Peoria, Arizona

Peoria is a city located primarily in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a small portion in Yavapai County. It is considered a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,364, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate put the fast-growing suburb's population at 123,239, making it the tenth fastest-growing incorporated place in Arizona. Peoria is currently the fourth largest city in the state of Arizona in terms of land area, and the ninth largest city in the state in terms of population. The city was named after Peoria, Illinois. It is the spring training home of the Seattle Mariners, who share a facility with the San Diego Padres.

History

The City of Peoria began as a small farming community near Phoenix in the 1880s. William J. Murphy’s vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became reality with the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885. Once this canal was completed, Murphy travelled east to interest people in settling in this new community. He was successful in catching people’s attention – over 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land in the new district was purchased by citizens from Peoria, Illinois. Four families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to move to Arizona to occupy and work their land. The founders decided to name the new area Peoria to bring a sense of home to this unfamiliar area.

Residences in the new community quickly sprang up, and by 1888, the population of the town was 27. A school and Post Office were established by 1889. More people followed the original families and Peoria continued to grow as a farming community. The farmlands were fertile and the people made a good living, despite having to battle swarms of red ants and the occasional rattlesnake in the kitchen.

By 1910, the city's population was 300, and by 1920, the population had reached 2,370. The population did not grow too much until the 1990s, and in 1998 it had reached 87,048 and in 1999 was 101,235.

Peoria was incorporated as a city in 1954, with boundaries covering one square mile (2.6 km²) of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria continued to attract people, and still do today.

Geography

Peoria is located at (33.649738, -112.251584).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 366.9 km² (141.7 mi²). 358.0 km² (138.2 mi²) of it is land and 9.0 km² (3.5 mi²) of it (2.44%) is water.

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 302.7/km² (784.0/mi²). There were 42,573 housing units at an average density of 118.9/km² (308.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.95% White, 2.78% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 7.09% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. 15.41% 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.

Government

Peoria is governed by an elected mayor and city council. The city council consists of the mayor and six elected district representatives. The current mayor is John Keegan.

Sister cities

Peoria has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.: Borough of Ards, in Northern Ireland. Recently, the devastated town of Long Beach, Mississippi was adopted following hurricane damage, and aid money was sent.

Education

The Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) is the third largest district in the State of Arizona, and serves most of the city of Peoria, and portions of the neighboring Glendale.

As of 2005, there are 6 high schools (grades 9-12): Cactus, Centennial, Ironwood, Peoria, Raymond S. Kellis, and Sunrise Mountain. Also, as of 2005, the district has 29 elementary schools (grades K-8): Alta Loma, Apache, Canyon, Cheyenne, Copperwood, Cotton Boll, Country Meadows, Coyote Hills, Desert Harbor, Desert Palms, Desert Valley, Foothills, Frontier, Heritage, Ira Murphy, Kachina, Marshall Ranch, Oakwood, Oasis, Parkridge, Paseo Verde, Peoria, Pioneer, Sahuaro Ranch, Santa Fe, Sky View, Sun Valley, Sundance, and Zuni Hills.

The Deer Valley Unified School District serves a very small portion of Peoria.

External links

Official Government Website

Cities in Arizona | Maricopa County, Arizona