In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated that there were 180,587 residents of Tempe, a city in Maricopa County in the state of Arizona. The name of the city comes from the Greek valley of the same name. Tempe is located in Phoenix’s East Valley, between the cities of Phoenix and Guadalupe to the west, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to the north, Chandler and Mesa to the south, and Mesa to the east. About 200 thousand people call Tempe their home. The main campus of Arizona State University can also be found in Tempe.
Maple-Ash is an old neighborhood in Tempe that has a lot of history and is close to Arizona State University. This interesting and unique neighborhood is made up of older homes situated on large irrigated lots. You won’t find a more varied selection of building types anywhere else in the area than in Maple-Ash. Many different architectural styles, from farm cottages to ranch homes, were popular between 1900 and 1950. It’s also important to highlight University Park, a neighborhood known for its modern homes on expansive acres. Along Mill Avenue, brand-new condos and chic loft complexes have sprung up. Tempe is home to several major firms, including Go Daddy, Motorola, Insight, and Google, while Arizona State University is by far the city’s largest employer.
Until the 1960s, African Americans in Tempe were allowed to work but were strongly discouraged from settling in the city. When Warren and Carol Livingston bought a home in Tempe in 1965, they were the first African-Americans to do so. In 1885, the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature founded Arizona Normal School (later renamed Arizona State Teachers College and Arizona State College before becoming Arizona State University) in Tempe. In 1885, Tempe, Arizona became the home of Arizona State University.
The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, which was constructed in 1887 to cross the Salt River, was a vital link in the network that linked Tempe, Arizona, to the rest of the country. To capitalize on Tempe’s rapid expansion, the Tempe Land and Improvement Company was formed. As it expanded, Tempe became an important commercial hub for the surrounding agricultural area. In 1894, the city was incorporated as a legal entity.
When Roosevelt Dam was finished in 1911, finally enough water was made available to satisfy the growing needs of Valley farmers. Former President Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the dam’s dedication ceremony, praising the efforts of central Arizonans and predicting that their towns would flourish into prosperous cities in the future. A little over a year after the Salt River Valley’s explosive growth began, Arizona was officially admitted to the Union as the 48th state. Over the 20th and 21st centuries, Tempe has become an important suburb of Phoenix and a center of education and commerce.
