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Mesa consists of 281 square miles of land area. It is located approximately 16 miles west of Phoenix, AZ. It is bounded on the west by Phoenix and Tempe, to the north by Scottsdale and the Salt River Indian Reservation, to the east by Apache Junction and Gold Canyon and to the south by Gilbert, Chandler and Queen Creek. History The first known inhabitants of Mesa were the Hohokam Indians 2,000 years ago. Various missionaries and explorers arrived during the 1500's and 1600's. The Apaches occupied the area in the 1700's and 1800's. In the 1800's, US Cavalry troops defeated the Apaches and opened the area for white settlers. In the late 1800's, Mormon settlers set up a town site on a prominent land mass called a "mesa". This town site was incorporated as "Mesa" in 1883. The first mayor's name was A.F. McDonald, mail came via Hayden's Ferry.
Environment Mesa is a desert environment with comfortable winter days, cool winter nights and very warm summers. There are an average of 313 sunny days per year in Mesa. The average rainfall is 7.52 inches, with the last five year's rainfall being much below normal. The winter of 2004-2005 has been very wet, a welcome relief to the ten-year drought we've experienced lately. Economy Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona. It's current population is 440,000 (as of 2003) and is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation (for comparison, the 2000 census was 396,375). The median income in Mesa is $42,817 (as of 2000) and the average home price is $165,000 new and $132,000 resale (both figures 2002). Mesa boasts an educational attainment level of 85% of it's inhabitants with a high school diploma and 22% with college degrees.
Geography Mesa consists of a well-established West end of town, with a slightly nostalgic downtown and older homes. Toward the center of town, the feel is more of a bedroom community with wide streets, larger lots and a mixture of one-story and two-story homes. The East end of the city has a rural feel, with horse properties interspersed with gated "planned communities". Mesa is bounded by SR 202 to the North and I-10 to the west. SR60 follows the southern side of the city. The Arizona Department of Transportation is extending the northern portion of SR202 eastward and then south, where it will eventually cross SR60, curve back west and rejoin SR101. This highway expansion project will immeasurably ease traffic flow in Mesa when completed and is likely to significantly change the face of the east and southern ends of town.
Spring Training in Arizona From mid-February through April, Mesa is the place to be for baseball's spring training. Major League Baseball's Cactus League is centered in the East Valley -- the Chicago Cubs play at Hohokam Park, 1235 N Center St, Mesa. The Cubs also practice at Fitch Park, located just south of Hohokam Park. The Anaheim/LA-whatever-they're-called-this-year Angels practice year round at Gene Autry Park in NE Mesa, on McKellips Road between Val Vista and Greenfield. Other teams that hold Spring Training in or near Mesa include: Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies. For more info on the 2005 Spring Training season, click here. Some famous people from Mesa Shea Hillenbrand -- Professional Baseball player. Former AZ Diamondback and Boston Red Sox. Born in Mesa, attended Mountain View High School and Mesa Community College. Traded from the Red Sox to the Diamondbacks in 2003, Shea had the highest batting average on the 2004 Diamondbacks. Sadly, Shea was traded over the winter and will play for the Toronto Blue Jays next year. We'll miss you Shea! Buck Owens -- Country music singer. Actor/performer and co-host on "Hee Haw" television show. Born in Texas, grew up in Mesa. In the 60's, had 15 number 1 hits in a row on the Billboard charts. Owned local station KNIX. Member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Misty Hyman -- Gold Medal Winner, 2000 Summer Olympics, 200 meter butterfly. Born in Mesa. Waylon Jennings -- Played bass on Buddy Holly's last tour, gave up his seat on the plane that crashed and killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Singer/musician with 50 years of country music and 60 albums. Moved to Mesa in 2001, died there in 2002. Ben Johnson -- Veteran actor with over 300 movies to his name. Won an Academy Award for "The Last Picture Show." He retired to Leisure World in Mesa, living there with his mother. Died there in 1996. Ernesto Miranda -- "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..." The now-famous Miranda warning followed the case of a Mesa resident named Ernesto Miranda, an eighth-grade dropout, who was arrested for kidnap and rape in 1963. Miranda signed a confession, was tried in a Phoenix court and convicted of the crime. The Supreme Court eventually overturned this conviction based on the fact that Miranda was never told that he did not have to talk to police or that he had the right to a lawyer. Due to the ruling, the confession was ruled inadmissible. Miranda was later retried for the same crime and convicted -- without the confession. Miranda served his time and was stabbed to death in a bar in 1976. Keri Russell -- Grew up in Texas, moved to Mesa and attended Poston Jr. High School. A member of Mesa Stars Dance and Drill team, Keri appeared on "Star Search" and was cast in Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" from 1991 to 1993. She was also the title character in a short-lived TV series "Felicity" in 1998. Return to Home -- About Me -- Subdivision Stats -- Buyer Seller Advice -- Free Reports -- Your Homes Value -- Dream Home Finder -- Apply Online -- Interest Rates -- School Information -- Consumer Links -- Favorite Links -- Real Estate News -- Useful Tools -- Contact Me Pages: Mesa -- East Mesa -- Apache Junction -- Gold Canyon -- Maricopa County -- Pinal County -- Sonoran Desert -- Boulder Mountain -- Sierra Estates -- Adobe Estates -- Falcon Ridge -- Sierra Heights |
