Peoria Arizona is located northwest of Phoenix and is considered part of the greater Phoenix area. Peoria Arizona new homes and Peoria Arizona real estate investments are in high demand. Peoria is home to the Peoria Sports Complex, where two Cactus League teams play Spring Training baseball games, and where various events and festivals take place throughout the year. Lake Pleasant and the Challenger Learning Center are in Peoria. Peoria covers about 117 square miles. The newest Megamall is the Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale There are 25 public elementary schools and five public high schools in Peoria. The area is served by the Peoria Unified School District. Nearby, in Glendale, there is a community college, the American Graduate School of International Management (also known as 'Thunderbird'), and A.S.U.'s West Campus. Peoria is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Peoria Arizona has many planned communities with family friendly amenities Peoria is a city located primarily in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a small portion in Yavapai County. It is considered a major suburb of Phoenix. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,364, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate put the fast-growing suburb's population at 123,239, making it the tenth fastest-growing incorporated place in Arizona. By 2005 the population had grown to 138,200 according to the mid-decade Census survey estimates. Peoria is currently the fourth largest city in the state of Arizona in terms of land area, and the ninth largest city in the state in terms of population. The city was named after Peoria, Illinois. It is the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners who share the Peoria Sports Complex. The City of Peoria began as a small farming community near Phoenix in the 1880s. William J. Murphy¿s vision of fertile farm lands fed by water from the Salt River became reality with the completion of the Arizona Canal in 1885. Once this canal was completed, Murphy travelled east to interest people in settling in this new community. He was successful in catching people's attention, over 5,000 acres of land in the new district was purchased by citizens from Peoria, Illinois. Four families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to move to Arizona to occupy and work their land. The founders decided to name the new area Peoria to bring a sense of home to this unfamiliar area. Residences in the new community quickly sprang up, and by 1888, the population of the town was 27. A school and Post Office were established by 1889. More people followed the original families and Peoria continued to grow as a farming community. The farmlands were fertile and the people made a good living, despite having to battle swarms of red ants and the occasional rattlesnake in the kitchen. By 1910, the city's population was 300, and by 1920, the population had reached 2,370. The population did not grow too much until the 1990s, and in 1998 it had reached 87,048 and in 1999 was 101,235. Peoria was incorporated as a city in 1954, with boundaries covering one square mile of land. The warm climate and small-town atmosphere of Peoria continued to attract people, and still do today.