Pat L

City of Peoria, Arizona

Peoria, Arizona is a dynamic desert community northwest of Phoenix with more than 171,000 residents. Officially incorporated in 1954, the city has grown from the original one square mile in Old Town Peoria to more than 176 square miles of beautiful Sonoran desert in both Maricopa and Yavapai counties. The city is home to Lake Pleasant – the state's second largest lake – and the Peoria Sports Complex – spring training home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. Also, Peoria has award-winning facilities, including the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, Rio Vista Community Park and Recreation Center, Pioneer Community Park, and so much more. The city also is proud of its relationship with the arts community, including non-profits such as the Challenger Space Center, West Valley Art Museum and Arizona Broadway Theatre. Those attractions along with 35 miles of hiking trails, top-notch schools, well planned residential neighborhoods, and an enticing variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options led Money magazine to rank Peoria among its 100 Best Places to Live.​ There are many reasons why Peoria is a desirable destination: spring training at the Peoria Sports Complex, community and dinner theater and Lake Pleasant Regional Park. The city is not only a great place to work — it is a great place to live.