52-602: Chandler Unified School District serves most of the city of Chandler, Arizona , plus portions of Gilbert , and Queen Creek . The district serves over 43,000 students, making it the 2nd largest school district in Arizona. Some parts of Chandler are not part of this school district. All of Chandler west of the Loop 101 freeway is part of the Kyrene School District and Tempe Union High School District ; some parts of Chandler near
104-406: A 21.9-mile (35.2 km) bypass around Downtown Phoenix , linking the metropolitan area's southwestern and southeastern suburbs. The Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway was to be SR 218. By July 19, 1991, it was renumbered as part of Loop 202. A six-mile (9.7 km) stretch of Loop 202, between 40th Street and 17th Avenue, includes a 16-foot (4.9 m) wide shared-use path. The pathway
156-614: A long bridge before encountering its first major junction with Loop 101 around milepost 9.5. At this point, Loop 202 enters the city of Mesa . It avoids the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community lands and has a junction with SR 87 . It also passes the Falcon Field and the adjunct Boeing Mesa Facility. Just shy of the Superstition Mountains , the freeway turns southward and serves
208-527: A town-site on what was then known as the Chandler Ranch. The town-site office opened on May 16, 1912. The original town-site was bounded by Galveston Street to the north, Frye Road to the south, Hartford Street to the west, and Hamilton Street to the east. By 1913, a town center was established, featuring the Hotel San Marcos, which also had the first grass golf course in the state. Chandler High School
260-480: A wildlife preservation and designated horse and walking trails. Chandler is represented by a mayor , a vice mayor and five city council members. The vice mayor is elected by the city council from among its members. The mayor, vice mayor and council members represent the entire city and are not elected from districts or wards. Kevin Hartke was elected to his second term as mayor in 2023. The north central section of
312-639: Is 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Downtown Phoenix . Chandler is in proximity to/borders the San-Tan mountain range. The San-Tan mountains are in the jurisdiction of the Gila River Indian Community . Chandler is divided into three parts: North Chandler, West Chandler and South Chandler, each being divided by the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) and Loop 101 (Price Freeway). As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 280,684 people and 106,712 households. The population density
364-467: Is a semi- beltway circling the eastern and southern areas of the Phoenix metropolitan area in central Maricopa County, Arizona . It traverses the eastern end and the southern end of the city of Phoenix , in addition to the cities of Tempe , Mesa , Chandler , and Gilbert , and is a vital route in the metropolitan area freeway system . Loop 202 has three officially designated sections along its route;
416-438: Is on the south side of the freeway and is also open to pedestrians and cyclists. The path was added because the former Pecos Road had been a popular cycling route for years. The Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway was the most controversial segment of Loop 202. Construction was delayed due to tension between three groups: regional transportation planners, who insisted that the freeway was necessary to ensure smooth traffic flow in
468-560: The 2020 census , the population of Chandler was 275,987, up from 236,123 at the 2010 census. Chandler is a commercial and tech hub for corporations like Intel , Northrop Grumman , Wells Fargo , PayPal and Boeing . In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler , a Canadian and the first veterinary surgeon in the Arizona Territory , settled on a ranch south of Mesa and studied irrigation engineering. By 1900, he had acquired 18,000 acres (73 km ) of land and began drawing up plans for
520-690: The Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus . The city of Mesa received $ 40,000 for the use of the freeway from NBC Universal . The SanTan Freeway was completed in 2006. This section of freeway was originally numbered as SR 220. It was given current designation on December 18, 1987, along with the East Papago and Red Mountain Freeway corridors and the portion of the SanTan Freeway east of Price Road. Between Price Road and
572-643: The McCullough–Price House and the San Marcos Hotel . The Chandler Public Library serves Chandler and the greater East Valley . The main library is in Downtown Chandler, with two branches elsewhere in the city: Sunset, Basha (shared with Basha High School ), and Hamilton (shared with Hamilton High School ). Tumbleweed Park hosts the annual Ostrich Festival, the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival and
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#1732855182609624-603: The Mesa Community College and the Red Mountain District Park. At milepost 30, it encounters US 60 (Superstition Freeway) on the SuperRedTan Interchange . This segment features HOV lanes from the start of the route to University Drive, with ongoing plans to extend the lanes. Past the interchange, Loop 202 becomes the SanTan Freeway. Near Eastmark, the route curves west and encounters
676-716: The Price and Santan freeways , in the Price Road Corridor. The 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m ) Chandler Fashion Center , opened in 2001. Companies headquartered in Chandler include Keap , Microchip , and Rogers . Bashas' headquarters is in a county island surrounded by Chandler. According to the City of Chandler Economic Development Division, leading employers in the city are: Chandler holds an annual Ostrich Festival at Tumbleweed Park to commemorate when ostrich farms in
728-957: The Red Mountain Freeway , the SanTan Freeway , and the Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway , also known as the South Mountain Freeway . The Red Mountain Freeway runs from the Mini Stack Interchange with Interstate 10 (I-10) and State Route 51 (SR 51) in Phoenix to the SuperRedTan Interchange with U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Mesa. The SanTan Freeway runs from there to an interchange with Interstate 10 (I-10) in Chandler. The Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway runs from there to I-10 in western Phoenix. Loop 202
780-468: The "Southwest Loop Highway", was revised several times since 1985, when Maricopa County voters originally approved its construction as part of the regional highway network envisioned under Proposition 300. In 1988, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the region's transportation planning agency, suggested an alignment of the freeway's western segment along 55th Avenue and an alignment of
832-768: The Chandler Boulevard extension project to facilitate local access beginning in summer 2015. However, new lawsuits in June 2015 from the group Protecting Arizona's Resources and Children, the Sierra Club , and the Gila River Indigenous Community threatened to delay the freeway's construction. On August 26, 2015, ADOT started demolition of the first houses along the route for the South Mountain Freeway (Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway). On February 27, 2016,
884-592: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Record of Decision approving the project and selecting a build alternative. ADOT immediately thereafter commenced right-of-way acquisition and the procurement of final design and construction services in the form of a design-build-maintain contractor or "developer." The developer will have been selected at the end of 2015 (actual date was a couple months after) and freeway construction will have begun in early 2016 (construction started later that same year), with
936-556: The I-10 interchange, the freeway was to be part of Loop 101 , and is officially designated as such, even though maps and road signs show it as part of Loop 202. The third and final leg of Loop 202, the Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway, named in honor of longtime U.S. Representative Ed Pastor (D-AZ), received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration on March 10, 2015, with construction completed at
988-522: The I-10/Loop ;202 (Santan Freeway) interchange. In early 2017, ADOT announced an updated design for the freeway, including Arizona's first diverging diamond interchanges at Desert Foothills Parkway and 17th Avenue; a reconfiguration near 51st Avenue that moved the freeway interchange to Estrella Drive in order to avoid a GRIC well; and a pedestrian bridge to connect the Del Rio subdivisions bisected by
1040-602: The Mesa border are served by Mesa Public Schools . Humphrey Campus Chandler, Arizona Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona , United States, and a suburb in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is the fourth-most populous city in Arizona, after Mesa , Tucson , and Phoenix . Chandler is considered to be a part of the East Valley . As of
1092-530: The Red Mountain Freeway west of the Pima/Price Freeways was formerly known as the "East Papago Freeway," and it was initially designated SR 217. The remainder of the Red Mountain Freeway was to be SR 216. In 2006, this portion of Loop 202 was used to portray a Saudi Arabian superhighway in the 2007 film, The Kingdom . Filming also took place at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and
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#17328551826091144-573: The Salt River again, which is the site of the future SR 30 junction. Loop 202 takes up the 59th Avenue alignment through the warehouse districts before finally terminating at milepost 78 with I-10 (Papago Freeway) about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) west of Downtown Phoenix . The final section of the Red Mountain Freeway opened on July 21, 2008, thus marking the completion of the original Regional Freeway System as approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 by Proposition 300. The portion of
1196-693: The South Mountain Freeway by locals), Loop 202 enters Phoenix as it follows the Pecos Road alignment between the gated communities of the Ahwatukee Foothills Village and the Gila River Indigenous Community . Near Komatke , the freeway curves northward and cuts through the western foothills of the South Mountain Preserve , with a direct interchange to a hotel and casino. The route passes through Laveen and crosses
1248-476: The annual Day of Play. It features a recreational center with equipment suited for fitness. Hamilton Aquatic Center is a shared-use aquatic facility, located within Hamilton High School 's campus. Nozomi Aquatic Center is a shared-use aquatic facility which includes a 25 yard, 8-lane competition pool. Veterans Oasis Park is located at the city's highest point, at 1,311 feet (400 m). It includes
1300-510: The area produced plumes for women's hats during the 1910s. Chandler also holds an annual ceremony to light a tree made from tumbleweeds ; a ceremony founded in 1957 when Chandler sought an alternative way to decorate the city during the Christmas holidays. Venues, galleries and museums include: Several sites in Chandler are listed on the National Register of Historic Places , including
1352-597: The city and the western "leg" of the city are within Arizona's 4th congressional district , served by Representative Greg Stanton , a Democrat . The rest of Chandler is within Arizona's 5th congressional district , served by Representative Andy Biggs , a Republican . Chandler's western "leg" and a small, narrow portion of the adjacent northern part of the city are within Arizona's 18th Legislative District, served by Representatives Denise Epstein and Jennifer Jermaine , and Senator Sean Bowie , all Democrats. The rest of
1404-706: The city is in Arizona's 17th Legislative District, served by Representatives Jennifer Pawlik and Jeff Weninger , and Senator J. D. Mesnard , one Democrat and two Republicans. Chandler is served by the Chandler Unified School District , Kyrene Elementary School District , Tempe Union High School District , Mesa Public Schools , and Gilbert Public Schools . Catholic and charter schools include Basis Schools , Seton Catholic Preparatory , and Legacy Traditional Schools. Post-secondary educational institutions located in Chandler include: The University of Arizona Chandler, International Baptist College, and
1456-489: The city's residents. A. J. Chandler lost his San Marcos hotel to creditors as a result. 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, the population had grown to 30,000, and it has since paced the Phoenix metropolitan area's high rate of growth, with suburban residential areas and commercial use areas swallowing former agricultural plots. The population has nearly doubled in
1508-401: The coming decades; residents of the adjacent Ahwatukee community, who would have lost 120 homes to eminent domain depending on the road's final alignment; and leaders and residents of the adjoining Gila River Indigenous Community (GRIC), who have oscillated between opposing and supporting the freeway in recent years. The specific alignment of the freeway, initially referred to in 1983 as
1560-507: The contract to design, build, and maintain the freeway was awarded to Connect 202 Partners, a joint venture led by Fluor Corporation , with Fluor, Granite Construction , Ames Construction, and Parsons Brinckerhoff being responsible for the final design and construction, and with Fluor and DBi Services, LLC being responsible for maintenance for 30 years. The first phase of construction of the South Mountain Freeway (Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway) began on September 19, 2016, with improvements to
1612-517: The downtown area. At milepost 50, it has a second interchange with Loop 101 , which terminates here, beside the Chandler Fashion Center mall. At milepost 55, Loop 202 has a full-on junction with I-10 by Pecos Park. This section of Loop 202 has HOV lanes through I-10 out to Gilbert Road, also with long-term plans to extend the lanes eastward. Continuing westward as the Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway (sometimes referred to as
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1664-481: The eastern portion along Pecos Road, suggesting that the latter be built on Gila River Indigenous Community land instead. Two months later, ADOT overruled the panel's suggestion for the western segment and opted for the current 59th Avenue alignment instead. In February 2012, a non-binding referendum was held in the Gila River Indigenous Community on whether the eastern portion of the freeway should be built on community land several miles south of Pecos Road. Options in
1716-413: The eastern segment along Pecos Road. A federal study in 2001 required ADOT to reexamine those suggestions, and the task of recommending the final alignment fell to a Citizen's Advisory Team formed in 2002. In April 2006, that panel released their final recommendations to route the western portion of the freeway four miles further west to connect with Loop 101 , and to reject the proposed alignment of
1768-515: The end of 2019. Initially, the freeway was officially named as the South Mountain Freeway during its conception and construction (and still colloquially known as such), but received its current official name on October 22, 2019. The construction phase divided it into two distinct segments: the "eastern segment" that straddles the Ahwatukee-GRIC border and the "western segment" that parallels 59th Avenue through Laveen . Together, these segments form
1820-678: The freeway still faced active opposition. A non-profit group called the Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment filed a civil-rights complaint with ADOT in July, claiming the freeway would disproportionately and adversely affect tribe members. A freeway opposition group called Protecting Arizona's Resources and Children planned an environmental lawsuit. And the Environmental Protection Agency in August 2013 raised several objections to
1872-508: The freeway's footprint from 10 lanes to eight to minimize its impact on Ahwatukee. Fearing the worst possible outcome of the freeway being built without exits onto community land (as would be the case with the Pecos Road alignment), Gila River Indigenous Community residents quickly formulated plans for a new referendum that would exclude the "no build" option, leaving only "yes on Gila River or no on Gila River." The tribal government rejected this proposal in July 2013. As late as September 2013,
1924-440: The freeway. The freeway opened to traffic in late 2019 as originally planned, with construction being finalized in late 2020. The six-mile (9.7 km) shared used path between 40th Street and 17th Avenue along the south side of the freeway and the 32nd Street interchange both opened to the general public on October 31, 2020. However, a crash on northbound Loop 202 has yet to be written. The final part of Loop 202 to open
1976-505: The interchange opened to traffic on September 15, 2022, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The entire route is in Maricopa County . State Route 202 Spur (Arizona Spur 202) is an unsigned state highway located in Phoenix . It begins at the Red Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) at exit 5. It continues west, intersecting the Hohokam Expressway (SR 143) and ends at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport . This
2028-606: The land needed for the freeway. While construction was underway in 2017 on both ends of the freeway segment, no work had occurred on a five-mile (8 km) center segment adjacent to South Mountain until a final decision was made by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals . A ruling was released in mid-2018 in the action brought by the Gila River Indigenous Community . The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Gila River Indigenous Community's claims in December 2017. In March 2015,
2080-414: The last twenty years. Some of this growth was fueled by the establishment of manufacturing plants for communications and computing firms such as Microchip , Motorola and Intel . According to the 2020 census , Chandler has a total area of 65.55 square miles (169.8 km ), of which 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ), or 0.11%, are listed as water. The center of the city, along Arizona State Route 87 ,
2132-403: The population. Of the 106,712 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.2% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 7.4% were couples cohabitating, 18.3% had a male householder with no partner present, and 23.6% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size
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2184-399: The referendum were to build on community land, off community land, or not at all. The "no build" option won a plurality of votes, receiving 720 votes out of a total 1,481 cast. MAG sent out a press release soon after making it clear that construction of the freeway would move forward as planned along the Pecos Road alignment. Expecting this outcome, MAG and ADOT had previously (in 2010) shrunk
2236-564: The route passes through Eastern Phoenix and encounters partial interchanges with SR 143 (Hohokam Expressway) and Sky Harbor Blvd , both which provide motorists direct access to the Sky Harbor Airport . The freeway then skims the northern bank of the Salt River as it passes through Tempe with its downtown skyline visible across the Town Lake . It then crosses the river diagonally on
2288-522: The state's 12-year, $ 21 million draft environmental impact statement that had deemed construction of the freeway to be more beneficial to the environment, by improving traffic flow and thus reducing pollution, than building no freeway at all. The EPA claimed that the statement contained overly optimistic traffic projections, did not sufficiently address air quality concerns, and could harm neighboring communities and environmental resources. By April 2017, ADOT had purchased 1,387 acres (561 ha), or 90% of
2340-686: The two-year Chandler-Gilbert Community College , which serves 13,000 students. Chandler Municipal Airport is a two-runway general aviation facility. Stellar Airpark is a privately owned municipal airport open to the public. Chandler is served by three limited access highways: Chandler is served by two single-track branch lines of the Union Pacific Railroad . Hospitals in Chandler include Chandler Regional Medical Center , and Banner Ocotillo Medical Center. Chandler has two sister cities: Arizona State Route 202 Arizona State Route 202 ( SR 202 ) or Loop 202 (202L)
2392-673: The western terminus of SR 24 (Gateway Freeway). Simultaneously, Loop 202 provides access to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and the ASU Polytechnic campus . The freeway enters Gilbert and serves the Santan Village shopping district and the Mercy Gilbert Hospital. Next, it passes through Chandler , serving the namesake airport and encountering SR 87 again about one mile (1.6 km) south of
2444-1019: Was $ 50,247. Out of the 279,322 people with a determined poverty status, 7.6% were below the poverty line . Further, 9.3% of minors and 7.6% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 13.0% of the population of the city, followed by Irish at 10.1%, English at 8.5%, American at 5.7%, Italian at 4.5%, Polish at 1.9%, Scottish at 1.7%, French at 1.6%, Arab at 1.5%, Sub-Saharan African at 1.5%, Norwegian at 1.2%, Dutch at 1.1%, Swedish at 1.0%, French Canadian at 0.6%, Russian at 0.6%, Scotch-Irish at 0.5%, and Greek at 0.5%. Computer chip manufacturer Intel has two locations in Chandler. Other high-technology manufacturing firms have partnerships with Chandler, their operations employing approximately 25% of non-government workers in 2007. Since 2003, more than 2,900 jobs and investments totalling $ 3 billion have been created along
2496-453: Was 2.61 and the median family size was 3.12. The age distribution was 23.8% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. The median income for a household was $ 98,664, with family households having a median income of $ 116,362 and non-family households $ 66,304. The per capita income
2548-483: Was 4,276.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,651.1/km ). There were 113,092 housing units at an average density of 1,722.9 per square mile (665.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 56.0% White, 13.4% Asian, 7.6% Black or African American, 4.4% some other race, 1.0% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 17.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 21.2% of
2600-633: Was created after different sections of freeway within the Phoenix metro were given the designation, with the first section designated in 1990. The SanTan Freeway was completed in 2006, while the Red Mountain Freeway section was completed in 2008. The Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway officially opened on December 21, 2019. Loop 202 begins as the Red Mountain Freeway at the Mini Stack , a four-level confluence with I-10 (Inner Loop) and SR 51 (Piestewa Freeway) in Central City , Phoenix . Heading eastward,
2652-588: Was established in 1914. Chandler was officially incorporated on February 16, 1920, after 186 residents petitioned the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to approve incorporation . Most of Chandler's economy was sustained during the Great Depression (though the Depression was to blame for the cancellation of a second San Marcos hotel), but the cotton crash a few years later had a much deeper impact on
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#17328551826092704-505: Was the diamond interchange with Lindsay Road (exit 43) on the SanTan Freeway section in Gilbert . Initially not a part of the existing freeway, the interchange was planned through a partnership with ADOT and the town government in order to provide direct access to the central business district and other surrounding businesses and neighborhoods. Construction on the interchange began in January 2021 and
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