What is the population of Mesa, Arizona?
Mesa, Arizona had a population of 504,258 at the 2020 census. That makes it the 37th-most populous city in the United States and the third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson.
Questions about Mesa, Arizona
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why is Mesa, Arizona unique among large American cities?
Mesa is the most populous city in the United States that is not a county seat. The only exceptions to that distinction are Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, which are independent cities not part of any county.
Who built the ancient canals in Mesa, Arizona?
The Hohokam culture built the original canal system in the Mesa area at least 2,000 years ago. Their canals were up to 90 feet wide and 10 feet deep at the head gates, extending as far as 16 miles across the desert, and are considered the largest and most sophisticated prehistoric irrigation network in the New World. Many of those canals are still in use today.
When was Mesa, Arizona founded and incorporated?
Mesa City was registered as a townsite on the 17th of July 1878 and formally incorporated in 1883 with a population of 300 people. Mormon pioneer Daniel Webster Jones led the first settlers into the area beginning in March 1877.
What is Mesa, Arizona's political reputation?
Mesa was identified as the most conservative American city with a population of more than 250,000 residents in a 2014 study by researchers from MIT and UCLA. The Pew Research Center independently confirmed that finding in 2017.
What colleges and universities are located in Mesa, Arizona?
At least ten colleges and universities are located in Mesa, with more than 40,000 students enrolled. Major institutions include Mesa Community College (which enrolls more than 24,000 students), Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus in southeast Mesa, and A. T. Still University's osteopathic medical school.