ABOUT PEORIA, AZ
Welcome to Peoria!
If you are new to the area, there is a lot to know and love about Freedom Plaza’s hometown. Located about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix, Peoria was established in 1886 as a humble agricultural community. Since incorporating on June 7, 1954, Peoria has blossomed as a rapidly-growing, modern city that offers a high quality of living in the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
How Peoria Got Its Name
Peoria, Arizona came to be when William J. Murphy, a former Union Army officer, was working as head of construction on the Arizona Canal. Upon the canal’s completion in 1885, Murphy saw the potential for agriculture in the area and returned to Peoria, Illinois where he recruited four families to move out west in November 1886. The official plat map was filed with the County Recorder on March 27, 1897, naming the settlement after their hometown.
Quality of Life
Peoria is home to Lake Pleasant Regional Park - a true an oasis in the desert. The 23,000 acre park is home to two marinas and is a popular spot for boating, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, camping, and even scuba diving! Our residents enjoy access to 570 acres of parks including 36 neighborhood parks and two large community parks. Explore more than 60 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. Peoria is home to Peoria Sunrise Mountain and Peoria West Wing Mountain preserves. When it comes to entertainment, Peoria is hard to beat! We offer Spring Training baseball as home to the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex. Peoria also has two community theatres, an art museum and a year-round calendar of festivals and special events. Our P83 Entertainment District offers a wide variety of local restaurants, shopping and entertainment options for the whole family.
City Facts
- Population: 164,173 (2016 estimate, will be updated with the 2020 census figures)
- Incorporated: June 7, 1954
- Size: approximately 179 square miles (463 km 2 )
Awards and Accolades
- Top 25 Best Places to Retire in 2017 by Forbes
- No. 1 best city to live in Arizona and the 29th in the country by Money Magazine in 2018
- Best winter destination in the U.S. by Expedia in 2017
- 9th Least Stressed City in the country by Wallethub
- Top 100 Golf Courses in the country by Golf Digest in 2017
- 14th Safest City in America in 2017
- 38th for 2019 Healthiest Cities in the U.S., one of two Arizona cities in the top 40
- 12th city for green space in the U.S. in 2019
- 13th Wealthiest ZIP codes in the Valley in 2019 by Phoenix Business Journal
- 22nd Safest City in the U.S., one of four in Arizona in the top 25, by Phoenix Business
Journal in 2018 - No. 7 best city in the U.S. for residents to enjoy the outdoors at a safe distance from their neighbors by Rent.com in 2020 (only AZ city in top 10)
- 50 Hottest Hoods in the Valley by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2018
- 1 Arizona Forward award won for environmental excellence
- Peoria Sports Complex was named the 2017 Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix winner for Best Place to Watch a Spring Training Game
- No. 2 Best Spring Training Ballpark in Arizona (USA Today 2017)
- Lake Pleasant ranked 6th Most Visited Natural Attraction in Arizona for 2017 (Arizona Dept. of
Tourism)
We love Peoria Arizona - such a great city and everything you could ask for is right here!