YESTERDAY
Avondale's founding father, William "Billy" G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. Billy Moore called his settlement "Coldwater, Arizona" - apparently both for the river and the water that flowed from a local spring. He served a brief stint as Justice of the Peace for the Agua Fria area. He bought land, established a stage stop, erected a saloon and a general store, and was Postmaster of Coldwater from 1901 till 1905.

In the early 1900s, the Coldwater post office moved to a site near Avondale Ranch. The post office soon became known as Avondale, and the name Coldwater was discontinued. In December 1946, the City of Avondale was incorporated.

TODAY
Avondale is a modern city, near the heart of the Phoenix-metropolitan area. Over the last decade, population growth took place at a rate of over 114%, making the city one of the fastest-growing in Maricopa County. The current population is estimated at over 65,000 residents and is projected to rise to 106,000 by 2020. Household income has steadily increased and is currently estimated at $75,000.

PRIME LOCATION
Nestled at the base of the scenic Estrella Mountains where the Agua Fria and Gila Rivers meet, Avondale is located along the Interstate10 corridor, and just a 15-minute commute from the heart of Phoenix. Avondale’s freeway development sites are premium locations in the metro area for new stores, restaurants, hotels, offices and business parks. Over 2.3 million potential customers are within a 30-minute radius, and the Phoenix valley wide population is over 4 million.

QUALITY OF LIFE
The quality of life and the variety of cultural, economic, geographic and educational advantages in the area provides a progressive atmosphere rich in resources and opportunity. Avondale and its environs offer numerous recreational activities, an array of dining and entertainment venues, as well as housing to suit any budget.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Avondale yearly to experience all types of national sporting events. Avondale is home to Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), which hosts two NASCAR races annually each attracting nearly 400,000 enthusiasts and hundreds of race teams, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars into the state and local economy. Avondale is also minutes from the University of Phoenix Stadium, Jobing.com Arena and many Cactus League stadiums.

For nature lovers, Avondale offers wildlife viewing, hiking, biking and trail running opportunities on the developing Tres Rios Recreation Corridor and Maricopa County’s Estrella Mountain Regional Park.  The Audubon Society and Bird Life International has recognized the Tres Rios as an “Important Bird Area” with over 150 species of birds attracted to the area.

Opportunities to excel in education are boundless – Avondale is home to Estrella Mountain Community College, Rio@Avondale Learning Center and Universal Technical Institute. 

Contact us for further information:
Economic Development Department
11465 West Civic Center Drive, Ste. 210
Avondale, AZ 85323
623.333.1400; Fax: 623.333.0140