Glendale () is a city in
Maricopa County,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, United States, located approximately northwest of
Downtown Phoenix
Downtown Phoenix is the central business district (CBD) of the City of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is located in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area or Valley of the Sun. Phoenix, being the county seat of Maricopa County and ...
. As of the
2020 census, it had a population of 248,325.
History
In the late 1800s the area that is now Glendale was all desert.
William John Murphy, a native of
New Hartford, New York, who resided in the town of
Flagstaff in what was then the
territory of Arizona, was in charge of building the
Arizona Canal
The Arizona Canal is a major canal in central Maricopa County that led to the founding of several communities, now among the wealthier neighborhoods of suburban Phoenix, constructed in the late 1880s. Flood irrigation of residential yards is st ...
from Granite Reef to New River for the Arizona Canal Company. In 1885, he completed the canal, which would bring water to the desert land.
Murphy was deep in debt, since he had agreed to be paid in Arizona Canal Company stock and bonds and land instead of cash.
In 1887, Murphy formed the Arizona Improvement Company. His objective was to sell the land and water rights south of the canal. Murphy raised capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll and construction expenses.
Murphy decided to refer to this land as "Glendale". In order to develop and interest potential investors and settlers in this new town, Murphy decided to provide a better way of access from
Phoenix to Glendale and ending in the town of
Peoria by building an diagonal road which he named Grand Avenue.
In 1891, Burgess Hadsell worked with Murphy to bring 70 Brethren and
River Brethren families to Glendale to form a
temperance
Temperance may refer to:
Moderation
*Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
*Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion
Culture
* Temperance (group), Canadian dan ...
colony. Soon settlers, attracted by the town's ban on alcoholic beverages, continued to arrive. In 1895, Murphy platted the original town site and amended the plat to include a town park and some business lots. It was bounded by Lamar Road on the south, 55th Avenue on the east, Myrtle Avenue on the north, and 59th Avenue on the west. The construction of a railroad from
Prescott to Phoenix was made possible with an exchange of the right-of-way made by Murphy along Grand Avenue.
The railroad allowed Glendale settlers to transport goods to the north and easily receive building materials.
The construction and commercial applications of the Beet Sugar Factory in 1906 also contributed to the growth of Glendale. Though the operations of the factory only lasted until 1913, it played an important role in the increase of immigrant and migrant settlers in the city.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.63%, are is water.
The New River and
Agua Fria River flow southward through the western extremities of the city.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 226,710 people, 79,114 households, and 54,721 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 79,667 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.54%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 6%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.7%
Native American, 3.9%
Asian, 0.2%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 16.95% from
other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 35.5% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 79,114 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were
married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,015, and the median income for a family was $51,162. Males had a median income of $35,901 versus $27,736 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $19,124. About 8.8% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Top employers
Arts and culture
Attractions
*
Adobe Mountain Desert Park
* Glendale Chocolate Festival (every February)
* Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival
* Glendale Glitters (every December)
* Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival
*
Manistee Ranch
Manistee Ranch was founded in 1897 by Herbert W. Hamilton, a native of Wisconsin. The ranch, located in the town of Glendale, Arizona, was rich in citrus fruits and dates. The ranch has all of its historical structures restored. It is administered ...
*
Sahuaro Ranch
Sahuaro Ranch was founded in 1886, by William Henry Bartlett, a native of Illinois. The ranch, located north of what eventually became the city of Glendale, Arizona, was rich in figs and other fruit orchards, vineyards, and fields of alfalfa. The r ...
* Cerreta Candy Co. factory tour
*
State Farm Stadium
*
Gila River Arena
*
Camelback Ranch
*
Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden
* Westgate Entertainment District
Shopping
Glendale is noted for its retail sales of antiques.
The
Arrowhead Towne Center mall is located here.
Historic sites
Sports
Glendale is the site of two major sports venues:
State Farm Stadium and
Gila River Arena. Both venues are part of the Glendale Sports and Entertainment District development plan, meant to spur growth in the sparsely inhabited Yucca district. Both venues are owned by the City of Glendale.
State Farm Stadium has been the home field of the
Arizona Cardinals in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
since 2006, and the annual
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pl ...
college football game since 2007. Both the Cardinals and bowl game moved from
Sun Devil Stadium on the
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
campus in
Tempe. Since opening, the facility has brought two
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
s, three college football national championship games, the
NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four,
WrestleMania XXVI and
International Champions Cup soccer to Glendale. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman, the stadium was featured on
The History Channel TV series, ''
Modern Marvels
''Modern Marvels'' is an American worldwide television series that formerly aired on the History Channel and is currently shown on Story Television. The program focuses on how technologies affect and are used in modern society. It is History's ...
'' because of its roll-out natural grass field.
Gila River Arena (formerly Glendale Arena, then Jobing.com Arena) and
Westgate City Center
Westgate Entertainment District, formerly known as "Westgate City Center" is a mixed-use development in Glendale, Arizona. Westgate is described as a super-regional destination for shopping, dining, entertainment, and commercial offices. Funded b ...
is adjacent to State Farm Stadium, and was the home of the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL). It was also the home of the now defunct
Arizona Sting of the
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United Stat ...
(NLL). The inaugural
Street League Skateboarding event was held in the summer of 2010 in Glendale at the Gila River Arena. This street skateboarding competition returns to Glendale annually.
In 2009, the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
and the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
began to share the new
Camelback Ranch-Glendale spring training complex and stadium in Glendale owned and operated by the City of Glendale.
Education
There are a number of higher education campuses in Glendale.
Glendale Community College and Glendale Community College North, just across the border in northwestern Phoenix, are members of the
Maricopa County Community College District
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), also known as Maricopa Community Colleges, is a community college district in Arizona with its headquarters in Tempe. It is one of the largest, serving more than 220,000 students each ye ...
.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
’s
Thunderbird School of Global Management was founded in Glendale at Thunderbird Field after World War II and recently relocated its campus to the downtown location of ASU after joining the university as an independent unit dedicated to international business education.
West campus is just across the border from Glendale in west Phoenix.
Midwestern University is a graduate college of medicine located in Glendale.
Many
school districts serve the city of Glendale.
The following school districts serve the city:
* Unified school districts
**
Deer Valley Unified School District
Deer Valley Unified School District #97 (DVUSD) is a Pre-K–12 school district, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. DVUSD is the fifth largest school district in the state of Arizona, serving areas of Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Ant ...
**
Dysart Unified School District
**
Peoria Unified School District (headquartered in Glendale)
* High school districts
**
Glendale Union High School District
**
Phoenix Union High School District
The Phoenix Union High School District is a high school-only school district in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is one of five high school-only districts in the Phoenix area.
Overview
The school district serves students within a area of Ph ...
** Tolleson Union High School District
* Elementary school districts
**
Alhambra Elementary School District
** Glendale Elementary School District
** Pendergast Elementary School District
**
Washington Elementary School District
Grace Lutheran School is a Pre-K-8 Christian school of the
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) in Glendale.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School is a Pre-K-8 Catholic school of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in Glendale.
Infrastructure
Transportation
The city of Glendale has a roughly average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 8.4 percent of Glendale households lacked a car, and increased slightly to 9 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Glendale averaged 1.72 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.
Glendale Municipal Airport serves the city but it does not offer commercial air services. The closest commercial airport is
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, located about 30 minutes away by car.
Highways
*
Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway)
*
Loop 303 (Estrella Freeway)
*
Northern Parkway (Northern Freeway)
*
US-60 (Grand Avenue)
Notable people
*
Prince Amukamara, professional football player
*
Eddie Bonine, professional baseball player
*
Elijah Burke, professional wrestler
*
Danny Cruz
Daniel Arthur Quimby Cruz (born January 3, 1990) is an American soccer coach and former player who is currently the head coach of USL Championship club Louisville City FC.
Career
Youth and College
Cruz was born in Petersburg, Virginia. He a ...
, professional soccer player
*
Nick Evans, professional baseball player
*
Trent Franks, former United States congressman
*
Lauren Froderman
Lauren Rose Froderman is an American contemporary dancer. She is most known for being the winner of So You Think You Can Dance, the 7th season.
Early life and education
She grew up in Glendale, Arizona and graduated from Greenway High School i ...
, winner of ''So You Think You Can Dance'' (Season 7)
*
Jennie Garth, actress
*
Paul LoDuca, professional baseball player
*
Craig Mabbitt, lead vocalist of band
Escape the Fate
*
Michael McDowell, NASCAR driver
*
Evan Mecham, former Arizona governor
*
Lou Novikoff
Louis Alexander Novikoff (October 12, 1915 – September 30, 1970), nicknamed "The Mad Russian," was an American professional baseball player. Born in Glendale, Arizona, his professional career extended from 1937 to 1950, with all or parts of five ...
, professional baseball player
*
Sterling Ridge, Arizona legislator
*
Marty Robbins, Grammy-winning country musician and auto racer
*
Nate Ruess, lead singer of
Fun
Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment".
Etymology and usage
The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...
*
Tage Thompson, NHL player for the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, alon ...
*
Rickson van Hees, American soccer player
*
Jason Zumwalt, actor
Sister cities
Glendale has two sister cities:
* –
Ørland, Norway
* –
Memmingen, Germany
See also
*
USS Arizona salvaged artifacts
Salvaged artifacts from the USS Arizona (BB-39), USS ''Arizona'', a battleship that was catastrophically sunk during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, are displayed in several locations around the United States.
The term "marine salvage" refers ...
*
List of people from Phoenix
*
Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery
The Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 7844 North 61st Avenue in Glendale, Arizona. The cemetery was originally called Glendale Memorial Park. It is the final resting place of various notable early citizens of Glenda ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Arizona
Cities in Maricopa County, Arizona
Phoenix metropolitan area
Populated places in the Sonoran Desert
Populated places established in the 19th century