Tempe, Arizona, is a city located in Maricopa County, with a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece and is situated in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix.
It is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler on the south, and Mesa on the east. Tempe is home to the main campus of Arizona State University.
First Peoples & First Mentions
The area now known as Tempe was once inhabited by the Hohokam people, who built canals to support their agriculture. They abandoned their settlements during the 15th century, leaving behind a few individuals and families. The first permanent communities in the Valley after the fall of the Hohokam were established by US military service members and Hispanic workers near the Salt River in 1865. These settlements were known as 'Hayden's Ferry' and 'San Pablo'.
Explorers, Missions & Colonial Outposts
Fort McDowell was established approximately 25 miles northeast of present downtown Tempe in 1865, allowing for new towns to be built farther down the Salt River. The Tempe Irrigating Canal Company was soon established to provide water for agriculture. Pioneer Darrell Duppa suggested the name 'Tempe' in 1879, comparing the Salt River valley to the Vale of Tempe in Greece.
From Empire to Nation: Transfers of Rule
In 1885, the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature chose Tempe for the site of the Territorial Normal School, which evolved into Arizona State University. The Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, built in 1887, linked Tempe to the nation's growing transportation system. Tempe became an economic hub for the surrounding agricultural area and was incorporated as a town in 1894.
Rails, Roads & River Landings: Corridors That Sited Tempe
The completion of Roosevelt Dam in 1911 guaranteed enough water to meet the growing needs of Valley farmers. Tempe expanded as a suburb of Phoenix and as a center of education and commerce in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Salt River runs west through the northern part of Tempe, with part of the river dammed to create Tempe Town Lake, a significant feature of the cityscape.
