Maricopa Arizona
The community of Maricopa is located about 16 miles south of Interstate 10 west of Pinal County, Arizona. The town’s location had changed three times over the last one and half century. Maricopa Wells was the first site. It was located about 10 miles northwest which was a trading center for stagecoaches that passed through the southwest. The mail lines were ended by the Civil War and the newly built railroad a few miles south signaled the death of Maricopa Wells. The second location was Maricopaville which was 3.5 miles west from the first location. It was born when a junction was needed in connecting the Southern Pacific Railroad to Yuma and Tucson with a branch line to Phoenix. Maricopaville was then moved in 1887 to Maricopa’s current location when Tempe wanted to be on the railroad line that same year.
Maricopa was incorporated very recently in the year 2003. The latest population as of 2004 is 4,855 based on the U.S. Census Bureau. The town’s main economy was primarily geared toward farming and ranching but it is now diversifying into other areas such as automakers, the likes of Volkswagen and Nissan.
