Maricopa, Arizona

E very year, as is tradition, the City of Maricopa’s Mayor, Christian Price, delivers his State of City address with an inspiring message and a tribute to a theme. To honor Maricopa’s victories and to celebrate its progress in the wake of COVID-19, last year’s theme riffed on the Pixar Studios movie Up with the overall tone of the address playing on the motif that “Maricopa is looking UP”. “From that movie, there’s that line: ‘Adventure is out there’,” says Nathan Steele, Chief Economic Development Officer, extrapolating from Price’s quirky take on the city’s recent accomplishments. “Well, in Maricopa, adventure isn’t out there – it’s here. We’re a bit like a secret oasis in that, once people find Maricopa, they’re compelled to come and be a part of it.” And Maricopa is glad to have them. With an estimated 60,000 residents (a 15 percent population jump from the 2019 Census), Maricopa forms part of the Phoenix metropolitan area, which is surrounded by the incredibly serene Sonoran Desert, one of the world’s most diverse desert environments. At just 18 years old, Maricopa is already the second fastest growing city in Arizona and the 15th fastest in the nation. It also receives high marks as one of the best places to raise a family. Thanks to its southwestern agrarian charm and accessibility to nearby Tempe, Scottsdale, and the “high-tech corridor” of Chandler and Gilbert, the city continues to impress new residents, AT A GLANCE CITY OF MARICOPA, ARIZONA WHAT: A fast-growing young municipality; population approx. 60,000 WHERE: Part of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area WEBSITE: www.maricopa-az.gov ona Adventure is here