Tempe, Arizona

Tempe (pronounced by local residents) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a 2004 population estimate of 160,676. Darrell Duppa is usually credited with suggesting the name, adopted in 1879, after comparing the Salt River valley near a 300-foot-tall butte to the Vale of Tempe near Mount Olympus in Greece. Duppa also had the honor of giving name to Phoenix, 11 years earlier.

Tempe is a major suburb of Phoenix and is located immediately southeast. The upscale suburb of Scottsdale is immediately to the north of Tempe.

Tempe is the location of the head offices of US Airways (formerly America West Airlines) and the main campus of Arizona State University. It was the longtime host of the Fiesta Bowl, although the BCS game will move to Glendale in 2007. On New Year's Eve, the city hosts the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Block Party, one of the nation's largest New Year's Eve parties. The event typically has a national band heading a concert, along with several other lesser known local bands. It was also the site of one of the three Presidential debates in 2004 and Super Bowl XXX. It is additionally the spring training host city of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Geography

Tempe is located at (33.388696, -111.928783).

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

According to the United States Census Bureau, the landlocked city has a total area of 104.1 km² (40.2 mi²). The city of Tempe is bordered by Mesa to the east, Scottsdale to the north, Phoenix and Guadalupe to the west, and Chandler to the south. 103.8 km² (40.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.32% water including Tempe Town Lake.

Tempe is generally flat, except for Hayden Butte, located next to Sun Devil Stadium, Twin Buttes and Bell Butte on the western edge of Tempe, and Papago Park in northwest Tempe. Elevation ranges from 1140 feet at Tempe Town Lake to 1495 feet atop Hayden Butte.

Demographics

As of the 2004 census estimate, there were 160,676 people, 63,602 households, and 33,645 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,528.8/km² (3,959.4/mi²). There were 67,068 housing units at an average density of 646.4/km² (1,674.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.51% White, 3.66% Black or African American, 2.01% Native American, 4.75% Asian, 0.29% Pacific Islander, 8.49% from other races, and 3.30% from two or more races. 17.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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

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

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

Transportation

Tempe is the most densely-populated city in the state and serves as a crossroads for its largest communities due to its location. There are a variety of transportation modes, including freeways Interstate 10 near the western edge, Loop 202 crossing the northern side, Loop 101 following the eastern border, and U.S. Route 60 running east-west through the geographic center of the city. Valley Metro operates bus routes and is building a light rail system that will serve Downtown Tempe and Arizona State University, providing service to Phoenix and Mesa when the initial segment opens in 2008. The City of Tempe also operates several free shuttles near Arizona State University. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, located 2 miles northwest of Tempe, provides extensive air service to points throughout North America and to London, England and various cities in Hawaii.

Education

Tempe is served by a variety of school districts.

Most of Tempe is served by the Tempe Elementary School District and the Tempe Union High School District.

Other portions are served by:

Kyrene Elementary School District (students continue on to Tempe Union)
Scottsdale Unified School District (K-12)
Mesa Public Schools (K-12)

Sister cities

Tempe has seven sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Tempe has had a Sister City with Skopje, Macedonia, since 1971. The newest sister city is Carlow, Ireland, in 1998. Tempe has been voted "Best Overall Sister City Program" in 1998 and 2004. Each year, 28 candidates are given the opportunity to travel to one of the sister cities. Candidates undergo a rigorous interview process to travel to one of these countries completely free of charge. The Tempe Sister Cities Corporation is one made up of volunteers, and is one of the few Sister Cities programs in the United States that pays the travel expenses for the trip.

External links