Map of Glendale, Arizona Area
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Glendale was once completely a desert in the Salt River Valley. It was founded by William John Murphy, a New York native who oversaw building a 40-mile-long canal to service the desert. Glendale was born from that. Murphy is also responsible for the 18-mile-long diagonal road named Grand Avenue in an otherwise grid-system.
Today, Glendale is a bustling and thriving area with something for everyone to experience, regardless of the time of day or year.
Where is Glendale, AZ located on the US map?
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona. It is part of the greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, located roughly nine miles northwest of Downtown Phoenix. The Phoenix Metropolitan area covers over 1000 square miles, all of which are easily accessible from Glendale.
How big is Glendale?
Glendale is roughly 62 square miles, about half a square mile of which is water. The population estimate from 2019 put Glendale at roughly 250,000 people. Which means that there are about 4,000 people per square mile or 1,500 people per 10 square kilometers.
Is Glendale a good place to live?
Glendale has a median income of $46.8k, a median age of 34, and a climate comfort index of 7.3/10. March and November are the most pleasant months as far as weather and climate are concerned, with July and August being the least comfortable. So if you are planning on visiting, March and November are the best times to do so.
Generally speaking, people who need dryer weather and need to be away from the cold can find Glendale to be a perfect place to live. The winters are pleasant, there is plenty of entertainment for all types of interests, and traveling around town is simple with the average commute being less than half an hour.
What are the best areas to live in Glendale?
The best areas to live in within Glendale are West Deer Valley, North Litchfield, West Augusta, and anything off of Union Hills Drive. These areas are known for being the safest with low crime and reasonable incomes.
If you are looking for areas with good education, consider getting a home around Arrowhead Ranch, Sunset Vista, or West Pinnacle Peak. These areas have the best education spending ratios per student.
If you’re more into the nightlife or traditional city life, you’ll want to find a home in the Downtown Glendale area, which has its own Broadway theater, a space center, and a botanical garden.
What is Glendale known for?
Some notable attractions in Glendale include the Adobe Mountain Desert Park, the Historic Manistee Ranch, the Historic Sahuaro Ranch, Cerreta Candy Company, Deer Valley Rock Art Center, State Farm Stadium, Gila River Arena, Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden, and Westgate Entertainment District.
Cerreta Candy Company
Cerreta’s is a family-owned candy factory with tours that show everyone from casual visitors to school groups how candy is made from start to finish. The thirty minute tours are free of charge. One runs at 10 in the morning and the other runs at 1 in the afternoon.
Historic District
Glendale owes a lot of its construction to cowboys, farmers, Native Americans, and ranchers. Glendale’s Historic District gives anyone who visits an opportunity to see the heritage sites left behind and preserved. There are antique stores, specialty shops, museums, eateries, and a handful of historic homes.
Sahuaro Ranch is one of the oldest ranches in the West Valley and has thirteen of the original structures and a rose garden that dates back to the 1800s.
Sports Stadiums
The State Farm Stadium is home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals and has hosted two Super Bowls and three college football national championship games. The stadium itself was featured on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels because its natural grass field can be rolled away for other events that don’t require grass. It also has a fully-retractable roof to combat inclement weather.
Gila River Arena was formerly known as Glendale Arena and Jobing.com arena. The arena not only hosts hockey games, but also concerts and smaller conventions by putting a different flooring over the ice.
Camelback Ranch is a large baseball facility that serves as the training facility for MLB’s Chicago White Sox and the LA Dodgers in addition to Arizona’s own teams. Amidst the baseball fields is a fully-stocked lake for fishing.
Thunderbird Conservation Park
Dedicated to preserving Arizona’s desert environment, this 1,185-acre park is full of 14 miles worth of trails for running, hiking, horseback riding, and biking. Several of the trails have peaks that overlook Glendale, Peoria, and Phoenix.
Tolmachoff Farms
Tolmachoff Farms is a family owned and operated farm currently on its fourth generation. They grow a variety of fruits and vegetables in addition to corn, wheat, and cotton. They have several family activities throughout the year including pumpkin patches, corn mazes, train rides, and petting zoos.
Westgate Entertainment District
Westgate Entertainment District is sometimes colloquially called Westgate Mall or simply Westgate. It is an outdoor mall area with innovative water fountains and a splash pad. It is anchored by the Gila River Hockey Arena.
Outside of the arena, there are plenty of stores, dining, and theaters to peruse. Of the shops and dining experiences, you can find both larger chains and smaller local fares.
Wet’n’Wild
A water park is the perfect place to visit during the hot summer months that plague the Phoenix Area. Wet’n’Wild is 35 acres of water attractions including water slides, lazy rivers, and wave pools.
Festivals and Events
Every year Glendale hosts the Glendale Chocolate Festival in February and Glendale Glitters every December.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of whether you’re looking to visit Glendale for a fun weekend or move there in your next stage of life, Glendale has something to offer you. If you’re a sports fan or not, if you like to play outdoors or go shopping and eat inside, if you like viewing arts and culture, or horseback riding a desert trail, Glendale has an activity for you.