The City of Peoria was established in the 1880’s when William J. Murphy’s
vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became reality
with the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885. Once this canal was completed,
Murphy went East to interest people in settling in this new community. Mr.
Murphy was successful in catching people’s attention – over 5,000 acres of land
in the new district was purchased by citizens from Peoria, Illinois. Four
families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to move to Arizona to occupy
and work their land. Residences in the new community sprang up, and a school and
Post Office were established by 1889. More people followed the original families
and Peoria continued to grow as a farming community.
Peoria was incorporated in 1954, with boundaries covering one
square mile of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria
continued to attract people, and still does today. Currently, Peoria covers 162
square miles, and is home to over 120,000 residents. Peoria is Arizona's 4th
largest city in terms of incorporated area, and 9th largest city in terms of
population.
From a simple visionary farming community, Peoria, Arizona - a
dynamic desert city - has grown.
