Queen Creek Arizona

Queen Creek is one of the best-kept secrets in Arizona. Exceptional climate (with 330 days of sunshine annually), natural recreational riches and a relaxed, rural lifestyle combine to fulfill the dreams and visions of those who relocate to one of America's best small towns.

Queen Creek's approximately 23,000 residents enjoy the benefits of small-town living close to a metropolitan area: low crime rates, easy commuting to and from metro Phoenix, excellent air quality and a variety of recreational activities, all elements of a low-stress lifestyle.

Queen Creek is a family place, where the residents take pride in independence. It's a "first name" community, where a person behind the counter isn't an uncaring stranger, but someone who will know you by name.

Back to Nature
If you enjoy the great outdoors, Queen Creek is the place for you. You can ride a horse or hike into the mountains and across trails into the countryside. If a more relaxing time is your idea of fun, you can sit on the patio and view the San Tan and Goldmine Mountains to the south, and the Superstition Mountains to the northeast.

Play Ball
Founders Park, Desert Mountain Park, the Community Center and local schools offer ball fields, tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. Four 18-hole golf courses are also available within the Queen Creek area.

Shop 'til You Drop
One of Arizona's largest shopping malls, Superstition Springs Center, is just 15 minutes to the north.

High tech Industry
Access to both rail and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, as well as large tracts of affordable land, have brought the Queen Creek area to the attention of industry. Both TRW and Arch Chemicals are located nearby.

Unbeatable Location
Queen Creek, in the southeast corner of Maricopa County, Arizona is within 10 minutes of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport  and 30 minutes of Sky Harbor International Airport. This small town is an oasis in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Our Vision for the Future of Queen Creek
Filled with pride and dreams, the citizens of Queen Creek are aware of the growth moving toward our community. We are actively involved in the planning process to guide this growth and achieve our vision of a family-oriented community with a rural character, a supporting infrastructure, and a stable economy.

Demographics

Population in July 2007: 23,610. Population change since 2000: +382.6%

Males: 12,083 (51.2%)
Females: 11,527 (48.8%)

Median resident age: 30.9 years
Arizona median age: 34.2 years

Zip codes: 85242.

Estimated median household income in 2007: $76,864 (it was $63,702 in 2000)

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $396,517 (it was $179,900 in 2000)

Races in Queen Creek:

White Non-Hispanic (67.7%)
Hispanic (30.0%)
Other race (14.3%)
Two or more races (2.3%)
American Indian (1.0%)

2008 cost of living index in Queen Creek: 96.9 (near average, U.S. average is 100)

Ancestries: German (15.1%), English (13.7%), Irish (9.4%), United States (8.4%), Italian (3.1%), Polish (2.1%).

Incorporated in 1989

Elevation: 1405 feet

Land area: 25.8 square miles. Population density: 915 people per square mile

For population 25 years and over in Queen Creek

High school or higher: 78.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 17.3%
Graduate or professional degree: 4.7%
Unemployed: 4.6%
Mean travel time to work: 32.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Queen Creek town

Never married: 25.1%
Now married: 64.5%
Separated: 1.3%
Widowed: 2.0%
Divorced: 7.0%

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,316 people, 1,218 households, and 1,074 families residing in the town. The population density was 167.3 people per square mile. There were 1,281 housing units at an average density of 49.6/sq mile. The racial makeup of the town was 82.14% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 6.53% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.30% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. 29.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,218 households out of which 50.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.8% were non-families. 8.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.54 and the average family size was 3.77.

In the town the population was spread out with 35.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,702, and the median income for a family was $65,679. Males had a median income of $45,000 versus $31,447 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,592. About 6.0% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or ove

• Queen Creek's Name

  The Town of Queen Creek's name originated over a hundred miles away. Up in the eastern mountains surrounding the Town of Superior, the land is rich with supplies of ore. One of the many mines that opened up in those mountains was the Silver Queen. (Another was the Silver King, but it was later renamed the Magma Mine.) At the base of the Silver Queen mine there was a creek known as the Picket Post Creek. It was named after the oddly shaped mountain above it (the one you can see today above the State Aboretum). When the Silver Queen Mine opened for production, the name of the Picket Post Creek was changed to Queen Creek. That creek runs down from the mountains, past the mine, through the Queen Creek Canyon, into the area surrounding the present day Town of Queen Creek.

  Before the scattered farm community was called Queen Creek, it had a different name. The area was known as Rittenhouse because of the railroad spur located near Rittenhouse and Ellsworth roads. People used to flag down the train to get a ride into Phoenix. As the community grew, and the use of the railroad stop diminished, the community changed its name and took on the name Queen Creek.

  Today, the Town's General Plan calls for the preservation of the Queen Creek Wash and the Sonoqui Wash as public trails and open space. These washes are usually dry and home to many kinds of birds and wildlife. There might have been a time when the washes and the creeks throughout the valley had more water in them more often than they do today. But early in the 20th Century, a series of dams and reservoirs changed the waterways in the southwest. Today, during the rainy season, and when the dams release water from the reservoirs, the creek beds and washes still do fill up and the water will run, even through the Town of Queen Creek. And in the event of a 100-year flood, the washes and creeks will be important to keep the floodwater from damaging homes and property.

Heritage Reflects Ties to the Land

Agriculture and the bounty of the land continue to support the foundation upon which Queen Creek plans and builds its future. The fertile valley below the San Tan Mountains offered a safe haven for the early Indian communities and the homesteaders who farmed and ranched along Queen Creek Wash. Citrus, cotton, pecans, vegetables, and other crops still provide for area families, and the wash is a key element in the Town's plan for future recreational trails and open space.

By the time Arizona became a state in 1912, a true community had been formed in Queen Creek. Residents established traditions of neighborliness and rural fun. Some remember street dances, dips in local swimming holes, and sleeping under the stars during the summer. The general store, church, and post office served as community gathering places, a practice still alive today. Many of the Town's founding families still choose Queen Creek as their home. Their names- Ellsworth, Power, Sossaman, Hawes, Combs, and Schnepf- on area roads help keep Queen Creek's heritage alive. Town dances, picnics, and celebrations remain popular.

The Town's 4th of July celebration evokes fond memories for many residents. In 1946, local farmers Raymond and Thora Schnepf invited family and friends to celebrate the holiday with swimming, barbecue, and fireworks at their home. Raymond flew to Texas to purchase the fireworks, which were unavailable in Arizona. The event was later taken over by other community groups. Longtime residents also remember the switch at Rittenhouse and Ellsworth roads where they could flag down a train, called a dinky, which consisted of a engine and coach. After paying their fare, they could hop aboard for a ride into Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, or Tucson. Nearby, the Ellsworth family built housing for farm workers and a general store where workers used their script pay to shop for goods.

In the 1920s, Queen Creek experienced an influx of of immigrants who had moved from Mexico to work as miners in southern Arizona. They picked the local cotton crop by hand until the cotton gin came to Queen Creek during the 1920s. In the 1940s, former German prisoners of war from the P.O.W. camp in Queen Creek and Philippine immigrants joined farm laborers in local fields.

Today Queen Creek is preparing for new additions to its rich cultural diversity. The rapid expansion experienced by nearby cities in the 1980s continues today. The Town of approximately 24,000 citizens faces inevitable growth. It incorporated in 1989 to preserve the benefits of rural life while providing an avenue for managed change. Residents seek to preserve the Town's friendly, small town spirit while providing economic and recreational opportunities and a high quality of life.