Peoria Arizona Real Estate

The city of Peoria was established in the 1880’s by William Murphy. After the completion of the Arizona canal in 1885, fed by water from the Salt River, Murphy had a vision of creating fertile farm lands in this area. He went east to entice people to come live in this new area. The first four families to occupy this land were from Peoria, Illinois. Thus, Peoria, Arizona was born, and many more families settled here. The city incorporated in 1954 and now covers approximately 162 square miles in the northwest valley of the Phoenix metro area. The city extends east to the city of Glendale, west to Sun City, and includes the Lake Pleasant area to the north.

Peoria is the fastest growing city in Arizona and is now the 9th largest city with an estimated 2006 population of over 146,000 residents. Peoria is home to two public libraries, three community pools, many top-ranked public schools, and numerous neighborhood and community parks. Residents and visitors will find an abundance of shopping, dining, and recreational opportunities.

Some of the most popular Peoria attractions include the Lake Pleasant Regional Park which offers picnic areas, camping, boating, and scenic views; the Challenger Space Center is comprised of 150 acres and includes many attractions and activities such as space camps, guided tours, stargazing programs, exhibits, and a Giant StarLab Planetarium; the Peoria Sports Complex has a large stadium, 13 full-size baseball fields, recreation activities, and youth programs; the Desert Schools Coyote Center offers public ice skating, ice skating and hockey lessons, parties, snack bar, arcade games, and a hockey gear store.

Peoria offers a nice mix of affordable starter homes and condos on up to luxury estates. Housing is generally less expensive than in other parts of the Phoenix metro area, and there are many wonderful neighborhoods and master-planned communities in Peoria. One of the larger of these master-planned communities is Vistancia, located in northern Peoria. You can buy new and resale homes and also enjoy the many amenities including trails, mountain views, a golf course, community pools, parks, playgrounds, and more. Other great communities include Desert Harbor, Fletcher Heights, Terramar, Westbrook Village, Dove Valley Ranch, Arrowhead Shores, and many more.

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