Located in Maricopa County, AZ Peoria is one of the largest suburbs in the Phoenix metro area with a 2010 census population of more than 154,000. It is located on the north slope of the Salt River Valley and is a mixture of business and residential neighborhoods. The city is named after Peoria, IL and is now much larger than its Midwestern counterpart. Peoria is home to the spring training complex that is shared by the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners, both of whom play pre-season baseball with other members of what is generally referred to as the Cactus League.
History Of The Community
The Arizona Canal Company was charged with digging the first irrigation ditches in the vicinity and some of the workers returned to their home cities after completion only to relocate their families to the now somewhat fertile soil in the South-Central part of the Arizona Territory. Rail service eventually opened between the new town and the city of Phoenix which was itself only a mid-size frontier settlement in the latter part of the 19th century. In fact Peoria was not incorporated until 1954. The following decade a massive development program created Sun City near the existing town and business began to flourish.
Peoria Today
Over the past few decades the city began annexing more and more of the surrounding region and including it within the municipal boundaries, and today Peoria is one of the largest communities in the state in terms of land area. The city is identified mainly as a resort and recreation/leisure center with a number of country clubs, hotels and timeshare condos, and amusement facilities in addition to the baseball spring training complexes. Currently plans are underway for freeway expansion from Peoria eastward to the northern Phoenix suburbs and new development is continuing in the northern and northwestern edges of the city.
Attractions In Peoria
The historical district has been well preserved in the city center although some of the structures have undergone extensive remodeling. Historic theaters and original city government buildings are now attractions for visitors. Peoria is also home to the modern Challenger Space Center of Arizona and the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. To the northwest of the city the land is dominated by high hills and mountain ridges, and hiking, camping and wildlife photography are all enjoyed by those exploring this largely natural area.
City Demographics
There are nearly 40,000 households in Peoria which is an even mix of single family homes, condominiums and apartments. Ethnic makeup is a blend of European Caucasian, African American, Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander. The medium household income in this Phoenix suburb was about $52,000 in 2010. The median age is a36 years and females outnumber males by a 100:92 ratio.
Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm in Peoria, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.
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