food Group, in a partnership with Phoenix and Tolleson, expanded operations in 2016. Their food processing plant is projected to bring 550 jobs, with an emphasis on helping unemployed youth ages 16–24 who are not attending school and on attracting talent across the Valley.

Top employers
According to Tolleson's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Notable people

 * Merle Keagle, baseball player
 * Bob Stump, congressman
 * Anna Tovar, state legislator and former mayor of Tolleson

Governmental representation
The city is in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, served by Representative Ruben Gallego, and Arizona's 19th State Legislative District, served by Representatives Mark A. Cardenas and Diego Espinoza and Senator Lupe Contreras, all Democrats.

Education
The city is served by Tolleson Union High School District, Tolleson Elementary School District, Littleton Elementary School District, Union Elementary School District and Fowler Elementary School District.

title: Tolleson, Arizona