City/Town Snapshot: City of Eloy

History. The area surrounding the city began to carry the name of Eloy when in 1902, a siding and section gang house was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was called ELOY, an acronym for the East Line of Yuma. In January 1918, the Cotton City Land & Development Company purchased land and plotted a town and called it Cotton City. Early settlers recognized that the city was sited in the fertile Santa Cruz River Basin which prompted the cultivation of cotton. An application was made in 1919 to establish a post office at which time the city founders favored the name 'Cotton City'. However, this name was rejected by the Railroad and Postal Service and the name 'Eloy' was selected.

Setting. When the City of Eloy officially incorporated in 1949, it was home to approximately 4,700 residents. There are three developed areas of the city- the Downtown area; the Toltec area and Robson Ranch. The City of Eloy is located nearly equidistant from Phoenix and Tucson and now includes approximately 113 square miles. A population of nearly 18,000 resides in the city-with forecasts to double in the next 10 years.

At the heart of the Arizona Sun Corridor, Eloy has the opportunity to serve as the vortex of manufacturing and major distribution firms located along Interstate 10 and Interstate 8. Other key transportation assets are the Union Pacific Railroad and Eloy Municipal Airport.

Open space and trails also surround the city, including Picacho Peak state Park, Picacho Resevoir, Ironwood Forest National Monument, the Casa Grande Natural Resource and Trail Park, and Casa Grande Ruins National Park.

Economics. Historically, the city's economy has been largely dependent upon agriculture. During harvest time, the city's population could temporarily triple. The city's economy has now diversified, with over three-quarters of its businesses and nearly half of its employment, in the industrial, wholesale/retail trade, and service sectors. The majority of city revenues accrue from the truck stops (i.e. Love's, TA, Flying J, Petrol,) along Interstate 10 and the privately operated prison -Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).

The Eloy Municipal Airport has served the region since 1969. Since the 1990's, the presence of SkyDive Arizona has generated a national and international reputation for quality parachute jumping activity, which has been a catalyst for a skydive wind tunnel, aircraft maintenance, aircraft painting, parachute manufacturing/equipment maintenance, aerial crop dusting, and hot air balloon rides.

Recent Successes/Near Term Directions. The following projects have or will exhibit a positive impact on the city:

Completed/In Progress
  • Expansion of Otto Environmental-Completed
  • City Entry Monument Signage-Constructed
  • 2% Food Tax for Economic Development-Adopted
  • Economic Development Consultant-Hired
  • Downtown Advisory Commission-Formed
  • Veteran's Heritage Park-Constructed
  • Expansion of CCA Prison-Under Construction
  • Monsanto Water Line Extension-Under Construction
  • Municipal Airport Taxi Lanes-Under Construction
  • Wayfinding Signage-Under Design
  • Downtown Entry Landscape-Under Design
Future/Near Term
  • PhoenixMart-Initiated
  • New City Hall-Under Design
  • Interstate 10 improvements-Programmed
  • Municipal Airport T-Hangars-Programmed
  • Downtown Master Plan-Programmed
  • Red Rock Rail Classification Yard-Proposed
Click here for more information on the City of Eloy.
 

League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ  85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org

If you have ideas for this newsletter or encounter difficulty reading this email,
please contact Samantha Womer at swomer@azleague.org with your concerns.