Eloy, Arizona


Eloy is a city in Pinal County, Arizona, United States, approximately northwest of Tucson and about southeast of Phoenix. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 15,635.
WWW Official Site

History

In 1880, as tracks were being laid for the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Route, a small number of boxcars were used as a camp for railroad workers. It was discovered that cotton could be grown in the area's climate. In 1902, the Southern Pacific Railroad named the area train stop Eloy, an acronym for "East Line Of Yuma". Alternately, there is a legend that the area was initially called "Eloi", after a railroad employee looked around at the barren desert and said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?". A town called Cotton City was established in 1918. In 1919, the newly established post office rejected that name in favor of Eloy. As part of Pinal County, the city incorporated in 1949.

Geography

Eloy has a total area of 113.7 square miles, all land.

Demographics

As of the 2011 census, there were 16,964 people, 2,492 households, and 1,988 families residing in Eloy. The population density was. There were 2,734 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 58% Hispanic or Latino, 5% Black or African American, 41% White, 4% Native American, 1% Asian, <1% Pacific Islander, 31% from other races, and 5% from two or more races.
There were 2,492 households, out of which 50.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. Of all households, 15.5% were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.94.
In the city, the population was spread out with 33.7% under the age of 18, 12.0% from the ages of 18 to 24, 32.5% from the ages of 25 to 44, 15.4% from the ages of 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 137.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 154.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,518, and the median income for a family was $28,494. Males had a median income of $25,295 versus $21,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,194. About 27.9% of families and 31.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.6% of those under age 18 and 24.6% of those aged 65 or over.

Government

The mayor of Eloy is Andrew Sutton whose term runs from 2022 to 2024. He was previously a council member from 2020. The vice mayor is Michelle Trango. The city council consists of the mayor, who serves a two-year term, and six city council members, who each serve four-year terms.

Economy

The largest employer is CoreCivic and CoreCivic prisoners are included in the census. CoreCivic operates four facilities: Eloy Detention Center, Red Rock Correctional Center, Saguaro Correctional Center, and La Palma Correctional Facility. As of 2020, CoreCivic's correctional centers house detainees from states including Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, and Kansas.
Image:Eloy-municipal-airport-aerial-view.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Eloy Municipal Airport, looking east
According to Eloy's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
#EmployerEmployees
1CoreCivic1,546
2Eloy [Elementary School District]155
3Republic Plastics142
4City of Eloy121
5Schuff Steel113
6Otto Plastics Arizona, LLC80
7Skydive Arizona70
8TravelCenters of America65
9Santa Cruz Valley Union High School District55

Transportation

The closest major airports to Eloy are Phoenix [Sky Harbor International Airport] and Tucson International Airport. Casa Grande Shuttle provides an airport shuttle to Sky Harbor.
The Eloy Municipal Airport is a non-towered airport located in Eloy.
Greyhound serves Eloy.

Culture

Eloy is home to the world's largest skydive drop zone, operated by Skydive Arizona, and bills itself as the skydiving capital of the world. Two parachute manufacturers are based in Eloy, including Firebird USA and Sun Path Products.
The city is home to the Robson Ranch Golf Club with an 18-hole, par-72 golf course. The Casa Grande Valley Historical Society & Museum was founded in 1964 and holds a collection of more than 50,000 artifacts. Picacho Peak State Park is located 10 miles southeast of Eloy. It is the site of the only Civil War battle in Arizona; the battle is re-enacted annually.
Eloy was the town showcased during Season 2, Episode 19 of the 1950s police drama "The Man Behind the Badge". The name of the episode was
"The Case of the Wild West" and it was first shown on
Saturday, May 14, 1955.

Education

The Eloy Elementary School District provides elementary education in grades kindergarten through 8th grade through its four schools:
  • Curiel Primary School
  • Eloy Intermediate School
  • Eloy Junior High School
  • Toltec Elementary School
Eloy has one public high school, Santa Cruz Valley Union High School, and some residents attend the nearby Casa Grande Union High School.

Notable people