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Goodyear, Arizona

City

Goodyear City Hall building at 1900 N. Civic Square.

Flag

Seal

Location in Maricopa County, Arizona

Goodyear, Arizona

Location in Arizona

Goodyear, Arizona

Location in the United States

Goodyear, Arizona

Location in North America

United States

Area

• Total

191.33 sq mi (495.54 km²)

• Land

191.30 sq mi (495.46 km²)

• Water

0.03 sq mi (0.08 km²)

Elevation

968 ft (295 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

95,294

• Density

498.14/sq mi (192.33/km²)

UTC-7 (MST (no DST))

85338, 85395

623

04-28380

GNIS feature ID

5172

Goodyear is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is a suburb of Phoenix. In 2020, about 95,294 people lived there. This was a big jump from 65,275 people in 2010 and 18,911 in 2000. Goodyear was one of the fastest-growing cities in Arizona between 1990 and 2000.

The city is home to the Goodyear Ballpark. Here, the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams practice in the spring.

In 2008, Goodyear won the All-America City Award. This award is given by the National Civic League. The city got its name from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. This company bought land here to grow cotton for their tires.

History of Goodyear

Goodyear started in 1917. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company bought 16,000 acres (about 65 square kilometers) of land. They wanted to grow cotton for vehicle tires.

World War II was important for Goodyear in the 1940s. The Phoenix Goodyear Airport was built during this time. Goodyear officially became a town on November 19, 1946. Back then, it had 151 homes, 250 apartments, a grocery store, and other small shops.

World War II and the Airfield

Luke Field Auxiliary #6, also called Goodyear Field, was built in 1943. The United States Army Air Forces used it. It was a smaller airfield that supported Luke Army Air Field. This airfield had many buildings for crews, supplies, and even a control tower. It stopped being used by 1971.

The land where this airfield was is now empty. The State of Arizona owns it and is looking for new ways to use it.

Goodyear's Modern Growth

In January 1965, the Phoenix Trotting Park opened. This was a track for horse racing. It was located near where Interstate 10 is now. The track closed after only two years because not enough people came. It was taken down in 2017.

Goodyear became a city in 1985. In the same decade, the remaining 10,000 acres (about 40 square kilometers) of the original farmland were sold. This land was set aside for future building. The Phoenix Goodyear Airport got its current name in 1986.

Homes and Population Growth

South Lake Park in Estrella, on the southern end of Goodyear

Even though Goodyear started in 1917, most of its growth happened after 1990. Many new neighborhoods have been built or are being built. These areas cover about 20,000 acres (about 81 square kilometers). They could hold almost 200,000 homes in the future.

Goodyear was affected by the "housing bubble" in the 2000s. This meant home values went down. But since then, the housing market has gotten much better. Goodyear is now a popular place to buy a home. There are many types of homes for families, single people, and seniors. As more people move to Goodyear, builders are working fast to keep up.

Estrella is the biggest community in Goodyear. It covers 20,000 acres (about 81 square kilometers). About 10,000 people live there. Palm Valley is another large area with different sized homes. PebbleCreek is a community for older adults. It has golf courses, fitness centers, and restaurants.

Goodyear has grown a lot as a suburb of Phoenix since the 1990s. Experts think Goodyear's population could reach 358,000 by 2035.

Geography

Goodyear is about 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of downtown Phoenix. Nearby cities include Avondale, Litchfield Park, Tolleson, and Buckeye. The city limits stretch far, from Glendale in the north to south of Arizona State Route 238.

The city covers about 191.3 square miles (495.5 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this is water. The Gila River flows through the city. The largest planned community, Estrella, is south of the Gila River, near the Estrella Mountains.

The Estrella Mountain Regional Park is huge, covering almost 20,000 acres (about 81 square kilometers). Most of it is still desert. It has eight trails that are over 30 miles (48 kilometers) long in total. There are also two baseball fields and a 9.5-mile (15.3-kilometer) track.

Buckeye, White Tank Mountains	Glendale, Surprise	Litchfield Park, Glendale
Buckeye		Avondale
	Goodyear

Buckeye	Estrella Mountains	Avondale

Climate and Weather

Goodyear has a hot desert climate. This is because it is in the Sonoran Desert. The city gets about ten inches (25 cm) of rain each year. It also has more than 300 sunny days every year.

Winters are sunny and mild. Nighttime temperatures are usually between 40°F and 50°F (4°C and 10°C). Daytime temperatures range from 60°F to 75°F (16°C to 24°C). The coldest temperature ever recorded in Goodyear was 16°F (-9°C).

Summers are very hot. Daily high temperatures are often above 100°F (38°C) in June, July, and August. Sometimes, temperatures can even go above 115°F (46°C). Nighttime temperatures in summer are usually between 70°F and 80°F (21°C and 27°C). The hottest temperature ever recorded was 125°F (52°C).

Snow is rare in Goodyear. It happens only once every few years. In summer, the North American Monsoon can bring thunderstorms and heavy rain. Dust storms also happen sometimes, mostly in the summer.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1930	1,135	—
1950	1,254	—
1960	1,654	31.9%
1970	2,140	29.4%
1980	2,747	28.4%
1990	6,258	127.8%
2000	18,911	202.2%
2010	65,275	245.2%
2020	95,294	46.0%
2022 (est.)	105,406	61.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

Goodyear's Diverse Community

Goodyear is home to a diverse group of people. In 2020, the city's population was 95,294.

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Goodyear:

**Goodyear city, Arizona – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	13,206	38,064	49,748	69.83%	58.31%	52.20%
Black or African American alone (NH)	962	4,132	6,876	5.09%	6.33%	7.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	175	638	860	0.93%	0.98%	0.90%
Asian alone (NH)	315	2,729	3,763	1.67%	4.18%	3.95%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	14	96	246	0.07%	0.15%	0.26%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	18	76	474	0.10%	0.12%	0.50%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	288	1,404	4,027	1.52%	2.15%	4.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	3,933	18,136	29,300	20.80%	27.78%	30.75%
Total	18,911	65,275	95,294	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Map of racial distribution in Goodyear, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Multiracial ⬤ Native American/Other

In 2010, about 71.9% of the people were White. 6.7% were African-American, and 4.3% were Asian. About 27.8% of the people were Hispanic or Latino. Many people in Goodyear are between 35 and 49 years old.

Economy and Jobs

Goodyear has many large companies that offer jobs. Here are some of the biggest employers in Goodyear as of 2020:

#	Employer	# of employees
1	Amazon	4,166
2	UPS	1,852
3	Macy’s	1,550
4	Chewy	1,500
5	Abrazo	1000
6	Cancer Treatment Centers of America	768
7	Sub-Zero Inc./Wolf	695
8	Cavco Industries Inc.	385
9	McLane Southwest	375
10	Aersale	360

Education

Goodyear has several school districts. These districts serve elementary, middle, and high school students.

Elementary and Middle Schools

Incito Schools
Mabel Padgett Elementary School
Palm Valley Elementary School
Desert Star Elementary School
Centerra Mirage S.T.E.M Academy
Copper Trails Elementary School
Desert Thunder Elementary School
Estrella Mountain Elementary School K–8
Las Brisas Academy Elementary School
Westar Elementary School
Western Sky Middle School
Wildflower Elementary School
Odyssey Preparatory Academy
St. John Vianney Catholic School

High Schools

Desert Edge High School
Millennium High School
Estrella Foothills High School
Goodyear High School (This school is being built and will open for the 2025-2026 school year.)

Colleges and Universities

Franklin Pierce University has a campus in Goodyear. It opened in 2008. The university offers programs related to healthcare, like a Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Sports

Goodyear Ballpark

Goodyear is famous for its baseball spring training. The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams come here to practice. They are both part of Major League Baseball.

In 2008, Goodyear's city council agreed to build a new baseball complex. It cost $33 million. This complex includes the 10,000-seat Goodyear Ballpark. It opened in 2009. Both the Reds and the Guardians have their own offices, clubhouses, and practice fields there.

Other baseball teams also play at Goodyear Ballpark. These include the Goodyear Centennials and two teams from the Arizona Complex League.

Transportation

Goodyear has different ways to get around, including air, rail, and road transport.

Air Travel

Phoenix Goodyear Airport is located in the city. It has a long runway, about 8,500 feet (2,591 meters). This runway can handle large airplanes. The airport is used by many international airlines for plane maintenance and storage. It does not have regular passenger flights.

Rail Transport

The Union Pacific railroad runs through Goodyear. This railroad connects Goodyear to 23 states in the western and central United States.

Roads and Highways

Interstate 10 goes through Goodyear. It heads west towards Buckeye and Los Angeles. To the east, I-10 goes to Phoenix, Tucson, and other states in the Southern U.S.

The city also has bus routes operated by Valley Metro Bus.

Other important roads include Loop 303. This road goes north to Surprise. Van Buren Street, McDowell, Indian School, and Camelback Roads are major roads that connect Goodyear to other parts of the Phoenix area. MC 85 (Maricopa County Highway 85) is another highway that passes through the southern parts of Goodyear.

Public Transportation

Valley Metro provides public transportation in Goodyear. They have the Avondale ZOOM bus, which is a local route. The 562 Goodyear Express bus runs during busy weekday hours. It connects Goodyear Park and Ride to Downtown Phoenix. The 17 McDowell bus also runs Monday through Saturday.

Road Improvements

Interstate 10 was built through Goodyear in the late 1900s. Between 2008 and 2014, the road was made much wider. It went from two lanes in each direction to five or six lanes. New exits were also added.

Loop 303 Improvements

The Arizona Department of Transportation built a new interchange where Interstate 10 and Loop 303 meet. This interchange was made bigger and was finished in 2014.

South of Interstate 10, Loop 303 is planned to be extended. It will go south to Estrella Mountain Ranch and connect to Interstate 8.

State Route 30

Arizona State Route 30 is a planned highway. It will run south of Interstate 10. This new highway will help reduce traffic on Interstate 10. It is planned to run between Arizona State Route 85 and Interstate 17.

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in Goodyear:

Carrick Felix – a former basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hersey Hawkins – a former NBA basketball player. He also coached at Estrella Foothills High School.
Gilbert Levin – a scientist who worked on experiments to find life on Mars.
Rick Manning – a former MLB baseball player and current broadcaster.
Tim Raines – a MLB Hall of Famer.
Josh Rojas – a professional baseball player who went to Millennium High School (Arizona).
Mitchell Watt – a former basketball player from Desert Edge High School.