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Maricopa is a city in the
Gila River Valley The Gila River Valley is a multi-sectioned valley of the Gila River, located primarily in Arizona. The Gila River forms in western New Mexico and flows west across southeastern, south-central, and southwestern Arizona; it changes directions as i ...
in
Pinal County, Arizona Pinal County is a County (United States), county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's List of counties in Arizon ...
, United States. With 66,290 residents as of 2022, Maricopa is the largest incorporated municipality in Pinal County.


History

Maricopa has had three locations over the years: Maricopa Wells, Maricopaville and Maricopa Junction; the latter gradually became known as Maricopa. It started as an oasis around a series of watering holes eight miles north of present-day Maricopa, and about a mile west of Pima Butte. European-American traders and travelers called it Maricopa Wells. Several of Arizona's rivers, the Gila, Santa Cruz, Vekol and Santa Rosa provided this oasis in the desert with an ample supply of water during this period of time. During the late 1800s, Maricopa Wells was one of the most important relay stations along the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line and the later more famous
Butterfield Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service in ...
Route. Today, very little remains of this once bustling community, but it played an important part in the progress and development of the Southwest. It was one of the best-known spots in Arizona during this period of time because it had a reliable source of water, and offered an abundant supply of food. The peaceful Pima and Maricopa farmers who lived and farmed nearby sold supplies to travelers and migrants. The most prosperous period of time for Maricopa Wells was in the 1870s. During this time the trading center at the Wells provided water and food for not only the east–west travelers, but those who traveled to the north to Phoenix. Fairly good roads had been built by James A. Moore, the proprietor at Maricopa Wells, to all points north, and the Wells was a constant hubbub of activity. Maricopaville developed south and west of the Wells, following construction of a railroad line from this terminus to Phoenix. In 1879, the Southern Pacific Railroad was in the process of building a railroad line from Yuma to Tucson, and a second railroad line was to be built from Maricopaville, wrapping around the western edge of South Mountain into Phoenix. With the railroad, Maricopaville took on the appearance of a gold rush California boom town, as men worked day and night building hotels, saloons, warehouses, restaurants, theaters, etc. One local newspaper at the time reckoned that with its thousands of people and good location, Maricopaville would be an ideal choice for the location of the state capital. But the railroad never built the anticipated line from Maricopaville into Phoenix. Tempe also wanted to be on the railroad line and lobbied the territorial government to gain a stop. Officials agreed. The settlement known as Maricopaville was essentially rebuilt three miles to the east (to the present location of Maricopa) in the early 1880s, in order to accommodate the Maricopa & Phoenix line, planned to go through Kyrene and Tempe to the north on the way to Phoenix. The first train departed from Maricopa for Phoenix on July 4, 1887. All east–west rail travelers had to stop at Maricopa, and those who wanted to go north had to shift to the M & P Railroad. Maricopa was officially incorporated as a city on October 15, 2003, becoming the 88th incorporated municipality in Arizona. Between 2000 and 2010, the city's population grew from 1,040 residents to 43,482, an increase of 4080%. In 2018, estimates approved by the US Census Bureau and Arizona State Demographer's Office put Maricopa's population at 51,977 pushing the city over the 50,000 mark for the first time. Furthermore, data released from the official 2020 Census in August 2021 put Maricopa at 58,125, surpassing Casa Grande to become the most populous incorporated place in Pinal County and second most populous place in the county overall, behind the unincorporated San Tan Valley. Population of Maricopa has continued to grow, reaching 66,290 residents as of 2022; a 6.2% increase from 2021, making Maricopa the 12th fastest growing municipality in the United States and second fastest growing in Arizona (behind Queen Creek, which is partially in Pinal County). A part of the city is within the boundaries of the
Ak-Chin Indian Community The Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation ( O'odham language: ʼAkĭ Ciñ O'odham) is a federally recognized tribe and Native American community located in the Santa Cruz Valley in Pinal County, Arizona,
. The small, federally recognized tribe has developed
Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Harrah's Ak-Chin is a hotel and casino located 39 miles (63 km) south of Phoenix, Arizona, in Maricopa, Arizona, Maricopa. It is owned by the Ak-Chin Indian Community and operated by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. The casino featu ...
and related resort, a multi-entertainment cinema complex, and operates a golf course; all are open to the public and draw attendees from Maricopa as well as the greater Phoenix area. In addition the tribe operates the Ak-Chin Regional Airport and an industrial park. A 2011 study said that its casino and resort made up a large part of the economy of Pinal County, in terms of number of jobs and revenue generated.


Geography and climate

Maricopa is located at (33.056702, -112.046656). 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 , all land. The topography in Maricopa is flat, with several mountain ranges 10 to 20 miles away. The elevation of Maricopa is 1190 feet.


Surrounding municipalities


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 43,482 people, 14,359 households, and 11,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 17,240 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.2%
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 ...
, 9.7%
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 ...
, 2.0% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.3%
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 ...
, 8.5% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. 24.4% of the population is
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 14,359 households, out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.38. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $67,692, and the median income for a family was $69,818. The per capita income for the city was $27,618. About 3.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line.


Infrastructure


Roads

Maricopa is primarily served by
Arizona State Route 347 State Route 347 (SR 347) is a long, north–south state highway in central Arizona. The route begins at SR 84 and heads north. It passes through Maricopa, meeting SR 238. The route ends at an interchange with Interstate 10 (I-10) sout ...
, a north–south highway that connects to
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 ...
, approximately 14 miles north of Maricopa, as well as Arizona State Route 84 11 miles south of Maricopa. State Route 84 then ends at Interstate 8 approximately 6 miles west of State Route 347. Within Maricopa, State Route 347 is John Wayne Parkway. As it leaves the city for the
Gila River Indian Community The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) ( O'odham language: Keli Akimel Oʼotham, meaning "Gila River People", Maricopa language: Piipash) is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the cities of ...
to the north or the
Ak-Chin Indian Community The Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation ( O'odham language: ʼAkĭ Ciñ O'odham) is a federally recognized tribe and Native American community located in the Santa Cruz Valley in Pinal County, Arizona,
to the south, the road changes names to Maricopa Road. A portion of old State Route 347 within Maricopa also exists as Maricopa Road. Maricopa is also served by
Arizona State Route 238 State Route 238, also known as SR 238, is an east–west state highway in central Arizona. Route description While the mile markers indicate a start in Gila Bend, Arizona, Gila Bend, the highway is not actually part of the State Highway S ...
, which connects Maricopa to the town of Mobile, which is incorporated into the city of Goodyear. Past Mobile, State Route 238 becomes a county route that connects to
Arizona State Route 85 State Route 85 (SR 85) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Arizona. The highway runs from the United States–Mexico border near Lukeville to the north ending at Interstate 10 (I-10) in Buckeye. The highway also intersects I-8 in Gila ...
in Gila Bend. State Route 238 and Mobile Road designations are used interchangeably. State Route 238 ends at State Route 347, and continues east as Smith-Enke Road, a major east–west corridor for the city of Maricopa. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway also makes up a major corridor for the city, connecting it to the city of Casa Grande. This road parallels the Union Pacific Railroad at a diagonal, ultimately becoming Plainview Street within Maricopa and Cottonwood Lane in Casa Grande.


Rail

Maricopa is located on a Union Pacific Railroad line. The city is currently the closest stop to Phoenix served by
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
Sunset Limited The ''Sunset Limited'' is a long-distance passenger train run by Amtrak, operating on a route between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Major stops include Houston, San Antonio and El Paso in Texas, as well as Tucson, Arizona. Opening in 1894 thr ...
'' and ''
Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a long-distance passenger train operated daily by Amtrak on a route between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, with major stops in St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin. Three days per week, t ...
'' trains.
Maricopa station Maricopa station is an Amtrak train station in Maricopa, Arizona, United States, serving Phoenix and central Arizona. The station accommodates travelers who use the combined ''Sunset Limited'' and ''Texas Eagle'', which operates three times per ...
opened in 2001, originally in a converted passenger rail car but now in a metal building.
Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...
offers connecting service between Maricopa and Phoenix.


Utilities

Maricopa is served by the following utilities: * Cable: Orbitel Communications * Electricity: Electrical District #3 * Natural Gas: Southwest Gas * Telephone/DSL:
CenturyLink Lumen Technologies, Inc. (formerly CenturyLink, Inc.) is an American telecommunications company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, which offers communications, network services, security, cloud solutions, voice and managed services through it ...
* Water: Global Water (Santa Cruz Water Company, Palo Verde Utilities), Maricopa Domestic Water Improvement District


Bus

The City of Maricopa operates Maricopa Express Transit (MET), which provides local bus service.


Municipal organization

Maricopa is governed by a Council-Manager form of government. This type of government structure combines the political leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of an appointed professional manager. The City Council and City Manager work as partners to direct and guide local government. The Maricopa City Council consists of the Mayor and six City Council members. The Mayor is elected to serve a four-year term and the City Council members are elected to serve four-year terms on a rotating basis. City Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. There are 10 citizen advisory groups that guide the Maricopa City Council on a myriad of activity. They are the Board of Adjustment, Heritage District Advisory Committee, Industrial Development Authority Board, Merit Board, Parks, Recreation and Library Advisory Committee, Planning and Zoning Commission, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Board, Transportation Advisory Committee and the Youth Council. Selection to these groups is by City Council action. The city is organized into nine departments: the City Manager's Office, the City Clerk's Office, Community Services, Development Services, Economic Development, Finance, Fire, Human Services and the Police Department. More than 250 individuals work for the municipality.


Civic and nonprofit organizations

*F.O.R. Maricopa - local
food bank A food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distrib ...
*Maricopa Gun Club- local gun club *Maricopa Historical Society - historical organization *Maricopa Motorcycle Riders - local group of riders; all bikes allowed *Maricopa Seniors - area senior citizen group
MomDoc Charities
* Pet Social Worker / Tails of Hope Rescue - local animal
rescue group An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is a group dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempt to find suitable homes for them. Many rescue groups are created by and run by volunteer ...
*Recycling Association of Maricopa (R.A.M.) - community drop-off recycling *Thunderbird Arena Community Council (TACC) - area organization supporting the renovation of the Thunderbird Farms Arena * Maha Ganpati Temple of Arizona - Hindu Temple with Rajagopuram ain towerbuilt as per Dravidian architecture of South India
www.ganapati.org
*The Opportunity Tree - nonprofit program for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities


Education facilities


Public school districts

* Maricopa Unified School District * Mobile Elementary School District


Public elementary schools

* Butterfield Elementary School * Maricopa Elementary School * Mobile Elementary School * Pima Butte Elementary School * Saddleback Elementary School * Santa Cruz Elementary School * Santa Rosa Elementary School


Public middle schools

* Desert Wind Middle School * Maricopa Wells Middle School


Public high schools

* Desert Sunrise High School * Maricopa High School


Charter schools

* Leading Edge Academy Maricopa
Legacy Traditional School-Maricopa Campus
* Sequoia Pathway Academy Maricopa
A+ Charter Schools
* Heritage Academy Maricopa


Community college

*
Central Arizona College Central Arizona College (CAC) is a public community college near Coolidge, Arizona. CAC serves the population of Pinal County. History and campus Central Arizona College was founded in 1969. With five campuses and three centers located thr ...


Notable people

*
Bristol Palin Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin (born October 18, 1990) is an American public speaker and reality television personality. She is the oldest daughter and second of five children of Todd Palin, Todd and Sarah Palin. Palin competed in the fall 2010 se ...
, daughter of former Alaska governor and
vice presidential candidate A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...
, bought a house and lived in Maricopa for two years before returning to Alaska."Bristol Palin No Longer an Arizona Homeowner"
''Zillow''. May 2012.
*Former state senator Steve Smith resides in Maricopa. * Charles Smith (cowboy), lawman, friend of
Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...
. *
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
, famous actor, owned land in area and frequented local establishments.


Notes


External links


City of Maricopa
{{authority control Cities in Arizona Arizona placenames of Native American origin Former census-designated places in Arizona Cities in Pinal County, Arizona Phoenix metropolitan area Populated places established in 2003