Chandler

Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, and is a prominent suburb of the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 240,595. Chandler is an example of modern urban sprawl, with its population booming from about 30,000 in 1980 to over 240,000 in 2007. The city contains a large amount of modest tract home developments.

Chandler History

In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon in Arizona Territory, settled on a ranch south of Mesa, studying irrigation engineering. By 1900, he had acquired 18,000 acres (73 km sq.) of land, and began drawing up plans for a townsite on what was then known as the Chandler Ranch. The townsite office opened on May 17, 1912, the same year that Chandler High School was established. By 1913, a town center had become established, featuring the luxurious Hotel San Marcos, the first golf resort in the state.

Most of Chandler's economy was successfully sustained during the Great Depression (a second San Marcos hotel was canceled due to the Depression however), but the cotton crash a few years later had a much deeper impact on the city's residents. Later, the founding of Williams Air Force Base in 1941 led to a small surge in population, but Chandler still only held 3,800 people by 1950. By 1980, it had grown to 30,000, and it has since paced the Phoenix metropolitan area's high rate of growth, with vast suburban residential areas swallowing former agricultural plots. Some of this growth was fueled by the establishment of manufacturing plants for communications and computing firms such as Motorola and Intel, but despite the inclusion of many large businesses, Chandler is often considered a bedroom community for the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Chandler Culture

Chandler is noted for its annual Ostrich Festival. Initially, agriculture was the primary business in Chandler, based on cotton, corn, and alfalfa. During the 1910s, there were ostrich farms in the area, catering to the demand for plumes used in women's hats of the era. This demand ebbed with the increasing popularity of the automobile, but the legacy of the ostrich farms would be commemorated by the Ostrich Festival. The Chandler Center for the Arts, a 1500-seat regional performing arts venue, and the Arizona Railway Museum are both located downtown.

Chandler Economy

Computer chip manufacturer Intel has a major presence in Chandler with four locations within the city. Other technology firms also have operations within the city. In 2001, a 1.3 million square-foot shopping mall, the Chandler Fashion Center, opened in Chandler.

Chandler Education

Most of Chandler is served by the Chandler Unified School District.

Chandler west of Loop 101 is served by the Kyrene Elementary School District and the Tempe Union High School District, and north of Warner Road by Mesa Public Schools. The San Vincente neighborhood in Chandler is served by Gilbert Public Schools.

The USD of Chandler is served by three public high schools: Chandler High School, Hamilton High School, and Basha High School. Perry High School, just opening, will be the fourth High School in the area.

Education alternatives include charter, Christian schools, example, Valley Christian High School, parochial example, Seton High School, magnet schools, as well as "traditional" academies.

The two-year Chandler-Gilbert Community College, serving 13,000 students, is located in the east of the city near the Gilbert border. Private educational institituions Western International University and Apollo Group subsidiary University of Phoenix have locations here. Arizona State University is located 14 miles (23 km) from downtown in Tempe.

The Chandler Public Library (CPL) serves Chandler and the greater Phoenix East Valley. The main branch is located in downtown Chandler, with three additional branches located throughout the city: Sunset, Basha High School, and Hamilton High School. Basha and Hamilton branches are shared-use facilities located on high school campuses.

As part of a family literacy project to encourage literacy and library use among families who live in public housing, the Chandler Public Library visited three public housing locations to offer a four-week series of programs at each.