Avondale, AZ
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Avondale is a city in
Maricopa County Maricopa County () is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and ...
,
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 89,334, up from 76,238 in 2010 and 35,883 in 2000. Avondale, incorporated in 1946, has experienced rapid residential and commercial growth in the years since 1980. Once primarily a sparsely populated farming community with many acres of alfalfa and cotton fields, Avondale has transformed into a major bedroom suburb for Phoenix.


History

William "Billy" G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. Moore called bought land and named his settlement "Coldwater, Arizona" - apparently for both the river and the water that flowed from a local spring. He served a brief stint as Justice of the Peace for the Agua Fria area. He eventually established a stage stop near Agua Fria crossing, the Coldwater Stage Station in the 1880s. The state station was one of the very earliest stage stations in the region, supplying travelers with provisions on their way from Tucson to northern Arizona and California. A saloon and a general store were also built, bringing in more commerce for the settlement. The post office was established in 1896 at a site near Avondale Ranch. From 1901 until 1905, William Moore served as Postmaster of the Coldwater post office. The post office eventually became known as Avondale, taking the name of the nearby ranch, and the name Coldwater was discontinued. In December 1946, the City of Avondale was incorporated. Subsequent development resulted in a conglomeration of styles and architecture along Western Avenue typical of small western towns, with ranching, the railroad, and cotton farming as the main industries. Recently, the city has seen tremendous growth in new development, both residential and commercial, while the Old Town area along Western Avenue preserves the historic business district and safeguards opportunities for small, independent businesses. Avondale is a modern city, near the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Over the last decade, population growth took place at a rate of over 114%, making the city one of the fastest-growing in Maricopa County.


Geography

Avondale is located at (33.435322, −112.349758). It is bordered to the west by Goodyear, to the north by Litchfield Park, and to the east by Phoenix and Tolleson. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.54%, are water. The
Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of ...
crosses the southern part of the city, joined from the north by the
Agua Fria River The Agua Fria River (Spanish for "cold water") is a long intermittent stream which flows generally south from east-northeast of Prescott in the U.S. state of Arizona. Prescott draws much of its municipal water supply from the upper Agua Fria ...
.
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
crosses the northern part of Avondale, with access from exits 129 through 133A. The freeway leads east to
Downtown Phoenix Downtown Phoenix is the central business district (CBD) of the City of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area or Valley of the Sun. Phoenix, being the county seat of Maricopa County, Arizona, ...
and west to
Blythe, California Blythe () is a city in eastern Riverside County, California, United States. It is in the Palo Verde Valley of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River, approximatel ...
.


Climate

Avondale has a large amount of sunshine year-round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, the city has a
Hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.
Winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
s are sunny and mild with nighttime lows averaging between and 50 °F (4 °C and 10 °C) and daytime highs ranging from to 75 °F (16 °C to 24 °C). The record low temperature recorded in Avondale is 16 °F (−9 °C).
Summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
s are extremely hot, with daily high temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) for the entirety of June, July, and August, as well as many days in May and September. An occasional
heat wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...
will spike temperatures over 115 °F (46 °C) briefly. Nighttime lows in the summer months average between and 80 °F (21 °C and 27 °C), with an occasional overnight low above 80 °F (27 °C) not uncommon. Avondale's record high temperature stands at an impressive 125 °F (52 °C), a few degrees warmer than the record for Phoenix, and just shy of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
's state record of 128 °F (53 °C), recorded in
Lake Havasu City Lake Havasu City (, ) is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,144, up from 52,527 in 2010. It is served by Lake Havasu City Airport. History The community first started dur ...
on June 29, 1994. Snow is rare in the area, occurring once every several years. Lows in the winter occasionally dip below freezing, which may damage some desert plants such as
saguaro The saguaro ( , ; ''Carnegiea gigantea'') is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus ''Carnegiea'' that can grow to be over tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains ...
s and other
cacti A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
. In the summer (mainly July, August, and early September), the North American Monsoon can hit the Phoenix area in the afternoon and evening (possibly continuing overnight), causing rain showers even from a sunny morning. Dust storms are occasional, mainly during the summer.


Gila and Salt River Meridian

The surveying marker of the Gila and Salt River Meridian is located on Monument Hill. Ever since 1851, this has been the center point used by the state to measure the land in Arizona. The federal government recognized this point for measuring the boundary between the United States and Mexico after the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
ended. The first survey, conducted in 1867, involved the first of Arizona. Up until 1874, this was the epicenter of all surveying in Arizona for property deeds. It was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
on October 15, 2002, Reference #02001137. Monument Hill is located at 115th Avenue and Baseline Road in Avondale.


Demographics


2020 census

Avondale first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as the 45th Precinct of Maricopa County (AKA Coldwater). In 1930, it simply appeared as the Coldwater Precinct. It was recorded as having a Spanish/Hispanic majority for that census (the census would not separately feature that racial demographic again until 1980). With the combination of all county precincts into three districts in 1940, it did not report on that census. In 1946, it was incorporated as the town of Avondale, and has appeared on every census since 1950. In 1959, it upgraded to a city. As of the census of 2000, there were 35,883 people, 10,640 households, and 8,724 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,419 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.27%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 5.20%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.28% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.14%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 24.32% from other races, and 3.89% from two or more races. 46.23% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. There were 10,640 households, out of which 47.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.0% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.66. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $49,153, and the median income for a family was $51,084. Males had a median income of $35,134 versus $27,487 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,919. About 10.3% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Top employers in Avondale as of 2022.


Sports

Avondale is home to
Phoenix Raceway Phoenix Raceway (formerly known as ISM Raceway from 2018–2020, Phoenix International Raceway from 1964–1973 and 1976–2017, and FasTrack International Speedway from 1973–1976) is a Oval track racing#Unique shapes, dogleg oval track in A ...
. Since 2020, Phoenix Raceway has served as host of the annual
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
championship race, each November. It holds two
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
races, two
Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
races, a NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series race, an
ARCA Menards Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car racing, stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into ...
race, and an
ARCA Menards Series West The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series, NASCAR Winston Transcontinental Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series ow ...
race annually. Avondale Parks and Recreation Department offers sports for both youth and adults.


Parks

City parks: *Alamar Park, 4155 S El Mirage Rd *Las Ligas, 12421 W Lower Buckeye Road *Festival Fields, 101 E. Lower Buckeye *Donnie Hale Park, 10857 West Pima St. *Friendship Park / Dog Park, 12325 West McDowell *Mountain View, 201 E Mountain View Drive *Sernas Plaza Park, 521 E Western Ave *Fred Campbell Park, 101 E Lawrence Blvd *Dennis DeConcini, 351 E Western Ave *Dessie Lorenz Park, 202 E Main St *Doc Rhodes Park, 104 W Western Ave


Government

Avondale falls within Arizona's 7th Congressional District, which has no current Representative due to the death of
Raul Grijalva Raul, Raúl, Raül, and Raüll are forms of a common first name in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan. The name is cognate of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph and the French R ...
. In the state legislature, Avondale falls under the Arizona's 22nd State Legislative District, served by Representatives Lorenzo Sierra and Diego Espinoza and
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
Lupe Contreras, all Democrats.


Mayors

* Troy G. Fincher, ca. 1949 * Russell H. Brinker, ca. 1959 * Laverne R. Turner, ca. 1963 * Thomas F. Morales, Jr., ca. 1996 * Ronald J. Drake, ca. 2000–2005 * Marie Lopez Rogers, ca. 2006–2013 * Kenneth N. Weise, 2014–2024 * Mike Pineda, 2025–present


Education

Avondale is served by the Littleton Elementary School District, the Avondale Elementary School District, the
Agua Fria Union High School District The Agua Fria Union High School District (AFUHSD) is a high school district serving Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Waddell and Litchfield Park, Arizona. It was founded in 1955. The district has six high schools and will be opening a new high ...
and Tolleson Union High School District.Within city boundaries are four public high schools— Agua Fria High School, La Joya Community High School, Westview High School and West Point High School. Avondale also has several charter schools. Legacy Traditional School and
Imagine Schools Imagine Schools is a charter management organization in the United States, operating 55 schools in 9 states. They are K-8, for the most part. In 2015, Imagine schools had enrolled 29,812 students. Imagine Schools was founded by Dennis and Eileen ...
for elementary and middle school education, and Estrella High School and St. John Paul II Catholic High School for high school.
Estrella Mountain Community College Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) is a public community college in Avondale, Arizona. The college has been serving the Southwest Valley community since 1990 and at the Avondale campus since 1992. Estrella Mountain is one of the ten Mar ...
, established in 1992, is located in the city.
Rio Salado College Rio Salado College is a public community college headquartered in Tempe, Arizona United States. It is part of the Maricopa County Community College District and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It offers associate degree and certi ...
, a part of the
Maricopa County Community College District The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), also known as Maricopa Community Colleges, is a Public college, public community college district in Maricopa County, Arizona. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, Tempe, MCCCD is among the la ...
, has a satellite building in Avondale.
Universal Technical Institute Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI) is a private for-profit system of technical colleges in the United States. It was established in 1965 by Robert Sweet. History Universal Technical Institute was founded in 1965. UTI expanded its progra ...
and
Empire Beauty Schools Empire Beauty School is a chain of for-profit cosmetology schools in the United States. Headquartered in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, it is the largest system of cosmetology schools in the country. Founded in 1946, it currently has 76 schools nationw ...
also have campuses in Avondale.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Avondale is served by
Valley Metro Bus Valley Metro Bus is the public transit bus service in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Valley Metro Bus provides local, regional, express, and rural bus services in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (as well as the community of Ajo in Pim ...
. Avondale is also served by local routes 3 (
Van Buren Street Van Buren Street is a street in Chicago, in whose grid system it is 400 South. Named for President Martin Van Buren, it is adjacent to Jackson Boulevard named for Van Buren's associate Andrew Jackson. The Van Buren Street Bridge carries it ac ...
, 17 (McDowell Road), 41 ( Indian School Road, express route 563 to Downtown Phoenix, and rural route 685 connecting Ajo and Phoenix. The Avondale Zoom service was discontinued and replaced with WeRIDE Microtransit Services.


Healthcare

The public hospital system,
Valleywise Health Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System), is a public hospital and healthcare system based in Phoenix with Community Heath Centers located throughout Maricopa County, Arizona. Valleywise Health includes the Valleywise Healt ...
(formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System), operates Valleywise Community Health Center – Avondale. Its sole hospital, Valleywise Health Medical Center, is in Phoenix.
Phoenix Children's Hospital Phoenix Children's Hospital is a freestanding pediatric acute care children's hospital located in Phoenix, Arizona. The hospital has 484 pediatric beds and is affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. Phoenix C ...
has satellite facilities (Emergency Department - Avondale, and Sports Medicine PT - Avondale), at the corner of Avondale Boulevard and McDowell Road, and Avondale Boulevard and I-10 respectively.


Notable people

* Mitch Garcia, professional soccer player, graduated from Agua Fria High School * Shawn Gilbert, professional baseball player; played high school baseball at Agua Fria High School *
Everson Griffen Everson Griffen (born December 22, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A graduate of Agua Fria High School, Griffen played college football for the USC Trojans ...
, defensive end for
USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...
and
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
; attended Agua Fria High School * Nick Harris, punter for NFL's
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
; attended Westview High School * Drisan James,
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for CFL's
Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...
; attended Westview High School *
Craig Mabbitt Craig Edward Mabbitt (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer and the lead vocalist for the rock band Escape the Fate. He was formerly the lead vocalist for the bands Blessthefall and The Word Alive. He is also the current lead vocalist of his ...
, vocalist for band
Escape the Fate Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004. Originally from Pahrump, Nevada, the group currently consists of lead vocalist Craig Mabbitt, guitarists Matti Hoffman, Erik Jensen and drummer Robert Ortiz. Ortiz ...
and former vocalist for bands
Blessthefall Blessthefall (stylized as blessthefall or BLESSTHEFALL prior to 2013) is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, signed to Rise Records. The band was founded in 2004 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist and vo ...
and The Word Alive; attended Westview High School *
Randall McDaniel Randall Cornell McDaniel (born December 19, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Minnesota Vikings and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He w ...
, former NFL offensive guard, inducted into National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008 and
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 2009; he was a sprinter at Agua Fria High School *
Clancy Pendergast Clarence Clifford Pendergast III (born November 29, 1967) is an American football coach who served as defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, California Golden Bears, and USC Trojans football teams. Early coaching ca ...
, NFL and college coach * Shelley Smith, former NFL player *
Michael P. Anderson Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. He and his six fellow crew members were killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster ...
, a United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut, attended 3rd grade at Avondale Elementary School. The school was renamed in his honor.


See also

* Goodyear Farms Historic Cemetery * List of historic properties in Avondale, Arizona


References


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Arizona Cities in Maricopa County, Arizona Phoenix metropolitan area Populated places in the Sonoran Desert