Communities
Avondale
Yesterday….
Avondale’s founding father, William “Billy” G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. Billy Moore called his settlement “Coldwater, Arizona” – apparently both for 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 bought land, established a stage stop, erected a saloon and a general store, and was Postmaster of Coldwater from 1901 till 1905.
In the early 1900s, the Coldwater post office moved to a site near Avondale Ranch. The post office soon became known as Avondale, and the name Coldwater was discontinued. In December 1946, the City of Avondale was incorporated.
Today….
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. The current population is estimated at 74,000 residents and is projected to rise to 106,000 by 2020. Household income has steadily increased and is currently estimated at over $75,000.
Prime Location….
Nestled at the base of the scenic Estrella Mountains where the Agua Fria and Gila Rivers meet, Avondale is located along the Interstate10 corridor, and just a 15-minute commute from the heart of Phoenix. Avondale’s freeway development sites are premium locations in the metro area for new stores, restaurants, hotels, offices and business parks. Over 2.3 million individuals are within a 30-minute radius, and the Phoenix valley wide population is over 4 million.
Quality of Life….
The quality of life and the variety of cultural, economic, geographic and educational advantages in the area provides a progressive atmosphere rich in resources and opportunity. Avondale and its environs offer numerous recreational activities, an array of dining and entertainment venues, as well as housing to suit any budget.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Avondale yearly to experience all types of national sporting events. Avondale is home to Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), which hosts two NASCAR races annually attracting nearly 400,000 enthusiasts and hundreds of race teams, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars into the state and local economy. Avondale is also minutes from the University of Phoenix Stadium, Jobing.com Arena and many Cactus League stadiums.
For nature lovers, Avondale offers wildlife viewing, hiking, biking and trail running opportunities on the developing Tres Rios Recreation Corridor and Maricopa County’s Estrella Mountain Regional Park. The Audubon Society and Bird Life International has recognized the Tres Rios as an “Important Bird Area” with over 150 species of birds attracted to the area.
Opportunities to excel in education are boundless – Avondale is home to Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale Learning Center and Universal Technical Institute.
Buckeye
Carefree
Cave Creek
El Mirage
Fountain Hills
Glendale
Goodyear
Litchfield Park
Phoenix
Peoria
Sun City
Surprise
Located about 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix, Surprise is where you can connect all aspects of your life- family, work and recreation.
Our charming community is surrounded by mountain park lands, a regional lake and pristine, open Sonoran desert.
Our neighborhoods are clean, distinctive and unique, no wonder why nine out of 10 residents surveyed recommend Surprise as a place to live and start a business!
Our history….
Our city of 115,000 people was just one square mile of farmland back in 1938 when Flora Mae Statler founded it. So why did she call us Surprise? According to Statler’s daughter Elizabeth Wusich Stoft, her mother once commented “she would be surprised if the town ever amounted to much.” With our success, she would indeed be surprised and proud!
You can learn more about how this once small farming community transformed into Arizona’s 10th largest-city in “The City of Surprise: A History in Progress,” a 104-page book crammed with photos and anecdotes, plus an accompanying DVD documentary set. The book is available for purchase online at www.surprisecitystore.com, or you can watch the video at www.surpriseaz.gov/surprise11.
Recreation is BIG in Surprise….
Our Surprise Recreation Campus is home to professional sports and adult and youth recreation programming!
Surprise Stadium is the Spring Training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. It’s also where our community comes together for free family movie night events, Fourth of July fireworks and much more!
In the fall our Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex hosts a stop on the Champions Tour, attracting tennis legends John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova and Jim Courier! This 25-court venue is also open for tennis players of all skill sets to enjoy or take lessons.
Other city recreation highlights:
- Residents love the pools, waterfalls and slides at the Aquatic Center.
- DreamCatcher Park is the city’s first all-access sports facility.
- Hit the links on one of Surprise’s eight golf courses.
- Hike and bike in the spectacular mountain vistas and clear desert air of the White Tank Mountain Regional Park.
Health and Education are top priorities
You will find medical services at nearby Banner Hospitals and several urgent care centers.
K-12 schools are run by the rapidly growing Dysart Unified School District.
Rio Salado Community College offers services in the city through the Communiversity @ Surprise and Lifelong Learning Center, and Arizona State University West is just 20 minutes from Surprise.
Sports….
The city is the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams. These Major League Baseball teams use Surprise Stadium for their activities. The city also hosted a Golden Baseball League team in 2005, the Surprise Fightin’ Falcons and the Recreation Campus ballpark and is the home city for a team in the Arizona Fall League, the Surprise Rafters. It also hosted ESPN SportsCenter 50 States in 50 Days segment on August 11, 2005.
As part of the city’s Recreation Campus, Surprise is also home to the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex (STRC). Since its opening in August 2007, the complex has received numerous awards. Most recently, it was named the 2008 Outstanding Facility of the year award by the USTA. The complex hosts various professional events throughout the year, including the Outback Champion Series tour, a USTA Pro Circuit event, and many USTA regional and sectional events. In 2009 the complex has been chosen as the site for the Fed Cup QuarterFinal between the USA and Argentina.
Surprise Stadium Panorama, March 13, 2011 – Attendance 12,014 San Francisco Giants defeats Texas Rangers 11-8