Buckeye, Arizona

Buckeye is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States and is, at this time, the westernmost suburb in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population was 6,537 at the 2000 census. From 2000 to 2010, the Buckeye population growth percentage was 678.3% as it had 50,876 people at the 2010 census.

Geography

Buckeye is approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona and 330 miles (530 km) east of Los Angeles, California.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.8 square miles (377.5 km²), all of it land.

Climate

This area is known for receiving abundant sunshine due to the stable descending air of high pressure systems found frequently in the southwestern US. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Buckeye has a hot desert climate, abbreviated "BWh" on climate maps.

History

Early settler Malin M. Jackson developed 10 miles (16 km) of the Buckeye Canal from 1884 to 1886, which he named after his home state of Ohio's moniker, "The Buckeye State". The town was founded in 1888 and originally named "Sidney," after Jackson's home town in Ohio. However, because of the significance of the canal, the town became known as Buckeye. The name was legally changed to Buckeye in 1910. The town was incorporated in 1929, at which time it included 440 acres (180 ha). The town's first mayor was Hugh M. Watson (1956-1958), who founded the Buckeye Valley Bank. Today, Watson Road is the site of the city's commercial center.