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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.

Founded 1886 | Population 203,891 | Peak 203,891 (2024) | County Maricopa County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Peoria, Arizona

1886Settlement Founded: Pioneers from Illinois named the community after Peoria, Illinois. It remained a small farming community for decades.

1954City Incorporated: Peoria incorporated as a town with fewer than 3,000 residents in the northwest Phoenix metro area.

1985Suburban Explosion: Peoria's population surged from 12,000 to over 50,000 in a decade as Phoenix metro sprawled northwestward.

1994Spring Training Hub: The Peoria Sports Complex opened, hosting MLB spring training for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.

2020Population Surpasses 200,000: Peoria became one of Arizona's five largest cities, driven by master-planned communities and young families.

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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

Peoria grew from about 12,000 people in 1980 to over 200,000 today — a 17x increase in four decades.

Lake Pleasant, partly in Peoria, is one of the largest lakes in the Phoenix metro at 10,000 acres.

The city hosts both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners for MLB spring training.

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