Mesa is located in Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest city in the East Valley area of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It borders Tempe to the west, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community to the north, Chandler and Gilbert to the south, Queen Creek to the east, and Apache Junction in the middle.
Mesa, Arizona's third largest city, is home to more than 500,000 people. It is also the 37th-largest US city and the largest non-county seat. According to the Census Bureau, 504,258 people live in Mesa as of 2020. This makes it more populous than Minneapolis, St. Louis and Miami. Mesa is often called "America's most conservative place".
There are more than 40,000 students enrolled at Mesa's 10 colleges and universities. These include the Polytechnic campus, Arizona State University, Benedictine University and Upper Iowa University. Mesa Community College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, and Mesa Community College. Arizona College, Carrington College and DeVry University are all private for-profit institutions. Pima Medical Institute, Arizona College, Arizona Aviation Academy, Carrington College and DeVry University are also among them. Arizona State University opened ASU Mesa City Center in January 2020. This project will offer programs from the Herberger Institute for Design and Arts. It is expected to open in spring 2022. It also houses Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport which is located in the city's southeast corner.
Mesa's history dates back to at least 2,000 years before the arrival of the Hohokam people. The original canal system was built by the Hohokam, who are known as "All Used Up" and "The Departed Ones". These canals were among the most advanced and largest in the prehistoric New World. They could reach as far as 16 miles (26km) in length and were as wide as 90 feet (27m) in width. A.D. 1100 saw water being delivered to more than 110,000 acres (450km2) of land, turning the Sonoran Desert into a farming paradise. The Hohokam had built hundreds of miles of canals, many of which are still in operation today, by A.D. 1450.
Mesa City was officially registered on July 17, 1878 as a 1 square-mile (2.6 km2) municipality. In 1879, the first school was established. Mesa City was established in 1883 with 300 inhabitants. Dr. A. J. Chandler was the man who founded the city of Chandler. He worked to widen the Mesa Canal in 1895 so that enough water could flow to construct a power plant. This utility company was purchased by the city of Mesa in 1917. The company's revenues provided enough money for capital expenditures up to the 1960s. WPA funds were used to pave streets, build a hospital, and create a town hall.
Mesa uses a different grid system for street numbering than Phoenix or other parts of the metropolitan area. From north to south, Center Street divides Mesa into two halves. It serves as the eastern and west numbering point within Mesa. Streets west and east of Center St. (W. University Drive, W. Main St.) are considered in West Mesa. While streets east and west of Center St. (E. University, E. Main St.) are considered in East Mesa.