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Gilbert, Arizona

Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert is home to 288,128 residents. It is the fifth-largest municipality in Arizona. Nearly a third of Gilbert residents are under the age of 18. As Gilbert approaches buildout, the population is expected to reach 330,000.

Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World". It has since transformed into an economically diverse suburban community, characterized by a strong economy, competitive schools, and safe neighborhoods. Gilbert is home to many companies with focuses on advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, biotechnology, clean technology, and renewable energy. In 2023, it was declared one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation.

History
Gilbert was established by William "Bobby" Gilbert, who provided land to the Arizona Eastern Railway in 1902 to construct a rail line between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona. Ayer's Grocery Store, Gilbert's first store, opened in 1910 and became the location of the first post office in 1912. The post office moved several times before settling on the east side of Gilbert Road in downtown, where it stands today. In 1912, many Mormons who had fled the Mormon colonies in Mexico due to the actions of Pancho Villa's forces settled in Gilbert. By 1915, they began holding church meetings at the Gilbert Elementary School. In 1918, they were organized into the Gilbert Ward.

Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was primarily a farming community fueled by the rail line and construction of the Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals. It remained an agricultural town for many years and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" from 1911 until the late 1920s.

In 2019, the town ranked highly on three national surveys related to safety, livability and family life; it was named the fourth-safest (of 182 communities), 12th-most livable town, and seventh-best place to raise a family in the U.S.

Geography
Gilbert is in the southeastern Phoenix metropolitan area. It is south of Mesa, northeast of Chandler, and northwest of Queen Creek.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 68.86 sqmi, of which 68.65 sqmi is land and 0.20 sqmi is water.

Climate
Gilbert has a subtropical, hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with dry and hot summers, and mild to warm winters, with little rainfall.

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 267,918 people, 88,896 households, and 69,603 families residing in the town. There were 93,230 housing units.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 208,453 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household.

 * Between 2000 and 2010, the town of Gilbert was the fastest-growing incorporated place among populations of 100,000 or more in the United States, with an increase of 90%.
 * Fastest growing municipality in the United States from 1990 to 2003 (U.S. Census Bureau)
 * 4th fastest growing municipality in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau – 2009)
 * Ranked by CNN's Money magazine in 2008 as one of the best places to live in the United States
 * One of the top 25 safest cities in the United States
 * 34.5% of Gilbert residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
 * Highest household median income in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area with population 50,000+ (U.S. Census Bureau – 2005)

According to Nielsen's Claritas demographics, in 2009 the estimated racial makeup of the town was:
 * 81.5% White
 * 15.4% Hispanics or Latinos
 * 3.1% Black or African American
 * 0.8% Native American
 * 4.7% Asian
 * 0.2% Pacific Islander
 * 6.0% from other races
 * 3.7% from two or more races

2009 estimated population data by gender/age:
 * 31.37 average age male/female. By 2019, the average age was reported as 33.6.
 * 50.2% male
 * 30.0 est. average age
 * 49.8% female
 * 31.8 est. average age
 * 37.1% population under 21
 * 33.3% population under 18
 * 70.0% population over 16
 * 66.8% population over 18
 * 62.9% population over 21
 * 5.3% population over 65

2009 estimated population age 15+ by marital status:
 * 20.9% never married
 * 66.7% married, spouse present
 * 2.2% married, spouse absent
 * 2.1% widowed
 * 8.1% divorced

2009 estimated population age 25+ educational attainment:
 * 92.3% high school/GED or higher
 * 37.5% bachelor's degree or higher. A 2019 report put the rate at close to 50% for residents over the age of 25.
 * 10.5% master's degree or higher

2009 estimated household by household income:
 * $109,213 average household income
 * $89,077 median household income. Median income noted as >$87,000 in a report of 2013–2017 US Census data, as compared to a state-wide median of $53,000.
 * $35,559 per capita Income
 * 2.3% of families were below the poverty level

Religion
Various religious denominations are represented in Gilbert. The town has been known for its high population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a fact evidenced by the building of the Gilbert Arizona Temple, which was dedicated on March 2, 2014.

Largest employers
According to its 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Gilbert's top employers are:

Arts and culture
The town's official tourism site, Discover Gilbert, highlights attractions for new and returning visitors. Sightseeing opportunities include the mural-clad brick walls, the color-changing water tower, waterways art, a solo gopher, and glowing benches. Gilbert also features an established theater, historical museum, and gallery.

9/11 Memorial
Gilbert Town Hall is home to a 9/11 Memorial that features an eight-foot steel girder beam that held up the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Former Gilbert Fire Chief Collin DeWitt raised money for three years to create the memorial and bring the beam from New York City to Arizona. He drove to collect it himself along with then Assistant Fire Chief Jim Jobusch.

The memorial's design angles the beam, putting it in reach of everyone. Four granite walls bear the names of those killed in the attacks. Concrete was poured in the shape of a pentagon for the memorial's foundation, and is surrounded by bricks that bear the names of some of those who donated to the memorial's creation. The memorial was unveiled in a ceremony on the attacks' 10th anniversary, on September 11, 2011.

Historic place
Gilbert Elementary School was built in 1913, and now houses the Gilbert Historical Museum. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Parks and recreation
The Gilbert Parks and Recreation department provides parks, recreation, and cultural programs for residents and visitors. Gilbert has over 600 acres of open space, 37 park ramadas, four public pools, a riparian area, and over 40 sports fields. Gilbert Parks and Recreation is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). It is also recognized as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

Government
FinanceBuzz named Gilbert the "2nd Fasting-Rising City in the United States" in 2023. In 2022, Ranking Arizona recognized Gilbert as the "#1 Place to Live in Arizona" and the 2nd-Safest Big City in America, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program's 2022 report.

Since Gilbert remains incorporated as a town, it lacks the additional powers possessed by nearby Mesa and Chandler, which are incorporated as cities. For instance, Arizona towns do not have as much power to regulate utilities and construction within their borders as cities do. Unlike most of its neighboring communities, Gilbert is theoretically vulnerable to annexation.

The town is part of AZ's 5th congressional district, which is represented by Republican and Gilbert resident Andy Biggs. The mayor is Brigette Peterson.

Education
Most of Gilbert is zoned to schools in the Gilbert Public Schools, while other parts are zoned to districts including the Chandler Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, and the Higley Unified School District. Also in Gilbert are charter schools such as Eduprize (the first charter school in Arizona), American Leadership Academy, and Legacy Traditional School. The town is also home to Gilbert Christian Schools, a chain of private schools. In 2018, Park University opened the Gilbert Campus Center after leasing 18000 sqft at the University Building in the city's Heritage District.

Transportation
Gilbert is primarily served by one area freeway—the Santan Freeway portion of Loop 202. A small section of the US 60 Superstition Freeway also skirts Gilbert's northern boundary at the Higley Road interchange (Exit 186). Several regional arterials also serve the area, including Williams Field Road, Chandler Boulevard, and Gilbert Road. The town is relatively close to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, in east Mesa, and is a 25-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

A park-and-ride facility is in downtown Gilbert for bus service. Although the facility borders the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) tracks and has provisions for commuter rail service, there is currently no such service. Bus service is limited in Gilbert, with some north–south routes in Mesa dead-ending at Baseline Road before entering Gilbert. Routes that serve portions of Gilbert include the 108-Elliot Road, 112-Country Club/Arizona Avenue, 136-Gilbert Road, 140-Ray Road, 156-Chandler Boulevard/Williams Field Road, 184-Power Road, and 531-Mesa/Gilbert Express, with most of these routes operating at 30-minute frequency on weekdays. Sunday service is only available on Routes 108, 112, 156, and 184. Most people get around by car or bike. Gilbert has a low proportion of households without cars. In 2015, 1.9% of Gilbert households lacked a car, and the figure was 1.7% in 2016. The national average in 2016 was 8.7%. Gilbert averaged 2.08 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.

In 2018 Waymo started testing in a small portion of Gilbert's northwest.

Notable people

 * Jim Bechtel, professional poker player; World Champion of Poker in 1993; lives in Gilbert
 * Dave Burba, pitcher for late 1990s Cleveland Indians; lives in Gilbert
 * Haley Cavinder, basketball player at Fresno State grew up in Gilbert and graduated from Gilbert High School
 * Marquis Cooper, professional linebacker; played for Highland High School
 * Ken Delo, singer best known for The Lawrence Welk Show; lives in Gilbert
 * Roy Wayne Farris, "The Honky Tonk Man", retired professional wrestler, WWE Hall of Fame inductee
 * Ryan Fitzpatrick, former NFL quarterback; played for Highland High School
 * Jineane Ford, Miss Arizona USA 1980, Miss USA 1980
 * Alan Gordon, professional soccer player; raised in Gilbert
 * Dan Hausel, Hall of Fame martial artist; resident of Gilbert since 2006
 * Shea Hillenbrand, All-Star professional baseball player and rescue farm owner
 * Darrin Jackson, professional baseball player, 1985–1999; TV broadcaster; lives in Gilbert
 * Nick Johnson (born 1992), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Kimberly Joiner, Miss Arizona USA 2008; raised in and still lives in Gilbert
 * Mina Kimes, ESPN TV personality and journalist; lived in Gilbert during teenage years; attended Mesquite High School
 * Naomi Lang, five-time U.S. ice dance champion, 2002 Olympian
 * Spencer Larsen, former professional football player; raised in Gilbert; played for Highland High School
 * Justin Lassen, artist; lives in Gilbert; graduated from Gilbert High School in 2000
 * Ryan Leslie, television personality on MTV's The Real World: New Orleans
 * Lydia, band
 * Bengie Molina, former Major League Baseball catcher; has lived in Gilbert since 2011
 * Alex Naddour, bronze medalist at 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and in pommel horse at 2016 Summer Olympics; graduate from Highland High School
 * Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut; retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel; lives in Gilbert
 * Phil Ortega, MLB pitcher, 1960–1969; born in Gilbert in 1939
 * Brock Purdy, NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers
 * MyKayla Skinner, gold medalist at 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships; silver medalist on vault at the 2020 Summer Olympics
 * Lindsey Stirling, violinist, dancer, and performer; Mesquite High School graduate
 * Eric Swann, NFL player for Arizona Cardinals; lives in Gilbert
 * Rick Woolstenhulme, drummer for band Lifehouse

title: Gilbert, Arizona


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Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city also contains the Arrowhead Towne Center shopping mall. As of the 2020 census, Glendale had a population of 248,325.

History
In the late 1800s the area that is now Glendale was all desert. William John Murphy, a native of New Hartford, New York, who resided in the town of Flagstaff in what was then the territory of Arizona, was in charge of building the 40 mi Arizona Canal from Granite Reef to New River for the Arizona Canal Company. In 1885, he completed the canal, which would bring water to the desert land. Murphy was deep in debt, since he had agreed to be paid in Arizona Canal Company stock and bonds and land instead of cash.

In 1887, Murphy formed the Arizona Improvement Company. His objective was to sell the land and water rights south of the canal. Murphy raised capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll and construction expenses. Murphy decided to refer to this land as "Glendale". In order to develop and interest potential investors and settlers in this new town, Murphy decided to provide a better way of access from Phoenix to Glendale and ending in the town of Peoria by building an 18 mi diagonal road which he named Grand Avenue.

In 1891, Burgess Hadsell worked with Murphy to bring 70 Brethren and River Brethren families to Glendale to form a temperance colony. Soon settlers, attracted by the town's ban on alcoholic beverages, continued to arrive. In 1895, Murphy platted the original town site and amended the plat to include a town park and some business lots. It was bounded by Lamar Road on the south, 55th Avenue on the east, Myrtle Avenue on the north, and 59th Avenue on the west. The construction of a railroad from Prescott to Phoenix was made possible with an exchange of the right-of-way made by Murphy along Grand Avenue. The railroad allowed Glendale settlers to transport goods to the north and easily receive building materials.

The construction and commercial applications of the Beet Sugar Factory in 1906 also contributed to the growth of Glendale. Though the operations of the factory only lasted until 1913, it played an important role in the increase of immigrant and migrant settlers in the city. Several other businesses were founded around this time such as Glendale Ice Company, Pacific Creamery Company, Glendale Milling Company, and Southwest Flour and Feed.

World War I ushered in a renewal for Glendale, with cotton prices rising throughout the period. Cotton continues to be a source of economic prosperity in Glendale with many farms still along the Loop 101, despite many farmers switching to more profitable crops. A high demand for food, also kept farmers busy. Numerous farms and orchards were established and thrived through the early 1900s.

World War II brought the birth of Thunderbird Field to train civilian pilots for the Army. In late 1940, a few Hollywood actors and businessmen, headed by Leland Hayward, approached the Army to establish a primary flight training school. This group chose the site of Thunderbird Field primarily because of its abundance of space, excellent weather, and good visibility. While this field was being built in 1941, the Army was busy working on a larger base for $4.5 million, Luke Field (now Luke Air Force Base). This base was named for the first pilot to receive a Medal of Honor, Lt. Frank Luke Jr. Thunderbird Field would later become the Thunderbird American Graduate School for International Management.

The military and college presence, as well as the increase in population (nearly doubling between 1950 and 1960), sparked a need for utilities, parks, schools and streets. Over the next 40 years, the city added a landfill, water treatment plant, sewage plants, libraries, parks, public safety facilities, an airport, a city hall and a civic center.

Arrowhead Towne Center opened in 1993, and the surrounding neighborhood, Arrowhead Ranch, made the area a hotspot for housing and shopping. The completion of Loop 101 throughout Glendale opened the city to the rest of the Valley.

In recent decades, the city has begun major investment into tourism. The establishment of the Westgate Entertainment District, housing Desert Diamond Arena, and State Farm Stadium in the early 2000s made Glendale a destination for locals and visitors. Construction of the VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park, scheduled to open in 2025, will continue to grow Glendale’s tourism economy creating hundreds of new jobs and proving more than a thousand new hotel rooms for the city.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 65.1 sqmi, of which 0.4 sqmi, or 0.63%, are is water. The New River and Agua Fria River flow southward through the western extremities of the city.

Climate
Glendale has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) typical of Southern Arizona, with very hot and dry summers and mild winters.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 226,710 people, 79,114 households, and 54,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.5 PD/sqmi. There were 79,667 housing units at an average density of 1,430.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 75.54% White, 6% Black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 16.95% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 35.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 79,114 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city, 30.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.8% was from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,015, and the median income for a family was $51,162. Males had a median income of $35,901 versus $27,736 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,124. About 8.8% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Top employers
Source: AZCentral.com

Attractions

 * Adobe Mountain Desert Park
 * Cerreta Candy Co. factory tour
 * Camelback Ranch
 * Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden
 * Gila River Arena
 * Glendale Chocolate Festival (every February)
 * Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival
 * Glendale Glitters (every December)
 * Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival
 * Manistee Ranch
 * Mattel Adventure Park (opening 2024)
 * Sahuaro Ranch
 * State Farm Stadium
 * Westgate Entertainment District

Shopping
Glendale is noted for its retail sales of antiques.

The Arrowhead Towne Center mall is located here.

Concerts
Glendale was temporarily renamed as Swift City on March 17 and 18, 2023, as per the mayor and the city council's proclamation, to celebrate the opening concerts of the Eras Tour, the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, at State Farm Stadium. The Westgate Entertainment District, a mixed-use complex in the city, additionally put up welcoming messages, with the local restaurants offering Swift-themed menu items. State Farm also hosted the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, headlined by Barbadian singer Rihanna, shortly before the tour.

Sports

Glendale is the site of two major sports venues: State Farm Stadium and Desert Diamond Arena. Both venues are part of the Glendale Sports and Entertainment District development plan, meant to spur growth in the sparsely inhabited Yucca district. Both venues are owned by the City of Glendale.

State Farm Stadium has been the home field of the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League since 2006, and the annual Fiesta Bowl college football game since 2007. Both the Cardinals and bowl game moved from Sun Devil Stadium on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe. Since opening, the facility has hosted three Super Bowls, three college football national championship games, the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, WrestleMania XXVI and International Champions Cup soccer to Glendale. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman, the stadium was featured on The History Channel TV series, Modern Marvels because of its roll-out natural grass field.

Desert Diamond Arena (formerly Glendale Arena, then Jobing.com Arena and Gila River Arena) and Westgate City Center is adjacent to State Farm Stadium, and was the home of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was also the home of the now defunct Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The inaugural Street League Skateboarding event was held in the summer of 2010 in Glendale at the Gila River Arena. This street skateboarding competition returns to Glendale annually. Currently, the arena hosts the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball began to share the new  Camelback Ranch-Glendale spring training complex and stadium in Glendale owned and operated by the City of Glendale.

Education
There are a number of higher education campuses in Glendale. Glendale Community College and Glendale Community College North, just across the border in northwestern Phoenix, are members of the Maricopa County Community College District. Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management was founded in Glendale at Thunderbird Field after World War II and recently relocated its campus to the downtown location of ASU after joining the university as an independent unit dedicated to international business education. West campus is just across the border from Glendale in west Phoenix. Midwestern University is a graduate college of medicine located in Glendale.

Many school districts serve the city of Glendale.

The following school districts serve the city:
 * Unified school districts
 * Deer Valley Unified School District
 * Dysart Unified School District
 * Peoria Unified School District (headquartered in Glendale)
 * High school districts
 * Glendale Union High School District
 * Phoenix Union High School District
 * Tolleson Union High School District
 * Elementary school districts
 * Alhambra Elementary School District
 * Glendale Elementary School District
 * Pendergast Elementary School District
 * Washington Elementary School District

Grace Lutheran School is a Pre-K-8 Christian school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) in Glendale.

New Gains Academy is a grade 5-12 Microschool in Glendale. with academics, business entrepreneurship, piano, voice, dance and art programs.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School is a Pre-K-8 Catholic school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in Glendale.

Arrowhead Christian Academy is a K-12 Christian school associated with Northwest Valley Baptist Church in Glendale.

Transportation
The city of Glendale has a roughly average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 8.4 percent of Glendale households lacked a car, and increased slightly to 9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Glendale averaged 1.72 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.

Glendale Municipal Airport serves the city but it does not offer commercial air services. The closest commercial airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, located about 30 minutes away by car.

Highways

 * [[Image: Arizona 101.svg|24px]] Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway)
 * [[Image: Arizona 303.svg|24px]] Loop 303 (Estrella Freeway)
 * Northern Parkway (Northern Freeway)
 * [[Image: US 60.svg|24px]] US-60 (Grand Avenue)

Notable people

 * Prince Amukamara, professional football player
 * Eddie Bonine, professional baseball player
 * Elijah Burke, professional wrestler
 * Danny Cruz, professional soccer player
 * Nick Evans, professional baseball player
 * Trent Franks, former United States congressman
 * Lauren Froderman, winner of So You Think You Can Dance (Season 7)
 * Jennie Garth, actress
 * Paul LoDuca, professional baseball player
 * Craig Mabbitt, lead vocalist of band Escape the Fate
 * Michael McDowell, NASCAR driver
 * Evan Mecham, former Arizona governor
 * Lou Novikoff, professional baseball player
 * Jonathan Ornelas, baseball player
 * Sterling Ridge, Arizona legislator
 * Marty Robbins, Grammy-winning country musician and auto racer
 * Nate Ruess, lead singer of Fun
 * Tage Thompson, NHL player
 * Rickson van Hees, American soccer player
 * Jason Zumwalt, actor

Sister cities
Glendale has two sister cities:
 * 🇳🇴 – Ørland, Norway
 * 🇩🇪 – Memmingen, Germany

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

title: Glendale, Arizona


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Goodyear, Arizona

Goodyear is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is a suburb of Phoenix and at the 2020 census had a population of 95,294, up from 65,275 in 2010 and 18,911 in 2000. It was the third-fastest-growing city in Arizona between 1990 and 2000.

The city is home to the Goodyear Ballpark, where the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball hold spring training.

In 2008, Goodyear won the All-America City Award, sponsored by the National Civic League. The city is named after the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The company cultivated extensive farmland here to grow cotton for use in its tires.

History
Goodyear was established in 1917 with the purchase of 16000 acre of land by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to cultivate cotton for vehicle tire cords. World War II was important to Goodyear in the 1940s as the current Phoenix Goodyear Airport was built, but after the war, the economy suffered. Goodyear became a town on November 19, 1946. At the time, it had 151 homes and 250 apartments, a grocery store, a barber shop, beauty shop and a gas station.

World War II
Luke Field Auxiliary #6 (Goodyear Field) was built by the United States Army Air Forces in 1943. It served as a satellite airfield for Luke Army Air Field (AAF). According to the History of Luke AFB, this airfield boasted the most facilities. It had separate buildings for crew chiefs, operations, supply, barracks, pit latrine, crash truck shed, generator shed and a control tower. Luke AF Auxiliary #6 ceased operations by 1971.

The property, which is in a state of complete abandonment, is owned by the State of Arizona, which has worked with developers on proposals for use.

Modern history
In January 1965, the Phoenix Trotting Park, a harness racing track, opened. The current Interstate 10 passes north of the site. As the region lacked major roads from Phoenix to Goodyear, there was not enough business and the track closed two years later. The park was demolished in 2017.

The town became a city in 1985. In the same decade, the remaining 10000 acre of the original farmland was sold for future development. The Phoenix Goodyear Airport received its current name in 1986.

Housing and growth
Although Goodyear was founded in 1917, the majority of construction and population growth happened after 1990. 22 communities that are completed and under construction have a total area of approximately 20000 acre. These communities, along with another 21 communities for future suburban development, will contain almost 200,000 homes, with only 25,000 built.

Goodyear was affected by the 2000s American housing bubble, reducing home values. Since then, the housing market has rebounded considerably. According to Opendoor, ZIP code 85338 in Goodyear was the fifth most popular place in the Phoenix metro area to buy a home, based on home sales. There are also a variety of home options in 2019 to accommodate families, those who are single, and seniors. As the population in Goodyear grows faster than ever, home builders and community developers are working quickly to keep up with the demand.

Estrella is the largest community in Goodyear, at 20,000 acre. The master-planned community is home to about 10,000 residents. Palm Valley, located north of Interstate 10, is 9,000 acre, with variously sized homes. PebbleCreek is a community for active adult living, with 54 holes of championship golf, fitness centers, and restaurants.

From the 1990s through the 2010s, residential development has stimulated the growth of Goodyear as a suburb of Phoenix. Goodyear's population is projected to be 358,000 by 2035.

Geography
Goodyear is approximately 17 mi west of downtown Phoenix. Nearby cities include Avondale, Litchfield Park, Tolleson and Buckeye. From the original town center, the Goodyear city limits extend north 5 mi to a border with Glendale and south-southeast into the Rainbow Valley 30 mi to an area south of Arizona State Route 238.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 191.3 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.02%, are water. The Gila River passes through the city. The largest master-planned community is Estrella, south of the Gila River, located near the Estrella Mountains.

The Estrella Mountain Regional Park covers almost 20000 acre, most of which is still desert. It contains eight trails over 30 mi in combined length, two baseball fields, and a 9.5 mi track.

Climate
Goodyear has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) due to its location in the Sonoran Desert. The city receives somewhere around ten inches of rain annually. The city has more than 300 sunny days per year.

Winters are sunny with mild temperatures—nighttime lows averaging between 40 °F and 50 °F (4 °C and 10 °C) and daytime highs ranging from 60 °F to 75 °F (16 °C to 24 °C). The lowest temperature ever recorded in Goodyear is 16 °F (-9 °C). Summers are very hot, with daily high temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) for the entirety of June, July, and August, as well as many days in May and September. An occasional heat wave will spike temperatures over 115 °F (46 °C) briefly. Nighttime lows in the summer months average between 70 °F and 80 °F (21 °C and 27 °C), with an occasional overnight low above 80 °F (27 °C) not uncommon. The highest recorded temperature in Goodyear is 125 °F (52 °C).

Snow is rare in the area, occurring once every several years. Lows in the winter occasionally dip below freezing, which may damage some desert plants such as saguaros and other cacti. In the summer (mainly July, August and early September), the North American Monsoon can hit the Phoenix area in the afternoon and evening (possibly continuing overnight), causing thunderstorms and heavy rain even from a sunny morning. Dust storms are occasional, mainly during the summer.

2010 census
As of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 65,275 people living in the city. 71.9% of the city's population was White, 6.7% were African-American, 1.3% were Native American, and 4.3% were Asian. 27.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 25,027 housing units in the city. 31% of the population is between ages 35 and 49.

2000 census
, there were 18,911 people, 6,179 households, and 4,986 families living in the city. The population density was 162.4 PD/sqmi. There were 6,771 housing units at an average density of 58.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.1% White, 5.2% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.9% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. 20.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,179 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,492, and the median income for a family was $60,707. Males had a median income of $40,702 versus $28,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,506. About 3.6% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Largest employers
Top employers in Goodyear, Arizona as of 2020.

Government and infrastructure
Goodyear has a council-manager form of government. The current Mayor is Joe Pizzillo, a former city councilman who is completing the mayoral term of Georgia Lord, who died in December 2021. Lord was elected to fill a two-year unexpired term as Mayor of the City of Goodyear in March 2011, was re-elected to serve a second term as Mayor in 2013, and was elected to serve her final term in 2017. There are six councilmembers, with three-term limits.

Goodyear City Hall is located at 1900 N. Civic Square. Opening in August 2022, Goodyear City Hall was relocated from its previous location on Litchfield Road. The new city hall complex also houses a new two-story library (Georgia T. Lord Library, named after the late Mayor Lord), two-acre park, office space, as well as space for new restaurants, retail and entertainment.

The Arizona Department of Corrections operates the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville in Goodyear. The prison houses the female death row.

Education
Several school districts serve the city of Goodyear. Elementary school districts include Avondale Elementary School District, Liberty Elementary School District, Litchfield Elementary School District, and Mobile Elementary School District. High school districts include Agua Fria Union High School District and Buckeye Union High School District.

Elementary/middle schools

 * Incito Schools
 * Mabel Padgett Elementary School
 * Palm Valley Elementary School
 * Desert Star Elementary School
 * Centerra Mirage S.T.E.M Academy
 * Copper Trails Elementary School
 * Desert Thunder Elementary School
 * Estrella Mountain Elementary School K–8
 * Las Brisas Academy Elementary School
 * Westar Elementary School
 * Western Sky Middle School
 * Wildflower Elementary School
 * Odyssey Preparatory Academy
 * St. John Vianney Catholic School

High schools

 * Desert Edge High School
 * Millennium High School
 * Estrella Foothills High School

Colleges and universities
Franklin Pierce University has had a campus here since 2008, when the New Hampshire-based university signed a lease with the city to purchase 30 acre of land. It offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and other healthcare-related programs.

Sports
Goodyear is known as a site for professional baseball teams' spring training sessions. The Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball's American League moved their spring training facility to Goodyear from Winter Haven, Florida and rejoined the Cactus League in February 2009, after a 15-year absence. Before that, the Guardians (then known as the Indians) held spring training for many years in Tucson.

On April 7, 2008, Goodyear's city council unanimously approved a memorandum to fund a new $33 million baseball spring training complex for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. This includes a 10,000-seat park, Goodyear Ballpark, that opened in 2009. The Reds and the Guardians have separate offices, clubhouses and practice fields. The Guardians had held their spring training in Tucson for many years until moving to Winter Haven in 1993. They agreed in 2006 to return their spring training location to Arizona at Goodyear.

The Goodyear Centennials, of the Freedom Pro Baseball League, played their home games at the Goodyear Ballpark. Two other baseball teams in the Arizona Complex League, the Arizona Complex League Guardians and the Arizona Complex League Reds, also play at the stadium.

Air
Phoenix Goodyear Airport is located here. It has an 8500 ft runway capable of handling large jet aircraft. This airport, used by many international airlines for aircraft maintenance and storage, has no active commercial air service.

Rail
Union Pacific operates a railroad that goes through Goodyear. Rail lines provide Goodyear with access to 23 states in the western two-thirds of the United States.

Road transport
Interstate 10 passes through Goodyear, heading west to Buckeye and Los Angeles. I-10 heads east to Phoenix, Tucson, and the Southern states.

The city is also served by the western ends of several bus routes of the Valley Metro Bus.

Other roads and highways serve the area. Loop 303 starts as Cotton Lane then heads up north to Surprise and then to Interstate 17. Van Buren Street and McDowell, Indian School and Camelback Roads are major arterial roads leading from the extreme western Phoenix area to past Scottsdale in the east. MC 85 (Maricopa County Highway 85) is a highway running from Arizona State Route 85 in Buckeye to Loop 202 in Phoenix. The highway passes the southern sections of Goodyear.

Public transportation
Valley Metro operates public transportation in Goodyear. They operate the Avondale ZOOM neighborhood circulator, the 562 Goodyear Express during weekday rush hours, which connects Goodyear Park and Ride to Downtown Phoenix, and the 17 McDowell bus on Monday thru Saturday (Sunday service ends at 99th Avenue on the Avondale/Tolleson border).

Road improvements
Interstate 10 was built through Goodyear in the late 20th century. Between 2008 and 2014, the road had significant expansions. It was expanded from two lanes in each direction to five or six (including one HOV lane starting near Loop 303 going east). There were also new interchanges, including Exit 122 (Perryville Road), Exit 123 (Citrus Road) and Exit 125 (Sarival Avenue).

Loop 303 improvement
The Arizona Department of Transportation built a new interchange near the Interstate 10/Loop 303 junctions. The interchange is being expanded from a diamond interchange to a stack interchange. As a result, Loop 303 under Interstate 10 was cleared, and Exit 124 on Interstate 10 has been shut down; the new interchange was completed in 2014.

South of Interstate 10, Loop 303 is being planned to extend to a future State Route 30. Loop 303 will go south of future State Route 30 to Estrella Mountain Ranch and to Interstate 8 near Mobile, Arizona.

State Route 30 (formerly State Route 801)
Arizona State Route 30 (originally designated as State Route 801) is a proposed highway south of Interstate 10 that will relieve traffic congestion. It is planned to run between Arizona State Route 85 to Interstate 17.

Galleries
This gallery includes photos of the following:
 * The Litchfield Train Station – built in 1920 to serve the town of Litchfield Park and sold to the City of Goodyear for $5,000 in 2009. The station, which once was located near Maricopa County 85 and Litchfield Road, was moved to the city waterworks land, where it currently lies in a total state of abandonment and deterioration.
 * Phoenix Trotting Park, a horse racing track built in 1964. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. The property sat abandoned since its closure and was demolished in 2017.
 * A Goodyear-Wingfoot house – located in Greenleaf Lane in the town of Goodyear, was built by a Southwest Cotton factory at Litchfield Airport in 1943. Called the "home of the future," the Wingfoot Houses were 8 feet wide. Once on site, the bedroom wings were pulled out like drawers to yield a T-shaped, flat-roofed house. It had 255 ft2 of living area.

Notable people

 * Carrick Felix, former Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball and current Cleveland Cavaliers player
 * Hersey Hawkins, former NBA player. Moved to Estrella, Goodyear and served as an assistant coach for the varsity basketball team at Estrella Foothills High School.
 * Gilbert Levin, scientist and developer of one of the life on Mars experiments, as part of the Viking program. Owned a winter home in Estrella, Goodyear.
 * Rick Manning, former MLB player and current baseball broadcaster
 * Tim Raines, MLB Hall of Famer and resident of Estrella, Goodyear
 * Josh Rojas, professional baseball player and alumnus of Millennium High School (Arizona).
 * Mitchell Watt, former Buffalo Bulls basketball player from Desert Edge High School

title: Goodyear, Arizona


text:
Guadalupe, Arizona

Guadalupe is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States and part of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The town motto, "where three cultures flourish", recognizes the town's roots in the Yaquis, Mexicans and descendants of the original farmers. Since its founding, Guadalupe has been known as a center of Yaqui culture, and it is home to many religious festivals. Nestled between Phoenix and Tempe, the 2020 census listed the population of the town as 5,322. Guadalupe was founded around 1900 by Yaqui Indians, who fled their homeland in Sonora to avoid oppression by the Mexican government of Porfirio Díaz. The cemetery of Guadalupe was established in 1904, in the original townsite. The cemetery is now officially located in Tempe, due to that city's annexation of the land surrounding the cemetery; however, it is still administered by the Guadalupe Clerk's Office. Guadalupe is primarily a residential area; most residents commute to other parts of the Phoenix area to work.

Geography
Guadalupe is located at 33.36667°N, -111.9625°W (33.366733, -111.962414). It is bordered to the west by Phoenix and to the north, east, and south by Tempe. Downtown Phoenix is 11 mi to the northwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, all land.

Governmental representation
Guadalupe is in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, served by Representative Ruben Gallego. It is also in Arizona's 27th State Legislative District, served by Representatives Reginald Bolding, Jr. and Diego Rodriguez, and by Senator Rebecca Ríos. All four of the aforementioned officials are Democrats.

Healthcare
The public hospital system, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System), operates Valleywise Community Health Center – Guadalupe. Its sole hospital, Valleywise Health Medical Center, is in Phoenix.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,228 people, 1,110 households, and 961 families residing in the town. The population density was 6,813.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,184 housing units at an average density of 1,543.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 72.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 44.2% Native American, 31.2% from other races, 17.5% White, 1.1% Black or African American 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 5.7% from two or more races.

There were 1,110 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 27.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.4% were non-families. 9.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.70 and the average family size was 4.88.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 37.2% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.

The median home prices as of 2022 is $279,142. In 2022, the average household income was $59,751, and the median income for a family was $42,833. The per capita income for the town was $8,149. About 24.3% of families and 26.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 42.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Guadalupe, Arizona


text:
Litchfield Park, Arizona

Litchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located 19 mi west of Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,847, up from 5,476 in 2010.

History
The town of Litchfield Park is a community outside of Phoenix named after its founder, Paul Weeks Litchfield (1875–1959). He was an executive of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company who came to the Phoenix area in 1916 in search of suitable land to farm a long-staple cotton that had previously been available only from the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia and from Egypt. This cotton was needed to strengthen the rubber in the pneumatic tire, of which Goodyear was the world's largest producer. The East Coast cotton supply had been devastated by the boll weevil, and the African supply had been greatly reduced by World War I attacks from German U-boats. Litchfield went to the Phoenix area at the suggestion of the US Department of Agriculture, but was not successful in motivating local farmers to grow his cotton. Instead, he got Goodyear to form the Southwest Cotton Company in Phoenix, with Litchfield as its president, eventually purchasing some 36000 acre in the general Salt River Valley area, including 5000 acre around the present site of Litchfield Park, then known as Litchfield Ranch. Much of the land was bought for as little as $25 per acre. The cotton was cultivated with a workforce of mostly Mexican and Native American men. The U.S. Postal Service agreed to the name "Litchfield Park" in 1926. In 1929, the Wigwam Resort was opened to the public. In 1926, Litchfield went on to become the president of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, and then chairman of the board in 1930. He retired from the company in 1958, and spent the final months of his life as a resident of Litchfield Park at his home on Fairway Drive.

In 1964, Goodyear created Litchfield Park Land and Development Co. to expand Litchfield Park into a 90,000-resident community. Arden E. Goodyear was the head of the company, Patrick Cusick was vice president and general manager, and Victor Gruen was hired to design some of the buildings. Emanuel Cartsonis, who had worked with Cusick, became city planner. The plan called for 25,000 homes, a college, a junior college, eighteen elementary schools, ten junior high schools, and six high schools, as well as improvements to the town's golf course and Phoenix Trotting Park at an expense of at least $750 million. Goodyear made many mistakes during development, including selling properties right up to the curb line, which means that the city must get permission from property owners before they can put in a sidewalk. They abandoned their plans for expanding Litchfield Park before they were completed and sold whatever land they could.

Geography
Litchfield Park is bordered to the southeast by Avondale, to the west by Goodyear, and to the north by Glendale.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.94%, are water.

Climate
Litchfield Park has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh).

Demographics
Litchfield Park had a population of 6,847 at the 2020 census. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 78.4% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% black or African American, 3.2% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.0% non-Hispanic from some other race, 0.8% two or more races and 13.8% Hispanic or Latino. [https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/litchfieldparkcityarizona,US/PST045221? 2020 census]

Government
The mayor is Tom Schoaf, the vice mayor is Paul Faith. The city council members are: Ann Donahue, Ron Clair, John Romack, Tom Rosztoczy, and Lisa Brainard Watson.

The first mayor was Charles Salem.

Education
The Litchfield Elementary School District and the Agua Fria Union High School District serve Litchfield Park. Litchfield Elementary School District has some schools located in the city.

Transportation
Litchfield Park is not a member of Valley Metro, the regional transportation system. Valley Metro's Avondale ZOOM neighborhood circulator serves the border of Litchfield Park and Avondale along parts of Indian School Road.

Historic structures
The following are the images of the historic structures in Litchfield Park and its surrounding areas:

Tourism

 * Kiwanis Litchfield Park Winter Trout Fishing Derby
 * Annual Wigwam Festival of Fine Art
 * Arts in the Park Concert Series
 * Flavors of the West Festival
 * Litchfield Park Friends of the Rec 10k, 5k, 1 Mile Run/Walk
 * Annual Spring Art & Culinary Festival
 * Memorial Day Ceremony
 * "Splash Bash"
 * Independence Day Fireworks Celebration

Notable people

 * Nathan Byrd, racing driver
 * Ray King, former MLB relief pitcher
 * Jacque Mercer, former Miss America
 * Wayne Thornburg, Arizona state senator

title: Litchfield Park, Arizona


text:
Mesa, Arizona

Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is the third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson, the 36th-most populous city in the U.S., and the most populous city that is not a county seat. The city is home to 504,258 people as of 2020. It is the most populous city in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler and Gilbert on the south along with Queen Creek, and Apache Junction on the east.

At least ten colleges and universities are located in Mesa. The city is home to the largest relief airport in the Phoenix area, Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport, located in the southeastern corner of the city. In separate studies in 2014 and 2017, researchers determined Mesa to be "America's most conservative city".

History
The history of Mesa dates back at least 2,000 years to the arrival of the Hohokam people. The Hohokam, whose name means "All Used Up" or "The Departed Ones", built the original canal system. The canals were the largest and most sophisticated in the prehistoric New World. Some were up to 90 ft wide and 10 ft deep at their head gates, extending for as far as 16 mi across the desert. By AD 1100 water could be delivered to an area over 110000 acre, transforming the Sonoran Desert into an agricultural oasis. By 1450, the Hohokam had constructed hundreds of miles of canals, many of which are still in use.

After the disappearance of the Hohokam and before the arrival of the early settlers, little is known; explorers did not venture into this area. By the late 19th century near present-day Mesa, U.S. Army troops relocated the Apache, opening the way for settlement.

In March 1877, Mormon pioneer Daniel Webster Jones and Henry Clay Rogers left St. George, Utah. Jones had been asked by Mormon officials to direct a party of people in establishing a settlement in Arizona. They traveled south and settled on the north side of the present Mesa area. This settlement was initially known as Fort Utah and later as Jonesville. It was located near Lehi Road. In 1883 it was named Lehi at the suggestion of Brigham Young, Jr.

About this same time, another group dubbed the First Mesa Company arrived from Utah and Idaho. Their leaders were Francis Martin Pomeroy, Charles Crismon, George Warren Sirrine and Charles I. Robson. Rather than accepting an invitation to settle at Jones's Lehi settlement, they moved up onto the mesa that serves as the city's namesake. They dug irrigation canals and used some of the original Hohokam canals. By April 1878, water was flowing through them. The Second Mesa Company arrived in 1879 and settled to the west of the First Mesa Company because of more available farmland. This settlement was originally called Alma and later Stringtown. It was located near where Alma School Road.

On July 17, 1878, Mesa City was registered as a 1 sqmi townsite. The first school was built in 1879. In 1883, Mesa City was incorporated with a population of 300 people. Dr. A. J. Chandler, who would later go on to found the city of Chandler, worked on widening the Mesa Canal in 1895 to allow for enough flow to build a power plant. In 1917, the city of Mesa purchased this utility company. The revenues from the company provided enough for capital expenditures until the 1960s. During the Great Depression, WPA funds provided paved streets, a new hospital, a new town hall and a library.

After the founding of the city the elected official that most impacted the municipality was George Nicholas Goodman. He was mayor five different times during three different decades (1938–1942, 1946–1948, 1952–1956) (see: List of mayors of Mesa, Arizona). As mayor he was directly involved in the process of acquiring land for both Falcon Field and Williams Field.

With the opening of Falcon Field and Williams Field in the early 1940s, more military personnel began to move into the Mesa area. With the advent of air conditioning and the rise of tourism, population growth exploded in Mesa as well as the rest of the Phoenix area. Industry—especially early aerospace companies—grew in the 1950s and 1960s. As late as 1960, half of the residents of Mesa made a living with agriculture, but that number declined substantially as Mesa's suburban growth continued on track with the rest of the Phoenix metro area.

Defining east and west Mesa
Due to Mesa's long east to west travel distance, in excess of 18 mi and large land area 133.13 sqmi, locations in Mesa are often referred to as residing within either West Mesa or East Mesa.

Mesa employs a grid system for street numbering that is different from that used in Phoenix and other portions of the metropolitan area. Center Street, running north to south, bisects Mesa into eastern and western halves and serves as the east and west numbering point of origin within Mesa. Streets west of Center St., such as W. University Drive or W. Main St. are considered to be in West Mesa, whereas streets east of Center St., such as E. University or E. Main St., are considered to be in East Mesa.

Mesa Drive, running north to south and bisecting Mesa into east and west sections, is located 0.5 mi east of Center Street, and serves as the zip code boundary between the 85281, 85201, 85202, and 85210 zip codes of Western Mesa and the 85203, 85204, 85205, 85206, 85207, 85208, 85209, 85212, 85213, 85215, 85220, and 85242 zip codes of Eastern Mesa.

Climate
Located in the Sonoran Desert, Mesa has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh), with mild winters and very hot summers.

Demographics
According to the 2020 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was:
 * White: 65.7% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 59.6%)
 * Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 27.3%
 * Black or African American: 4.2%
 * Two or more races: 12.3%
 * Native American: 2.7%
 * Asian: 2.6%
 * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was:
 * White: 83.8% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 62.6%)
 * Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 27.4%
 * Black or African American: 3.7%
 * Two or more races: 3.1%
 * Native American: 2.3%
 * Asian: 2.0%
 * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 439,041 people, 146,643 households, and 99,863 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,171.3 PD/sqmi. There were 175,701 housing units at an average density of 1,405.7 /sqmi.

The racial make-up of the city was 81.6% White, 2.4% Black or African American, 2.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.3% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. 24.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 146,643 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.

The age distribution was 27.3% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,817, and the median income for a family was $49,232. Males had a median income of $35,960 versus $27,005 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,601. About 6.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Mesa operates under a charter form of government in which citizens elect a mayor and six council members in order to set policy for the city. Mesa's city council members serve staggered four-year terms, with three members being elected every two years. The mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term. The mayor and council are elected on a non-partisan basis. The vice mayor is selected by the City Council body.

Political climate
In a 2014 study, academic researchers from MIT and UCLA analyzed over a decade's worth of public opinion surveys. They determined that Mesa was the "most conservative American city of more than 250,000 residents". In 2017, the Pew Research Center also determined that Mesa was the most conservative city in the US.

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

Cultural attractions

 * HoHoKam Park of the Cactus League, home of the Oakland Athletics and former home of the Chicago Cubs during spring training, the WAC baseball tournament and former summer home to the now defunct Mesa Miners professional baseball team of the Golden Baseball League
 * Sloan Park, opened in 2014 as the new Cactus League spring training home of the Chicago Cubs
 * Mesa Arts Center
 * Mesa Amphitheater
 * Museums
 * I.d.e.a. Museum
 * Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aircraft Museum, located at Falcon Field – B-17 Sentimental Journey
 * Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa Arts Center
 * Mesa Historical Museum
 * Arizona Museum of Natural History
 * Archeological sites
 * Mesa Grande Ruins
 * Park of the Canals
 * Public libraries
 * Main Library (MN)
 * Dobson Ranch Branch (DR)
 * Mesa Express Library (MEL)
 * Red Mountain Branch (RM)
 * Water parks
 * Golfland Sunsplash waterpark on U.S. 60
 * The only highrise in Mesa is the Bank of America (formerly Western Savings) building near Fiesta Mall.
 * Organ Stop Pizza, containing the world's largest Wurlitzer organ
 * Bell Bank Park a 320-acre sports and recreation complex

Historic properties in Mesa
Numerous properties in the city are considered to be historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places or the listings of the Mesa Historic Properties.

Parks and recreation
Mesa has over 2,280 acres of parkland in the city limits. Its largest is Red Mountain Park which spans 1,146 acres. It includes a lake, playgrounds, a basketball court and a cement volleyball court.

Golf
Mesa is home to numerous championship golf courses, including the original course in town, Mesa Country Club. This course was founded in the late 1940s by the original leaders of the town, and "Country Club Drive", the most prominent street in Mesa, was at one point the modest entrance to the club.

West Mesa
The abandoned Fiesta Mall is located in West Mesa and owned by Westcor. Its anchors were Sears and Best Buy. It is located near several shopping centers, Mesa's Bank of America, and other retail stores, banks, and restaurants. Though deserted, a refurbishment and expansion of the mall has been planned.

Mesa Riverview is a new outdoor destination retail center in the northwestern corner of the city, near Loop 202 and Dobson Road. At build-out the center will include 1300000 sqft of retail space.

East Mesa
Located in East Mesa is Superstition Springs Business Park. It includes the Superstition Springs Center, a shopping mall owned by Macerich. It features an outdoor amphitheatre and fountain which convert to a stage. Anchor stores at the mall are Dillard's, JCPenney, and Macy's. Mission Community Church, previously known as Superstition Springs Community Church, was initially named after this business park.

Education
Almost all of the city of Mesa is served by public schools operated by Mesa Public Schools; however, the southern portion is served by Gilbert Public Schools, the Higley Unified School District and the Queen Creek Unified School District, and a small western portion is served by the Tempe Elementary School District and the Tempe Union High School District.

Pilgrim Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K-8 school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Mesa.

More than 40,000 students are enrolled in more than 10 colleges and universities located in Mesa. Mesa is home to Mesa Community College, the largest of the Maricopa Community Colleges, which enrolls over 24,000 full and part-time students, and Chandler–Gilbert Community College. The Polytechnic campus of Arizona State University lies in southeast Mesa. This satellite campus enrolls over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students in scientific and engineering fields. A. T. Still University operates an Osteopathic Medical School in Mesa.

Private for-profit institutions include Arizona College, Carrington College, DeVry University, Pima Medical Institute, and CAE Global Academy Phoenix. Arizona State University opened the Media and Immersive eXperience Center in the ASU at Mesa City Center complex in 2022, offering programs from the Herberger Institute for Design and Arts including a film school with media production facilities and a theater.

After launching a higher education initiative in 2012, Mesa became home to branch campuses of five private, liberal arts institutions: Albright College, Westminster College, Benedictine University, Upper Iowa University and Wilkes University. Albright College and Westminster College are no longer in the city, and Wilkes University has moved entirely online.

Transportation

Several area freeways serve the Mesa area, such as U.S. Route 60, locally known as the Superstition Freeway, which runs between Apache Junction and Phoenix. It is also served by SR 87 and bypass loops Loop 101, which skirts the western city limits as the Price Freeway, and Loop 202, which bypasses the city on the north and east. The main east–west arterial road in Mesa is Main Street (former US 60/70/80/89), serving Downtown Mesa. The primary north–south arterials include Country Club Drive, Gilbert Road, and Power Road.

Public transportation in Mesa is provided by Valley Metro via bus and light rail (Valley Metro Rail). The light rail section in Mesa spans about four miles from Sycamore/Main St. in the west of the city, through downtown to Gilbert/Main St. Until July 2008, Mesa was the largest U.S. city with no public transit service on Sundays. The city has Sunday service available on Routes 40-Apache/Main, 45-Broadway, 61-Southern, 96-Dobson, 108-Elliot, 112-Country Club/Arizona, 156-Chandler/Williams Field, and 184-Power. Up until to the final years of Southern Pacific passenger railroad service, the Sunset Limited passenger train used to make stops in Mesa.

Air service in the city is provided by two airports. Falcon Field, located in the northeastern part of the area, was established as a training field for British RAF pilots during World War II and was transferred to the city at the end of the war. Falcon Field has 605 aircraft based there. Boeing builds the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at a facility adjoining Falcon Field. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is located in the far southeastern area of the city and provides alternate but limited air service when compared to Sky Harbor International Airport. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway was formerly Williams Gateway Airport, and before that, Williams Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. Williams Gateway was announced as a new Focus City for Allegiant Air. Service started October 25, 2007.

Healthcare
The public hospital system, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System), operates Valleywise Community Health Center – Mesa and Valleywise Behavioral Health Center – Mesa. Its sole hospital, Valleywise Health Medical Center, is in Phoenix.

Notable people

 * Jim Adkins, vocalist and lead guitarist of Jimmy Eat World
 * Travis Alexander, murder victim
 * Beau Allred, professional baseball pitcher
 * Janice Merrill Allred, author
 * Helen Andelin, author
 * Tyson Apostol, reality television star
 * Authority Zero, punk rock band
 * John Beck, professional football player
 * Art Bisch, race car driver
 * Mike Brown, professional basketball coach
 * Marcus Brunson, professional sprinter
 * Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor pilot, 1st Cavalry Veteran of Ia Drang November 14, 1965
 * Jonathan Dean, ambassador, representative to the Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
 * Julie Ertz, world champion soccer player
 * Austin Gibbs, musician
 * George Nicholas Goodman, pharmacist and former mayor of Mesa
 * Max Hall, professional football player
 * Mickey Hatcher, professional baseball player
 * Carl Hayden, Arizona senator, and its first representative in the House; died in Mesa in 1972
 * Todd Heap, professional football player
 * Kalani Hilliker, dancer, actress, model, fashion designer, and YouTuber
 * Jamar Hunt, professional football player
 * Autumn Hurlbert, actress
 * Misty Hyman, Olympic gold medalist in swimming
 * Troy Kotsur, Academy Award-winning deaf actor
 * Rudy Lavik, college basketball coach
 * Mike Lee, U.S. senator
 * Albie Lopez, professional baseball player
 * Brad Mills, professional baseball pitcher
 * Ernesto Miranda, conviction overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States in Miranda v. Arizona creating the Miranda warning, buried in the City of Mesa Cemetery
 * Carolyn Morris, professional baseball player (A.A.G.P.B.L.)
 * Buck Owens, singer, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame
 * Rudy Owens, professional baseball player
 * John Jacob Rhodes, politician, House Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
 * John Jacob Rhodes III, politician, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
 * Larry Schweikart, author
 * Jake Shears, lead male singer for the pop band Scissor Sisters
 * Vai Sikahema, professional football player, General Authority the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Lynn Toler, judge for Divorce Court
 * Kelly Townsend, Arizona state representative, Legislative District 16 (including parts of East Mesa)
 * Don Taylor Udall, state legislator and judge
 * Tara VanFlower, singer, songwriter of Lycia
 * Brooke White, singer-songwriter and fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol
 * Danny White, professional football player, Arizona Athlete of the Century (20th)
 * Wilford "Whizzer" White, professional football player
 * Vance Wilson, former New York Mets catcher and current coach for the Kansas City Royals
 * Roger L. Worsley, educator, formerly with Mesa High School and Mesa Community College

Sister cities

 * 🇨🇦 Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
 * 🇵🇪 Caraz, Ancash, Peru
 * 🇲🇽 Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
 * Kaiping, Guangdong, China
 * 🇳🇿 Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand

title: Mesa, Arizona


text:
New River, Arizona

New River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 17,290 as of the 2020 census, up from 14,952 at the 2010 census.

History
New River is named after the seasonal wash of the same name, part of the Agua Fria River system which drains into the Salt River. The community was founded by Lord Darrell Duppa in 1868 as a stagecoach stop. For many years it was the terminus of the old Black Canyon Highway (now Interstate 17). The pavement ended in New River and continued as a dirt road to the city of Prescott.

Geography
New River is located in northern Maricopa County at 33.86917°N, -112.08583°W (33.869149, −112.085759). It is bordered by the Tonto National Forest to the north, Cave Creek to the east, Phoenix to the south, and Phoenix and Anthem to the west. The CDP includes the area known as Desert Hills. New River is approximately 36 mi north of downtown Phoenix.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 56.1 sqmi, of which 0.01 sqmi, or 0.02%, are water. 3176 ft Daisy Mountain and 2980 ft Gavilan Peak are within the community.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,740 people, 3,921 households, and 3,066 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 151.6 PD/sqmi. There were 4,514 housing units at an average density of 63.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.9% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 4.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,921 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,307, and the median income for a family was $68,604. Males had a median income of $46,361 versus $31,610 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,932. About 3.6% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

As of the census of 2010 the population of the New River CDP area was 14,952. This is nearly a two thirds growth from the previous census. The total housing units nearly doubled from 3,921 in 2000 to 6,753 in 2010.

New River CDP area is within Maricopa County District 3. According to 2010 census numbers, the New River CDP consists of about 2% of Maricopa County District 3 and only 0.3% of Maricopa County.

Government
New River is served by Deer Valley Unified School District.

Fire and emergency service is provided through the Daisy Mountain Fire District.

Many residents previously relied on water delivered by state-licensed water haulers from fire hydrants located in Phoenix. As of August 2018, water is hauled from a filling station operated by Epcor.

Incorporation efforts
New River, and its neighbor Desert Hills, are unincorporated areas in Maricopa County which in 2019 was named the fastest-growing county in the United States for the third year running. While parts of Maricopa have had considerable development, New River has held off. New River has attempted to "incorporate" a number of times in its history, so as to control zoning regulations and development in the area.

 * In 1979 the area tried to incorporate into a town, and while the necessary signatures were collected to move forward with incorporation, the Maricopa County Superior Court Judge vacated the election, finding that New River was too rural and did not meet the statutory requirements for incorporation. At this time, Phoenix was approximately 30 mi away.
 * In 1995, the area attempted again to incorporate. However, this time the region to incorporate would have included approximately 120 sqmi. While a sufficient number of signatures was collected, the City of Phoenix declined to pass a resolution to approve New River's request to incorporate. In 1999 there was another short-lived movement to incorporate, which also failed.
 * In 2017, residents formed a committee to look into the feasibility of incorporating New River and its neighbor Desert Hills.  In April 2019, the campaign to incorporate New River and Desert Hills was aiming to collect the signatures of ten per cent of registered voters needed to force a ballot on the issue in November 2019. In June 2019, it was reported that the campaign had failed to win the necessary approval of the City of Phoenix to have a vote on the issue, and the campaign group was reported as saying: "It is unfortunate that we are unable to continue our efforts after this latest development." The incorporation effort was opposed by the Arizona State Land Department.

Local attractions

 * Cave Creek Regional Park
 * Lake Pleasant Regional Park
 * Wranglers Roost Stagecoach Stop (Established 1890)
 * Spur Cross Ranch
 * Daisy Mountain Preserve
 * New River Kiwanis Park
 * Gavilan Peak – Named in the 1880s, when the U.S. Cavalry and the Apaches fought a battle in the area. The name means "sparrow hawk" in Spanish and "hawk" in Apache.

Historic structures in New River
Pictured are some of the few remaining historic structures of New River.

title: New River, Arizona


text:
Paradise Valley, Arizona

Paradise Valley is a desert and mountain town in Arizona east of state capital Phoenix, of which it is a suburb. It is Arizona's wealthiest municipality. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, expensive real estate, and restaurant scene. According to the 2020 census, its population was 12,658. Despite its relatively small area and population compared to other municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise Valley is home to eight full-service resorts, making it one of Arizona's premier tourist destinations.

The town's name comes from the expansive area known as Paradise Valley that spreads from north of the Phoenix Mountains to Cave Creek and Carefree on the north and the McDowell Mountains to the east. Resident children attend schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District.

History

The town's history dates to a more agrarian society. After the initial European settlement, Paradise Valley was first used for cattle grazing. In the 1880s, when the land was being surveyed so it could be developed into agricultural lots, the name "Paradise Valley" first came into use, given by surveyors from the Rio Verde Canal Company and its manager at the time, Frank Conkey. The name may have been chosen due to the abundance of spring wildflowers and palo verde trees. Mainly an agricultural area during the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, the area began to be settled after World War II, on large, 1 to 5 acre lots for which it became known.

As the neighboring settlements of Phoenix and Scottsdale began to grow and annex adjoining areas, the residents of what became Paradise Valley were concerned that the qualities they most valued would be lost if they were consumed by their larger neighbors. These residents formed the "Citizens Committee for the Incorporation of The Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona", which collected enough signatures to take to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors granted the petition, allowing the town of Paradise Valley to be incorporated on May 24, 1961.

Today, Paradise Valley is Phoenix's wealthiest suburb, known primarily for its many resorts and expensive real estate.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 15.4 sqmi, of which 0.03 sqmi, or 0.18%, is water.

Mummy Mountain dominates Paradise Valley's central terrain. Other landmarks include Camelback Mountain on the southern border and the Piestewa Peak mountainous area on the western border.

Several historical sites are within the town, including the Harold C. Price, Sr. House, McCune Mansion/Hormel Mansion, and Barry Goldwater Memorial Park.

Demographics
Paradise Valley's motto, coined by residents, is "There is a reason we call this valley 'paradise'."

As of the 2020 census the town had a population of 12,658, consisting of 5,728 households.

From the 2000 census: The population density was 881.7 PD/sqmi. The 5,499 housing units averaged 354.8 per square mile (137.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.6% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. About 2.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 5,034 households, 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were not families; 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was distributed as 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $150,228, and for a family was $164,811. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,302 for females. The per capita income for the town was $81,290. About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2012, the Forbes magazine named Paradise Valley's zip code, 85253, the 71st-most expensive in the United States. This ranking also makes it the most expensive in the state of Arizona. In February 2024, Business Insider highlighted how the city was seeing a notable increase in the number of wealthy transplants from California. The Wall Street Journal described this trend a year earlier.

Government
Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, first elected in 2018, began his third term as mayor of Paradise Valley in 2022. The mayor and six town council members are the elected representatives of the Town of Paradise Valley. The council has six members, who are elected to serve four-year staggered terms. In 2010, voters approved direct election of the mayor. Scott LeMarr became the first directly elected mayor in 2012. The council still selects its vice mayor from among its members.

The Town's accredited police department is led by Chief Freeman Carney.

In 2012, citizens gathered 500 signatures on a petition requesting that the council reconsider the issue of direct election of the mayor. In June 2012, the council voted to return the question of direct election of mayor to the people. Residents voted to keep direct election of the mayor.

Paradise Valley is in Congressional District 6, which has been represented by David Schweikert since its creation in 2011. Despite the town's conservative lean, at the state level it has been represented by three Democrats since 2020. A part of Legislative District 28, it is represented by Christine Marsh in the State Senate and by Kelli Butler and Aaron Lieberman in the House of Representatives.

Education
Most of Paradise Valley is within the Scottsdale Unified School District. A small portion is served by Creighton Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District.

Several charter schools also are in the area including nearby Great Hearts Academies, BASIS Schools, and private schools such as Phoenix Country Day School.

Top employers
According to Paradise Valley's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:

Confusion with other Paradise Valley designations
The town is not to be confused with Paradise Valley Village, an official municipal designation, in northeast Phoenix. For instance, Paradise Valley Community College, Paradise Valley High School, Paradise Valley Mall, Paradise Valley Golf Course, and the former Paradise Valley Hospital are all several miles north of the town, in Phoenix. The Paradise Valley Unified School District does not serve the town of paradise valley either, only the areas north of it; its boundaries end a few miles north of the border.

Notable people

 * Michael Bidwill, businessman, prosecutor, and football executive; he is the principal owner, chairman, and president of the Arizona Cardinals
 * Charles Boyer, Franco-American actor
 * Alice Cooper, shock rock singer and co-founder of Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation
 * Sheryl Cooper, dancer, dance instructor, and choreographer, and co-founder of Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation. Wife of Alice Cooper.
 * Doug Ducey, politician and businessman, governor of Arizona
 * Barry Goldwater, U.S. senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee
 * Jay Grdina, businessman and former pornographic actor
 * Bil Keane, cartoonist, creator of The Family Circus
 * Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals head coach
 * Brooks Lennon, professional soccer player for Atlanta United
 * G. Gordon Liddy, Watergate scandal figure and Nixon appointee
 * Leslie Nielsen, Canadian-American actor
 * Sandra Day O'Connor, former Justice of the US Supreme Court
 * Michael Phelps, former competitive swimmer and the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals
 * Dan Quayle, Vice President of the United States (1989–1993), U.S. senator from Indiana (1981–1989), and representative of Indiana's 4th congressional district (1977–1981)
 * William Rehnquist, former Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court

title: Paradise Valley, Arizona


text:
Peoria, Arizona

Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Most of the city is located in Maricopa County, while a portion of it in the north is in Yavapai County. It is a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of Peoria was 190,985, up from 154,065 in 2010. It is the sixth-largest city in Arizona in land area and the ninth-largest in population. It was named after Peoria, Illinois. The word peoria is a corruption of the Miami-Illinois word for "prairie fire". It is the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, who share the Peoria Sports Complex.

Initial settlement
Peoria sits in the Salt River Valley, and extends into the foothills of the mountains to the north. William John Murphy, who had worked on the Arizona Canal, recruited settlers to begin a community in Arizona, many of them from Peoria, Illinois. Albert J. and Elizabeth Straw were the first to establish residency in November 1886. They were followed by William T. and Sylvia Hanna, James M. and Clara Copes, and James and Ella McMillan, all from Peoria, Illinois. An old desert road connecting Phoenix to the Hassayampa River near present-day Wickenburg was the only major transportation route in the area until 1887, when a new road was laid out. Named Grand Avenue, this road angled through the newly designed town sites of Alhambra, Glendale, and Peoria and became the main route from Phoenix to Vulture Mine. The settlers filed Peoria's plot map with the Maricopa County recorder on May 24, 1897, naming the settlement after their hometown.

The original plot map of Peoria included east and west streets (from south to north) Monroe, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, and Van Buren. Streets going north and south were (from west to east) Almond (present-day 85th Avenue), Peach (present-day 84th Avenue), Orange (present-day 83rd Avenue), Vine (present-day 82nd Avenue), and Walnut (present-day 81st Avenue). The plot was roughly from present-day Peoria and 85th avenues to Monroe Street and 85th Avenue to Monroe Street and 81st Avenue to 81st Avenue and south of the Desert Cove alignment. On August 4, 1888, the Territory of Peoria was granted a post office in its name and served a population of 27. Maricopa County supervisors defined the boundaries for School District Eleven, covering 49 sqmi, and the first class took place in an unoccupied brick store that faced north on Washington Street until Peoria's first school building, a one-room structure completed in 1891.

Early growth

Between 1891 and 1895, a spur line of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway was placed through Peoria, along with Phoenix, Glendale, Alhambra, Hesperla, and Marinette. Peoria's small depot on 83rd Avenue just off Grand Avenue was purchased by the city of Scottsdale in 1972 and now resides at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

About 1919 the Peoria Chamber of Commerce formed. It operated as the informal government body until Peoria incorporated in 1954. The Peoria volunteer fire district formed in 1920 and remained all volunteer until the mid-1950s. The three-story Edwards Hotel was built in 1918, followed by the Mabel Hood building in May 1920 at the southwest corner of Washington Street and 83rd Avenue. The John L. Meyer or "flatiron" building was completed in June 1920 and the O.O. Fuel's Paramount Theatre in July 1920. (It served as Fire Station 1 from 1950 until 2004.) The town's first newspaper, The Peoria Enterprise, was printed weekly from November 14, 1917, to April 1921.

Peoria's first library was held at the women's club in 1920 until it moved to the old Peoria City Hall in 1975 (where the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts was constructed and currently sits). The library eventually moved to the Peoria Municipal Complex. In May 1959 the Women's Club gave the clubhouse to the City of Peoria.

Central School was built in 1906. By 1910, three additional classroom buildings were built next to the central school, and in 1918 another school building, containing an auditorium and four classrooms, was opened. In 1918, the attendance for Peoria schools was 190. School District Number Eleven was originally an elementary school district. Children going on to high school had to travel to Glendale High School. In 1919, the school board approved construction of Peoria High School.

Postwar expansion

Increased economic activity, combined with the presence of Luke Air Force Base and air conditioning, led to an increase in residential housing in Peoria. A postwar construction boom set the stage for Peoria to become a suburb of Phoenix, providing housing for the capital city as growth moved west.

In 1954, Peoria was home to 1,925 residents, with an area of 720 acre. Peoria incorporated on June 7, 1954. A seven-member city council formed and held its first organizational meeting on June 14. Peoria was named the "Rose Capitol of the World" in 1956. By 1966, Peoria grew to encompass 3.1 sqmi with 36 mi of street. In 1968, the city passed a bond to issue securing the money to build a sewer system, which was completed in 1969. In 1970, Peoria began to transition to paid firefighting staff. From a population of 4,792 in 1970, the city grew to 12,351 in 1980 and 50,675 in 1990. Construction of the $30 million municipal complex began in 1988 at the edge of Peoria's Old Town. The Police Department opened in 1989, the main city hall building and courts in 1991, and the library in 1993.

Spring training has a long history in Peoria. From the late 1970s to 1990, Peoria's Greenway Sports Complex served as a minor league training facility for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. This small facility was located at 83rd Avenue and the Greenway Road alignment, the location of the future Peoria Sports Complex. Construction of the new complex was approved in 1990. It was completed in 1994 and was the first Major League Baseball spring training facility in the county shared by two teams. The San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners utilize the complex year-round for spring training and player development. The Sports Complex was also the short-lived home of the Arizona United for the 2014 season before they relocated to Scottsdale.

In 2005, the city broke ground on the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, what the city saw as the keystone of the city's “Old Town” area. Mayor at the time, John Keegan, saw the building as the key to the revitalization of the downtown district of Peoria, as well as a much needed cultural center for the northwest valley. The city chose the successful local community theater company, Theater Works, as the facility's anchor tenant, agreeing to a 20-year lease. The performing arts center opened in 2007.

Current developments
Peoria's identity is more related to resort and leisure living than the past, as that type of lifestyle migrates from the northeast Valley to Peoria. Peoria's economic plan focuses on establishing the “Desert Empire,” a new corridor of industrial, commercial, and mixed development along the Loop 303, especially under mayor, Jason Beck. The building of an Amkor semiconductor plant in the city has bolstered the city’s hopes of this development, with an estimated 2,000 new jobs.

The City of Peoria opened Paloma Community Park on October 3, 2020. The park offers a variety of recreational activities and amenities including fishing, lighted multi-purpose fields, and picnic ramadas.

Geography
Peoria is in northern Maricopa County, with the city limits extending north into Yavapai County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 179.2 sqmi, of which 176.1 sqmi are land and 3.2 sqmi, or 1.77%, are water. The water area is due to Lake Pleasant, a reservoir on the Agua Fria River in the northern part of the city, annexed by Peoria in 1996.

The Agua Fria River and New River are the only rivers that flow through Peoria. The Agua Fria River is usually dry due to the New Waddell Dam that holds back Lake Pleasant in the northern end of the city. The New River is usually dry due to flood control measures and New River Dam. There are multiple washes and creeks that flow through the city as well, one of the most significant being Skunk Creek, due to its trails and connectivity with nearby Glendale.

Peoria has many mountains and hills at its northern end. Some include Sunrise Mountain, West Wing Mountain, East Wing Mountain, Calderwood Butte, Cholla Mountain, White Peak, Hieroglyphic Mountains, and Twin Buttes.

Climate
Peoria has a hot desert climate with mild to warm winters and extremely hot summers.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 108,364 people, 39,184 households, and 29,309 families residing in the city. The population density was 784.0 PD/sqmi. There were 42,573 housing units at an average density of 308.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% White, 2.8% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. 15.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 39,184 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,199, and the median income for a family was $58,388. Males had a median income of $40,448 versus $29,205 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,726. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Top employers
Top employers in the city of Peoria as of February 2017.

Arts and culture
Peoria's Old Town contains historic buildings. Located there is the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, opened in 2006, managed by Theater Works.

Peoria has recently redeveloped and marketed the area along 83rd Avenue between Bell Road and Thunderbird Road as an entertainment district dubbed “P83.” Big draws to the area are Peoria Sports Complex, Arizona Broadway Theater, and Harkins Theatres, along with a wide variety of food offerings.

Peoria has a multitude if public art throughout the city, typically most prominently displayed in city parks and populated hubs of the city. The city has utility box art wrap program that feature local artists and student artists.

The City of Peoria has several events throughout the year such as their holiday events (Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Bash, and Old Town Holiday Festival). The city also hosts other events such as Second Saturday that displays local artists, artisans, vendors, and musicians, and Somos Peoria, a festival that offers visitors to experience the tastes and sounds of traditional Hispanic cultures.

Government
In November 1983, Peoria citizens voted to require the direct election of the mayor and in 1989, established a city council district system that separated the city into six geographical districts, each of which elects one member of the city council. The council members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis. The districts are redrawn after every census. The mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term, which was an amendment to the City Charter approved by voters on March 11, 1997. The current mayor is Jason Beck. The current City Manager is Henry Darwin with Assistant City Manager Rick Buss. The current Chief of Police is Thomas Intrieri and the Fire Chief is Gary Bernard.

Education
Peoria city limits are mostly within the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD), however, some portions of the northeastern end of the city limits are within the Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD), portions of the northwestern end of the city are within the Nadaburg Unified School District, and portions of the city in Yavapai County lie within the Wickenburg Unified School District. PUSD has seven high schools, four of which are actually within the city limits of Peoria (the other three are in the city limits of Glendale) including:

PUSD high schools within Peoria:
 * Peoria – opened 1922
 * Centennial – opened 1990
 * Sunrise Mountain – opened 1996
 * Liberty – opened 2006

PUSD high schools within Glendale:
 * Cactus – opened 1977
 * Ironwood – opened 1986
 * Raymond S. Kellis – opened 2004

PUSD elementary schools within the city limits are Alta Loma, Apache, Cheyenne, Copperwood, Cotton Boll, Country Meadows, Coyote Hills, Desert Harbor, Frontier, Ira Murphy, Lake Pleasant, Oakwood, Oasis, Parkridge, Paseo Verde, Peoria, Santa Fe, Sky View, Sunset Heights, Sun Valley, Sundance, Vistancia and Zuni Hills. Though the city of Peoria has 23 PUSD elementary schools, some students fall within the boundaries of the other 10 PUSD elementary schools located inside the city of Glendale.

DVUSD schools within the Peoria city limits are Terramar and West Wing Elementary schools.

Additionally, the city is served by numerous publicly funded charter high schools and elementary schools.

Cross of Glory Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K-8 grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) in Peoria.

Trine University opened a branch campus in Peoria in 2013. The Trine campus later closed in 2017.

Huntington University also has a campus in Peoria, opening in August 2016. The school focuses primarily on digital media arts.

Utilities
Peoria relies largely on the Central Arizona Project and its canal that diverts water from the city's Lake Pleasant. The city's electrical needs are served primarily by Arizona Public Service, although some customers receive their electricity from the Salt River Project (SRP). The main sources of electrical generation are nuclear and coal power plants. Arizona is home to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the largest nuclear-generating facility in the United States. Peoria has also invested heavily in solar photovoltaic throughout the city.

Roads and freeways
Freeways and state highways in Peoria:
 * AZ-74
 * Loop 303
 * Loop 101
 * US 60

A 5.5 mi stretch of Northern Avenue in Peoria will become part of Northern Parkway between 2023 and 2026.

Notable people

 * Noah Beck, social media personality
 * Joshua Becker, minimalist writer
 * Dylan Cappello, racing driver
 * Jaff Decker, professional baseball player
 * Bryce Duke, midfielder for CF Montréal in Major League Soccer
 * Bob Howry, former professional baseball pitcher
 * Kyle Kosier, NFL football player (Dallas Cowboys)
 * Matthew Liberatore, MLB baseball pitcher St. Louis Cardinals.
 * Mary Peters, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
 * Tim Toone, former professional football player, picked last by the Detroit Lions 2010 NFL Draft, making him Mr. Irrelevant
 * Kyle Bradish, MLB baseball pitcher (Baltimore Orioles)
 * Robert L. Fletcher, a prominent Arizona citrus producer from 1960 to 1990 and entrepreneur, created Fletcher Farms, the Cobre Tire Company, and was at one point co-owner of Phoenix Raceway

Sister cities
Peoria has one sister city – Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland

title: Peoria, Arizona