A vibrant college city dominated by Arizona State University, one of the nation's largest universities, set between Phoenix and the desert buttes.
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Founded1871|Population192,514|Peak192,514(2024)|CountyMaricopa County
Top 10 Most Important Events for Tempe, Arizona
1
1885Arizona Territorial Normal School: The school that would become Arizona State University was founded, eventually growing into one of the largest universities in the country with 70,000+ students.
2
1871Hayden's Ferry Founded: Charles Trumbull Hayden established a ferry crossing on the Salt River and a flour mill, founding the settlement.
3
1966ASU Expansion: Arizona State grew rapidly under President Grady Gammage, with Frank Lloyd Wright designing Gammage Auditorium.
4
1996Super Bowl XXX: Sun Devil Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXX and the Fiesta Bowl, putting Tempe on the national sports map.
5
2004Tempe Town Lake: The 2-mile urban lake along the Salt River transformed downtown into a recreation and development hub.
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Complete Historical Timeline
1871Government
Hayden's Ferry founded
1885Culture
Arizona Normal School (ASU) founded
1894Government
Renamed Tempe
1966Culture
ASU rapid expansion
1996Sports
Super Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium
1999Business
Tempe Town Lake created
2010Transport
Light rail connects to Phoenix
2023Culture
ASU enrollment exceeds 70,000
Did You Know?
1
ASU is the largest public university in the U.S. by enrollment with over 70,000 students on the Tempe campus alone.
2
Tempe is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece — a 19th-century visitor thought the Salt River Valley resembled it.
3
Gammage Auditorium was one of Frank Lloyd Wright's last commissions — he died before it was completed in 1964.
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