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Peoria, Arizona

"P-Town"
A fast-growing Phoenix suburb that transformed from agricultural land to one of Arizona's largest cities in just a few decades.
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Founded 1886 | Population 203,891 | Peak 203,891 (2024) | County Maricopa County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Peoria, Arizona

1
1886 Settlement Founded: Pioneers from Illinois named the community after Peoria, Illinois. It remained a small farming community for decades.
2
1954 City Incorporated: Peoria incorporated as a town with fewer than 3,000 residents in the northwest Phoenix metro area.
3
1985 Suburban Explosion: Peoria's population surged from 12,000 to over 50,000 in a decade as Phoenix metro sprawled northwestward.
4
1994 Spring Training Hub: The Peoria Sports Complex opened, hosting MLB spring training for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.
5
2020 Population Surpasses 200,000: Peoria became one of Arizona's five largest cities, driven by master-planned communities and young families.
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Latest News in Peoria

Mar 18, 2026
Shattering the Myth: Cesar Chavez’s Dark Secrets Exposed
The recent surge of abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez has ignited a firestorm of criticism from prominent Latino leaders, who…
Mar 15, 2016
Arizona Lawmakers Make Food Stamp Fraud Felony
PHOENIX — On March 15, 2016, Arizona lawmakers pushed through a bill that turned food stamp fraud into a felony, aiming to crack…
Feb 17, 2016
Arizona Republicans Push Bill Fight Obamas Executive Action Guns
PHOENIX — In the midst of a heated national debate over gun rights, Arizona Republicans in the state legislature pushed forward …
Feb 1, 2016
Barry Coates Face Va Wait Time Scandal Dies 46
PHOENIX — Barry Coates, the Arizona veteran who became a reluctant symbol of the VA’s troubled wait-time scandal, died las…

Complete Historical Timeline

1886 Government
Founded by Illinois settlers
1954 Government
Incorporated as town
1972 Culture
Lake Pleasant recreation area opens
1985 Government
Suburban growth surge begins
1994 Sports
Spring training complex opens
2000 Government
Population reaches 108,000
2010 Government
Reaches 154,000
2020 Government
Surpasses 200,000

Did You Know?

1
Peoria grew from about 12,000 people in 1980 to over 200,000 today — a 17x increase in four decades.
2
Lake Pleasant, partly in Peoria, is one of the largest lakes in the Phoenix metro at 10,000 acres.
3
The city hosts both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners for MLB spring training.

Famous People from Peoria, Arizona

MP
Mary Peters
Politician · Born Dec 4, 1948 · Age 77

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