Glendale is a friendly city that has a "small town" atmosphere while being only 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix. Glendale is Arizona's fourth largest city and has been growing steadily since the 1960’s. The population is approximately 212,000 people.
Location
Glendale, Arizona is located west of Phoenix in the northwest part of the Valley of the Sun. Glendale is located just twenty minutes from downtown Phoenix and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Glendale is in the Phoenix metropolitan area, locally known as the Valley of the Sun (or just The Valley).
Terrain
Glendale has a total area of 55.8 square miles and its elevation is 1153 feet. Glendale and the entire Phoenix metro area is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains to the northeast, the White Tank Mountains to the west, the Superstition Mountains far to the east, and the Sierra Estrella to the southwest.
Glendale and the whole Phoenix metro area is located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert covers approximately 120,000 square miles, and includes southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, most of Baja California, and the state of Sonora, Mexico. It rivals Death Valley as the hottest and driest place in North America. The Sonoran Desert has a many eco-regions and the greatest diversity of vegetative growth of any desert in the world.
Jobs
Glendale has seen dramatic growth over the last several decades. Glendale has become one of the nation’s fastest growing urban centers. Employment prospects continue to multiply as new development continues and existing businesses expand.
Employers in Glendale include Bechtel Corporation, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms, Honeywell Corp, Parker Hannifin, Conair, K-B Toys, Midwestern University, Arrowhead Towne Center, Thunderbird Samaritan Medical Center, and the City of Glendale.
Luke Air Force Base is the largest fighter pilot training base in the world, and Glendale’s biggest employer. The base employs nearly 8,000 military and civilian personnel.
Over 100 new businesses have opened in the revitalized downtown area of Glendale in the last 15 years. The Glendale Civic Center opened in December 1999 and consistently draws even more interest to the downtown area.
The Glendale Airpark is a large commercial and office park in Glendale with many significant employers.
Housing
Gorgeous sunny weather, clean air, and thriving local economy draw young families, businesspersons, and retirees to Glendale. Glendale has a full range of neighborhoods and types of homes available to buyers. The average price of a new home in Glendale, Arizona is about $383,000. The median price of a pre-owned home is about $302,000.
Glendale has put a lot of attention on renovating its older neighborhoods, and as a result, buyers can find lovely older houses in attractive established neighborhoods. Central Glendale is also seeing a lot of new development, including some apartments and condominiums.
Northern Glendale is undergoing new development, much of it upscale. Luxurious estates on golf course or lakes are available as well as highly desirable low maintenance town homes and condos. Amenities available include golf course, recreation centers, tennis courts, wilderness trails, lakes, and neighborhood parks. Prices range up to $1 million and beyond in north Glendale.
Arrowhead Ranch is a community of homes, parks and lakes just north of Glendale and boasts some of the highest quality of living in the country.
Recreation
Glendale is rapidly becoming a sports mecca with the growing number of top-notch sports facilities. Glendale Arena is a state-of-the-art hockey and lacrosse arena that was completed in 2003 and the home of the NHL Coyotes and the NLL's Arizona Sting. The arena is surrounded by new retail and residential development. The NFL's Arizona Cardinals are building a new stadium in Glendale that is scheduled to open in the fall of 2006. The 2008 Super Bowl will be held there.
Golf courses in Glendale include Glen Lakes Golf Course that has a great practice facility and a lighted driving range. Glen Lake is one of the best 9-hole courses in the West Valley. The Legend at Arrowhead Golf Course was designed by Arnold Palmer and offers a traditional challenging desert course with dramatic views of the surrounding. There is no better place to golf than the greater Phoenix area!
The Sports Illustrated Good Sports program has named Glendale as one of the nation’s 7 Good Sports Communities of the Year. Glendale was selected for implementing the most effective youth-focused sports programs. Values emphasized include sportsmanship, fair play, skill development, parent involvement and positive coaching methods.
Glendale has over 60 parks and preserves with lots of amenities for outdoor lovers. Parks in Glendale include Thunderbird Paseo Park and Thunderbird Mountain Park. Thunderbird Mountain Park hugs the northern edge of Glendale and is a great spot for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds including hikers and bikers of all abilities.
White Tank Mountain Regional Park is nearby and encompasses almost 30,000 acres making it the largest regional park in Maricopa County. Most of the park is made up of the rugged and beautiful White Tank Mountains.
Special Attractions/Events
Glendale is called Arizona's Antique Capital because there are almost 90 antique shops in the downtown area, all within walking distance of one another.
Luke Air Force Base is the largest fighter pilot training base in the world and employs over 8,000 people in Glendale.
Glendale’s famous Historic Downtown shopping district is a must-see. It is actually 2 neighborhoods --- Catlin Court with bungalow specialty shops and Old Towne with its charming old-world ambience.
More than 70,000 people attend the annual Glendale Glitter & Glow in downtown Glendale each year. The January event showcases three-dozen colorful hot air balloons, live bands and street performers.
One of the largest and most beautiful malls in the region, Arrowhead Towne Center, is in Glendale. It boasts gorgeous water fountains, a movie theater and over 170 great shops and restaurants.
Located just north of downtown Glendale, historic Saguaro Ranch was built in 1885. There are many buildings to tour on the 17 acre property. Many special events are held on the ranch.
Interesting Facts
In 1882, William J. Murphy joined three Arizona builders to lead the Arizona Canal Co. project, which would bring water to the desert. With the help of 225 mules and the primitive machinery, Murphy and his team completed the canal in May 1885. Homesteaders then began to settle around the new canal. One early settler, William H. Bartlett, homesteaded lands in what is now central Glendale. He started a 640-acre fruit farm in 1886 that became known as the Saguaro Ranch. It stands today and is a local attraction that hosts community events.
The region’s original irrigators were the Hohokam people, whose culture died out mysteriously in the 1400’s.
World War II brought many military personnel to train at Luke and Thunderbird fields. After the war, many of these same soldiers returned to the area they enjoyed during their training.
Glendale was officially founded in 1892.
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