Avondale

History

William "Billy" G. Moore arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s, settling near the Agua Fria River in 1880. Moore called bought land and named his settlement "Coldwater, Arizona" - apparently for both 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 eventually established a stage stop near Agua Fria crossing, the Coldwater Stage Station in the 1880s. This was one of the earliest stage stations in the region, supplying travelers with provisions on their way from Tucson to northern Arizona and California. A saloon and a general store were also built, bringing in more commerce for the settlement. The post office was established in 1896 at a site near Avondale Ranch. From 1901 until 1905, William Moore served as postmaster of the Coldwater post office. The post office eventually became known as Avondale, taking the name of the nearby ranch, and the name Coldwater was discontinued. In December 1946, the City of Avondale was incorporated. Subsequent development resulted in a conglomeration of styles and architecture along Western Avenue typical of small western towns, with ranching, the railroad, and cotton farming as the main industries. Recently, the city has seen tremendous growth in new development, both residential and commercial, while the Old Town area along Western Avenue preserves the historic business district and safeguards opportunities for small, independent businesses. The residential population is on track to exceed 100,000 by 2030. 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.

Geography

Avondale is located at (33.435322, −112.349758). It is bordered to the west by Goodyear, to the north by Litchfield Park, and to the east by Phoenix and Tolleson. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.54%, are water. Winters are sunny and mild with nighttime lows averaging between and 50 °F (4 °C and 10 °C) and daytime highs ranging from to 75 °F (16 °C to 24 °C). The record low temperature recorded in Avondale is 16 °F (−9 °C). Summers are extremely hot, with daily high temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) for the entirety of June, July, and August, as well as many days in May and September. An occasional heat wave will spike temperatures over 115 °F (46 °C) briefly. Nighttime lows in the summer months average between and 80 °F (21 °C and 27 °C), with an occasional overnight low above 80 °F (27 °C) not uncommon. Avondale's record high temperature stands at an impressive 125 °F (52 °C), a few degrees warmer than the record for Phoenix, and just shy of Arizona's state record of 128 °F (53 °C), recorded in Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994. Snow is rare in the area, occurring once every several years. Lows in the winter occasionally dip below freezing, which may damage some desert plants such as saguaros and other cacti. In the summer (mainly July, August, and early September), the North American Monsoon can hit the Phoenix area in the afternoon and evening (possibly continuing overnight), causing rain showers even from a sunny morning. Dust storms are occasional, mainly during the summer. The surveying marker of the Gila and Salt River Meridian is located on Monument Hill. Ever since 1851, this has…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,061
• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  4,239
• Verdin

  Auriparus flaviceps (Sundevall, 1850) · Aves
  4,179
• Abert's Towhee

  Melozone aberti (S.F.Baird, 1852) · Aves
  3,984
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  3,718
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,399
• Gila Woodpecker

  Melanerpes uropygialis (S.F.Baird, 1854) · Aves
  3,296
• Gambel's Quail

  Callipepla gambelii (Gambel, 1843) · Aves
  3,183

Largest nearby schools

• La Joya Community High School
  High · AVONDALE · 2,078 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• Desert Edge High School
  High · GOODYEAR · 1,991 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• Betty Fairfax High School
  High · LAVEEN · 1,973 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• Agua Fria High School
  High · AVONDALE · 1,652 students · 18:1 ratio
• Estrella Foothills High School
  High · GOODYEAR · 1,398 students · 26.9:1 ratio
• Legacy Traditional School - Avondale
  Elementary · AVONDALE · 1,305 students
• Academy of Math and Science Avondale
  Elementary · Phoenix · 990 students
• Paseo Pointe School
  Elementary · LAVEEN · 980 students · 18.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-03-15
  9 km SSE of Tat Momoli, Arizona
• M 2.6 — 2020-06-06
  5 km NW of New River, Arizona
• M 3.2 — 2016-12-10
  11 km ENE of Rio Verde, Arizona
• M 3.6 — 2015-11-02
  4 km NNE of Black Canyon City, Arizona
• M 4 — 2015-11-02
  7 km NNE of Black Canyon City, Arizona
• M 3.2 — 2015-11-02
  8 km N of Black Canyon City, Arizona