Maricopa

History

The settlement currently known as Maricopa has been located in three different places with three previous names: Maricopa Wells, Maricopaville and Maricopa Junction; the latter gradually became known as Maricopa. It began as an oasis around a series of watering holes eight miles north of present-day Maricopa, and about a mile west of Pima Butte. European-American traders and travelers called it Maricopa Wells. Several of Arizona's rivers, the Gila, Santa Cruz, Vekol and Santa Rosa, provided this oasis in the desert with an ample supply of water during this time. During the late 1800s, Maricopa Wells was one of the most important relay stations along the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line and the later more famous Butterfield Overland Mail Route. Today, very little remains of this once bustling community, but it played an important part in the progress and development of the Southwest. It was one of the best-known spots in Arizona during this period of time because it had a reliable source of water, and offered an abundant supply of food. The peaceful Pima and Maricopa farmers who lived and farmed nearby sold supplies to travelers and migrants. The most prosperous period of time for Maricopa Wells was in the 1870s. During this time the trading center at the Wells provided water and food for not only the east–west travelers, but those who traveled to the north to Phoenix. Fairly good roads had been built by James A. Moore, the proprietor at Maricopa Wells, to all points north. Maricopaville developed south and west of the Wells, following construction of a railroad line from this terminus to Phoenix. In 1879, the Southern Pacific Railroad was in the process of building a railroad line from Yuma to Tucson, and a second railroad line was to be built from Maricopaville,…

Geography

Maricopa is located at (33.056702, -112.046656). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The topography in Maricopa is flat, with several mountain ranges 10 to 20 miles away. The elevation of Maricopa is 1190 feet.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,328
• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  1,176
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,099
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  756
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  756
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  677
• Black-necked Stilt

  Himantopus mexicanus (P.L.S.Müller, 1776) · Aves
  672
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  622

Largest nearby schools

• Maricopa High School
  High · MARICOPA · 2,188 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• Legacy Traditional School - Maricopa
  Other · MARICOPA · 1,268 students
• Maricopa Wells Middle School
  Middle · MARICOPA · 934 students · 19.5:1 ratio
• Heritage Academy Maricopa
  High · MARICOPA · 883 students
• Sequoia Pathway Academy
  Other · MARICOPA · 843 students
• Desert Wind Middle School
  Middle · MARICOPA · 817 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Leading Edge Academy Maricopa
  Elementary · MARICOPA · 804 students
• Saddleback Elementary School
  Elementary · MARICOPA · 795 students · 14.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-03-15
  9 km SSE of Tat Momoli, Arizona
• M 3.2 — 2016-12-10
  11 km ENE of Rio Verde, Arizona
• M 2.8 — 2010-09-13
  14 km WNW of Kearny, Arizona
• M 3.1 — 2010-06-25
  8 km SW of Roosevelt, Arizona