Northwest of Glendale, sandwiched between Surprise and North Phoenix and stretching from Maricopa County into Yavapai, you’ll find Arizona’s sixth largest city by square mileage—Peoria. Founded by Arizona Canal worker William John Murphy in 1885 and named after his hometown of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria was originally just a blip on the desert road stretching between Phoenix and present-day Wickenburg. Industry-related growth from railways eventually led to a post-WWII boom with the establishment of Luke Air Force Base and the invention of air conditioning, and Peoria’s growth hasn’t stopped yet.
If access to live sporting events is a must-have for your new neighborhood, Peoria is a great place to look for your next property. The Peoria Sports Complex has been a Major League Baseball destination since the 1970s, beginning with a Milwaukee Brewers’ sponsored minor league team and a current joint venture between the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners for spring training at the complex. If baseball isn’t your speed, the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and NHL’s Arizona Coyotes are just minutes away! Fans of fine dining, shopping, and local events and festivals will love the P83 Entertainment District or Park West. Whatever you love, you’ll find it in Peoria.
While the majority of Peoria falls within the Peoria Unified School District, portions of the city are served by the Deer Valley Unified School District to the northeast, Nadaburg Unified School District to the northwest, and the Wickenburg Unified School District to the north. Private schools in Peoria include Sunrise Montessori, Black Mountain Science Academy, and Cross of Glory Lutheran, among many others. Charter options such as BASIS Peoria Primary and Legacy Traditional School Peoria are joined by many others as well.
With a population ranging from entry-level housing to an affluent leisure and resort-style high end, Peoria offers something for anyone looking to buy their next home, and Money Magazine agrees—in June of 2008, Peoria was listed as one of the top 100 places to live in the US. Peoria could be the perfect place to begin and end your search for home.