Queen Creek, in the southeast corner of Maricopa County,
is only a 45-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport,
but it is a world apart from city life. Families on
irrigated acre lots, mini-farms, and ranchettes live among the
farmers and ranchers, enjoying a rural lifestyle unique to
Queen Creek. Centuries ago, the Hohokam found these fertile
areas along the creeks and washes at the foot of the San
Tan Mountains ideal for farming, as did the settlers who came
to the area at the turn of the century.
Queen Creek incorporated in 1989. The town contains 19,200
acres, with 3,364 (17.6 percent) acres set aside for commercial
or industrial uses. (Commercial uses are clustered around the
town’s downtown core, and industrial uses are found along
the railroad tracks and spur, or in the northern part of the
town to buffer Williams Gateway Airport.)
Queen Creek is a partner in the Joint Powers Authority operating
Williams Gateway Airport at the former Williams Air Force
Base, adjacent to ASU East. But rural scenes fill most of the
45-square-mile planning area of the town–with cultivated
fields and citrus and peach orchards. Near the airport, along
the town’s northern border, are located a number of large
industries such as Olin, TRW Safety Systems, Mitsubishi, and
the General Motors Proving Grounds, providing significant
employment opportunities to residents as well as customers
for downtown businesses.
A widely accepted citizen-created General Plan guides Queen
Creek’s development and includes Queen Creek Ranchettes,
Circle G, and the Orchards, totaling more than 800 one-acre
lots. The community’s emphasis is quality homes and preservation
of the lifestyle residents enjoy. Two equestrian-oriented
projects, with homes on smaller lots located around shared stables
and arenas, are being developed.
Queen Creek attracts thousands of visitors each year for its
U-pick fruit and vegetable crops. The four-day Country
Thunder music festival brings more than 100,000 people to
enjoy camping and concerts. Scenic views include the San
Tan Mountains to the south and the Superstition Mountains
to the northeast. The San Tan Mountain Regional Park offers
open space and recreational opportunities. Queen Creek
plans to acquire and develop two major washes crossing the
town as the foundation of a parks and trail system. Historical
sites include the Old Main school building, the ruins of a
Butterfield Stage stop, and the Town Hall.
