Glendale /ˈɡlɛndeɪl/ is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about nine miles (14 km) northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 226,721.[1]

History
Main article: William John Murphy

In the late 1800s what is now known as Glendale, Arizona, was all desert. William John Murphy, a native of New Hartford, New York who resided in the town of Flagstaff in what was then known as the territory of Arizona, was in charge of building a 40-mile long Arizona Canal from Granite Reef to New River for the Arizona Canal Company. He completed the canal, which would bring water to the desert land, in 1885.[3] Murphy was deep in debt, since he had agreed to be paid in Arizona Canal Company stock and bonds and land instead of cash.[4]
William John Murphy - Founder of Glendale

In 1887, Murphy formed the Arizona Improvement Company. His objective was to sell the land and water rights south of the canal. Murphy had to raise capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll and construction expenses.[4] 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 18 mile long 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 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.[5] 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.[3] 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.[6]
Arizona's Antique Capital

Glendale bills itself as "Arizona's Antique Capital", with support for its claim from both Sunset magazine (2004[dead link]) and a 1998 article in USA Today. Glendale is home to the popular Arrowhead Towne Center mall in the northwest part of the city. Glendale also is home to Midwestern University, metropolitan Phoenix's first medical school, as well as a major post-graduate international business school: the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

An extension of METRO light rail service is planned to serve the city, opening in 2026,[7] reprising a role played by the Phoenix Street Railway between 1911 and 1926.
Geography

Glendale is located at 33°32′19″N 112°11′11″W (33.538654, -112.186261).[8]
Peoria Phoenix, Peoria, El Mirage, and Surprise Phoenix
Litchfield Park and Buckeye Phoenix
Glendale
Buckeye and Goodyear Phoenix and Avondale Phoenix
Climate
[show]Climate data for Phoenix Int'l, Arizona (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1895–present)[a]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55.8 square miles (145 km2), of which, 55.7 square miles (144 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.13%) is water.
Demographics
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1910 1,000 —
1920 2,737 173.7%
1930 3,665 33.9%
1940 4,855 32.5%
1950 8,179 68.5%
1960 15,893 94.3%
1970 36,228 127.9%
1980 97,172 168.2%
1990 147,864 52.2%
2000 218,812 48.0%
2010 226,721 3.6%
Est. 2014 237,517 4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
2014 Estimate[2]

As of the census of 2000, there were 218,812 people, 75,700 households, and 54,352 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.5 people per square mile (1,517.3/km²). There were 79,667 housing units at an average density of 1,430.7 per square mile (552.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.54% White, 4.70% Black or African American, 1.45% Native American, 2.74% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 11.97% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races. 24.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 75,700 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 for the city was $19,124. About 8.8% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable attractions
Downtown Glendale with Glendale Glitters around Christmas

Glendale Chocolate Festival (every February)[14]
Glendale Glitters (every December)[14]
Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival[14]
Historic Manistee Ranch
Historic Sahuaro Ranch
Cerreta Candy Co. factory tour[15]
Downtown Glendale featuring antique shops and restaurants
Deer Valley Rock Art Center
University of Phoenix Stadium
Gila River Arena

Historic properties in Glendale

There are numerous properties in the city of Glendale which are considered to be historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places[16] or the listings of the Glendale Arizona Historical Society. At the end of the article are some of these properties with a short description of the same.
Further information: List of historic properties in Glendale, Arizona
Sports
Westgate City Center
University of Phoenix Stadium
Gila River Arena
Ground level of the stadium.

Glendale is the site of two major sports venues: University of Phoenix 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.

University of Phoenix Stadium is the home field of the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. The team formerly played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in nearby Tempe, and in 2006 they moved to University of Phoenix Stadium. Designed by architect Peter Eisenman, the stadium was featured on The History Channel TV series, Modern Marvels because of its roll-out natural grass field. The stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. Almost 1 year later on January 18, 2009, it hosted the NFC Championship Game as the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25 for the franchise's first ever Super Bowl berth. The University of Phoenix Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

The stadium is also used for college football and other events. The stadium hosts the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl bowl game.The BCS National Championship college football championship game also circulates to Glendale. The 2011 BCS National Championship Game was held in Glendale on January 10, 2011. The Auburn Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks 22-19. The 26th annual WrestleMania event was held at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 28, 2010.

Gila River Arena (formerly Glendale Arena, then Jobing.com Arena) and Westgate City Center is adjacent to University of Phoenix Stadium, and is the home of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was also the home of the now defunct Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The inaugural Street League Skateboarding event was held in the summer of 2010 in Glendale, Arizona at the Gila River Arena. This street skateboarding competition returns to Glendale annually.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball began to share the new Camelback Ranch-Glendale spring training complex and stadium in Phoenix, Arizona owned and operated by the City of Glendale.
Education
This 1917 Nash Fire Truck was the first motorized fire truck of the Glendale Fire Department. The truck was manufactured by the "Nash Motors Company" and is on exhibit at the Glendale Training Center located at 11330 W. Glendale Ave. in Glendale, Arizona.

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, while Arizona State University has its West campus just across the border from Glendale in west Phoenix. Midwestern University is a graduate college of medicine located in Glendale. Thunderbird School of Global Management is a graduate school specializing in international management 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
Dysart Unified School District
Peoria Unified School District (headquartered in Glendale)[17]
High school districts
Glendale Union High School District
Phoenix Union High School District
Tolleson Union High School District
Elementary school districts
Alhambra Elementary School District
Glendale Elementary School District
Pendergast Elementary School District
Washington Elementary School District

Notable people

Prince Amukamara - professional football player
Eddie Bonine - professional baseball player
Jan Brewer - Arizona Governor
Elijah Burke - TNA wrestler
Danny Cruz - professional soccer player
Nick Evans - professional baseball player
Trent Franks - United States congressman
Lauren Froderman - winner of So You Think You Can Dance (Season 7)
Jennie Garth - actress
Benson Henderson - Former UFC lightweight champion[18]
Job for a Cowboy - death metal band formed in Glendale in 2003
Paul LoDuca - professional baseball player
Craig Mabbitt - lead vocalist of band Escape The Fate
Michael McDowell - NASCAR driver
Evan Mecham - Arizona Governor
Sterling Ridge - Arizona legislator
Marty Robbins - Grammy-winning country musician and auto racer
Nate Ruess - Lead singer of Fun.
Jason Zumwalt - actor
Lou Novikoff - professional baseball player

See also
Portal icon Geography portal
Portal icon North America portal
Portal icon United States portal
Portal icon Arizona portal

List of historic properties in Glendale, Arizona
William John Murphy - Founder of Glendale
Catlin Court Historic District
USS Arizona salvaged artifacts
List of people from the Phoenix metropolitan area

Arizona Phoenix | Tucson | Mesa | Chandler | Gilbert | Glendale | Scottsdale |

Notes

Official records for Phoenix kept at downtown August 1895 to September 1953, and at Sky Harbor Int'l since October 1953. For more information see ThreadEx.

References

"American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
"Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
Founder of Glendale
The First Five: A Brief History of the Salt River Project
https://www.glendaleaz.com/economicdevelopment/documents/CCMP.pdf
Industry Came to Glendale
Providing Public Transportation Alternatives for the Greater Phoenix Metro Area | Valley Metro |
"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
"NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"Station Name: AZ Phoenix Sky Harbor INTL AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"WMO Climate Normals for PHOENIX/SKY HARBOR INTL, AZ 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"Monthly Averages for Phoenix, AZ – Temperature and Precipitation". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
"U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
Glendale, AZ - Events and Festivals
Cerreta Candy Co. Factory Tour
National Register of Historic Places
"District Overview[dead link]." Peoria Unified School District. Retrieved on October 18, 2012. "Address 6330 W. Thunderbird Rd. Glendale, AZ 85306"
"Benson Henderson". UFC. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.

Catlin Court Walking Tour

External links

Official City Website
Glendale news, sports and things to do from The Glendale Republic newspaper