Glendale

Welcome to Glendale

Community Summary

An incorporated City in Maricopa County, in the Phoenix West Valley, bordering Phoenix's western edge. William John Murphy — who built the Arizona Canal (completed 1885) and founded the Arizona Improvement Company (1887) — is credited as Glendale's founder; he built Grand Avenue as an 18-mile diagonal road linking Phoenix to Peoria and chose the name "Glendale" for the townsite. In 1891, colonizer Burgess A. Hadsell recruited roughly 70 Brethren/River Brethren families to settle the area, and the original townsite was platted in 1895. A beet sugar factory (1906–1913) drove early agricultural growth.

Glendale incorporated as a Town on June 18, 1910, with A.W. Bennett as its first mayor, and became a City in 1930. It is confirmed to currently be an incorporated City, operating under a Council-Manager form of government per its City Charter, with a seven-member Council (a Mayor elected at-large plus six district representatives).

Population figures vary by source and year:

• 2010 Census: 226,721
• 2020 Census: 248,325
• July 1, 2025 Census estimate: 260,572

Land area also varies by source: 61.60 sq mi (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020) versus 64.68 sq mi (Wikipedia, citing 2020 Census geography) versus 67 sq mi (a city-sourced figure via Ballotpedia). The Census Bureau figure is used here as the primary reference.

Glendale borders Phoenix, Peoria, Tolleson, and El Mirage, and is near Litchfield Park.

Sub-Communities & Neighborhoods

Verified as located within Glendale city limits:

• Historic Downtown Glendale — historic downtown shopping and dining district, approximately 10 square blocks
• Catlin Court Historic District — platted in 1914 as Glendale's first organized residential subdivision, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992; its early-1900s bungalows have since been converted into boutiques and eateries
• Old Towne Glendale — antique district adjacent to Catlin Court
• Historic Sahuaro Ranch — preserved 1890s ranch with 13 original buildings, now a City park/historic area
• Historic Manistee Ranch — preserved ranch house and grounds
• Arrowhead Ranch — a former citrus farm purchased for development in 1978 and annexed by Glendale in 1979; confirmed within Glendale, not Peoria, despite sitting near the Peoria border
• Arrowhead Towne Center — confirmed within Glendale (7700 W Arrowhead Towne Center, Glendale, AZ 85308)
• Westgate Entertainment District — 6751 N Sunset Blvd, Glendale, AZ 85305
• Stonehaven — master-planned community near 91st Ave & Camelback Rd; general-population, not age-restricted
• Sonoran Mountain Ranch — deed-restricted (HOA) community in the northwest part of the city; general-population, not age-restricted

Excluded: "Stonegate" is located in Scottsdale, not Glendale — likely a name confusion with "Stonehaven."

Market Stats (Annual)

Full calendar-year data, refreshed once a year. Source link

Glendale | Altos report: Glendale, AZ (citywide)

Schools

Glendale is served by multiple, overlapping school districts — no single district covers the entire city:

• Glendale Union High School District — serves most of Glendale and a portion of Phoenix; Glendale high schools include Apollo, Glendale, and Independence
• Glendale Elementary School District — serves a central portion of Glendale plus small unincorporated pockets; operates 17 K–8 facilities
• Pendergast Elementary School District — operates 13 schools across Phoenix, Glendale, and Avondale
• Deer Valley Unified School District — serves parts of Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Cave Creek, and unincorporated northwest Maricopa County
• Peoria Unified School District — serves most of Peoria plus some areas of Glendale; its district administration center is physically located in Glendale; Glendale high schools include Cactus High School, Ironwood High School, and Raymond S. Kellis High School

Glendale Community College — confirmed physically located in Glendale, with a Main Campus at 6000 W Olive Ave and a North Campus at 5727 W Happy Valley Rd; part of the Maricopa County Community College District.

Dining

Historic Downtown Glendale / Catlin Court

• A Touch of European Cafe' — Polish cuisine, 7146 N. 57th Dr.
• Bitz-ee Mama's Restaurant — family-owned Mexican restaurant operating since 1972, 7023 N. 58th Ave.
• Blue Corn Cafe & Bakery — 7015 N. 58th Ave.
• Cornish Pasty Co. — British-style pub in the Historic Gaslight Building, 5747 W. Glendale Ave.
• Packer Family Ice Cream — 7146 N. 58th Ave.
• The Pink Door Tea House — 7153 N. 59th Ave.
• The Spicery — tearoom in an 1895 home, 7141 N. 59th Ave.

Westgate Entertainment District — adjacent to State Farm Stadium, home to dozens of restaurants including Salt Tacos y Tequila, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, Throne Brewing Company, Bar Louie, First Watch, Dapper & Stout Coffee Company, The Tipsy, Caramba Mexican Food, Tulum Modern Mexican, Manna Korean BBQ, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chicken N Pickle, Five Guys, Yard House, Hot N Juicy Crawfish, and Dave & Buster's.

Annual Community Events

Winter

• Glendale Glitters — holiday lights display in Downtown Glendale/Glendale Civic Center; a Glendale tradition for over 30 years, running from late November nightly through New Year's Eve, with Santa visits on weekends in December
• Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest — late January, at Murphy Park, Downtown Glendale
• Chocolate Affaire — mid-February (Valentine's-timed), at the Glendale Civic Center

Spring

• Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival — late February/early March, at Sahuaro Ranch Historic Park

Summer

• Glendale Summer Band Concerts — a seven-week free outdoor concert series at Murphy Park, running since 1996
• Firework Fest at Westgate Entertainment District — timed to Independence Day, early July

Fall

• Arizona Jazz Festival ("AZ Jazz Fest") — a three-day music festival in early November, at West Valley Event Complex

Excluded/misattributed: The Ostrich Festival is a Chandler, AZ event (East Valley) and is not associated with Glendale. A "Glendale Jazz Festival" could not be verified as a separately-branded event; the verified, sourced event is the Arizona Jazz Festival, held in Glendale.

Churches and Community Centers

Churches

• First United Methodist Church of Glendale — 7102 N. 58th Dr. (downtown Glendale)
• First Southern Baptist Church of Glendale
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (Catholic) — 5614 W Orangewood Ave
• St. Helen Church (Catholic) — 5510 W Cholla St
• St. James Church (Catholic) — 19640 N 35th Ave
• St. Louis the King Church (Catholic) — 4331 W Maryland Ave
• St. Thomas More Church (Catholic) — 6180 W Utopia Rd

Community Centers

• Glendale Civic Center — 5750 W Glenn Dr., used for numerous City-run public events

Parks and Recreation

Seven regional parks/park systems are officially designated by the City of Glendale:

• Sahuaro Ranch Park (historic ranch and park)
• Glendale Heroes Regional Park — 81 acres, with a lake and archery range
• Thunderbird Conservation Park — a 1,185-acre natural preserve in the Hedgpeth Hills, confirmed as an official City of Glendale park despite occasional confusion with the neighboring Peoria area
• Foothills Park
• Grand Canal Linear Park — 4.5 miles of trails
• Skunk Creek Linear Park — 3.5 miles of trails
• Thunderbird Paseo Park

Amenities

• State Farm Stadium — home of the Arizona Cardinals (NFL) since 2006 and annual host of the Fiesta Bowl since 2007; has hosted three Super Bowls (XLII in 2008, XLIX in 2015, and LVII in 2023)
• Desert Diamond Arena — previously named Glendale Arena, Jobing.com Arena, and Gila River Arena before its current name (since August 2022); current home to the Arizona Rattlers (Indoor Football League) and Arizona Ridge Riders (PBR Team Series); the Arizona Coyotes (NHL) formerly played here but relocated in 2024
• Westgate Entertainment District — mixed-use dining, retail, and entertainment district adjacent to State Farm Stadium and Desert Diamond Arena
• Camelback Ranch — City of Glendale–owned spring training facility; Cactus League home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox since 2009

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Glendale a City or a Town? Glendale is an incorporated City. It was originally incorporated as a Town in 1910 and became a City in 1930.

What school district serves Glendale? Glendale is served by multiple overlapping districts, including Glendale Union High School District, Glendale Elementary School District, Pendergast Elementary School District, Deer Valley Unified School District, and Peoria Unified School District, depending on the specific location within the city.

Is Arrowhead Ranch/Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale or Peoria? Both are located within Glendale city limits, despite sitting near the Peoria border, which is a common source of confusion.

What professional sports teams play in Glendale? The Arizona Cardinals (NFL) play at State Farm Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox hold spring training at Camelback Ranch. The Arizona Rattlers and Arizona Ridge Riders play at Desert Diamond Arena.