|
Chandler is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona. In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon in Arizona Territory, settled on a ranch south of Mesa studying irrigation engineering. By 1900, he had acquired over 18,000 acres of land and began drawing up plans for a townsite on what was then known as the Chandler Ranch. The townsite office opened on May 17, 1912, the same year that Chandler High School was established. By 1913, a town center had become established which featured the very luxurious Hotel San Marcos, the first golf resort in the state.
Chandler mostly sustained the Great Depression, but a cotton crash a few years later had a much deeper impact on the city's residents. Later, the founding of Williams Air Force Base in 1941 led to a small surge in population.
According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 234,939. An earlier census from the year 2000 stated that there were 62,377 households and 45,410 families residing in the city. Chandler has had a major population boom that started in the early 1980's that shows a figure of 30,000 to a 2007 figure of over 240,000. In 2001, a 1.3 million square-foot shopping mall, called the Chandler Fashion Center, opened in Chandler.
Chandler hosts an annual Ostrich Festival which commemorates the legacy of the ostrich farms that boomed during the 1910's when plumes were a big fashion item for women. There is also the Chandler Center for the Arts, which is a 1500 seat regional performing arts venue, and the Arizona Railway Museum which are both located in downtown Chandler.
In Chandler you will also find the Chandler Municipal Airport which is a two-runway general aviation facility located in the heart of the city. However, most area residents continue to use Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport located 20 miles from downtown Chandler for their flying needs.
Chandler has many great aquatic programs and facilities designed for the whole family. Some of the facilities are the Arrowhead Pool, Desert Oasis Aquatic Center, Folley Pool, Hamilton Aquatic Center, West Chandler Aquatic Center and Chandler's sixth public aquatics facility, the Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, which is currently under development.
City of Chandler
55 N. Arizona Place, Suite 203
Chandler, Arizona 85225
Telephone: 480-782-2180
City of Chandler Website
|
