Peoria, Arizona, United States of America

Peoria is a city located primarily in Maricopa County, Arizona, with a small portion in Yavapai County. 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. 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's namesake is Peoria, Illinois.

Peoria History

The City of Peoria began as a small farming community near Phoenix, Arizona 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.

Peoria Geography

Peoria is located at 33°38'59" North, 112°15'6" West (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 is water. The total area is 2.44% water.

Peoria Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 108,364 people, 39,184 households, and 29,309 families residing in the city. The population density is 302.7/km² (784.0/mi²). There are 42,573 housing units at an average density of 118.9/km² (308.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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 are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $52,199, and the median income for a family is $58,388. Males have a median income of $40,448 versus $29,205 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,726. 5.3% of the population and 3.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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 devestated town of Long Beach, Mississippi was adopted following hurricane damage, and aid money sent.

Education

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

External links

• Official Government Website

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Peoria,_Arizona".