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Welcome To KEY TO THE CITY's Page For
Mesa
Maricopa County, Arizona
ZipCodes
85201, 85202, 85203, 85204, 85205, 85206, 85207, 85208, 85210, 85213
Motto
"Great People, Quality Service!"
History & History-related items
Chamber of Commerce.
Organizations, Churches, and Sports.
Mesa is the Spanish word for "table top," which means a flat-topped, raised area.
The first inhabitants of the area were here around 2,000 years ago. They were the Hohokam Indians. They built the first irrigation ditches. No one really knows why they left the area. Various missionaries, explorers, etc. came and went during the 1500's and 1600's. The Apaches drove out the Spaniards in the 1700's. In the 1800's, the troops of the United States fought with the Apaches which opened the way for more white settlers to come. The small settlement of Maryville was founded in 1865 near a ferry acorss the Salt River. The town was later abandoned. Around 1877, Daniel Webster Jones was asked by Mormon Church leaders to bring a group down to this area. They built Fort Utah from adobe in July of 1877 in what they called Lehi.
A new group of Mormon settlers came in January of 1878, passing through the Lehi area. They decided to move up to the mesa and proceeded to clear the land and prepare a town site. They utilized the irrigation ditches which were dug by inhabitants of the area in 700 A.D. The availability of water in the area has allowed it to grow tremendously. A number of factors, including flooding in the lower, Lehi area, caused Mesa to grow much faster, eventually overtaking and absorbing the Lehi area. Mesa was known as Mesa City among the residents, but the post office first called it Hayden's Ferry. Then it was changed to Zenos. Finally, in 1889, the post office department allowed the name of Mesa City. There was already a Mesaville on the San Pedro River which they felt would make the new community name confusing, but finally relented and allowed the chosen name of Mesa.
For more history information, see the Mesa Arizona city site
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Arizona Chamber Symphony
Arizona Opera (also in Tucson)
Desert Botanical Garden
Chandler Center for the Arts
Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Arts
Grady Gammage Auditorium (at ASU)
Nelson Fine Arts Center (at ASU)
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Zoo
Red River Opry
Taliesin West, former summer home of famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Cactus Rd. and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ
Phone: 480-860-8810
Arizona Temple Visitors Center
525 E. Main St.
Mesa, Arizona
Phone: 480-964-7164
A noted landmark with beautifully manicured gardens throughout the grounds. In December, more than 400,000 bright, twinkling lights are displayed. A spectacular Easter Pageant features a musical dramatization of the resurrection of Christ. It is the largest annual Easter Pageant in the world.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
40 miles east of Mesa on US Highway 60.
Thousands of varieties of desert plants and wildlife from throughout the world.
Sirrine House
160 N. Center
Mesa, Arizona
Phone: 480-644-2760
Built in 1896 by one of the city's pioneers, Joel E. Sirrine, it isMesa's firstfully restored, Victorian-era historichome museum.
Arizona Museum for Youth
35 N. Robson
Phone: 480-644-2467
A child-oriented fine arts center featuring changing art exhibits and unique hands-on art activities for children.
Buckhorn Wildlife Museum
5900 E. Main
Mesa, AZ
Phone: 480-832-1111
This museum features more than 400 mounted and displayed native bird and animal specimens
The Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum at Falcon Field in Mesa was closed in 2003 and the collection moved to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. It was home to the World's largest private collection of flyable vintage fighter aircraft.
Commemorative Air Force Museum
2017 Greenfield Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85215
Phone: 480-924-1940
Home of "Sentimental Journey," a restored WWII B-17. A collection of all types of combat planes of the US Armed Forces plus some of other countries. Please call for hours of operation.
Mesa Southwest Museum
53 N. Mcdonald
Mesa, AZ
Phone: 480-644-2230
A miniature "Smithsonian" featuring southwestern folklore and more.
SPORTS & RECREATION
Outdoor recreation abounds in the area. Among the offerings are:
The Arizona Cardinals (NFL Football)
Games at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Phone: 480-379-0102
Phoenix Suns (NBA Basketball)
Phone: 602-379-7867
Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball)
Phone: 602-514-8400
Phoenix Coyotes (NHL Hockey)
Phone: 480-473-5600
Arizona Rattlers (Arena Football)
Phone: 514 TDTD (8383) or 602-379-7878
Cactus League
(professional baseball spring training)
Phone: 480-827-4700
Toll-free: 800-283-6372
Phoenix Mercury
Women's National Basketball Association
Phone: 602-503-5555 (tickets)
Phone: 602-340-0001
Arizona State University Sports Information
Phone: 480-965-2381
Professional golf tournaments during the season
Phoenix Greyhound Park Racing
Phoenix International Raceway
Golf Courses - 25 within 15 minutes
The Fiesta Bowl
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Email the Mayor or city council: council@cityofmesa.org
The city residents elect a city council consisting of the mayor and six council members. A new system will begin in March of 2000. The council seats were each represent one of six geographic areas of Mesa. The new system for the council was approved by voters in May of 1998.
Most city offices and services are located at Mesa City Plaza
20 E. Main Street
Mesa Arizona 85201
Mailing address:
City of Mesa
P.O. Box 1466
Mesa, AZ 85211For general information about the city, please call: (480) 644-2011.
City of Mesa is now the nation's 43rd largest city, according to the 2000 census. Mesa's population is expected to reach 500,000 by 2020.
All of Arizona is on the Mountain Standard Time - year round. When other parts of the country go on daylight savings time, Arizona remains on standard time.
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